Ampeg BA300 - wow!

[sonic boogaloo]

i have a fender acb50, which i love, but i stopped taking it to rehearsals (to save carrying it) because the rehearsal space recently purchased a bugera 300W valve head which sounded just as good as the acb50, and is much louder, of course...

at the last rehearsal one of the bugera's valves went and i was forced to switch to an Ampeg BA300 combo which was on hand.

the Ampeg blew my mind! it really cut through and sounded huge.

i've always played through tube amps but this experience has had me questioning my decision.

i love the sound of my acb50 isolated but compared to how a relatively budget transistor Ampeg amp brought my bass forward in the overall mix at rehearsal has got me scratching my head.

 

[lark_z]

I have a smaller Ampeg BA and, like you, I find the "cooked in" tone from whatever electrical stuff is going on under the hood to be very well done.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

If it's this one -> https://ampeg.com/pdf/BA300.pdf

There's a 12AX7 preamp tube in it, but how much that contributes to the overall tone is probably up for debate. I've had 100% SS Ampeg combos that sounded great (but were heavy). They make some great stuff, I'm not surprised you dug it

 

[sonic boogaloo]

if i had the space, i'd buy one.

 

[SC Bassboy]

I'll never forget the first Ampeg I played through. Pep Band in college (1998?) had a little B3 2x10 combo. Solid state all day long but It sounded like rock n roll and every note was clear.

 

[BassBrass]

I just have a BA110 I take on vacation and it gives all the qualities of a much bigger amp so whenever there is a poll on small combos (like Rumble or Hartke), I vote for Ampeg. But the tube vs solid state issue, that's about 30-40 (or more) years ago simply because of weight/maintenance (reliability) issues (maybe own 2) as well as perceived speed of reproduction (slight soft compression with tubes) and seeing someone wrestle with the issue in 2026 just shows that these things aren't just a one time line to cross, but a Long wave.

 

[shoot-r]

the Ampeg blew my mind! it really cut through and sounded huge.

Did you have the BA300 210 or the 115?

Ampeg has had several versions of the BA series over the years. The BA115V2 is my personal favorite combo amp. (The BA115V2 stays parked at the band's rehearsal area.)

Cons: They're heavy in weight by today's standards.
Pros: Their sound/tone is solid, strong, clear that projects well. Can be surprisingly loud if needed. Can be found used at great prices.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

Here's something really funny.
After playing through all-tube Ampegs for decades, I bought my first SS Ampeg .
The little bitty BA108 for a home practice amp. And even THAT has some of the classic Ampeg tone!
I A/B'd it against the little Fender, Acoustic, Hartke, and it was a revelation.
They seem to use some serious fairy dust across their entire product line.

 

[sonic boogaloo]

Did you have the BA300 210 or the 115?

the 115.

sounded amazing.

 

[tothemax]

Hard to beat simple... I use a BA210v2 for my main rig and add a Portaflex 2x10 cab when I need a larger sound. Very pleased with it... Glad you like the BA-300.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Here's something really funny.
After playing through all-tube Ampegs for decades, I bought my first SS Ampeg .
The little bitty BA108 for a home practice amp. And even THAT has some of the classic Ampeg tone!
I A/B'd it against the little Fender, Acoustic, Hartke, and it was a revelation.
They seem to use some serious fairy dust across their entire product line.

BA08s are killer little amps, do you have the kickback version?
Love mine.

 

[songwriter21]

i have a fender acb50, which i love, but i stopped taking it to rehearsals (to save carrying it) because the rehearsal space recently purchased a bugera 300W valve head which sounded just as good as the acb50, and is much louder, of course...

at the last rehearsal one of the bugera's valves went and i was forced to switch to an Ampeg BA300 combo which was on hand.

the Ampeg blew my mind! it really cut through and sounded huge.

i've always played through tube amps but this experience has had me questioning my decision.

i love the sound of my acb50 isolated but compared to how a relatively budget transistor Ampeg amp brought my bass forward in the overall mix at rehearsal has got me scratching my head.

Hell, I have been using the SVT patch from my Zoom MS60B for over ten years now. It always sounds huge and in your face through the PA (and my in-ears). Ampeg has that muscled "pump" that not many other mainstream/more affordable amps do. GK is the only other brand that comes to mind.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

BA08s are killer little amps, do you have the kickback version?
Love mine.

Yup.....