Ampeg B-100R Rocket Bass Amp

master, lo, lomid, himid, and hi are the basics. the ones that are a little hard to get to know are the gain, ultra lo, ultra mid, and ultra high. the ultra lo boosts the bass, ultra hi boosts treble, BUT; ultra mid SCOOPS the mids. the reason the gain knob is hard to get used to because until about 5 it only raises volume, but after that you get a little drive goin on, on 10 i nail jason newsteds metallica days sound. also a 1/4" unbalanced line out and a headphone jack. features are all good i just wished the gain knob did more to add drive/dirt. 100w

i use a kramer DMZ 4001 bass with dimarzio dual pickups. i play hard rock, rock, and metal (real metal not modern metal) and this thing does it very well, i stand out in the mix, i play with picks (dont hate dont hate!) and i give the whole song an extra punch. i dont think you can get closer to a $5000 ampeg than this \m/ this amp is extremely quiet if its on and you just sit your bass down, as long as you dont accidently tap a string or something, very good sounding amp

i have depended on this amp for two gigs, one birthday outside, and one at my school talent show, i only had to put the master volume on 3 with said settings. I would never gig with a backup becuz i dont see the need to bring an extra. i also played at a bar and this thing was more than audible at volume 5. i have dropped it once and nothing changed (i actually think ever since then its been louder.....)

i got this bad boy used at my local guitar center, i was checking out line 6s(dont hate my i was desperate), GK's, and acoustics. this guy was sitting in a back corner, i put my bass through it, and man did this thing sound bad when i first plugged it in, when its flat this thing is so bland its not even funny, but then i pressed the ultra lo, i liked was i was hearing (i was gladly the only one in gc so i could hear myself fine) i tweaked the settings and it only got better. so i bought it (it was definitly loud enough on 3 the whole drum section rattled. i bought this amp and was reluctant to see that it was heavy, and had wheels! great job on ampegs part of thinking about the people. so i tweaked my controls to get my favorite sound that i havnt changed since july (its september, i bought in june toying with settings non stop. i play in a hard rock instrumental band called instrumetal, we are a loud band but not ear piercing loud, the good loud, we sound like a mix of joe satriani in "is there love in space(dammit coldplay)" and metallicas instrumentals, and this bad ass has it all down. my current controls are ultra lo, ultra mid, bass-10, lo-mid-4, hi-mid- 6 1/2, treble on 10, and gain on 10, use this if you like a good ol hard rock sound i seriously recommend this amp :)

Just enough doodads to keep me busy: bass/low-mid/hi-mid/treble, a preamp gain and a master volume. Plus three buttons for "ultra low, ultra mid, ultra high". (I tend to use the ultra low and ultra high on, and the ultra mid off.) I wish these three buttons had on/off LEDs -- it's not easy to see their status.

It's a perfect size amp for me -- very portable. But it is heavy. I bought two extra handles, for the right/left side, and casters. Now it's simple to move.

Other amps have more gizmos and features than this one, so I'm giving it only an 8 -- but for me this simplicity is a plus, not a minus.

It's EXACTLY what I'm after. Big, fat, clean bass sound, with just a little bite at high volume. Loud enough for my small bar gigs (old R&R), yet very very quiet-running.

I've owned a 1960s B-18 Portaflex, a 1970s B-410, a 1980s Peavey TNT-150 and TKO 65. The B-100R is the best sounding amp I've ever had.

I've got two of 'em, both US-made. No problems with either of them. (They sound identical -- I have the 2nd for extra volume for over-large or over-loud gigs.)

Haven't had problems to deal with so far.

I've been playing since the 1960s, and I guess I'm pretty old-school in my preferences. The B100R is my fave.

The cosmetics and design of this amp are pure '60's! Chicken head knobs, chrome faceplate, vintage blue check tolex, TV screen front, blue indicator light! The Ampeg ads call this "vintage sex appeal" and they are dead on. All the features have been listed in other reviews, but I will mention that this is ported on the back side. That gives more of a deep and "airy" sound than most small combos. Plus there is no tweeter! In some ways, its more accurate to the '60's portaflex than the B15-r (minus the tubes). If you wanted to get creative - you could even remove the amp chassis from the combo cab and with a little enginuity, fasion it into a "head" to give it a "flip top" look. I have not done it to mine yet but I plan to. I set mine roughly as follows: Low Boost in, Ultra Mid in, Hi Boost out, Gain - 3, Bass - 10, Low Mid - 3, hi mid - 7, hi - 7, vol - 10. Only thing that would make this amp even better would be an XLR jack instead of the 1/4 line out, a detachable power cord, and a tube in the preamp (even though it sounds awesome as is). This amp is super easy to use!

Pure 1960's Ampeg Portaflex. Period! It sounds just like a tube amp even though its solid state. In fact, it sounded so much like a tube amp, I popped the lid off to verify it was all solid state. Within 5 minutes of plugging in, I had my "Jamerson" tone dialed in! I have played all Ampegs except the new SVTVR, and I own a V4BH and (2) SVT 3 Pro's (running through multiple SVT-GS 2x15 cabs) which I use in a hard rock cover band, and the B100R is the best sounding amp I own. Considering I've paid out the nose for my other Ampeg gear and only $300 for this combo, It makes this a tremendous value.

Mine is a Made in USA model - probably one of the last. I have never had any issues with Ampeg gear, and don't expect I will with this either. As I mentioned, I pooped the lid off to peer inside the chassis, and the layout was extremely clean and well built. Not a cheap slap together entry level amp. I noticed the MOSFETS they used in the power amp section look like the same ones they used in my SVT 3 Pros. I could be wrong as I'm not an electronics guru - but they look damn close.

I have called Ampeg when they were owned by St. Louis Music, and they were always great with answering questions, ordering custom parts, and helping me locate Ampeg gear that local dealers wouldnt carry (My SVT-GS Gene Simmons Cabinets). Ampeg is now owned by LOUD industries, and I have no experience with them. LOUD is manufacturing AMpegs in Vietnam and China so who knows what their customer service is like these days.

I bought this amp because I got called to fill in with a band that plays a lot of 60's and classic rock songs. They only use small combos (a Gibson G60 and a '65 Fender Twin) and my monster Ampeg rigs would have been out of place. This amp performed well, was more than loud enough, never bottomed out or farted, had a rich vintage tone, and looked the part as well. I played a Gibson Thunderbird with roundwounds through it, along with a 62 Fender P-bass with La Bella flatwounds and both sounded great. At home, I tried my 5 string Gibson Thunderbird Studio, and on the low B, it bottomed out a bit - but this amp is voiced for old school tone and performance. I cant see myself using the 5 string through it anyway. I've always wanted an all tube B-15R Portaflex, but the B100R is just as cool, sounds damn close, and is a fraction of the cost of a B-15R. You can't go wrong with this amp!

100 watt bass combo blue/green tolex covering.adequate tone shaping fifteen inch speaker no horn

sounds round and full looks cool too

never had a problem.heavy amp,was built to mimic classic b15 amp. the b15 was totally built of three quarter inch plywood, this amp is mostly particle board with only the baffle board made of plywood. attached power cord is not good

Same as below, 100 watt combo, solid state, vintage vibe.

I bought this combo because I was so impressed with my Ampeg B200R combo, but wanted something for small gigs, acoustic shows, whatever.
I am SOOOOO impressed with the tone I get from my passive, 30" scale Waterstone Indra bass! It is VERY warm and has a BEAUTIFUL tone, INCREDIBLE for solid state. GET ONE if you play rock, blues, pop,etc.

Have not gigged with it yet, but will next week at an audition for a local resort lounge. I don't expect any problems, we are a three-piece 50s rock n roll band and this little combo will sit just fine in the mix for a venue like that.

Never had to call Ampeg, and I own two combos.

I have been playin for 30 years and have used Fender, Rickenbacker, Acoustic, Kustom, and Ampeg bass amps. I play passive basses, 30" and 34" scale basses, including Rickenbacker, Gibson, Fender, and now Waterstones. I would get another if this one disappeared. I love how it sounds, it is not heavy to lift, and looks cool! I chose this one because of the B200R and am very satisfied with both. Get one NOW!!

Nade in 2007- probably one of the last to be made in the US.
It has a 15'' which is a must if you ask me for blues/rock/punk.
2 inputs (passive/active), headphone jack, 3 voicing filter switches - Low/High boost and Mid cut off - all 3 are extremely usefull.
It also has a "Gain", 4 cghanne EQ and "Master" knobs.
The low "Features" rating is due only to one major reason - no DI output, just a normal "line out" which is going to be very problematic for gigs (but I have a DI out in my Compressor pedal to compenstae for that).

This baby SINGS!!!
I play a Jaguar Bass (a Japan only model - Sunburst)going through an Aphex Bass Xciter (with this amp- used as a DI only)and a ProCo Rat II for those Punk Hard Core tunes...
The warmest bass sound for the money. I played several G&Ks and Fenders, Peaveys, Laneys, even other Ampegs (all tube) - none even got close to the B-100R.
I keep the "Gain" at about 4 - which suits my bass at Passive mode (I only really use the passive mode).
for blues i use the P-style configuration on the bass and have both Low boost and mid cut off pressed down, with all 4 EQ knobs at 3-4.
for Rock i use the same bass configuration and have the Low boost pressed down, with the Low and Mid Low knobs at 5 and the "high mid" and "high" knobs at about 4.
for Slap/Pop I use the J-configuration and have the Low Boost and the High Boost pressed down with all EQ knobs at 5.
I don't know HOW they did it - but I love it.
I am practically addicted to the sound of that Amp. It is the equivalent of a Class A guitar tube Amp. absolutely gorgeous, I never thought it can be done using only solid state electronics.

I only have it for a couple of months - it looks fine - built like a Tank.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing bass for almost 4 years now, played guitar for almost 15 years before that.
I really regret the time I spent on the guitar, I clicked with the Bass as soon as I picked it up.
If it was stolen or lost - I'd hunt the bastards down! I most definately get another one!
Taknig into consideration the sound, price paid and relative mobility of this Amp - it it is a well earned 10!

I got this amp in a local pawn shop for $79.00 plus tax. It was filthy; looked like it was stored in a chicken pen on a dirt road, but when I plugged it in, my heart sunk...it didn't light up; it was so quiet, I thought it was dead, it was only the power light. It was deja veu all over again...B-15 flip sound only much louder and no speaker farts. I took it home and gave it a good cleaning. Looks new except for the tolex tears which I will get around to glueing. The features are much discussed in other reviews. This is a good sounding portable bass amp. Not versatile, it is what it is.

Great round thumping air pushing smooth sounding bass sound. I played my P-bass, my Peavey Dyna bass, my frettless cheapo Washburn, and a friends cheapo Washburn with active EMG's and they all sounded great. It doesn't match up to my pro rig...two 15" JBL's and a 4x10 Hartke cab pushed with a 1000 watt and a Cavin 500 watt power amp with a Ashly pre-amp and cross over but I suspect through a good PA system with the amp used for stage reference it will be OK. I put a Keeley compressor and a Boss CE-2 in line and the sound was very good.

Except for the on light is suspect it has to be extremely reliable considering the way this amp looked. I deffinately was not babied. It looked liked it had falled out the back of a pick up truck on a dusty dirt road and then had been in a barn. There were enough spider webs when I took the speaker cover off to supply cross hairs for all the bomb sights used in WWII. I would not hesitate to use it without a back up.

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42 years; bass gear: too many JBL 15's, Hartke 4x10; gold Custom tuck n rolled ported cab with a 15 JBL, Ashly bass pre, Galien Kruger compressor; 78 P-bass; Peavey Dyna bass; Washburn frettless; no name upright bass; cross over; too many power amps; Guild Quatum thunder bass head; Guyatone 10000 head; Guild superstar combo; fender deluxe, gibson br-9, peavey classic 50 4x10 combo; Tech 21 combo; Roland JC 120; guitars, fender strat, custom tele, PRS standard 22, ovations 6, 12, nylon, too many effects pedals and other stuff. I bought this amp because I needed a bass amp for recording, it was very cheap, it sounded good, HC reviews were good.

Simple to operate after my previous amp with 9 band sliding EQ. This baby has 4 band EQ which you dial in and can add additional "ultra" bass, mid and top through push buttons.

Headphone jack works well as does the line out which I always use for live work. Don't let anyone tell you this amp can't be used in large venues competeing with guitars and drums - as long as you line it out through a decent PA.

The tone is absolutely beautiful - it's bass as bass should sound. Deep, rich and when you crank it a little you'll feel it surge through your whole body.

No-one in the band has stopped commenting on how good it sounds - 4 weeks after I bought it and we play & rehearse often

We play rock and some pop covers. Althgough the bass sound isn't flexibale or particuarly variable it anchors us very strongly through everything from The Beatles,ZZ Top,REM AC-DC and even the Sex Pistols.

Have only had it c. 4 weeks but have used it without back up a number of times since then

Never dealt with them and hope I dont have to

Been playing bass for 3 years. I own a Peavey TNT 150, Fender Custom Shop Bass, OLP Musicman Copy.

If the Ampeg were lost or stolen I'd replace it immediately. I (and everyone who's seen it) loves the retro look -to me it looks a piece of art.

What would I change about it? Maybe a couple of side handles so it could be carried by two of us when I'm feeling knackered after a gig?

It is simple to figure out. Has just the controls needed, no spam on the panel. To bad it is missing an external speaker out and direct out.

Sounds nice, deep 15" tone. A bit weak until you bring it up 80% but it holds up there. Not a great amp for slap, missing horn and highs you get with other speaker combos. This is a fat, deep warm tube like tone. It is felt in the gutt more then heard over screaming guitar.

This is where it gets an F. My power light burned out, my input jack broke loose from the pc board and still crackles after being resoldered. My handle stitching came loose. One rubber foot came loose. I went inside to see what was up and was very disapointed in what I saw. Plastic pot shafts, small ones too! Plastic input jacks. Light getting 36 volts, rated for 28V. And even though one write call this plywood, not so, PARTICLE BOARD!. Only the speaker baffle is ply. Even the bass port tubes, that fell off mine, are made of cardboard!

Great with e mailing back but only offer to bring it to a service center. They really have no way to solve the issues, just put back bad parts afetr weeks and weeks. You get to know them, it will be back.

Looks very cool although I hate rear control panels on the top and back of an amp. Sounds okay when used in the right situation but it is very heavy, for the wrong reasons. This is just not made to last. Kepp it in the home, treat it like a clssic and it might make it through warranty without work. Use it half hard and you will see what I mean. Made more for show then go! I am waiting to play with the new B 200r. Hopefully they worked out some of the bugs.

I bought this B100R new in December 2004, because it was time to retire my weary old 1963 B15N -- way heavy (100 lb), hot running, lots of fragile and expensive tubes. Specific things I looked for were a 15" speaker and no tweeter (I want punch, not hiss) and sufficient power (it's 100WRMS). It has 2 input jacks, 0dB and -15dB for passive and active basses, respectively, a gain knob, master volume, and the usual tone knobs. I turn the bass knob up about halfway, move the mid back and forth, depending on the bass I'm playing, and turn the treble all the way down. The amp has pushbuttons to increase low bass, low, mids and treble; I sometimes push in the low bass button if I'm playing one of my lesser basses through it. One channel, so no channel switching, but it has what appears to be an unbalanced line out and a headphone jack. These last 2 features I have not used, but I plan to use it as DI the next time I record my bass. All solid state, which means it's not fragile. Someone else noted that the AC cord doesn't detach, and there's no place to wrap it. I tie it up with a velcro tie when it's being transported. Speaking of which, it's 65 lb. Not the lightest one around, but the only lighter ones I found were seriously deficient in tone. Popout casters are available, and mine has them.

It's small enough that it fits easily in the back of a Toyota Matrix with the back seat in place (I fold it down, though, so the bass cases will go in).

I'm not a knob turner: even the old B15N had too many for me. I dial in a sound and then vary it from the bass rather than the amp. Maybe that's not the right way, but with both the Ampegs I can get away with it. It is easily loud enough. If I played Woodstock I'd have to mic it through the PA...since I'm into light weight, and don't care for male jewelry, it's all I need. I have performed with it in everything from a nursing home to a huge horse barn used for a political gathering, and it has always had the necessary punch. I don't play with a drummer, these days, so I can't comment on that part. My experience over the years has been, however, that the B15N (with 40W!) had no trouble coping.

Overall, it's about a perfect fit for me, and has every feature I need. I can't call it a versatile amp, however, so I'll knock one point off.

Think retro. Forget anything newer than around 1980. This beast comes as close as I could expect to the B15N sound, and that is a heavy compliment. A tweeter might make it sound more modern, but what would be the point? There are plenty of modern amps out there for those aspiring to be the next bass idol.

I played rock and blues for years, now I'm playing mellower stuff, but I still need the punch and the tone. We are currently doing everything from early Neil Young to show tunes, and I have no complaints. Round sound (especially with my Squier II Precision with a Quarter Pound pickup), and it sounds great at low as well as at high levels. It's very quiet (free tip: if your bass amp is noisy, turn off that damn tweeter) and unobtrusive, in the sense that anywhere I play, it's my playing that gets noticed, and not the amp. That's what I like -- as I said above, I'm not into male jewelry. The amp sounds edgier with my Carvin LB20 w DiMarzio J Model pickups, but that's not my current fave bass. With my recently acquired Tribute by G&L L2000, it tracks whatever sound I'm trying for with that very versatile bass. This may seem to contradict what I said above about its versatility, but I play in a specific range of deep and round. I can't tell you how it would work with Chris Squire or Sid Vicious material, because that's not where I go. I have played my 5-string acoustic bass guitar with LaBella nylon tape wounds, and it wasn't that great a sound.

For sound it gets a 10. For my style, it's perfect.

No experience: it's never broken down, looks solid, and, hey, it's solid state. I gig without a backup (especially since my "backup" rig -- currently in our rehearsal space -- is a tube stack that tips the scales at 144 lb).

I haven't heard anything negative, never had any problems. At least it doesn't regularly fry $100 worth of tubes like some amps I have owned.

No experience: I plug it in and it works.

I have been playing bass for 25 years, although for a long time I was the lead player and only played bass when the bassist wanted to scare everyone on guitar. I have 2 other bass amps: the 1963 Ampeg B15N and an early '70's Musicman HD130 driving a Hartke 410XL cab. Basses include an ancient Korean made JB copy with Select humbuckers, the Squier with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound, Carvin LB20 with DiMarzio Model Js, an Ibanez AEB305 5-string acoustic bass guitar and a Tribute by G&L L2000. I also own a bunch of electric and acoustic guitars and amps, not to mention all the gear that makes up a digital computer-based recording studio.

If it disappeared I'd get another one right away. It's perfect for me. It's the lightest and best looking amp with sufficient power and the tone I want. I looked at Fenders, Hartkes, GKs, SWRs, and many more in the couple of years before I bought this one, and nothing else has the sweet combination this one does.

The features have been covered in the other reviews. The control panel is cool, neat chicken head knobs, and the tone controls all really DO something. Very cool retro look and feel (especially when you have to lift it)!

It's got one sound, that vintage Ampeg sound. Nothing much beats this sound, however. If you want monster vintage tone in a small package, you just found it.

Has a 5 year warranty. Some have complained about Ampeg's build quality, so I'm hoping that has all long been sorted out.

Received an immediate e-mail response to a question I asked.

I traded a BA115 in for this. The BA115 was also a great amp, but I'm not big on tweeters and wanted the vintage vibe. The B-100R has that in spades. Anyone who says this can't be used for band practice or at a small/medium gig needs to stop smoking those funny cigarettes. This is plenty loud, and can be gigged without maxing it out. I was using a Carvin PB100 for practice (now that amp is way too lame to gig with), and it was totally dimed to keep up with moderate practice sound levels. Not the Ampeg, this thing is one great amp. Tired of lugging around your half-stack-and-head to small gigs or practice? Then get one of these.
Only complaint, overpriced.

2005 B-100R. It is versatile, one needs only to make adjustments to the 4 band EQ and or the low/mid/high buttons. You all know the rest of the features. I don't wish it had anything else; I use a Radial JDI passive DI box, which is far, far better than anything in any amp, whenever I need to go to the board. This amp is used in small to medium venues. Plug in, turn the Master to 10, Bass to 10, Treble to 10, leave the mids and Gain on 5, and depress all of the bass/mid/treble buttons and stand back. Awwww yeaaahhh!

P/J active Koa Fender, U.S.A. Jazz and Precision, Dirnt P-Bass, Pink Paisley '54 P-Bass with TI Jazz Flats, (all others have Rotosound Swing Bass 66). I play anything from funk to folk to hip-hop and this amp is great. You see, the sound of a bass also comes from your soul and your hands. The amp, well, amplifies that and this one does it superbly. Turn down the tone knob on your bass and play near the neck with the side of your index = Jamerson. Run everything on your flatwound equipped bass wide open, damp the strings and play with a pick = Carol Kaye. Or just plug in a Jazz, crank it up and slap away. Doesn't matter. This amp will help all of your styles cut through. Clean, quiet, very powerful lil' combo. The limiter doesn't make its presence known like on other amps, such as SWR. It has rich bass that doesn't seem loud when you're standing in front of it (but does shake your pants legs). However, tand back a few feet so you can hear the propagation of the long bass waves and you will truly understand how powerful this amp is. 100 watts@4 ohms into a 4 ohm 150 watt speaker = just crank it up. Nice. Only a 9 because the only perfect sound I've heard is an SVT Classic through the 4 x 10 HLF Classic Cabinet. BUT, I didn't want to spend $2000 and have a monster to schlep around.

I have a BA-112 and my brother a BA-115 for a few years now with not troubles whatsoever. None. I don't expect anything different from this but don't know enough to comment right now. Ask me in 10 years. However, based on my and others' experience with Ampeg bass amps I intend to use it without a backup.

I emailed Ampeg customer support about where its parts, cabs, and speakers are made and received a personal response within 24 hours. On a Sunday. 5 year warranty on the amp and 2 on the speaker is pretty generous. Just keep your original sales receipt! Otherwise, neither I nor anyone I know who has a solid state Ampeg has needed to have it serviced. My rating is based on the quick, informed, friendly response I received from customer support.

Been playing for a while ;-) Read the above and you'll know what I have. If it were stolen I would buy another one right away without a second thought. I spent a year playing every brand and type of bass combo out there and this one is the best. Screw Genz-Benz, Ashdown, and Eden and all of their farting speakers, ridiculous prices, and "glassy" sound. Ick. The new, silver face Fender Bassmans are nice for the price. However, for a very small amount more money the Ampeg has a sound that is great deal better and an amp that can be pushed much harder and still remain clean. Forget GK Backline combos; they fart like the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles. A worthy, albeit $300 more expensive, contender to this Rocket is the venerable GK MB150E. I had one just recently (these sell quickly on eBay :-)) but still prefer the sound of the Ampeg.

100 WATT 15" SPEAKER

i play a hofner club bass and a guild pilot thru this and it sounds really good.
I play classic rock and blues and it sounds really nice.It sounds great for a solid state combo amp.I use this as a practice amp and a backup amp for my 1967 fender blackface bassman (212 jenson cab)This amp doesn't come close to the sound of my vintage bassman but will work fine as a backup amp.I was playing a gig and the tubes started going in the bassman so i played the rest of the night thru the ampeg and it got me thru the night with a decent sound.

Ive been playing for about 30 years.
If it were stolen id probably buy another one.for the money and features this is a good amp.plenty loud for most gigs

see below

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This is an update to my previous review.
I am not sure if anyone below has already mentioned this but this amp is 4ohms.That explains why it is considerably louder than most 100 watt combos which are almost always only 8ohms.
I am currently trying to start a "power trio" and have been using the little B100 quite alot.I jammed in a mid-sized rehearsel/studio with a guitarist playing through a brutal loud vintage Marshall combo and a drummer who plays like John Bonham and Bill Ward(Black Sabbath)
and I was asked to "turn down."

for a combo amp this thing is amazing, there is no other 100 watt combo i would rather have. this thing has a gain and level that is easy to under stand. it has a signal and limiter lights so that you actually can tell how to se it. i have seen some of the new ampeg combos and they dont have signal and limiter lights. how do you know if you are setting it too high? i play in an emo/indie rock band and this thing has always been big enough for me. i have played gigs with no pa and this thing has cranked up loud enough. i like the 0 and -15 inputs. then you dont have to set the gain at .0005 if you have active pickups, or just a strong signal. this thing gets loud. good eq also.

this amp creates no while noise at all. it is silent. as for variety i dont really know because i dont really play many styles. this thing has good lows with the 15 inch speaker but also you can get supprisingly good high's out of it. it has a low boost, mid boost, and high boost. these dont really seem to do that much, but they can be helpful, or just make you feel like you are doing somthing. really not much distortion at all unless you put the gain up to high and limit alot.

i use this at a gig with no back up, mainly because i dont have another amp. i dont feel like a need a backup though. this thing is reliable. the only 2things i have realized on mine is that the cardboard on the inside of the back soundholes falls out sometimes. also the attractive outside covering can tear if you let it rub against somthing pretty hard. it takes quite a lot though. never failed on me yet. no falling off knobs or anything.

i didnt have any casters for this thing so i emailed ampeg and asked them what kind to get, and they just sent me some for free, so that was pretty neat of them.

this is a great 100 watt combo. there is nothing else i would rather have. i would recomend this to anyone looking for a great 100 watt amp. great sound, reliable, what more could you ask for. i like it much more than the fender bassman. that thing is a hunk of junk. if someone stole this, i unfortunatly would not buy another one though, only because i would want to get a 4x10. i would be sure to buy an ampeg though. :)

I bought it brand new from a local shop. Please read the other reviews for features or go to the Ampeg website (even better).

Really nice tone from my '77 p-bass. Weird rattle of a back panel at high volumes.

No problems other than the rattle mentioned above.

Haven't dealt with SLM--hope I don't have to.

I've been playing this same bass since my parents gave it to me in 1977. I played through a Peavey Century until I got the B100r. No comparison. The B100r is clean, simple, vintage in all ways (except no tubes). I really enjoy playing through it and I expect anyone out there who is considering one would agree

100 watts and 15" speaker.4 parametric eq knobs and 3 boost buttons(ultra low,mid,high)Gain and master volume.With the master turned all the way this amp can get a bit of overdrive.I bought this amp in 1997.I adore this amp but more on that later.I am compelled to comment on statements made by other reviewers on this amp as well as other reviews I have seen for other amps.How does an amp "not keep up"or not be "loud enough"? I always see a comment like this:"..this amp sounds pretty good but it just can't cut it with a loud drummer" or "..my guitarist plays a 100 watt tube stack and I just can't be heard." THER ARE TWO VERY IMPORTANT INVENTIONS THAT EVERYONE MUST BE MADE AWARE OF--ONE IS CALLED A PA SYSTEM AND THE OTHER IS CALLED A MIXER.Honestly,if you want to split hairs a bassist doesn't even need an amp for recording or live shows---GO DIRECT with a decent D.I box.I went to a popular night club in Dallas(@400-500 standing room)a few years ago to see this really loud Punk band and they were a trio and the guitarist had a full Marshall stack and the bassist was playing through an AMPEG B-100R combo and despite the drummer beating the skins like Animal from the muppets I had no problem hearing the bass.If you are in a band and you can't be heard I can assure you the problem is NOT with your amp.P.A. IS NOT JUST FOR VOCALS PEOPLE.Learn how to use a mixing board--pros do it.

This is by far the warmest solid state bass amp I have ever heard.I bought this amp in fall of 97 the day I was awarded an $8000 settlement from an auto injury accident.With 80 hundred dollar bills in my wallet I could have bought any amp in the store but I chose the B100R.I tested an EDEN 4x10 combo,a couple of SWRs,WORKINGMAN 15 and BASIC BLACK 15.I also tried an AMPEG B2 combo but the B100R had the sweetist classic bass tone that I want.I play two USA FENDERS,a JAZZ and a PRECISION.Both are strung with flatwounds.Punchy,warm and deep are the virtues of this amp.

One of the pots was dirty upon purchase(made a "staticy" sound)so GUITAR CENTER serviced it for free.No problems since.

Never dealt with SLM directly.5 year waaranty upon purchase.

As stated,I love this little gem of a bass amp.I have owned a few decent bass rigs since I bought the AMPEG combo but tonewise the B100R has bested them all.(GK 800RB 1x15 and 2x10,ASHDOWN MAG 400 w/2 4x10s)I love the basss sound of classic era rock and motown and I can achieve this sound perfectly.

Bought The Ampeg B100r as a replacement for my 10 year old Hartke combo that had died. This B100r was made in 2002. I agree with the review that the amp has a mud bass sound. Besides that it does not do anything else.I play in a alternative c/w roots rock cover band. It has 1 channel 2 imputs (passive and active). It has a headphone jack. It says 100 watts rms but I doubt that. My old 100 watt Yamaha blows the Ampeg's doors off!
I use the amp for practice and it ain't loud enough to keep up with a 100 watt Marshall 4x10 combo or a 65 Fender Twin reverb.

I play a Sting 51 P bass reissue and a 78 Rick. Both have flat wound strings. I figured classic look, classic sound, and the price was right and Ampeg. The amp is quiet no white noise. I've tried to use it as a bass monitor with it hooked into our PA. We have a big PA with Subs. The B100r could not cut it. It started distorting bad about 1 hour into the gig so I took it to the shop.

The amp was light use for 6 months. I babyed it. Had a custom made cover made for it. Well to continue the shop kept the B100r for 3 weeks. They stated the could not find anything wrong with it. It was an authorized Ampeg repair shop in Memphis, TN where I live. They said I have a 5 year warranty BUT they charged me $43.75 because they could not find anything wrong with it. They said the warranty only covered repairs!!! Would never take this to a gig. I called Ampeg/SLM in St. Louis Infact it is up for sell. I am taking a beating.

5 year warranty.The people at SLM/Ampeg were nice saying that I could send the amp back to them. HMMM. Let me see. $37.50 local or I can ship it to St. Louis for, $37.50. My advice is blow it up and then take it in.

I've had the old V4b and SVT. Don't waste your time or money on solid state ampeg bass equipment. Their tube stuff is still excellent. Solid state buy Hartke or GK or SWR. Also don't think your warranty covers everything. It doesn't!!! Buy more watts than you think you will need. A 100 watt tube amp is twice as loud as a solid state amp, unless you have an 1970's Sunn Concert Bass or and old Acoustic amp.

To the person who posted on 08/07/2003, to get this amp to not sound like mud, you need to turn down the lower mids, up the upper mids, and that'll take care of all muddiness.

Mabye I tried out a BAD one but the TONE everyone has been talking about was nowhere to be found. You could get a decent tone at what might be called large room volumes but that was about it. Anything past halfway up and the amp had major flubb outs with the speaker making crackling sounds. I tried it with a Mex P base with rounds and my Ibanez P/J with flats that I brought to try amps with. Couldnt get anywhere with it. The flats were a def a no go with this amp, major MUDDD.

I was reading the reviews here and figured this amp was right up my alley in the tone and gig ability. Not to mention it would look cool next to my Vintage ampeg reverberocket guitar amp. I dont know...like I said befor I must have been trying one that was a Lemon...all these good reviews cant be wrong.

My B-100 was made in 1997or 98. This amp is extremely versatile, I've used it in many different playing situations and environments. I play mostly rock, but it also works great as a blues style bass amp. As far as the baloons and whisles that alot of other amps have (including newer Ampeg) it remains a bass amp. If you want all the toys, buy some pedals. It doesn't have an XLR out, but I've had it so long, and haven't cried about that once.

I've used a vast aray of basses through it, my P-bass with a Basslines Quarter Pound P pickup, my Ric 4003, a Modulus, a '74 Gibson Ripper, and my '92 Jazz Bass with EMG's. The B-100 sounds great with everything I've thrown at it. I use it for practices, and small venues such as smaller bars. There never seems to be a noise factor except from the basses themselves. The B100 is like a "budget" Porta-Flex, and may not sound as good, but is a hell of alot cheaper, and sounds incredable for solid state and for its price. I give it a 10 because you'd be hard pressed to find another amp in this price range that can even compare.

Goin' on 6 problem free years with this amp. The tolex has a few scuffs, but are minute compare to what the entire SVT Clasic line looks like after the same amount of time. This amp has been through hell and back.

It came with a 3 year warenty, but I never needed it.

This amp is definately the way to go if you're just looking for a good practice/light gig amp. If you want to spend more for another solid state combo, go ahead, but I've tried other combos costing way more (such as SWR, Eden, Polytone, etc.) and none have sounded "better" to me. It does have the Ampeg sound.

I bought this amp new in Dec. 2002, so I guess it has been made in 2002...

This amp has neither too few nor too many features. The way these features are implemented makes it more versatile than many other combos, IMO.

This amp is made of solid state technology and has 1 channel. It has 2 distinct inputs for passive or active basses, but whatever bass I use, I plug it into the passive input, then I adjust the input level to avoid clipping.

The main features are :
4 tone controls (low, low-mid, hi-mid, hi)
3 boosters (low, mid, hi) - the tone controls are so efficient that I almost never use any booster
A line out - an XLR DI output, independant from the general volume of the amp, would be more appropriate

I use this amp for practising, but also on rehearsal, and I even did a gig with it. The sound engineer was amazed of my volume and tone.

I mainly use a Music Man StingRay 5 and a MIJ Fender Precision 70's reissue. I basically love "classic" tones, the all-treble glassy bass sound is not for me. This amp perfectly suits my needs.

This amp is very quiet. Noise often comes from cranking up the treble controls, which I don't.

I believe this amp is able to suit many styles, though you'll probably always keep that Ampeg typical tone, warm and deep. You get a distorted tone only if you want it, by cranking up the input volume, which is not much recommended.

I did not find a better combo in this price range, so I believe this deserves a 10.

This thing is built like a tank. I did not experience the least problem.

Didn't have to deal with.

I've been playing bass for 27+ years. This is my only amp. In studio, I use a Line 6 Bass Pod, though.

It this amp were stolen, the first thing I'd buy is a gun, to find out the stealer... Sure, I'd replace this amp in a heartbeat.

There's nothing I hate about this amp. As I said before, I only wish it had an XLR D.I. output, but this doesn't bothers me in 99.9 % of using it.

Well, let's remember this is a combo. Though it's rated at 100 W RMS, it is able to kill many amps rated at 200 or 300 W. For example, I had tried a Hughes & Kettner BassForce XXL (300 W), and it didn't have so many balls. Same thing for the Peavey TNT.

However, the B-100R isn't loud enough if you want to be heard properly on stage while playing through a big P.A. system. That's why, while keeping my B-100R, I plan to get a "real" rig with much more watts. Of course, due to my satisfaction, the first brand I will turn on is Ampeg, and if I can find the money I believe I'll pick up an SVT-4PRO head with an SVT-810E cab.

Very easy to use, not too many knobs or buttons, but all that is necessary to find whatever sound you're looking for. Very broad range of sounds you can achieve.

Oh, the sound. I play with a Spector NS2000/4 (also an amazing product) so I look for somewhat of a heavy powerful sound. Before the B100R, I owned a Fender Bassman 60w amp that was not good for finding wholesome sounds. There is a much more broad range of sounds on this amp, from a sharp treble sound to a powerful low tone. And most importantly, this amp gets VERY loud without the static and farting of most other amps.

The B100R is very reliable, as it comes with a substantial warranty. The electronics are very well protected, so there isn't much concern about dust or dirt getting in the system. I would most definately use this amp in small gigs without worry of it breaking down on my. Very well protected.

Haven't had to deal with customer support yet.

Absolutely perfect amp for small gigs, practicing at home, and just screwing around trying to make noise. Very strong and durable, built to last more than just a few years. Volume and sound quality are its most powerful assets. I strongly recommend this amp for those who are in an organized band who are trying to find new sounds.

As described by the other reviewers. Not very much features, but adequate for what it does.

Great, I use this amp's poweramp only, as I use an Aguilar DB680 as preamp. combined with the aguilar, this amp is capable of 'the oldest school' tones you can imagine. In addition, it is also pretty loud for a 100-watt amp.Compared to my big rig, an EBS fafner head with an ampeg 212 speaker enclosure, it sounds less clean, but way more punchy. I play this amp with either a '69 jazz bass, a gibson thunderbird or a precision. Also, it smokes when used with my EUB.

Great, have had the amp for 3 years now, never broken

never had to deal with them

I am a professional player, for the real small gigs I have an EBS drome 12' combo. The drome has more features, but doesn't sound as good with my aguilar preamp. Also, this is the most cool looking combo you can buy.(well, you could buy an ampeg B15r, which is even cooler, but way too expensive)

Failrly basic. I am a guitarist who plays bass and I was sick of borrowing amps, so I bought one. I know absolutely NOTHING about bass amps other than they need to be more powerful than guitar amps. I thought I would need about 300W but after playing through a 65W at an acoustic gig (no drummer) I decided a 150W combo would be fine. I shortlisted the Ashdown Blue range and Roland DB500 (12 inch speaker but it looks cool). I tried both of these amps and liked them both a lot. The Ashdown was just a nice powerful amp, the Roland was really odd. It was really powerful without being loud, you could almost feel the air moving before the actual note. It was ridiculously loud for 160W through a 12 inch speaker, and if I needed power in a small box then this or the Roland DB700 (this must be a seriously loud thing; I wouldn't touch a DB900 with a barge pole!) would be it. But as I couldn't decide which to buy I saw an Ampeg 100 which looked awesome, and the bass guy played it for me and it sounded different class. I think its had a bit of trouble in the past (a brand new ex demo model with a sticker on the back saying it blew up or something but its OK-work that one out!!!) which the sales bloke tried to conceal from me but I didn't really care cos its a good store with good warranties.


Anyway, features:-
Basic tone stuff, line out which is really good and er, a speaker and a power lead. Plug comes with plastic travel cover which I lost; where can I buy more of these? Nice handle. Good switch, very good switch actually. Possibly better than the eye moving switch on the back of action man's head. Possibly could use an onboard compressor but I think I'd rather use an outboard unit. Could possibly use more EQ but not from my point of view, I don't really use what I have.

Use it with a Peavey Dynabass with cheap humbuckers (I presume since the bass was cheap). Absolutely awesome sound; its my first bass amp but it sounds exactly what a bass amp should sound like IMO so it will possibly be my last as well. I don't know enough about bass amps to comment a great deal here, but I can say a few things:
-it sounds really nice with a guitar plugged in; very clean and glassy and clean; I really like very clean and loud and this is good for that. Don't think its as loud as a 100W guitar amp for guitar but I've not a lot of experience with 100W guitar amps either.
-it doesn't get a lot louder as the master gets past 1/2, just better. I have it on full all the time and it sounds so goos. Don't touch the preamp gain. To be honest I don't really care where the tone controls on this amp are if the gain and master are set well (9-10 o'clock and full) it sounds awesome whatever, just different. Tone sweep is not huge. Again I'm a little inexperienced in this field and don't really have anything to compare it to.
-for some reason you get that 1000W 18inch sub thing where it gets louder as you get further away. It has the strange ability to project with NO volume dropoff. I don't know how they've done this but its good. Probably really annoys the neighbours cos they probably get it as loud as me, then again I'm a tasteful bitchass and they probably enjoy it. I've given it a 10 because this really is ultimate bass sound for me. I haven't heard a lot but now I have no need to. Perfect.

Not had it long enough. Very heavy and solid though. Love the tolex.

Not dealt with them.

I love this amp but I've said everything you're supposed to say here in the other bits so that'll do. No rating for this because it seems a bit pointless. Ratings are poor opinions are good. Thats my opinion anyway and I rate it highly(!!!)