B15N Reissue...disappeared?

[pedro]

Sorry I missed all the responses, but Ike did a BEATING on the Houston power system and of course cable internet suffered for a while too lol

I actually did a lot of thinking about this (since I had nothing else to do with the power being out) and while it is aesthetically amazing and the tone is good at low volumes, there is no way that it could cut through in any band practice session of mine. My guitarist has a Crate Blue VooDoo 150w head with a marshall 2x12's and 4x12's....and he cranks it. My drummer is quite possibly as loud as you can get with an acoustic set as well. I brought my Backline 600 to practice and figured i'd just need my GLX 2x10's and I'd be fine....yeah right lol

I might have to do some re-evaluation of why I would really want a tube head or if I should do the hybrid vs. all-tube thing and make this thread into a battlezone lol.

As Jimmy said glad you're alright. As for the rest, I'd suggest re-evaluating the bandmates. Playing at high volume for extended periods of time isn't good for you (or them) and if you can't convince them to turn down it might be time to keep an eye out for someone who will.

 

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

Ok...so, sorry to dig this one up again but it seems that I've been stricken with GAS for this very same thing again

My current rig now is:

Sansamp RPM -> 1500w power amp -> Avatar Neo 210s cab


It's a GREAT modern-sounding rig with plenty of power and cut to boot...but I miss the tube compression and other fringe benefits in addition to the tonal posterity at high volumes. I've thought of adding on compressor but thats just more knobs and junk to have to deal with. Plus there is the question of when to add it (before or after the preamp) and learning how to set it properly, buy the right one, know a good deal on one when i see it, etc....


SO...back to the wonderful B15 discussion for my old school tone lol. I've been told by some buddies that my best bet is to keep an eye out for another Ampeg b15 reissue or see if a nice cheap one springs up. I'd probably prefer the reissue for volume and versatility issues (a padded input would be great for my active basses). Is there another reissue in the works or should I just keep my eyes peeled on evilbay or scour through here for someone who wants to part with their reissue for what I'm willing to pay for it?


...or is there anyone making knockoff amps that resemble it closely and match it tonally?

 

[JimmyM]

Every rumor I've heard has yet to see fruition. Makes me think it's not going to happen. I'd just keep looking for a used one if I were you.

 

[LuvMusic]

This looks like it's still available....wish I could afford it!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8150901&highlight=ampeg#post8150901

 

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

This looks like it's still available....wish I could afford it!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8150901&highlight=ampeg#post8150901

Yeah for a mint condition b15-r I MIGHT pay $1k if I can spare it...no way I'd pay any more though. This is like when they make a crappy movie or video game and the "collectors value" because its "rare" is really high on it.

Something isn't rare when its been discontinued less than 3 years since you could buy it retail lol

 

[Doc Halo]

Yeah for a mint condition b15-r I MIGHT pay $1k if I can spare it...no way I'd pay any more though.

Then you're not likely to get a B-15R anytime soon unless you find an extremely motivated seller. I shopped for months for mine, and payed about what the seller in the TB classifieds is now asking for his. The only reason that the one in the classified isn't moving is that the seller lives in Oklahoma and doesn't want to ship--if he were somewhere within 300 miles of anywhere, that thing would be gone in a heartbeat.

This is like when they make a crappy movie or video game and the "collectors value" because its "rare" is really high on it.

Something isn't rare when its been discontinued less than 3 years since you could buy it retail lol

You're comparing apples with oranges. The price point of the B-15R was high, but it was produced in low numbers and improved on the original design in a number of ways. And whether or not something is "rare" doesn't depend on how long it's been off the market; it depends on how high the demand is relative to a finite supply. And since the supply of B-15Rs is indeed finite now that they're no longer in production, and since there seems to be a trend among bass players (here on TB, if nowhere else) back toward tube amps, they will become increasingly rare. Hence, the price for a used B-15R is more likely to go up, not down.