Ampeg BA-112

I got this used from guitar center last week. I was looking for 1x12" bass amp that I can easily carry around for my gigs. I gig ~2 times a week (trio band with electric bass). Not sure what year it was made (couldn't figure out from the serial#). But it's made in USA - I know that Ampeg now are made in China. They also have 30 day return policy. That is the reason why I decided to buy it anyway. I wish it has XLR line out and eliminate head phone out as other reviewers mentioned.

I play a lot of beatles, stones, the who, .. to early 80's that we re-arranged a bit for our trio band. This fits to my style very well. I used Warwick Corvette Standard (passive) bass. First, when I tried at home pluging my bass in directly I feel it lack of response and sustain. And the volume is not so great. So I decided to use my BlueTube pre-amp to help increase the gain of my passsive bass a little (still using 0db input). Then, I was like "WOW" I found my tone from this little box. All response, sustain and volume are much much better. My band mates couldn't stop talking about my bass sound when I bring it in for the first gig. The big point that I like about this amp is that it handles the low end (well project) so well that you feel like you are play much bigger amp. I always set the tone type selector to "flat" and shape my tone with the 3 band EQ which works perfectly. I recommend active bass for this amp. If you don't have one, use external pre-amp to help like I did. It works great for me! Now, it is a keeper.

Don't know yet. It seems very solid so far. I also don't gig at too high volume (~5). This will last for a long while I guess (based on other reviewers). I however, bring my J station (digital bass amp mod) to all my gigs for backup (plug in PA if needed).

Never need to contact them yet.

I've been play for 25 years, mainly guitar. Recently played more bass for low volume band (more gigs). I own fender hotrod deluxe all tube amp and 6 electric guitars and 2 basses. This is the 1st bass amp I bought (been using my hotrod for bass). If it were stolen, I would try find it used (made in USA) again.

This little dumplin' has all I need...good controls, line out, headphones out, inputs for both passive and active electronics, great tone adjustment, a "style" selection knob plus a CD input (that I've never used) plus it's lightweight. An XLR line out would be nice, but it's worked fine for me using the 1/4" phono plug line out. I love the tilt-back cabinet. It's got everything that I require, but it doesn't walk in and set itself up, so I'm just giving it a 9 (besides that, the instructions for this review says not to leave "superficial, glowing" reviews..so i gotta' find something to complain about),

Before I bought it, I played through a lot of other new amps and nothing came close. I also played the BA-115 and it wasn't even in the ball park compared to this amp. The tone I like just wasn't there. It's clean and plenty loud for me. I've played Fender Precision basses through it (my old '63 model and my 2004 Hwy 1..both completely stock) and a Music Man Sub bass that I owned a couple of months, but traded it back for the Hwy 1 precision. I play mostly dance gigs... country, blues, light rock and it fits everything fine. It offers any tone I can imagine wanting to use. It's LOUD for a little amp. For large rooms, I've always run it through a P.A. system, but have used it in fairly large rooms with no help at all.

It was made in the U.S.A. (I wouldn't buy anything else), but I'm not sure they're made here at this time.I've had it 6 years (bought it new) and have had absolutely no problems....0, Zilch, Nada. It's my only bass amp and I gig with it with no backup and never given a thought to having it fail.

the amp has functioned flawlessly, so I've had no reason to contact them.

I've been playing bass over 40 years and have owned vintage tubed Fender Bassman, Bassman 10, Showman, Ampeg flip-top amp etc., but for the money I'd have to spend for one these days, I'd call this little ampeg a bargain. I can't imagine wanting anything more, unless it would be a second BA-112 to use as a slave for the other side of the bandstand. I love everything about this amp and would find another if anything happened to this one. If they're no longer made in the U.S.A, then I'd find a used one that was.

The amp does plenty for the price, however I'm a spoiled and never satisfied musician...

As others have mentioned, a balanced output would be nice. A bit more power could have helped, as well as an extension speaker out. The only other feature that I think that would have been nice, is some form of built-in compression.

This is the bottom line...this amp sounds really good. This amp makes my Fender Jazz punch and sing like no other. Very nice, that's why I bought it.

My only problem with this amp is the headroom. I can never quite get loud enough. I'm not trying to play gigs with this amp mind you, I'm just talking about small room band rehearsals with drums. What I've noticed, is to get the sound I like most with this amp, requires that I use position 1 on the selector switch, and I cut the mid-EQ fairly significantly. I find that a lot of the volume of this amp is tied to the mid-control. The more I cut the mids, the less overall volume I get.

The good news about this amp, is that the mids sound really smooth, and so I like the sound overall so much, that I've been willing to add more mids, especially in circumstances where I just need a little bit more volume to ring out in the band during practice sessions. A little compromise doesn't hurt sometimes...

No problems...

Never needed anything...

I've been playing for 20 years and played on and through a bunch of different stuff. I play a Fender Jazz right now, with DP123 DiMarzio pickups. I have been using SWR stuff for loud gigs, however I bought this Ampeg a few years ago mainly for portability to band practices.

Overall this is a simple amp. It's small and built to be affordable. It has plenty of features for the price, but because this amp sounds so good, you really want it to do more.

I can honestly say that this amp helps me to make music. It makes my bass sound really nice, and for me that's the bottom line!

Plenty of features for what it is. A practice or small gig, back saving, Ampeg.

This is where I went into shock. I play all passive basses. I already own an Ampeg rig and know what they sound like. That's why I own it. I have several smaller practice amps. I had trouble sleeping with practice amps near my bed that were not Ampeg and always wanted one with the big @ in the upper left hand corner. I set out on a mission to replace them all with an Ampeg. Bought a used BA-112 expecting it to be a basic 112. WRONG! This little monster sounds fantastic. The style selector is the best feature. It goes from deep and low to clean and bright as hell. But, the best part is in between. That is where I found my sweet spot with this amp. This little bastard child can sound more tube-like than I would have ever dreamed. Warm, warm warm....mmmmmmhhhaaaa. It is impressive.

AMPEG! Enough said..............

Always had excellent and fast feedback from the parent company. No negative issues!

I had better things to spend my cash on. Sometimes in this short life though one realizes that one deserves something a little extra now and then. So, I got something I did not need and am damned glad I did. My Ampeg BA-112 is my new toy. I love this amp and at my age plan to own it forever. I have played on and off for well over 20 years and have learned a little bit about tone along the way. IMO this amp can easily go from Peavey to Eden and then hit it's peak at the Ampeg tone. I could not be happier and knowing now what I do, would pay full price for it's quality sound. (Remember this)- Ampeg's are much better than women for atleast two reasons. They are a hell of a lot more reliable and you never grow tired of listening to them. (don't use that line on your woman though, or it prove itself to be true!):-)

has a 5 way "Style" button that changes the sound quite a bit, before you even use the tone nobs. The tone nobs themselves are about as dynamic as any Ive used period. the tone controls realy work!

I know what you are thinking , the ba 112 is a bass amp. your right, but it is also a wonderfull guitar rig to. The ba 112 has a very good low end punch a lot of us guitar guys love ,and it also has a nice chimy high end sparkle. I am not saying its equvalent to fender bassman in the ranks of crossover rigs, but I realy think it offers more than many guitar amps do. for example I recently played a $500.oo fender solid state job ,that was thi years model. there was no comparison at all . THe fender sounded thin and harsh at all settings . The ba 112 onthe other hand has all the warmth of your average tube amp,non offensive treble, and great mid response. the fender (which I think was a dsp chouros 212) had no mid response . Many of you may not like what I am about to say, but the closest amp in comparison I can think of is a silverface princeton.

no problems.

I have been playing for 15 years, and have a had tons of good gear. This is the only bass amp I have ever owned,(it was bought for my bass) and one day I decided to plug my tele into it and ive been playing thruogh it ever since.I might add it is only realy good when played clean, or with a little distortion. Too much pedal distortion makes the solid state sound come out of it. Clean ,it sounds as good as most tube amps, and better than almost ALL solid state amps. Iuse a blues driver for just a little crunch , and as a volume boost. sounds great with my strat ,tele , and agile lp/with p 90's. It is veary versatile for what it is,and if stolen I would get another. beats EVERY peavey GUITAR AMP i know of.

Facts: 50 watt, 1-12" speaker, 5 preset eq switch, bass, mids, treble, volume. 0db, -15db, and RCA inputs. Unbalanced line out, headphone out. Limiter. Tilt-back cabinet. 39lbs.

Opinions: Plenty of volume for practice and probably for many gigs as well. I would love to see a version with 100 watts and an XLR out without having to go up in size and weight to a BA-115. Also, for me, the amp would be better equipped to eliminate the RCA inputs in favor of an XLR out -- this would probably balance out cost-wise and would make the amp more professional.

For it's size and weight, it sounds very good. It's quite versatile and the 5 presets make it a breeze to dial in a tone you are looking for. I compared it to the GK backline 10" & 12" models (which couldn't handle low-end very well and had a completely useless "gain" channel), Hartke A35 (This amp was very impressive and I almost bought it).

Additionally, I own a Carvin PB100-10 which is 100 watts with a 10" speaker and weights in at 36lbs. The Carvin sounds really good too, but needs to be repaired.

Anyway, back to the BA-112... Really a good sounding amp with good output and low-end handling. Don't let the 50 watts bother you -- a 100 watt amp is really only 3db louder -- significant but not huge...

I have never owned an ampeg product before, but there reputation seems to be impeccable... I expect this amp to last, but one never really knows...

I've never dealt with them directly and have no clue as to how they would be...

To sum things up, I had almost certainly decided on a Hartke A35 for a practice amp and I stumbled across this brand new BA-112 at Guitar Center for $199 -- same exact price as the Hartke. The Ampeg usually sells for $350+, so I couldn't pass it by.

That being said, while the Hartke sounds better and handles low-end better than the GK backline 10" or 12" models, the Ampeg is a step up into another class -- beyond a practice amp into the realm of amps that could be used for performance... For the same $199, it was an easy choice and if you come across the same deal, I urge you to not pass it up. For $199, there is nothing I am aware of that is even close.

2002
yes, christian contemporary, hip hop/dance beats, rap beats
2, no, no , yes
gain level, mute switch with tuner and or effect out, tweeter
, practice, studio
solid state, 5 way style switch

200 fender mexican precision bass, split coil humbucker
very warm mellow sound
slight hiss from treble (common on all amps)
very versatile, can pretty much do it all
slight distortion when maxed, built in limiter controls it well
not brutal at all, i prefer a litle growl, but would prefer it with a gain level rather than maxing the volumes

this cube is a motherfucking tank, if i dropped it from a building, id 1.)probably kill somebody 2.)break the sidewalk and it would still play

3 year warranty, never had any trouble

This amp was made in 2001, love the style selector switch it saves me a ton of time in eq'ing. also the RCA conectors are a big plus for hooking up a cd player, and the tilt back feature is also very nice. In my humble opinion by far the best practice amp for the money.
It has also been awesome for playing gig's with my jazz quartet its awesome for small venues and playing with lots of acoustic instruments.
For my Rock/Funk/R&B gigs I do have a big rig with plenty of power, but this amp rock for monitoring during those times.

I play a Fender P bass with Bassline pick ups and also use a Jazz bass with stock pick ups. both basses sound great through it in any style, I only use it for small jazz gigs and its perfect in that setting, but when i practice with it at home I have found it to be very versatile in every single style I play

this is one solid little amp, I've had it for about a year and a half and have had no problems with it, have used it several times without a back up. I do baby my equipment though and knowing Ampeg I'm sure my great, great grand kids will play through it.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for over 15 years, I play out a lot in many diferent styles, primaraly Jazz/Funk/Motown/Blues/Latin.
For the big room gigs I have an SWR Workingman 4004 with a 2x10 and 1x15 Avatar cabinets, i like to use this little amp for monitoring.
I would defenely buy it again if it were lost or stolen, it's perfect for around the house and small gigs. great sound and built to last.
I bought this Ampeg because my 1970's B-15 portaflex got too heavy to carry around and I like to keep it in the studio for recordig, (sweetest tube amp ever)

The other reviews have listed the specs. I use this for most gigs, unless I really want to show off with my TubeWorks 7200-15. My wife bought this for me after my heart surgery because it was lighter. I haven't needed it, but I agree a line out for recording would probably beat the RCA jacks.

I play jazz on a Washburn 4-string fretted and a Carvin 5-string fretless, both with Thomastick Jazz flat-wounds. I haven't noticed distortion, but I don't push it past "4" (out of 11? LOL)

I don't even think twice about throwing this in the car & taking off. It's an Ampeg, guys!

Never needed it.

I've been playing bass for almost 40 years (scary), electric for almost that long. I play duo up to dance band on this amp. I have to watch that I don't overpower the band. But I can balance a jazz guitar, w/ or w/o drums. I would probably buy it again, even though everybody and his brother makes a combo.

Bought new late in 1998, perhaps the first year of this model. I needed a small, inexpensive clean amp for a one-time solo piano gig at a place where my existing keyboard rig definitely wouldn't fit. I initially tried out some 40- and 60-watt guitar amps and even some made-for-keyboard combo amps, but they were all weak compared to this. The only features I needed were the small footprint, one input (from a choice of padded or unpadded), versatile EQ and a completely clean, sound at all volume points. The headphone out and CD-in jacks didn't matter to me when I bought it, but I'm glad to have them now rather than reverb or any other effects a guitar amp might've had. I pretty much defeat the 5-position Style switch by leaving it at 3 (flat, no boost/cut) but I credit Ampeg's thinking with respect to those who use the amp for electric bass.

This amp is whisper-quiet, punchy and terrifically clean. Yeah, it's tailored for bass guitar but we keyboardists have been jonesin' on bass amps for years because guitar amps overcolor your keyboard's tone and a PA-system setup usually sterilizes them. Nothing beats a good compact bass amp for a small setup, if you can find one with enough power. This amp's 50 watts is cutting it close, but with a fairly flat EQ, there's no noticeable distortion at full volume and that's plenty loud anywhere I'd be using this amp instead of my regular setup.

It hasn't seen much use since I bought it, but it's been perfect so far and I am completely confident in Ampeg's inherent quality. I played guitar in bands for many years using an Ampeg V4 head that stood up to incredible demands without flinching. I suppose most of the original American amp-building techniques have given way to outsourcing and modern assembly methods, but Ampeg has a big name to uphold, so I'll trust this amp to be at least as dependable as any other new amp out there.

It's now out of warranty and I've never dealt with the company. Again, the Ampeg reputation implies they would be easily accessible if I needed their services. But I can't weigh in on this category.

I played guitar and keyboard professionally for 7 years, then keyboards alone for another 15. Yep, I'm old, and old enough to have used plenty of gear, good and bad, for both long and short periods of time, respectively. For the record, I bought this amp to be used with an Alesis QS8 keyboard, set to one piano patch, for one night. What else that keyboard does and what else I own didn't figure into my decision to get this amp, so I'll leave it at that. The amp come through beautifully that night - I even had to run a mic through it for a few announcements during a break. Since then I've used it just a few times with my hollow-body Gretsch Double Anniversary (with a pedalboard) as well as my other keyboards, whenever using a small amp made sense. But honestly, I wish I had more reason to use it - it's a real winner of an amp for just about anything you can plug into it. I would certainly buy it again, though it seems every month a new made-for-keyboard combo amp is released so eventually one of them really *should* work for keyboards better than this bass amp. At this price point and small size I won't wish for it to be anything more than what it is, a very professional, straightforward and dependable workhorse amp for small gigs or rehearsal.