Ampeg BA-115

this was the first amp i owned and it was ok for learning on, but after playing other amps, it doesn't measure up. the problem is the mids are almost non-existent and if you turn up the mids so you can hear them the tone of the lows gets muddy. also not punchy at all.

no problems

personally, i don't prefer ampeg after playing through other amps and cabinets. if you're just learning, this amp is alright for its used price, but new it is definitely not worth you're money. anyone who rates the sound quality better than a 6, probably hasn't shopped around enough. save up your money and go with Eden or Markbass for a quality clean tone. its like night and day.

Read the other reviews for the features. I'm sorry it took me so long to find out about this bad boy. I've been buying bass amps and playing professionally since 1966. I've owned them all. I've played all around the world, and dragged every kinda of rig with me. This amp has everything I look for in a bass amplifier.

Sound Quality is 10. I've tried it with passive and active basses. I'm partial to the -15db input on this amp, but that's just me. Just using a bass and a guitar cable I can shape the sound as well as any amp I've every owned. I play a wide variety of music and I can get this amp to do it all. You can play hard funk, to mellow classic country muffled bass. There's plenty of punch thanks to the two ports in the the back and the tweeter allows for some sharp high end. I don't have a problem with tweeter hiss on this model. Every "combo" bass amp I've owned has tweeter hiss. You want to hear hiss, buy a Fender combo. Really, the tweeter thing is overblown in these reviews. Sometimes I get the impression the people writing these reviews don't play music for a living.
Most of you won't know what I'm talking about but this amp reminds me of my old Sunn Model T or my old Ampeg B-15n. Donald "Duck" Dunn? James Jamerson? Google it, you youngin's should learn your history.

It's an Ampeg. I bought it used and the original owner played in a band once a week for years and never had a problem. Feels like it's built like a tank. The nobs are plastic. Not a big deal, but that's the only part of the amp I don't like.

no opinion

If this amp were stolen or lost I'd be getting another in a heart beat.
The rca inputs and the headphone jack I could do without, but other than that, I dig it. At large gigs I use the XLR output to go to the pa mixer and for small gigs I use it for my tuner.
I didn't go looking for this amp it just kinda found me, and I'm glad it did.

So this is a fair combo by Ampeg. Mine is the Made in China generation. I purchased it brand new in June 2008. There is no date mentioned on the amp, but I guess it has been built in 2008.

The features are pretty basic, but hey, what do you expect for in this price range ? It has a normal input and a padded one. Bass, mid, treble controls. 5-position selector for extra tonal capabilities. Gain control. Volume control. False D.I. (actually an XLR line out, whose output level depends directly on the volume level of the amp). 2 Cinch inputs for external device (CD player, MP3 player, drumbox, etc.). No volume control at all for these inputs, which means that as soon as the amp is on, the CD plays at full volume. 15??? speaker + tweeter (no adjustment). One channel. No effect loop. No headphone jack. Wedge design, so that you can use it in straight position or wedge one. 100 W RMS. Solid state.

I wish it had at least a real D.I. output, volume control for the extra inputs and some tweeter control. But once again, what is to be expected for at this price ?

I use this amp everywhere : at home, on rehearsal, at gigs. Since rated at 100 W RMS, this amp is VERY loud. I know many 200+ W rated amps that don???t send that much volume.

My bass is a Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass 5-string. I mostly play pop/rock and soul/funk. This amp covers my needs, tonewise.

Many people complain they have a hiss from the tweeter. I'm sorry (well, actually I am not !) to tell them I have no hiss at all, even when cranking volume and treble simultaneously. Maybe Ampeg finally fixed this issue ? Can't say.

I use very basic settings on this amp : no EQing at all, and selector on position 3 (which means flat). But tweak the knobs and you'll find a wide palette of tone capabilities.

This amp definitely has the Ampeg vibe and tone, even without tubes. While not being the same as the B15N Portaflex I had a long time ago, it comes pretty close. Warm, punchy, well defined while not sounding too "clear", "transparent" or "sterile".

I just find the 15" to send a bit too much low-end, but as far as I can remember, all 15"'s do that.

I give a 9 because this is an awesome sound in this price range. But yes, there are many better amps. But they all cost WAY more.

I have been waiting for 8 months before writing this review, so that I can tell about reliability : ZERO issue.

My old B100R (made circa 2002 by SLM) had not waited for 8 months before showing an issue (minor : power led not working anymore).

No problem here. Built like a tank. And I can't see why I should occur any issue. But if this ever happened, I'd post an update.

I gig without any backup. 40 gigs with it so far.

I didn't have to deal with Ampeg / Loud Technologies. But Ampeg is a brand I trust, and them now being manufactured in Asia won't change my opinion about this. This amp comes with a 2 year warranty.

I'm a professional bass player and I have been playing for 33 years so far. Sounds weird, but this is currently my only amp. In the past I've been through many amps, such as Sunn, Peavey, Fender, Ashdown, Markbass, and other Ampeg's.

If this amp was lost, stolen or destroyed in a fire, I'd certainly get another one on the same budget basis. Though, I am currently planning the purchase of an SVT-CL w/matching SVT-810E cab. But I'll keep the BA-115, because there are places where an SVT is simply overkill.

Of course, the BA-115 does not have that SVT vibe. But I am however very pleased with it, and I am also planning to add a Sansamp VT Bass to my effects, so that I can kinda mimic the SVT tone.

When I purchased that BA-115, I tried a few other combos in the same price range : Fender, Hartke, Ashdown. The Ampeg totally killed the others.

Last word : some people may think that 62 lbs is too heavy for "only" 100 W. So please, compare it to what can be compared : it is WAY louder than the Ashdown MAG combo which is rated at 300W.

I am more than satisfied with this amp, still taking account of the price range, of course. I know amps that have cost me 2 or 3 times that price and that did not make me that satisfied. I give a 10 here.

kick back cabinet design, DI out, CD in, style selector

I just sold my valve amp (Wasp Pro 200) after 28 years of owning it & this BA115 has a sound that was very easy to get used to (unlike the Warwick Sweet 15.3 rubbish that I bought & owned for 1 day & returned it for a refund).

No complaints yet.

Haven't had to use them. (That's good right?)

It does everything it's supposed to & with no problem. It can hold it's own with a small & medium sized room & the typical band scenario is fine for this. I've been playing 28 years & had many amps, but this is my first Ampeg. I LOVE it & would definitely replace it if it were knocked off. I highly recommend this amp if you're a professional bass player (or beginner with bucks) if you want a beautiful sound that's easy to achieve without all the nonsense (like effects etc) that you don't need.

This is a great amp. I bought it as a replcament for my 10 year old Hartke Kickback 12. I play out at least 2 to 3 times a month. I've been playing for about 20 years. So to me...weight is important. The BA 115 is only 60 pounds. I really liked the Hartke but my decision to go with Ampeg was really the 5 year warranty. I bought it new for $280.00 I'm not sure why Ampeg describes this amp as a beginner amp? The standard settings are fine and the EQ is perfect. The 5 position switch is a really nice feature. I wish it had an effects loop.

The sound quality is excellent. I'm not a fan of tweeters and horns in a bass amp but I use a 1986 G&L L-2000 with an Alvarez Acoustic bass and the tweeter really adds a certain brilliance to the acoustic. It really sounds natural and clean without any effects! I use a Line 6 XT Live and it just sounds great with this amp. I've read several reviews that people complained that the tweeter is noisy and the amp makes a big thump sound when you turn it on. That's what these things do! Every single bass amp that I've ever owned makes a nice thrusty thump when you turn it on. And sure the tweeter makes a hiss sound. Never have I heard an amp or pa not have noticable hiss from a horn or tweeter. Over this past weekend I played a hall in a medium sized room at a local Yacht club and this amp "put out". The tone was great. Let me justify this. I play in a small acoustic/electric band...we have no drummer so an amp this size (100W through a 15 inch speaker is perfect. When I used to play in a larger band with drums I used an Ampeg B2R head with a Sonic 15 and a 2X10 cab on top. If you play in a larger band you absolutley need...at the very least 300 watts through a large 15 or 4X10 cabinet. There is no comparison between the sound quality and volume between a seperate head and cabinet and a small combo amp.

I've owned several Ampeg amps...a B-60, a 1970's model Porta-Flex, and B2R head. I've also owned a Hartke and a Randall. When I was younger I beat the hell out of my Ampegs. I've never had a problem...even the the Porta-Flex slipped out of my hands and fell down a flight of stairs. I think the stairs sustained more damage. Ampeg really makes a good product. Our local music store started to discontinued their dealerships with Hartke, Behringer and Line 6 due to quality control problems. I was told that too many were returned within the warranty period. So I can not truely give an accurate reliablity rating on this amp becuase I've only owned it for several weeks. But I can say that my other Ampeg amps have been hugely reliable. My Hartke Kickback 12...which I really, really like. developed a simple problem with the input jack. Unfortunatley, I was told the the jack is proprietary jack that has 7 solder joints!! And could take several months just to get the part in stock to fix it. Not cool! So when something as simple as replacing a jack becomes a huge problem...it makes me question how it was designed and how much longer it will last. Ampeg comes with a 5 year warranty. My local music store says if an electronics problem like that happens they will fix. I won't have to send it back to the company and what several months. That's just good. I'm really sold on the 5 year warranty!

Not sure, I've never needed to deal with them.

Overall the amp has a really nice mellow tone. You can also get it too growl a bit. The amp has a very nice organic sound without much work. It's hard to explain but by itself it does not have an aggressive sound. You really need to...at least use a compressor, to get it to thump. My line 6 XT live gives it a little more aggression. When playing without any effects or processing the speaker would peg and rattle a bit when I turned up the bass EQ too high. I think this is normal for a combo amp. When I put my G&L L-2000 through it...I make the EQ flat and the L-2000 preamp really sound nice and beefy. I don't think that the above things makes it a bad amp but you probably need some sort of extra processing. My 20 year old DOD compressor does a lot with this amp. This amp appears to be anice combo ver smaller jobs and practcing...well worth the money for the size and features.

I got this amp because im a skint student and always wanted an Ampeg amp and this was in my price range. It would be great it you could plug in an external speaker and had a better handle but other than that its brilliant, The only thing im not keen on is the monitor stance you can out it in on many gigs Ive bumped into it and its gone over.

At the moment im using a Fender jazz bass and the band im playing in is an Indie, Bluesy rock 3 piece and suits this style perfect there is the problem with the tweeter and a bit of hiss but i haven't got a problem with this you cant hear it when your playing live and when i practice on my own its still not a huge pain.

I use this amp almost everyday for home practice, band practice and gigging, this amp is a war horse ive done gigs with 4 bands using this amp and a 100+ people watching and had no problems its fell over loads of time because of the monitor stance and the only damage was the plug but that's easily fixed. I trust this amp fully i never have a back up amp and never need one.

Ive been playing bass for a a year now but was a guitarist for 5, This is my first Bass amp and if it was lost or stolen i would probably buy it again unless i had money for a bigger Ampeg combo but this amp will always been first recommendation. I love everything about this amp the sound the looks the versatility and the compact size. When we do gigs we take everything a Marshall stack this amp a drum kit 4 guitars and other bits and bobs and this always comes out with out damage. I wish it had an external speaker output, better handles 1 on the top is not enough and no tilt feature. If you need a bass amp for practice and gigs and have a small budget consider this amp you wont regret it.

I bought this amp in June 2002. And to date it is still holding up. I purchased it from Musician's Friend and there were some problems. The amp had a horrible vibration when playing low e and I later found that the panel the spaeker was mounted on was loose. I repaired it and it is fine.No effects--don't need them when i have pedals. This amp could use an ext speaker as it doesn't "cut through" the mix like its' big brothers, you really need to use the line out to a board--

I am an Ampeg supporter since I was 12 and the sound is great except for what was mentioned. The style selector is a plus for those who play a variety of styles. It has a nice sound as far as solid state goes it does distort at max level but it is 100 watts in a little box. This amplifier is good for my recordings and "in house" work.

I have used this amp faithfully for 6 years and no major issues. I disconnected the tweeter once--ONCE!I hooked it back up and ist still sings.

I have dealt with their Customer Service Dept but I must add the Tech Support staff is more professional. They do seem to know their business. I never needed to take this amp to a shop before but, after 6 years of continuous use the direct out does not work but I will just use a direct box that I purchased. I do not lug around an Ampeg for minor repair work. I have a vintage Ampeg V-6B that I wil take out for larger venues

I have been playing Bass for 28 years and I own an Ampeg V-6B and a Behringer 180 watt amp.My preference is my V-6B, but I will not part with my BA-115, it is part of the family and is great for small gigs,recording and church. It is not as heavy as its' big brothers I am used to carrying a SVT 8x10 by myself so this lil' puppy is gravy. I hate the distortion when pushed but I am USA Ampeg all the way! I wish it had the ext speaker and less hiss.But if you are an intermediate player or seasoned and not looking for a monster amplifier, this is a good amp to start out with, the price has come down about $100.00 since I bought mine and I love the sound when playing Funk or Gospel. If you are going to be a "star" the you need a SVT.

Made in USA Ampeg that was picked up used and in perfect condition. Tha amp has inputs for standard and active basses. The 5 position EQ knob is an interesting feature. Other than that, there's not too much that's different from any other amp.

I received this combo amp in a trade. I had never owned an Ampeg before and I was excited about getting one. I even briefly considered selling my bigger bass amp & cabinets and just using the Ampeg (I am semi-retired from the band scene). So.... I plugged a Yamaha BB614 into cabinet....and was really disappointed with what I heard. Lots and lots of hiss. You can turn the treble down, but you can't really escape from the hiss when you are at higher volumes. I usually play through a Carvin B800 amp running into an Avatar 2x10 and a Mesa/Boogie 1x15. This combination gives me a ton of power and articulate sound reproduction/definition. I realize that the Ampeg is a lower-priced combo, but it didn't come anywhere close to giving me the sound quality I was looking for. I play with a drummer fairly regularly and he has a 100 watt Crate combo in his studio. I never thought I would say this, but the Crate combo sounds much, much better than the Ampeg. And I think Fender and Peavey offer similar combos that sound better - plus they are cheaper when you buy used.

Seemed reliable during the week I owned it.

No issues.

I was really disappointed with this amp. I've played through some of the more expensive (and powerful) Ampeg combos and I thought they sounded great. Not this one. The amount of hiss you get is unacceptable - I'm not sure why anyone would sell a product with such an obvious flaw. If you want a 15" combo - spend a little more on a higher-end Ampeg, or look elsewhere.

On a positive note, it was really easy to sell this amp, thanks to the Ampeg reputation.

I bought this amp in the summer of 2001. This amp has 100 watts; one 15" speaker; Bass, Middle, Treble, and Style switch (mid sweep) EQ section; 0db & -15db input jacks; Gain and Master volumes; Headphone and RCA jacks; and a Balance line out. It has a tilt back monitor feature that is very handy as well. Versitile enough for the Blues and Classic Rock music that I play. The one feature I wish it had is an ext. speaker jack, not that I have ever needed it, but it would be nice just in case.

I play Blues, Classic Rock, Country and Gospel, and it sounds awesome with my stock Squier P Bass Special. I have played outdoor parties, clubs, bars, churches, and I can get anything from the old Motown sound, to the Chris Squire/Geddy Lee '70's Ric sound, although doing the latter causes a bit of hiss due to the tweeter. It has a nice tight, warm sound with punch, and plenty of power. I had someone ask me once what my POD/Sansamp was set on. I don't use either one, and his jaw dropped because of the sound come from just the bass straight into the amp.

Ever since I have gotten this amp, it has been my workhorse. I personally do not own another amp, but a band I was in brought a spare bass amp just to set the Ampeg on to raise it to ear level. The drummer eventually used the spare for his electronic drums. The setup actually looked impressive. in the almost six years I have owned it, it has never broken down, and I gig without a backup most times. It has been extremely reliable.

I have been playing for 30 years, and bought this because I wanted an Ampeg, but didn't want to deal with tubes. If it were lost or stolen, I would buy this again. I have played through many different amps in my career, such as Peavey Combo 300/Combo115, Sunn Coloseum, and H/H Bassamps. I once owned an old Ampeg B25, that fell apart just because of the age and use on the thing. I chose the BA115 for the Ampeg sound, the warm tube sound out of a solid state amp, my history of playing dictated that 100 watts was plenty of power for me. I just wish it had an ext. speaker jack, then it would be perfect for me for everything I play.

* 100 watts of power
* 15" speaker
* Style selector with 5 basic tone options
* 3-band tone controls
* Master and gain controls
* Balanced XLR line out
* Headphone jack
* RCA inputs for connecting a tape or CD player
* Tilt-back cabinet

I'm running my esp viper-104 bass through this. It's a cheap beginer's bass but this thing makes it sound like a bass costing 800+. I play mainly punk and metal music ad the style toggle really helps adapt to the diffrent mussical styles as does the bass, mid, and trebel tones.

and this thing is hella loud. i have played many gigs with this and never ahd to put it up past 3.

This thing is deffinatly build solid. I've played a bunch of gigs with this thing, taking it in and out of vans and bars and various other places and it sill looks and sounds brand new.

never had to deal with them.

I've been playign for about 3 years and i've been to alot of shows. I wouldnt say its as good as an SVT but if your playing small bars and club and are lookign for a pro tone without the 1000+ price tag this thing is amazing.

If this thing were lost or stolen i wouldt hesitate to buy a new one.