Ampeg BA-108 Coffeeshop Micro Rig

[Woodstockz]

Great thread Woodstockz! Thank you for this! Would you know if Phase 1C can be installed on a BA-110?

I put an Eminence Basslite 2010 into a BA110 V1. Match made in heaven. Works great, sounds great. I can use the full volume without fartout. I've only tried the baselite. I haven't tried any other speakers since that worked for the jam sessions I was going to. I don't know about Phase 1C.

My current experiments are with 12 inchers. My current gigging amp is a B15R. 100 tube Watts is all I need for now.

 

[74hc]

I did consider the S2010 but ended up choosing a FaitalPro 4ohm 10FE200 for about 1/2 the cost. I couldn't see sinking in $95 for what I paid for it new.

It took me awhile to tune the cabinet for the speaker though. Now it sounds terrific, and a far improvement over the stock speaker. I ended up pulling out the extra padding I put in for the stock speaker, and tried various amounts, and type.

Ended up with the white quilt stuffing at Walmart in the sewing section. I only put enough to cover the bare wood on the sides, top, and bottom.

It can play with the volume fully up, and the Faital handles it with ease. The limiting factor now is the TDA7294 chip amp of the v2 version. It's really not designed for this, but for the average, run of the mill car stereos.

I'm thinking of replacing it with two 7293 in parallel to try to get 60 watts. This is going to take working out the power supply. I did pick up a torrid transformer from a home theater subwoofer with a 7293 in it.

Don't know if I am going to tackle that. I'm leaning towards building a 2x10 with two 10FE200 8ohms in the same shape and based on the same interior volume upscaled for 2 10". This is probably a better use of the funds.

 

[Greenstreet]

I put an Eminence Basslite 2010 into a BA110 V1. Match made in heaven. Works great, sounds great. I can use the full volume without fartout.

Did you change the ports, or just drop it in?

The cabinet has .86 cu ft, with two 3" diameter 2.75" long ports.

My head starts to spin when I try to deal with the T/S alphabet soup, but from my (most likely wrong) calculations, that speaker would require ports that are longer than the depth of the box (two 11.93" ports in a box that's only 9.31" deep).

 

[Greenstreet]

Here's the response I got from Eminence RE: Basslite S2010 in a BA 110 V1:

The Basslite S2010 will work in the cabinet, but I just calculated the tuning. It’s 88Hz. With the Basslite the lowest audible note will be 76Hz (F3). It should sound punchy and accurate, but you won’t get any depth or rumble…..with any speaker. It’s got specs like a sealed cab. If you make the ports longer, it’s just going to change the response shape to a more gradual roll off, but you won’t gain low frequency extension due to the small volume of the cab. I would just leave it as is and see if you like it.

I guess I'm just going to put the speaker in, add some foam egg-crate on a side and the bottom, and leave the ports as they came. Maybe at some point in the future I'll make a larger cabinet.

 

[JimmyM]

I guess I'm just going to put the speaker in, add some foam egg-crate on a side and the bottom, and leave the ports as they came. Maybe at some point in the future I'll make a larger cabinet.

I guess if you're changing the speaker, things might be different, but I tried adding padding in my BA110 v1 while I had it, and didn't notice a lick of difference in sound or performance. I guess the padding they had in there was enough.

 

[Greenstreet]

I guess if you're changing the speaker, things might be different, but I tried adding padding in my BA110 v1 while I had it, and didn't notice a lick of difference in sound or performance. I guess the padding they had in there was enough.

I'm sure you're right, I'm just playing around with it while I'm in there. I'm using your trick with the two-sided carpet tape, so I'll be able to put in/take out as needed.

The damping that's in there actually goes around the back of the part that holds the head, and around both sides- but only half-way down, as far as the housing for the head goes. It's only attached at the top, so I'm taping that down while I'm in there, too.

What I really, really want to do is change out the grill cloth to the blue/silver cloth. Any update on when it might be available?

 

[JimmyM]

I'm sure you're right, I'm just playing around with it while I'm in there. I'm using your trick with the two-sided carpet tape, so I'll be able to put in/take out as needed.

The damping that's in there actually goes around the back of the part that holds the head, and around both sides- but only half-way down, as far as the housing for the head goes. It's only attached at the top, so I'm taping that down while I'm in there, too.

Definitely a good idea.

What I really, really want to do is change out the grill cloth to the blue/silver cloth. Any update on when it might be available?

I wish I had something for you, man. I just don't know.

 

[Aiden1382]

I know this is an old thread but has anyone added a speaker output to the ba-108 to use with an extension cab? If so how much did it cost? I have an Ampeg Micro CL/matching 2x10 cab and the amp is too loud for this bedroom player. I can barely turn it between 1 and 2 on the volumn b/c it’s so loud. So I decided to buy a ba-108 and if i like it I will sell the Micro CL or maybe just sell the Micr CL head and keep the cab and add a speaker out to the ba-108.

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

I know this is an old thread but has anyone added a speaker output to the ba-108 to use with an extension cab? If so how much did it cost? I have an Ampeg Micro CL/matching 2x10 cab and the amp is too loud for this bedroom player. I can barely turn it between 1 and 2 on the volumn b/c it’s so loud. So I decided to buy a ba-108 and if i like it I will sell the Micro CL or maybe just sell the Micr CL head and keep the cab and add a speaker out to the ba-108.

I haven't, but I suspect that the BA-108's amp section is already running at its minimum impedance. If you add an extension speaker jack, it should be wired so that it connects the extension speaker in series with the internal one (like most solid state Crate combo amps) or that it disconnects the internal speaker completely.

 

[Aiden1382]

I haven't, but I suspect that the BA-108's amp section is already running at its minimum impedance. If you add an extension speaker jack, it should be wired so that it connects the extension speaker in series with the internal one (like most solid state Crate combo amps) or that it disconnects the internal speaker completely.

Thanks for the info. I would plan to take it in to an amp repair shop. I was just curious if anyone had done the mod and wondering what they paid and their thoughts on the mod.

 

[rzero]

I know this is an old thread but has anyone added a speaker output to the ba-108 to use with an extension cab? If so how much did it cost? I have an Ampeg Micro CL/matching 2x10 cab and the amp is too loud for this bedroom player. I can barely turn it between 1 and 2 on the volumn b/c it’s so loud. So I decided to buy a ba-108 and if i like it I will sell the Micro CL or maybe just sell the Micr CL head and keep the cab and add a speaker out to the ba-108.

What if you use the -15dB input on that amp? That should give you more leeway on the master vol.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Ampeg BA 108 Mods Phase 1A - From practice amp to Coffeeshop Micro Rig.

I like the idea of portability. Carrying stuff across a parking lot and up stairs was getting to my rotator cuff. Markbass stuff might help. It sounds great, is light and portable, but too expensive.

I read the whole thread about Micro and Nano Rigs. My shoulder needs that I get a portable micro rig, so I decided to make a portable coffeeshop rig myself.

I need a working amp that I can rely on, so I decided to get another amp for modification project. That way, and if I blow up the project amp, I can keep practicing with my current amp.

Starting with a complete working unit will give me one that looks good after I finish, rather that some hack job that sounds good, but looks bad. Been there, done that.

At $99, the Ampeg BA 108 is cheap enough to make it a project. Lightly used units can be found on Ebay, Craigslist. I got mine for $69 in the used amp section of Guitar Center.

The TB-110 project is pretty cool. It uses the Eminence S2010 10 inch speaker. The BA-108 has about the same volume as the Goldwod box minus the shelf, so this project will use the same speaker.

The S2010 is a significant upgrade to the BA 108. 2 inches larger in diameter than the stock BA 108 speaker, but just about doubles the cone area. So it can push more air.
The voice coil grows from 1" to 2" for power handling.
The neo magnet helps keep the weight down. Win.

Why didn't you get the 10, if you were planning on putting a 10" speaker in it?

 

[Aiden1382]

What if you use the -15dB input on that amp? That should give you more leeway on the master vol.

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely try that.

 

[rzero]

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely try that.

Yeah try it out. You won't really lose any fidelity/tone imo. I have a BA-108 v2 and it is much louder at low master settings than one might think. I've actually used the -15dB pad on it myself for quiet nighttime jams.

 

[Vije]

If anyone still comes back to this thread.. I could use an advice for an Ampeg BA-108 V2 speaker upgrade.. I read several threads on the subject, and I'm thinking of getting an Faital 10FE200 10" 4 ohms, in order to replace the stock 8" without porting the cab. I don't want to port it but I will check the inside sealing of the box and make sure is properly coated with dump material.

I'm hoping that it would improve the tone, distort less at higher volumes, maybe make the volume a little louder overall while still keeping the depth and punch. I can get that speaker for about 45 bucks so I figure why not. Do you think the swap will get me there?

 

[JimmyM]

I don’t think the BA108 will run at 4 ohms. Seems to me it had a hard 8 ohm minimum.

 

[Vije]

I don’t think the BA108 will run at 4 ohms. Seems to me it had a hard 8 ohm minimum.

The v2 is rated at 4 ohm.

 

[Vije]

see the tech sheet

 

[Vije]

see the tech sheet

So nobody has any insights about such a move?

 

[Blues Bass 2]

I put a FaitalPRO's 8FE200 8 ohm in my BA108 V2 . It sounds different for sure , more low mids and not as bright upper mids . The stock speaker really sounds fine but I do like the extra beef with the Faital and with the EQ I can make it cut . Better? I think just different .