Why is the Ampeg B15 so coveted?

[Boneless]

I mean, I have never tried a real one, only emulations (apparently good ones). It's an amp with very little headroom (the 1964 version more than the 1966) and with an internal speaker that is kinda narrow in its passband. I do get the point of it for certain rock sounds but I see it sought after by all sorts of people, many of whom would be better served by a more linear amp. Like, Jamerson did use a B15 but only live (because that was all there was, essentially; either that or a Fender Bassman essentially) and never recorded with it.

 

[bholder]

because it sounds like sloppy wet farts when turned up past about 4? yeah!

Not really, because it was all there was, and created the sound of a whole generation of hits in all styles. It's Foundational to the Sound.

 

[hennessybass]

IMO:
A good chunk of it has to do with myth and legend (especially that Jamerson recorded all those Motown records with a B15).
The other reasons might be because of what might seem to be the many limitations of the amp that you list:

Very little headroom - It's just about right for a recording studio. You can actually turn it up and get that nice warm harmonically rich tone without pushing the volume too high. You can even push it just to the edge of distortion and the volume is manageable for a recording studio.

The speaker is narrow in its passband - It slots into a mix right where it should. It doesn't take up a bunch of sonic space that crowds out the other voices. Same reason a Pbass is so popular in the studio - it just works. Think of how many guys now have to have a HPF and LPF as part of their rigs. It used to be that the speaker could take care of those things for you.

Other than that, the amp - or I guess the preamp - by itself is just a very simple tone machine that works great for a bass guitar. It's a super simple tone stack that is flexible and just kind of sounds good. And good tone is not just limited to any particular genre.

As far as a modern gigging amp, they are not practical - mostly having to do with headroom / volume.
But, VERY cool in the right situation - IME.
If you are in a real recording studio (meaning proper isolation rooms), then it is perfect. On the right gig, in the right venue, it can be perfect.

In the studio:

On the gig:

 

[brianrost]

Because it sounds good?

It records well.

It works well for amplifying upright bass unlike many amps of that period.

 

[Killing Floor]

Nostalgia.
Same reason an otherwise glammed out rock star will rock a flat brown Strat.

It’s directly connected with the rising of rock’n’roll.

 

[Marko 1]

One of the amp models on my Line-6 head is a '68 B-15 Flip Top.







STOP LAUGHING!!

 

[TheSpinDoctor]

My brother has a 1960s B-15N. He used it until he got a silver face Bassman with JBL D-140s. I used the B-15N while in college. It was fine for small indoor venues. Eventually, I had to add a second amp to play outdoors. The B-15N found its way back to my brother. He put a JBL D-140 in it with amazing results. The original speaker started to break up with the volume at 12 o'clock. With the JBL D-140, he can crank the B-15N wide open and still sound clean, great headroom. Others have put an Altec Lansing 421 in a B-15N with similar results.
Bottom line is the amplifier is fine with the right speaker. Volume will still be a consideration.

 

[ItsmeSantiago]

I made a "poor man's" B15 setup, with a Mesa Diesel 115 no tweeter and a Crate CR-285B and it sounds great in the right situation. The head was made in the Ampeg factory in the early 80's and it's 92W @ 8 ohm. It sounds great but doesn't take pedals well, and I'm pretty sure I paid less than 100 bucks for it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they sound the same, but if you're interested in a low wattage head it's a cheap way to experiment if you can find one.

 

[Jefenator]

I call this my "Franken-B-15". Not as cool-looking as the real deal, but more practical while not wanting for mojo IMHO.

This won't cover every gig without help, but PA support is easy enough when needed.
I'm surprised by how often I have to turn it down.

 

[Wisebass]

Ciao Boneless

I do get the point of it for certain rock sounds but I see it sought after by all sorts of people, many of whom would be better served by a more linear amp.

Most rockers (that I know) won't have it on their GAS list. (not enough power)

Rockers usually go for the big sister, the even bigger brother (V4B, SVT)

or some modern version of the two. (YMMV)


When the B15 came on the market, it was compact (great for touring as well as for recording),

the volume was perfect for DB players that needed amplification,

as well as for electric basses that replaced uprights in a big band.

The speaker and amp were nicely balanced (the speaker is at it's sweet spot

at the maximum clean volume coming from the amp).

And it could be serviced by every radio technician in any radio shop no matter where!

(those guys had learned their trade on tube radios!)

For pro players it was an awesome amp to have.


Today it's different, it's more the sound that is of interest

The B15 has it's strength in the gray zone between clean and the point

where the tubes start to clip. Played soft = clean, played harder = a slight grind

in between = tube goddess

It's hard to get that with any "linear" amp (without a bunch of pedals or other gimmicks)

The exception would be an amp with a sim (B15 and B15 with cab)

Some prefer the original!


greetings

Wise(b)ass

 

[Boneless]

Ciao Boneless



Most rockers (that I know) won't have it on their GAS list. (not enough power)

Rockers usually go for the big sister, the even bigger brother (V4B, SVT)

or some modern version of the two. (YMMV)


When the B15 came on the market, it was compact (great for touring as well as for recording),

the volume was perfect for DB players that needed amplification,

as well as for electric basses that replaced uprights in a big band.

The speaker and amp were nicely balanced (the speaker is at it's sweet spot

at the maximum clean volume coming from the amp).

And it could be serviced by every radio technician in any radio shop no matter where!

(those guys had learned their trade on tube radios!)

For pro players it was an awesome amp to have.


Today it's different, it's more the sound that is of interest

The B15 has it's strength in the gray zone between clean and the point

where the tubes start to clip. Played soft = clean, played harder = a slight grind

in between = tube goddess

It's hard to get that with any "linear" amp (without a bunch of pedals or other gimmicks)

The exception would be an amp with a sim (B15 and B15 with cab)

Some prefer the original!


greetings

Wise(b)ass

I was talking about studio applications, not live. Of course a B15 is either not powerful enough or impractical live. It does have a nice grind but I don't get how it can be so useful for fingerstyle players (or even pick style) playing flats.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

The octal preamp is heavenly.
I recorded an EP on a B-15 in NY about 30 years ago. Wow!
My poormans B-15 was a Lafayette (univox) piggyback with two 6L6 and three 12au7. Made a fretless sound warm and sexy.

 

[Boneless]

because it sounds like sloppy wet farts when turned up past about 4? yeah!

Not really, because it was all there was, and created the sound of a whole generation of hits in all styles. It's Foundational to the Sound.

But is it? Which sound? The Motown sound is *not* a B15, for instance.

 

[Hasty]

I played on a B15 once at a studio. It was old and janky looking, but it sounded super good on my double bass. I never really wanted a tube amp until I played that one as I thought they were impractical at that size/power. Now I've built two small tube amps here at the house and one of them is always next to the home recording desk ready to go.

 

[dbase]

I has a warm sweet sound but not much power. It's cousin, The Oliver was the same except the head rose out of the cab via a sewing machine motor. It looked neat when you turned it on.

 

[Gizmot]

To be fair, those Ampegs sounded pretty good back in the 60s and they were probably used on quite a few recordings. But - even in its heyday, a lot of people used Fender 2x12 Bassmans and Dual Showman’s. Within a couple of years, bands were playing much louder and guys were using Kustom, Sunn and Acoustic.

 

[groooooove]

they really do sound wonderful.

they are quite versatile.

they are a part of history / very collectible

they are connected to specific people and sounds.

just because many people would be better served elsewhere does not negate what an awesome little amp it is.

 

[SLO Surfer]

I mean, I have never tried a real one, only emulations (apparently good ones). It's an amp with very little headroom (the 1964 version more than the 1966) and with an internal speaker that is kinda narrow in its passband. I do get the point of it for certain rock sounds but I see it sought after by all sorts of people, many of whom would be better served by a more linear amp. Like, Jamerson did use a B15 but only live (because that was all there was, essentially; either that or a Fender Bassman essentially) and never recorded with it.

The people I know who covet them only want them for recording situations. I don’t know anyone who wants them for live applications. A few months ago our keyboardist found one on Facebook Marketplace for $200 and it’s all original in mint condition. I’ve played through it in our studio a few times and it really does get an amazing sound for old school vibes.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, at one point I owned two B-15s at the same time...a mid-60's and an early 70's. They had a nice warm tone and would break up a little when pushed. I always thought the 'magic' was in the baffle.

I played a couple of gigs with them, and they covered a lot more room than you might expect. At every gig, someone would come up to look and ask questions. Guitar players seemed the most interested. I think every bass player should try to play a Pbass with flats through one...it's an important part of our heritage.

I ended up selling both of them because they were too heavy/bulky to transport for the one-nighters I was playing...and I felt guilty just keeping them hidden away in my music room. They needed to be out in the world.

 

[drumvsbass]

I think every bass player should try to play a Pbass with flats through one...it's an important part of our heritage.

^^^This^^^ And then a J with Rounds through an SVT with an 810 (or two), in a room that can handle it being on about 7. Then you will know Palpatine's Infinite Power.