Giving up "modern" rig for old fliptop.

[Jefenator]

Hey, congrats on making the leap!

There's a real juicy-looking one on the bay right now and I am very, very tempted. But I think a couple of you might have posted some sense in to me. My current [micro head + 1x12] rig keeps up with this monstrously loud Jazz drummer I work with and I can schlep it, and the upright, and even a music stand, all in one trip. That's definitely better for my current lifestyle.

Maybe after my cat passes away, I'll invest in a B-15 for home use. You only live once...

 

[coreyfyfe]

I think the bass gods intervened.

I got a call from a local music store informing me that they have a 1967-1969 Ampeg B-15 coming in on a trade within the next couple of days. The music store owner said it's in great condition and would sell it to me for just under 1k.

~B

Congrats! That's exactly what I paid for my 68 when I got it, so at least you're not getting a bad deal

 

[lposavad]

Braden, I've read all this thread to date, pros and cons for buying a B-15.
I've never played through one, maybe only seen one once or twice, so I can't weigh in to the discussion. But here are my two cents: you're young, you have the opportunity, so follow what your ears and heart are telling you. Life's too short to compromise your dreams (boy this is getting thick!).

p.s. Thanks for selling the Jazz bass back to me, it's already restrung and waiting for this weekends' gig... I hope you score the P-bass you've been eyeing.

 

[mongo2]

Nope, after trying to gig a couple of them and repairing a few over the years, I'll definitely never use another B-15.

 

[main_sale]

'67 was a very good year for Corvettes and Ampeg!

 

[BCAlbin]

well, first of all i also believe that the b15 is the greatest bass amp ever made by Anyone. but what you're really hearing on those records is bass direct, not a b15.

...Exactly. As I've read/heard, James was plugged into a DI for most of those landmark recordings so the BEAUTIFUL tone of the B-15 doesn't really play a part. It was James' hands and James' bass that got that tone, not his B-15.

I have a '63 B-15N and my '62 re-issue P w/ flatwounds plugged into that thing is the sweetest tone I've ever heard. I would DEFINITELY encourage you to own one someday but probably not as your primary (or ONLY!) amp. Too many good, versatile amps on the market (many, with a good ear and some EQ tweaking, capable of delivering a pretty good approximation of a vintage B-15 tone) to limit yourself to an amp that ONLY gets one tone....albeit one gorgeous, honey-dripping tone, but one tone all the same.

-BCA

 

[fretlessrock]

As someone who has spent a fair amount of time around Berk, and Boston in general, all I can say is take care to keep your gear safe, and look for an option for practice space work. Something like a Ashdown MAG combo that you can carry in one hand, with your bass in the other, is ideal.

Lots of gear gets ripped off in Boston, and Berk is a target for that kind of action. Having to leave half your gear in a stairwell while you load it up a few flights may very well be the last you see of your baby.

Also, you care about your rig and Motown tone, but don't be a douche about it. You will be playing a wide variety of material and the fliptop won't be the right rig for everything. Asking the world to revolve around your 40 year old underpowered gear will put you squarely on the outside looking in at a lot of opportunities.

I'm not trying to be "Buzz Killington", but these statements reflect my experiences and those of the folks I know who were students at Berklee, or NEC.