Ampeg B-18X Combo

It is a late 1960's (I don't know the exact date, but they weren't made long) flip top with blue checkered tolex and the silver cloth grille. It has the original 18" speaker and horn. It has two channels, both with reverb and one with tremolo. It sounds pretty wild on bass. It has volume, bass, mid, treble, and reverb on channel A. It has volume, bass, treble, reverb, and tremolo on channel B. Both channels have two inputs. I love the lighted plexiglass logo panel on the front. Ampeg would originally etch your name on this if you wanted. I might carve mine in it. Features on the back are power switch, ground change switch, and standby.
The design idea behind this amp was to make the B-15 Portaflex but with an 18" speaker and twice the power and effects for other instruments besides bass. It worked. It's loud and fat.

I use an 1982 Ibanez Musician MC888 and a 1976 MM Stingray and it sounds perfect. I've never played a Fender through it but if I want to know how that will sound, I could just put on some Motown. I play straight up rock and I couldn't ask for a better sound. After the tubes heat up (1 hour or so) the sound is smooth and sweet. My drummer flipped out when I first brought it in. I had been using a little Crate 1-12 keyboard amp, but when he heard this his eyes got misty. The sound inspired the whole band. It distorts when you turn it up past 7. But the cool part is when it does distort, it sounds like Gene Simmons! I can't lose! I'd say it's not the amp for you if you want a modern, clean tone. But if you want thick, room filling bass, this one is for you. Forget the B-15, it doesn't have the guts this one has. Plus this one has tremolo. How cool is that?

I had it serviced after I bought it and it hasn't had a problem since. So that's a year of trouble free service. Even after lots of trips from my basement to practice (another basement) to a gig it's still working great. I get nervous when I hear the electronics bumping aroung, but all the shock absorbers that Ampeg built in protect it. It has never messed up during a gig.

I can't answer this one because I haven't dealt with Ampeg, just my repair guy. But Ampeg was friendly enough to suggest some qualified technicians in my area.

I've been playing for 15 years and have owned many different amps and combos (peavey, Trace Elliot, GK), but this one sounds the BEST with what I play. It's sooo solid, punchy, and warm. I love how it fills in all the space that I wanted all my other amps to fill. The bass sounds like thick bass lines on old records. I just wish it was filled with helium so it wasn't so heavy. If it were stolen I would cry. Mostly because it would be next to impossible to find another one. I love it. It takes maintainance, but not nearly as much as my wife.