Ampeg BA-115HP 115 Combo

One word: simple. Simple is not a bad thing if its done right, and this amp is the good kind of simple. =D Passive and active inputs, Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, Volume, Mute, CD/aux in, L-pad for tweeter level control, and XLR DI output to run to the house PA or studio console. A real world working bassist doesn't really need more than this. 220 watts of power is plenty for what working bass players need on a daily basis. I've never encountered a gig where I've needed more volume than what this amp, combined with the house PA, could provide. The built-in tuner is a very convenient addition to this combo, and the tuner is actually accurate! I couldn't believe my eyes when I first used it because other built-in tuners on amps that I've used were always been inaccurate. The classic black Ampeg look is great, and had been a welcome sight at any venue I've played or studio I've recorded in. The amp comes with castors, which is good because this is a heavy, cumbersome 88 lbs cube! Rolling the amp around has proven great for transport to the car, to the stage, to the studio, and back to the house. The amp easily fits in the back seat of my 1995 Mazda 626, which isn't a big car at all.

The amp does not have a compressor circuit (I really wish it did for my personal taste in bass tone), but it does have a limiter to protect the power amp from spikes. This does even out the tone a bit. There is no effects loop or aux speaker output either. I don't use any sort of external speaker output currently, but it would be nice to have that option. Also, an effects loop would be nice to have as well.

1x15" w/1" compression horn configuration.

It sounds like an Ampeg. ;)

Seriously, this combo sounds like a classic 1x15" combo, but with the modern edge that a 1" compression horn (tweeter) provides. I like the L-pad control to adjust the level of the horn. Sometimes, you need a lot, and other times you don't need the horn so much.

I play in many musical situations, so this amp's versitility is key for me. I can play a rock session, then immediately go do a country gig, then leave to go to a studio for a jazz recording. Adjust the simple 3-band EQ and BOOM! -- different tones appropriate for many kinds of music. I haven't had problems with noise or distortion in the least.

I prefer a 2x10" w/1" horn configuration to a 1x15" w/1" horn, but I got such a good deal on this amp, I couldn't pass it up. B-stock is the way to buy!! =D

No problems. I think this is due in part to the simple control layout -- there really isn't a lot that can go wrong with this amp.

5 year warranty from Ampeg. I've had no need to contact Ampeg for service, but the 5 year warranty itself warrants a rating of 7 for me. Hopefully, the amp will last much longer than that! :)

I've owned this amp for a few months now, and have really put it through the ringer with live gigs and studio sessions. This is a rare gem of an amp in that you really don't get any unusable tones from it. This is an amp that you can truly use with just about any kind of music.

Simple controls, versitile tone, classic look, and the undeniable deal that I personally got buying this piece as B-stock warrant an 8 rating. This is a great amp for many styles of music. I may not have bought this amp at the regular retail price. I'm glad I purchased it though -- the other amps in the particular price range I had to shop in were weak little 100w pieces of crap, not good for much other than practice (not rehearsal, just practice...).

If you need an amp, but you're limited on space and money, try to find this amp on B-stock. I paid about $200 less than retail for this amp, received full warranty from Ampeg, and the amp plays like it is brand new every single time I use it.

The only reasons this amp did not get a "10" rating overall is due to the lack of features I would have like to have: compressor, ext speaker jack, and effects loop. Useful things like this may not be for every player, but they are a welcome addition for most. If you're going to be priced new around $650, have these somewhere on the head. I'm just saying...

In the words of Kip from Nepolean Dynamite, "Peace out!"

I purchased this amp as B-stock in May 2009. It is a 2009 model fully solid state bass combo amp. The BA115HP has 220 watts of power, a 15" custom Ampeg driver, a 1" compression horn, and a simple layout that is easy to use and understand. It is a one channel amp with two inputs -- 0db passive input and -15db active input. There is no effects loop, but there is a headphone jack, aux in (CD, drum machine, etc), BUILT IN tuner, and mute switch (always a welcome feature as far as I'm concerned). The XLR out is great for large clubs and outdoor festivals to run right to the PA. I would rather run into the PA than hassel with a big amp stack. :)

I really, really wish that the combo had a built in compressor, but there is a built in limiter to protect the power amp. The limiter does help to keep the signal from spiking too badly, even though it is no adjustable

I use 3 different basses: 1. Traben Chaos Obsession 5-string, 2. Ibanez ATK700, and 3. Yamaha RBX460 4-string. This bass carries the low "B" on the Traben very well! The driver didn't "bottom out" like some inexpensive combos can. The tone with all three basses is different because each bass produces different tones. However, the tone is excellent for all three basses! Ampeg tone is top notch. I haven't turned it up too loud as of yet because I haven't really had to. From the times that I've used it, I have not noticed any buzzing or hissing coming from the speakers. I do not have the unrealistic expectation that this 220 watt combo will be as loud as a 600 watt stack. I realize that it won't be blaring loud (and I don't want it to be). With that said, I will say that I wish the amp were a little bit louder, especially considering this is a powerful combo at 220 watts! The volume/wattage ratio seems low...

There is a lot of variety in this amp; I'm a session player for live and studio gigs, and I use this amp on every live gig that I have. Whether it is for rock, country, R&B/soul, jazz, pop, or whatever, the tone is always great. The preamp's EQ is a simple shelving EQ with 3 controls: bass, mid, and treble. I can manipulate this EQ to get just about any sound that I want.

It is an Ampeg, and it is solid state. There's not a lot that could go wrong! :) If it were a tube based power amp or preamp, I would be a little worried because the hassel of dealing with tubes is a pain. Besides, tube-amps and SS amps sound almost identical on a recording, so why deal with the hassel of tubes if you don't have to?

5-year warranty from Ampeg. I've never dealt with Ampeg for repair/maintenance issues, so I don't know how they easy or difficult they are to work with. Simply for the 5-year warranty, I'll rate this an 8.

I've been playing bass since 1992, professionally since 1999. I've owned many different basses and amps, including: G-K, Carvin, Hartke, Fender, Warwick, Spector, Ibanez, Traben, Yamaha, and more. I can say that this combo amp, my Traben, Ibanez, and Yamaha basses, I don't think I'll ever need to buy any other bass equipment. After all, in the real world of working musicians, we play small - medium sized clubs, outdoor festivals WITH PA systems, and studios (if we're fortunate enough). No need for a big stack system and exotic basses; get the basics that can work anywhere, and you're covered no matter where you play.

The mute switch and built-in tuner are indispensable. Combined with the increase in power, spending the extra money to get the HP over the regular BA115 was worth it. The controls are typical and straightforward, and I found the crossover control on the back to be a cool feature, if not entirely useful. I used the XLR line out for recording initially, but I still prefer the sound of this amp mic'd up when I record.

I'm playing through this amp with an '03 Fender American P-bass with Seymour Duncan SPB-3 pickups, and it sounds excellent. It's not quite an SVT, but it's definitely Ampeg tone. If you have read any other reviews, then you know that Ampeg tone speaks for itself. I've never had to turn the gain past 5 or 6, and the distortion there seems to be pretty minimal. I kind of wish it would "thump" a little more, but that might just be my settings and playing style.

This is my only gripe about this amp. I don't know if mine is a fluke, but, on two separate occasions, the amp has started distorting when I've played low notes through it. Both times, the culprit has been a piece of particle board falling from the cabinet and getting lodged in the speaker magnet. I've had to remove the 15" speaker twice, and was honestly not too impressed by the workmanship of the cabinet altogether. The sound dampening material seemed hastily installed, and the cabinet assembly itself has seemed shoddy (screws randomly shaking loose and falling out, etc). I don't know if this is a result of Ampeg outsourcing their assembly (this is late-model, purchased new in '04), or if I just got unlucky, but it's pretty annoying having to pull your bass amp apart to get it to work right.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing bass for a little over six years. This is the first amp I've owned that could actually fill a venue. I probably wouldn't get another one if it was lost or stolen, mostly because I'm looking for something with a little more tone flexibility. I bought this amp when I was in a high school pop-punk band, but my musical style has changed since then. It works fine if you're just filling a small club, and I would recommend it to someone as a first amp, but I wouldn't take it on tour with me, because of the reliability issues

I wont list all features since previous reviews already has, but the there are a couple of things I really like;
- the mute switch and the inbuilt tuner is perfect when on stage. I often slap on my double bass which sometimes brings it slightly out of tune (especially when I use gut strings).
- this is not a high tech combo with 1047626746212 different potts, buttons, switches etc - you dont have to be a rocket scientist to make it sound good. Just plug in and play - its Ampeg sound.
- I bought becasue of it's portability. This thing is quite easy to move around. The casters are great.

Well as I stated before it is Ampeg sound. I mainly play double bass with it and I really like the deep bass it produces.
It is good for small and medium size gigs. The 220 watts isnt enough for bigger plaeces. On the other hand on bigger gigs there's backline.
It sounds much better (with double bass that is) than all the others I had (Randall, GK, Sun, EBS, Peavy, Trace Elliot etc).

I've owned it for about two years now and it only failed once - the fuse blew just before a gig. I replaced it and that was it.

Not much to say here since it is fit.

I've played bass for about 20 years now. This is the best combo I ever owned. If it was stolen I would buy a new one.
With my double bass it just works great an I love the deep bass i t produces - suites the styles blues and rockabilly perfectly.

I don't like a lot of extra crap on amplifiers that I own. They never usually sound as good as pedals, so this amp was perfect. It has the selector switch to dial in the sound that you want, it has a built in tuner with mute switch (This has come in real handy on stage.), it has a tweeter adjustment on the back that is great, and it also has the cd input for practice.

I use both an SRX 4 string with active pickups and an LTD with active pickups. Both of these basses really push this amp and it sounds great. This amp is loud enough to compete with a custom DW drum set with the volume between 3 and 4 with out using a mic. I've seen a lot of people talk about the noise level of the tweeter. You will only notice this while in a quiet place. Not a problem on stage.

I never had an issue with this amp for over 7 months and I have never relyed on having a backup, But during a new years gig I must have blown something because the speakers started to distort. I don't know if it had something to do with playing a 5 hour gig and trying to compete with a DSL 50 Marshall halfstack. It might also have been because I had the gain set up a little high, although after 7 months it never was an issue.

I have never had a better experiance with such a large company. I contacted AMPEG directly for support and they were really helpful. They sent me a replacement(BA115HPT instead of the HP model) as soon as they could because I told them that I needed if for a gig. It took about 5 days. The only problem was that the replacement that I received was a refurbished amplifier and it didn't work when I first turned it on. Once the support was contacted again, they were so appologetic that they put a rush on sending out another one. Haven't got it yet but for the way it sounds I hope that I don't have to get something else.

For how often I play, two or three times a month for about 4 hours and practice 6 or 7 hours a week, this amp performed great. I just hope that the 2nd replacement that I get works. I would perfer to use ampeg equiptment instead of something like Hartke or Peavey.

The amp dosen't have a whole lot of options. It has a mute switch which is good for using the built in tuner while on stage, It has a cd player input for practicing at home, and XLR output to hook up to a PA. It also has a 5 position tone switch that helps to dial in the sound that you want.

I use a ESP bass with active pickups. When the bass eq is turned up this really puts out some low end, Great for rock. With a little bit of adjustment and turning up the horn on the back, It puts out a great slap bass sound.

Have not had a problem with it yet. Owned it for only a short time thou.

Haven't had to use it yet.

There has been a lot of reviews about this amp that say that the 220 watt output dosent seem to be much. When I play with my band I connect to a PA through the XLR so volume is not an issue. All of our amps are only used as monitors since we all either mic our amplifiers or use the built in DI. Playing in the local bars my old amp, a 120 watt Hartke kickback 15, competed with a Marshall DSL50 with a 4X12 and a fender 40watt deluxe and held its own, so I can't wait to hear how this ampeg will do.

I think I bought this amp around 2003-2004. It is supposed to be 200 watts or more. It has very basic controls, which are all I need. Gain, Low, Mid, High, Master. It has a Style switch which makes a nice variety of tones.

I play an old 1985 ESP 4-string.

I play in a party band with some real pro musicians. They love the tone of my amp. On the negative side, I agree with other reviewers who say that this amp doesn't seem to have enough power. I have to crank the gain and the master up high. In our band, the soundman runs my amp through the PA with some nice subs so it is fine out front.

If this amp is what fits your budget, I would say it is pretty decent and you won't be disappointed. I have decided to shop for a more powerful amp. I am staying with the Ampeg brand because it is rated well by a lot of users. I am shopping for a half stack with a 4-10 cabinet. If you want to feel more power and volume on stage, I would recommend a 300wattt or more head with a 4-10 cabinet at least.

I am very satisfied with the sound of this amp. I like a round, full sound and it delivers. This amp only has one 15" speaker, as do most budget priced combos. As a result, the sound is not very defined when you're on stage and close to it. You have to be way out front to hear it with definition. But, again, let me say for the price, this is an excellent sounding bass amp.

It is not noisy at all.

This amp has never let me down. I have used it weekly for 3 years.

What I love about this amp is, for the money and size, it's a great sounding, reliable amp. It's not to hard to tote either

I assume the amp is a 2004/2005 since I just bought it new. I've owned a few bass amps in my life. This amp seems to have all the features I would need in a bass amp. I don't use effects for the bass, so effects loops, etc., aren't necessary. I like the built in tuner. The power "thing" is where I'm a little concerned. I haven't used the amp in a live gig yet, but in my home (and it the store where I purchased it), I had to turn the master and gain controls WAY up in order to get the volume I seemed to be missing. My brother and cousin both have this amp too. My brother has noticed the same thing. However, we agree that the tone is good.

I currently have a Fender 5-string Jazz bass (Marcus Miller). It sounds pretty good through the amplifier. It suits the style of playing I do which ranges from classic rock to country to country-rock.

No comment so far.

Haven't had to use any support yet.

I've been playing guitar and bass for more years than I can remember. I also play and am passionate about the pedal steel guitar. I think this amp will be a good one to have in my collection of instruments. I owned another Ampeg SVT (small combo amp) and loved it. I've owned Crate (which I loved), and an SWR stack...which I didn't love (though it sounded okay turned up in live situations, but it was very noisy!)

Paid $570.00 "out the door" @ Guitar Center in San Bernardino, CA.

Amp was mfd. in May 2004.

I consider Ampeg stuff versatle and I peronally love the Ampeg tone. This little combo delivers exactly that. I use it with a Fender 4-String Jazz and an Ibanez SRX300.

This little amp doesn't bogle the mind with a lot of controls. It has the basics. A three band EQ and a 5 position style control which is basicly a mid-range control. It works great though. It's 220 watts with a single 15" and a compression horn for a tweeter.

This amp the basics. It's a solid state amp w/CD inputs,headphone jack,level control for the high freq. horn, and a balanced D.I out. It also has a built in chromatic tuner which is nice and accurate, mute switch for quiet tunning or changing basses, and it also comes with removeable castors.

The castor are helpful since this thing weighs 85 pounds. It has two built in metal handles in the side of the cabinet and well as the typical strap handle mounted in the top of the cabinet.

I wish it had an effects loop and the ability to ad an extension cab.
You can run effects without the loop but I can't use my Sansamp Bass Driver DI because it seems to conlfict with the Ampeg amp and create a tone that is not real impressive. An effects loop I think should be a standard feature on an amp in this price range.

I use this amp for practice and jam sessions in a small setting. It works great for that. I would use it to gig with in a samll setting as well. Has no problem being heard with our drummer and three guitars running a 65 watt Line6, 65 watt Peavy, and a 60 watt Behringer amp.

It would not compete with guitars running anything more than 65 watts. Our drummer is a bit of a hard hitter but I hang in there no problem.

I use this amp with a Fender Jazz and an Ibanez SRX300 and it is perfect. I primarly use the #2 setting on the style control with both basses, it has a bit of a vintage / tubey / fuzzy sound on that setting and I like it a lot.

It's not noisy. The horn hardly hisses at all. You can get a little hiss when the horn volume is way up. Nothing compared to the tweeter used in the BA115. The DI out is nice and quiet to the board.

I have not heard the amp distort much but I have not ran it past 7 on a consistant bassis. I have ran wide open for a few minutes to see how loud it can get and it had a little distortion but nothing bad. I imagine that if I kept at it the distortion would have become worse as the amp getts hotter.

I play mostly Contempoary Christian Rock, and Punk. Stuff along the lines of TFK, Kutless, 12 Stones on the harder end as well as RelientK, Stellar Kart, and MxPx. It works great for that.

The style setting and EQ lets me change tone for a more mellow Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp etc. kind of stuff. The amp is very versatle but you have to like Ampeg tone. If you like a Cleaner or Brighter tone than you should look elsewere.

This amp makes a weird low freq thump when it is turned off. I found it kinda weird at first but I was told by Ampeg that it is normal. Noe of my previous amps did that.

I trust this amp to run without a back up. I have to, right now this is my only amp.

Although I have heard that Ampegs QC has gone down a little at the SLM plant in St. Louis it seems solid to me. I have run it for four months now and no problems so far.

Only dealt with the Tech Service people via e-mail. I got a response within 24 hrs. The told me that the low frequency pop is normal when I shut the amp off.

Other than that I have not had to deal with them.

Warranty is one year.

If this amp was lost or stolen I would probably get another one. I really like it. The fact that it doesn't have an effects loop kinda bothers me so it may make me look at a comparable Yorkville if I hard to replace it but it's about 90% that I would replace it with another BA115HP.

The best thing about this amp is it's tone. I love the Ampeg thing and it delivers the tone I like.

I compared this amp to my previous SWR WM15 and the tone of the BA115HP won me over. I gave up a few features that my SWR had but it just plain sounded better to me so I sold my SWR and got the Ampeg.

this amp was made in 2003. as the top reviewer said, it has 5 'styles' and i also use the second style, it really is one of the best noises i've ever heard. it has some sort of high end dial on the back, but i honestly can't tell if it makes any difference! it's got one channel, headphone socket, tres useful mute switch and tuner, and an xlr output (not necessary in smaller venues). i give it nine because its got everything i need/want.

i use a fender mexican p-bass. the sound it produces is powerful, clean, and has loads of low-end warmth and grunt. it is a bit hissy when left on but not annoyingly so. i'm not sure about the variety, but the sound i use is awesome.

i've been gigging regularly for over a year with this amp, and it hasn't given me any trouble.

haven't dealt with them

i've been playing for about 3 years, if it were stolen, i would probably save up my pennies and get an ampeg stack, i.e. a classic svt head and a classic svt cab. the amp is perfect for my needs, and it sounds lovely, thus the ten.