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Does anyone make a B15 in a pedal format?

#65
Dee-man said:
I'll try to overdrive my Shaw tube injection, perhaps later today, and will try to compare that to my P-15 and see what I can report back on, if that would be helpful. (I may have gotten one of the last P-15's Josh was willing to make. I got on his list in 2016, I think, and got the pre earlier this year. :cool:)
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That would be much appreciated!

Shame Josh decided to stop making those, he could have easily charged more without cutting down on buyers.
 
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#66
nshuman said:
You can try posting in the Broughton thread asking if someone is wanting to sell theirs.

My dad used to play on a B-15 and B-18 in his youth and the P-15 through a PJB Suitcase is his favourite setup nowadays. Add a bit of overdrive and it's perfect.
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The “add a bit off overdrive” is exactly what I’m hoping to not need: the various stages of breakup from the amp itself is what really knocked me out about the B15.
 
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#67
MDBass said:
The “add a bit off overdrive” is exactly what I’m hoping to not need: the various stages of breakup from the amp itself is what really knocked me out about the B15.
Click to expand...

Well, it depends what breakup you are looking for. The P-15 is a full B-15 preamp, so it can do what a B-15 preamp section can do. If you are looking for the full power tube killing OD, that's different and not always what people are actually looking for. Any pedal that does not contain an actual power tube will be mostly just an approximation of that sound anyway.

Audio Kitchen's The Big Trees will get you a true power tube sound, but it's not B-15 based.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a pedal that will create an approximation of the sound you are looking for, but if you are looking for the Preamp section in the B-15, tube and all, the P-15 is what you want.
 
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#68
MDBass said:
I've owned all iterations of the Vintage, and while it's a great pedal doesn't really sound like a B15: a B15 can actually be quite bright and very aggressive, as I mentioned above it's interesting that some people specifically think "Motown" when they hear "B15" even though all the Motown tracks were done via DI ;)
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The "bright and aggressive" side of the B-15 was the main one that I got to experience in the studio -- not harsh, but vibrant, dynamic, almost bristling, but just under the surface. Super touch-responsive - chords were wonderful moments, evolving in time after you struck them. Played that way, it was louder than I thought it would be, too, though an unrestrained or insensitive drummer could still overpower it.

The B-150 tube amp doesn't have a gain knob, but it has a pull "Shift" on the volume control. I don't know exactly what that does, but there is definitely more gain overall and maybe the mids are more forward -- the biggest difference, for me, is that there's more "hair" on the notes -- more pleasing grind and harmonic interest -- and more bounce in the feel. It's closer, that way, to what I experienced with the B-15, though still on the cleaner side (it is rated at 150 Watts). I wonder if putting a clean boost in front of it -- or the Shaw preamp, or one of the Arkham or Broughton units, or any of the "clean B-15" type boxes -- would get you closer to what you seem to be going for.

Dee-man said:
I'll try to overdrive my Shaw tube injection, perhaps later today, and will try to compare that to my P-15 and see what I can report back on, if that would be helpful. (I may have gotten one of the last P-15's Josh was willing to make. I got on his list in 2016, I think, and got the pre earlier this year. :cool:)
Click to expand...

I'm interested to hear the result of this, as well.

@MDBass, you might try contacting Micah at Arkham Sound and Kevin at Shaw Amps, along with Josh Broughton, to see how they see their stuff relative to a B-15 (or a B-15 preamp section).
 
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#70
I’ve got a late ‘69 B-15N. I don’t willingly take it out of the house anymore. So I started looking for an alternative. Preferably with more watts as well.

And so my search began.

As far as what’s readily available, I think the Barber Linden EQ comes incredibly close. Especially if you just bypass the pre in an amp and go straight into your effects return and use the Linden as your sole preamp stage. That’s how I’m using mine.

A lot may depend on your cab. But even with the full range 2x10 I’m using, it really nails the B-15 vibe.

Is it identical to a real B-15? Nope. But it’s so close that for the small money Barber is asking for a Linden, it’s a no brainer getting one. Or at least to me it is.

YMMV.
 
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#71
MarkA said:
The "bright and aggressive" side of the B-15 was the main one that I got to experience in the studio -- not harsh, but vibrant, dynamic, almost bristling, but just under the surface. Super touch-responsive - chords were wonderful moments, evolving in time after you struck them. Played that way, it was louder than I thought it would be, too, though an unrestrained or insensitive drummer could still overpower it.

The B-150 tube amp doesn't have a gain knob, but it has a pull "Shift" on the volume control. I don't know exactly what that does, but there is definitely more gain overall and maybe the mids are more forward -- the biggest difference, for me, is that there's more "hair" on the notes -- more pleasing grind and harmonic interest -- and more bounce in the feel. It's closer, that way, to what I experienced with the B-15, though still on the cleaner side (it is rated at 150 Watts). I wonder if putting a clean boost in front of it -- or the Shaw preamp, or one of the Arkham or Broughton units, or any of the "clean B-15" type boxes -- would get you closer to what you seem to be going for.



I'm interested to hear the result of this, as well.

@MDBass, you might try contacting Micah at Arkham Sound and Kevin at Shaw Amps, along with Josh Broughton, to see how they see their stuff relative to a B-15 (or a B-15 preamp section).
Click to expand...

The Arkham units I listened to last night sounded lovely set clean, but pushing them sounded pretty unpleasant to my ears and very unlike pushing a B15.

I'll definitely reach out to the Shaw folks though, I always like meeting new people who make great creative tools for musicians...especially if it might mean a discount off of retail pricing in exchange for video content of said tools ;)
 
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#72
40Hz said:
I’ve got a late ‘69 B-15N. I don’t willingly take it out of the house anymore. So I started looking for an alternative. Preferably with more watts as well.

And so my search began.

As far as what’s readily available, I think the Barber Linden EQ comes incredibly close. Especially if you just bypass the pre in an amp and go straight into your effects return and use the Linden as your sole preamp stage. That’s how I’m using mine.

A lot may depend on your cab. But even with the full range 2x10 I’m using, it really nails the B-15 vibe.

Is it identical to a real B-15? Nope. But it’s so close that for the small money Barber is asking for a Linden, it’s a no brainer getting one. Or at least to me it is.

YMMV.
Click to expand...

Can you push it into overdriving?

I already have something that does the "clean B15" thing in the REDDI, so another box that only does that would be redundant.
 
#73
Since you asked about pedals, and now power tubes have come up, you should consider the Broughton Power Stage pedal, which can get you more of an overdriven power tube palette, if you can find one. Closest to a power tube that I've heard in a pedal.
You might also consider a JohnK Acoustic 370 pedal, or one of the Acoustic 360 pedals out there by DiCosimo. Obviously neither are designed to emulate a B-15, and don't have a tube, but to my ears can bring some of that power tube distortion you may be seeking (if you're in fact seeking that).
 
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#75
nshuman said:
Well, it depends what breakup you are looking for. The P-15 is a full B-15 preamp, so it can do what a B-15 preamp section can do. If you are looking for the full power tube killing OD, that's different and not always what people are actually looking for. Any pedal that does not contain an actual power tube will be mostly just an approximation of that sound anyway.

Audio Kitchen's The Big Trees will get you a true power tube sound, but it's not B-15 based.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a pedal that will create an approximation of the sound you are looking for, but if you are looking for the Preamp section in the B-15, tube and all, the P-15 is what you want.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your enthusiasm for the P15, but continuing to tell me that the one thing that I literally can't buy is what I need isn't helping ;)

Hard to tell how much of what I love about the B15 is the pre versus the power section, but that gravity of the ask is why I mentioned in the OP I'd be willing to spend $1k on a. single box that could get me there :thumbsup:
 

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