Ampeg B-100R Rocket Bass Amp

This is the amp I bought a year ago for use in smaller venues. I got it to give me some relief from carting my big stack into clubs where I didn't need overwhelming volume. In short, this is a neat little combo with tone and volume that are surprising for something in this price range. My main rig is an Ampeg V4 through two speaker cabs, and this little solid state combo can produce very tube like tones. And I have to say that I like the retro style of the cabinet with its stovetop knobs, blue diamond tolex, and old-style logo.

I play a Fender Precision with a Bartolini 8S pickup installed. I use flatwounds exclusively. My style is Chicago blues mainly, with some old rock and swing tossed in for good measure. This combo is a very good match for my retro sound. And it stays clean all the way up the volume scale if you EQ it properly. And it's surprisingly loud. At first I thought it might not be enough for some of my gigs. But you know how weird sound can be with bass frequencies. Several times I've been on stage thinking I needed to crank it up a little more, and audience members would ask me to turn it down, since it was overpowering the guitar! This amp delivers a nice warm, deep tone that says Motown to me. Jamerson and Duck Dunn. So nice.....

There isn't much to go wrong with it. It's a fairly simple solid state unit that's built pretty sturdily. I've used it a lot over the psat year and never had a hiccup from it. But I expect Ampeg gear to be tough. This is the first thing I've owned since they were purchased by St Louis Music and it seems to be good stuff.

If I never have to contact SLM (and I haven't so far) I'll be a happy boy.

For what it is, it's a very good value. If you have a need for a relatively compact medium powered combo, this is a really good one. I did some comparison shopping and tried out a number of very good combos (SWR WM15, Fender Bassman 100, Ampeg BA-115) and some not so good combos (Crate BFX-100 and Hartke Kickback 15) before settling on this one. While I probably would have been happy with any of the first 3, I have no regrets about buying the B-100R. If it had anything else, I'd like to see an extension speaker output. I can imagine that this amp together with a 2x10 extension cabinet would probably be capable of playing about 90% of the clubs out there. As it is, it can probably handle 75%, and that's why I own it.

like the other reviewers on this amp said there isn't an extension speaker jack but thats is the amp's only possitive for me. there is an 1/4 line out, headphones jack, 4 band eq, ultra boost buttons (for low's, mid's, and high's), 15 inch speaker, blue tolex covering (nice), gain, master volume, and active and passive inputs. one thing i true did like is that you can crank it to 10 with out it getting distorted (depends on your EQ settings).

i have a Carvin LB-75. The combination of the two is great. the thing i don't like about the sound is that i can't get a Pantera like sound, but thats ok. this amp is very loud. im supprised that there is accuatly better amps than this one, this amp truely sounds great. i haven't got to try it with my Zoom 506 II yet but i could imagin that it will sound good.

i just got it, im not sure how reliable it is. i would probably use this with out a backup (mainly cause i can't afford one! haha)

haven't dealed with customer support yet.

ive been playing for 2 years now. im still new to everything, but this amp does sound great to the others i have played. if this was stolen i would buy another one (unless i had more money to buy something bigger). before this amp i have thought nearly 20 amps (ive been looking for a year). this amp caught my eye, and i liked it.

This amp was made in 1999. This baby is incredibly versatile. Its knobs are: Three buttons for highlighting lows, mids, and highs, Gain, Bass, Low Mids, High Mids, Treble, and Master Volume. There are separate jacks for passive and active inputs, line out, headphones, AND NO EXTENSION CAB JACK!!!!! That's the only reason why I'm giving this a 9.

The tones that come out of this amp are simply beautiful. Thats the only way to describe this amp. You can get so many different tones. Anywhere from wonderful, full sounding notes and chords, to clanky, metallic sounding slap. Perfect for you Korn-heads. But even better for me. I play metal, the heaviest of the heavy, the loudest of the loud. I overpower the two guitarists in my band, and one has a Marshal JCM 900 half stack and the other has a Valvestate half stack, and they tell ME to turn down. This is solid-state, but you get such a warm tube-tone, you'll be amazed. The most tube sounding i've ever heard. At a fraction of the price. This cranks. Put it up all the way, and barely any hiss. And i use a crapload of effects. I play it like this:
Ibanez EDB600 Ergodyne/Yamaha BB-G4>Boss TU-2 Tuner>DOD FX84 Milkbox Compressor>DOD FX25B Envelope Filter>DOD FX92 Bass Grunge>Boss GE-7B Bass Equalizer>DOD FX72 Bass Flanger>Boss PH-2 Super Phaser>Danelectro DJ-5 Tuna Melt Tremelo>Guyatone MD-2 Digital Delay>Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor>Ampeg B100-R.
I use an ungodly amount of pedals, as you can see, and my tone is still excellent.
I do bedroom rocking, practice, and small clubs and this thing handles them all. Simply beautiful is the only way to describe the tone this amp makes.

I can rely on this with no problem. I baby it to death to keep the blue diamond Tolex(I think) from getting blemished, which is simply beautiful. But if it was banged around a bit, i think it could take the abuse. I have and would gigged without a backup. I don't it to ever breakdown.

No frickin' clue

I have been playing guitar and bass for four years. If you want slabs and slabs of tone, look no further. If it was stolen/lost, i would cry a river. I love this thing for the great tube-tones it gets. Just beautiful(Sorry for the constant use of this word, but its the best word to use). Compared it to Crate, Hartke, Fender, and more. Wins hands down on sound(Beautiful...hehe) and value. But once again, it gets a 9 for no speaker jack. I'm going to have to bring this to an amp guy to have him install a speaker jack. I don't care if it were to cost 150 bucks. I cant get this tone anywhere. It's a must buy.

-100 watts (seems louder to me)
-4 band eq (nice for getting that sound you like)
-ultra low, ultra mid, ultra high (nice adition)
ok this amp is loud enough for small gigs and practicing in small areas. The one qualm i have is that this wonderful amp NEEDS a extension speaker output and a balanced output

lets start with the bad....
well i use a 5 string bass and the only problem i have ever had with if is that the notes below the low D get muddy. Also i find the midrange in the amp is a little too honkin' when turned up high. Well that is about it
the good.....
this amp is VERY versitile in alot of situations. I use alot of slap bass in my style and this amp sounded the best in the showroom for the price range. The cool thing with this amp is the more gain you crank in to it the "fatter" the sound gets and this amp has a nice overdrive to it (for a bass amp). Another great thing with this amp is you will never really have to turn it up past 7 or 8 while playing a show (usually i just mike it). This amp also has a nice retro vibe to it. worth checking out

made by ampeg
never had any problems with it (jsut the toltex scuffs easily)

well it has a 5 year transferable warrenty
realitivly easy to find a dealer close to you

Well i have been playing bass for 6 years and i have went through alot of equipment. This is one of the very few amps that I like after playing through countless fender and peavey amps. It jsut fit that niche that i had in my head. Probably i will have this amp for a very long time, even after i buy a better amp. It jsut sounds great for recording in a studio.

First, let me list the negatives. There's no extension speaker jack, nor an XLR out. This somewhat limits the ability to play all venues. You can go line out with a 1/4" cable or mike it for large venues if needed. Now, let me list the positives. The simple controls are more than adequate for getting a great tone. It's a relatively compact cabinet that's very solidly built from plywood - NOT particle board. And it has a super-cool retro look. If I was rating it for looks alone, it'd be a 10. Versatility? Limited, actually. But it does a very good job with the blues and 60's - 70's rock that my band performs.

I play blues and classic rock with the occasional soul tune in the mix. So, Ampeg was foremost in mind when looking for a new amp. Using a Fender P-Bass with Bartolini pickups and flatwound strings, this setup produces the "perfect" vintage tone I crave. For the small clubs and halls that my band frequents, this is more than adequate. Last month, we played an outdoor festival and my little B-100R was miked into the PA, as was everything else, and it did a great job. I got several compliments from other perfomers on my tone. If you're searching for that heavy nondistorted bottom, this combo is your ticket. I almost never need to turn the master volume past 7 for gigs. The volume this 100 watter produces is just short of amazing. One word of caution - this isn't an amp for the slap/pop style. It'll work, but that's not its strong point. This one's all about strong, butt-thumpin' groove. I love the SVT tube tone, but have'nt owned one. This little guy gives me the next best thing in an affordable, portable unit.

Never a breakdown, never a problem. It just keeps on going without ever being a concern. I have all the confidence in the world when I'm using this amp. It's very straight-forward, so there isn't much to go wrong with it. Solid state, so it's reliable and relatively lightweight in comparison to a tube rig.

This has never been a concern.

I have 20 years of guitar playing behind me, and 10 years of that is with the bass. I've owned a variety of bass amps in that time, some great, some not so great. This Ampeg is the best "bang for the buck" that I've seen or heard. I originally intended to get a B2 combo (200 watts) but fell for the B-100R when I plugged into it and could get it for a much lower price. Sure, the B2 is more versatile and more powerful, but this does what I need. And does it so well.

This is a retro styled 1x15 100 watt solid state combo. Has passive and active inputs, gain and master volume controls. Buttons for ultra-low, ultra-mid, and ultra-high. 4 band parametric EQ. Line out and headphone jacks, but no extension speaker output, as others have noted. This is a liability on an otherwise fine amp.

I play a Fender Amercian Standard Jazz bass for most of my work, with a P-Bass as my backup. Both sound great through this Ampeg. My band performs mostly at small clubs and this amp is the best I've owned in producing a solid, toneful sound in that setting. We play blues and roots rock along with some Motown. The sound, like the styling, is retro - lots of bottom and plenty warm. Stays clean all the way up, but I never need to go above 8. I can be heard easliy through a drummer, guitarist, and keyboards.

This amp has been in my hands for less than a year, but it's been flawless. I haven't owned any Ampeg gear previous to this, but others who have only say good things about them. It seems to very well built and since I take care of my stuff, I expect it will give me long, trouble free service.

The warranty is five years, which seems to be generous. But I haven't needed any repairs, so I don't really know how Ampeg is in terms of customer support. If I never need to find out, I'll be pleased.

I did a lot of comparison shopping before buying the B-100. Others I looked at and played through include the Crate BX100, Fender BXR 100, Peavey TNT, Hartke 1415, Trace Elliot Commando, and SWR Workingman's 15 and WM12. While most of these would be suitable for my purpose, the B-100 was by far the best sounding of the group. And I like the 60's Blue Diamond Portaflex look. This was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made.

OK, this is kinda long so I hope its all right but I want to get the whole story out. First, I'm only 20 but I've been playing for 5 years, but it was all guitar until 2 years ago. The bass player in my band quit and we could get another guitar player but bass players seem to be tough to find. So I learned bass. Learned a LOT in the past two years. I always liked Fender guitars and amps, so i got a BXR200 at first. But it just didn't sound right. I mean it was OK, but missing somethin. Then this Ampeg almost fell in my lap. WOW! What a difference! I mean, this will give you a pro sound RIGHT NOW! It has that funky tolex with metal corner covers. At first, I didn't really like the style - kind of antique. But now I think it has a classic look. Kinda grows on me. But the sound is too good to be true for the price.

Oh man. The SOUND! If anybody makes a bass amp that sounds this good for this price they must be keeping it a secret or something. This thing just blows away anything else I could ever afford. DEEP deep tone. And its noise free. I play an Ibanez SR300DX with active pickups. Yeah I know it ain't Fender but it fits me better. Anyway this amp just makes the sound come alive. My band plays mostly metal stuff. And a lot of older heavey music, just so we don't sound like everybody else in houston. Led Zep, Slayer, Sabbath, along with the more newer sounds. This amp can flat out THUMP. No problem layin down the bass line so that everybody hears. We don't play real big houses - mostly teen dances and all ages clubs. But it can be miked if your playing a big place.

Man I depend on this Ampeg all the way. I don't even own another bass amp. Don't need one. This thing rox. Always works perfect and no problems. The drummers hi hat tipped over and smashed into the side once but just left a tiny dent in the tolex. I dropped it once too and no damage. It didn't fall very far but it came out perfect.

Since I got this used and it works I can't say.

I can't tell you how great this amp is. you have to hear it for yourself. Its just so easy to sound good with this amp. No screwing around with a dozen control settings. Just plug yer bass in a PLAY. The B100 does all the work and it makes you sound killer. And I've played other basses just for shits - and they ALL sound good through this amp. I mean this thing ain't a full stack SWR or SVT but who can afford those?

Solid state, 100 watts combo with a 15" speaker and retro 50's/60's styling. Blue Diamond tolex, top rear mounted controls with stovetop knobs. Old style script Ampeg logo. Silver sparkle grillecloth. Killer looks, to go along with its great sound. Input jacks for active and passive. It has a headphone jack, line out, plenty of power for the clubs I play in. But it doesn't have an output for an extension cabinet, which would be nice.

Lawdy! At first glance, this looks like it has no business as a gigging amp. I mean, it looks VERY cool, but it just isn't very physically imposing. But let me tell ya boys, this thing can flat out rattle the fillings in your teeth. It spews forth TONS of nice, round, warm vintage tones. It truly sounds tube-like. Blues, roots rock, that's what I play and this Ampeg does it as well as anything out there. More than enough volume for the clubs I appear in. No, it won't fill an outdoor stadium, but it can be DI'ed into the PA if need be. I haven't needed to. This isn't going to produce that wimpy, thin "modern" tone that girly boy bass players seem to go for. This is a MAN's bass amp. I play a Fender Am Std Jazz and a Std MIM Precison. Both sound perfect through this amp. Thumpin', feel-it-in-your-gut, mean machine tone, bro. Fender bass played through an Ampeg - that's what bass is supposed to sound like, man. Just out of curiosity, I plugged my Strat into it and it sounded very good, too.

Dependable? That's Ampeg's middle name. I don't have a back up. I traded my other amp (Hartke - don't get me started) in to get this one. I have a little Fender BXR 25 for practice, but this is the only thing that I gig with. It's all I need. Of course, I've only had it for 6 months, but it's rock solid.

It comes with a 5 year warranty, which is nice. I haven't needed any repairs, nor have I needed to contact SLM, which markets Ampeg products.

If any piece of gear I've ever owned deserves a 10, this is it. Guys, if you're looking for a GREAT medium sized combo, you won't find anything in this price range that can touch it. It's simply way beyond the Crate, Hartke, Peavey, and Fender 100 - 150 watt combos. I kinda liked the SWR WM15 and the Trace Commando, but this one's better all around. And it looks ten times better than any of 'em.

This is the easiest it can be. It has knobs, not sliders and they are rated 1-10. You dont need the manual, you can pretty much figure it out unless you are a flaming idiot.

I am using an epiphone Les Paul and a Dean. For effects i am using a Zoom 708 multi effects pedal. It's only noisy with the pedal. It gets a lot shhhh in the background. The amp doesnt have an effects send.That would have been a plus. Besides the shhhhhh in the background, the sound is excellent. I love the sound of my amp.

Very reliable, no need for alarm with this thing.

havent had to deal with them.

Overall, i would say that this is probably the best combo i have come across. For basically ANY style that needs nice clear, deep tones this is the amp for you. If it got stolen i probably would get one for what it is,a 100 watt combo. The only thing i dont like is its a 70lb cube, which makes it annoying and awkward to carry. Besides that, i am glad i put a little bit more money into an amp.

I rate the features a 7, only because the line out needs to be run through a direct box for XLR cabling (and you do need to run through the mains), and the lack of an extension speaker jack.

I use a '71 Jazz and a David King headless 5-string with Ken Smith pickups and Bartolini electronics. This is not a 90's sounding amp. There is no way you're going to get the Hi-fi tones through this cabinet. What it excels at is the lo-mid Jacoesque bark and nasal tone with a good bottom support. I use it for 85% of my jobs (I use an Eden Metro for the rest), because it fits easily in the car trunk, I just strap it to a luggage cart to wheel around and I've always experienced exceptional reliability from Ampeg.

This is my third Ampeg I've owned over thirty years of playing and I have never had a single problem with any of them, (unlike my Fenders and Gallien-Kruegers that were always being repaired.)

I've never experienced a problem so I can't rate customer support however I feel the quality makes a powerful statement.

I will probably always own at least one Ameg at any given time, I currently own an SVT proIII with a 410pro cab that I use maybe 6 times a year (outdoor concert jobs only), an Eden Metro (very nice amp but won't fit in my trunk), a G-K 400B with an EV 210 cab (my practice amp at home) and an SWR Workingmans 12 (practice amp at the rehersal studio). The B-100R replaced the SWR/EV 210 combination I was using and does a better job actually. I highly recommend it!