Ampeg B-12XT Portaflex

The amplifier has two channels but I only use one. They work independently and I think it's because the amp was meant to take several instruments at once. It has an accordian input (hee hee).

I love the vintage echo unit and I also use the built in vibrato, in small measure.

However I like a clean and Mod 60's sound. I get it without any trouble at all.

I play with a PRS that has great sustain. The amp seems to love this. It has a very warm and bluesy sound. I like a straight forward and clean sound with only a bit of distortion on the leads. For this, the AMP is great. In fact it's been commented by other musicians that the B12XT has such a nice sound that I've actually gotten away with using a really crappy distortion pedal (The Boss Heavy metal). I will eventually get a better pedal but I am in no rush. The B12XT lets me be lazy.

When I acquired it I had to immediately replace one of the tubes. I also had the darn thing grounded. What were they thinking in '66. Did they want to make sure you never kissed the mike? My lips are still numb from the shocks.
I intend to keep this beautiful amp working for a good long time.

This is a great AMP for me. I love the sound of it, I love the look of it and I like the practical portaflex design. I would buy another one.

it's old. it never breaks. best tone ever. tubes are hard to find (thank god they never break!)

I use home made guitars

the speakers were out of phase when I got it, and I fixed it in the store. with one 7027a busted, it still shook the winodws! Got the last tube in SF, they don't match and I don't care! It will give a fender siverface w run for it's money in power and kills it in tone. Best oldie i every got/bought/ swapped. I am never selling it. I have a flextone and line6 blew it by not modeling this gem. However, even if they had, I am still not selling it. ever!

This Portaflex B-12XT was made in 1967, having the smooth, black vinyl covering. Two channels, each with two inputs: one for guitar, one for accordion. The accordion input has higher output and is a little brighter, as well. Controls for each channel include volume, treble, and bass. The treble knob has a neat boost feature; that is, if you turn the treble all the way clockwise, you can click past that and get a treble boost. Neat! There's reverb for both channels, and a vibrato control for Channel One only. The vibrato has a really cool, warbly, old-timey sound. You have Speed and Intensity controls for this, and you can go from an almost trem sound to a really whacked-out warble. Very cool!

I mainly use a '96 Gibson Les Paul Custom with stock pickups. This amp sounds fantastic for blues rock (think: Mike Bloomfield). I had the stock 7027A power tubes replaced with NOS Philips 7581's, and the filter cap was replace at the same time (courtesy of Todd Sharp at Nashville Amplifier Service). These tubes kick! Great dynamics, very sensitive to your playing style; but I digress. Since I found only the amp head (in great condition, BTW), I decided to pair it with an Ampeg 2X12 cabinet that's loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. Great combination! The Portaflex is a fairly warm, loose sounding amp, and the Vintage 30s really tighten up the sound; and they kick, as well! The amp actually does pretty well with Drop D tuning-type styles of music if you get a wild hair and decide to metal out. No, this amp isn't high gain, but the distortion is nice and crunchy; and, again, it really kicks!

I've had the amp for about two years, and I have only needed to replace the power tubes (naturally) and the filter cap. Other than that, no problems at all. I'd say that just taking care of the amp, the way you should with any tube amp, this thing should keep on going, and going, and going...

Haven't needed it. Todd Sharp helps me keep my amps in good shape.

I've been playing for about 27 years, and I've owned many amps: mostly Ampegs, but also Orange, Sovtek, Lee Jackson, Crate, etc. If this amp were stolen or permanently damaged, I would definitely look for another one. The tone is just hard to beat; must be experienced!

1967 Ampeg portaflex amp. Convertable Tube amp. This is my first real players amp and i saw it in a consignment room. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT! All original chrome (untarnished), vinyl is un scarred and perfect, even the attached cart was in perfect condition. 2 inputs, footswitch that controlls an echo (if external speaker is attached). I only wish it had a little more power behind it. the thing even lights up when you play it! (aside from the tubes, there is an acrylic ampeg sign that lights up.)

im learning to be a blues player, but i will play jsut about anything. the tones are very rich and the speakers WILL NOT peak! at high volumes, it doesnt distort very much. for blues, its great, with an effects board attached, playing alternitive to hard rock, it sounds great too! this is one unbelievable sounding amp.

NEVER BROKEN DOWN, though i have only had it for 5 months. you must wait about 15 seconds after you turn it on, so it can warm up.

never had to. no comment.

ive been playing for about 2 years now. its convertable feature makes it invaluable to a travler. easy to transport. powerful anough for a small-midsize gig.

wonderful amp.

This is a 1967 vintage amplifier with two unswitchable channels. Channels can be switched so that they are dry or have reverb (echo) or tremelo. The amp is a Portaflex guitar amp (regardless of the fab accordion inputs) with two twelve inch speakers. For you Ampeg freaks-this was NOT covered in the checked "shower curtain" cloth. I had it rebiased for 6550 tubes and had new caps put in. The original tubes (7521'??? s or something like that) are hard to find and quite expensive when you do find 'em. The 6550 is a close and durable (and common) relative. The mod did not appreciatively change the sound of the amp.

I swear the XT meant extra treble! The reverb sounded quite deep and a bit "spikey". The tremelo was that wonderfully weird old Ampeg trem-very gospel OR psychedelic-depending on yer tastes. With any guitar you'd have to tweak to get a good sound-but once this amp warmed up it is great. It starts to distort @the 5 setting, getting a good "Stonsey" crunch when maxed. With a Les Paul Special it is an amazing blues amp-fit for Chicago blues sting or the usual related Peter Green type singing (w/ that extra big reverb cranked) It could also do accurate "garage"psychedelc sounds and is also not a bad twangy country or surf amp,while sounding more unique than a Fender. This amp sounds well rounded, but doen't have a great deal of bass response. It sounds very swampy and primitive in a "good" way.

This particular amp spent most of its' years in a Baptist church in Waynesboro, Va. It was all original when I got it, but the power tubes were definitely on their last legs (I don't know if the tubes were the VERY FIRST ones in it-but some did have Ampeg on 'em). I doubt it saw road use, but it had plenty of practice sessions and services behind it (remember-I did say this had a bitchin' trem for high-powered gospel music). I gigged with it, and occaisionally it did erratic things, but it never shut down, blew up, or caused me to stop a gig. The only reason i don't own it now is due to financial and space needs. Its' main problems of rattles, buzzes, etc. were due to age and use.

It turns out (according to an amp tech who did the tubes) that Ampegs of this vintage seemed to routinely vary from their schematics in sometimes BIG ways and that not all will ultimately sound similar. The current company (as I understand it) doesn't service these ancient things, and that it'd be a good idea to find a tech familiar with old Ampegs, as merely following the schematic won't necessarily be of much use. So customer service doesn' apply here (except for KCA Amp Repair in the D.C/NOVA area-he did a great job on it real quick/for cheap).

I had it for four years. If I had room for another amp (my apartment currently holds three) I'd try to get it back. It has that cool "thing from Sauron" look that portaflexes w/ tube cages have, and a killer primitive blues, rockabilly, psychedelic( and gospel)-useable sound. There really isn't much else out there quite like these things, and they don't cost alot when you can find 'em (luckily that church took reasonably good care of it-Matt at Action Music said it looked like an electric hearse). Like most old Ampegs, they chose parts destined to be outmoded as quickly as possible, so you'll probably need to rebias it to an available tube scheme, and replace any electrolytics. If you like the styles of music mentioned in the review, buy one as soon as you see it (or hear it if it's actually working)-they'll defintely give you a good sound and you won't be stuck w/ the same old (but easier to service/find parts/more sturdily built) Fender.