Product: Ampeg B-15XY 115 Combo
Price Paid: US $100$(gift) used
Submitted
02/06/2004
at
02:20pm
by
Benjamin Lowengard
Email: lowengard<at>mac dot com
Features
:
8
This is a 1963 Portaflex amp-much like the B-12 originally with a 15" ampeg speaker and
a horn tweeter and a small extension cabinet for reverb. Hi and low inputs for
accordian(true ampeg style) and guitar, reverb circuit and tremelo circuit on the guitar side. I play everything from folk to blues to stunt electronica and for a distinctive sound
clean (at 11 o'clock) and distorted(at 5 o'clock) it defines personality.
Sound Quality
:
10
Dimension reverb( reverb sent to another cabinet) is something to get used to. Since I don't have the original extension cab I'm using a Yamaha cabinet (2 8" and a tweeter).
this is one of those fliptop portoflexes so I put the yamaha on top of the B15 cab and the
amp (with a couple of "feet") sits on top of that. It's an amp stack but not like I've ever used before. I had the amp recapped and then retubed (7027s) and wow it went from
being a cool looking thing to a cool playing thing. Clean compressed ampeg sound which
distorts sweetly when pushed. There's a clean/distorted sweet spot that arises after the
amp warms up (usually about a half an hour) which makes for great dynamic clean/dirty playing. It's more "voxy" than "marshally" but thats a rather weak way to describe this amp.
Reliability
:
10
So far so good. I've had it fixed twice. The first guy got it going and I figured that was the
best he could do (i think he replaced a few caps but not all). Last summer I got the above tubes and caps. (Sovtek 7027s etc. ) This amp was gifted to me by my brother - he found it (in rough condition) for a 100$ I think. Years go by and i get it fixed up. It's worn
but it works.
Customer Support
:
10
Ok, Ampeg doesn't support these. A little research on the internet turned up Jess Oliver,
formerly of Ampeg. He built this amp! He responded to an email. He said it was one of some experimental amps and I should probably consider it "custom" . He gave me good advice on how to add the horn to the cabinet. Fortunately schematics are intact as well.
Servicing Ampegs is tricky. I'm fortunate to know a shop with an Ampeg loving tech.
This is key to keeping your amp sounding good.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing for about 25 years or so . I have a 70's princeton and a Champ. Lots
of pedals. I play a 63 guild hollowbody/75 fender tele/hagstrom and a bunch of other stuff. I know there's no replacement strategy for this amp. Some days it's not the right sound for what I'm doing. Other days it's better than perfect. Miked or direct through
a Redbox it's also great. I would like an original extension cab. but the one i have is
very compatible.
