Ampeg BX-115

I bought this amp about 7 months ago to use in a country-rock band. We play everything from Merle Haggard to ZZ Top, and the versatility of the amp's tones is adequate, although I find style selector position #2 to be my favorite. The CD input is handy for practicing along with cd's at home. I am a guitar player (6 string) by trade, and this is my first band as a bass player. I went out to purchase a new bass amp looking for as cheap a price as possible, as I'm on a budget like most, but knew from playing guitar that tone cannot be sacrificed for price, even if it means some overtime at the sucky day job. I was impressed with the ampeg at the music store. It appeared to offer more bottom end than its competition at a better price, and ampeg is famous for its tone, so I bought it and brought it home. After playing it for 7 months with a twice a week band practice regimen and a gig or two on the weekends, the reliability has been superb. The amp has even suffered a bad tumble down a set of stairs this winter, which resulted in some pretty bad dings in the cabinet, but the damage was limited to cosmetics. In home practice, I literally could rattle pictures from the walls, so I thought I had done well. Until I went to band practice. I was not loud enough to get over the top of our two guitarists. They made fun of me and my wimpy amp. Then, I used the MUCH needed XLR output to run through the board. Problem solved. And with great tone.
So, as far as features, I don't need an effects loop, and it has the xlr. I like the cd input. The only thing missing that I need since I gig with it is perhaps a tuner out. And, the tonal controls are plenty for my styles of playing.

I play through a middle-line Washburn with a P-style pickup and a set of flatwounds. Some real toneheads may be throwing a fit by now, but it works for me, and again, I'm on a budget. We play for crowded barrooms full of drunks, not audiophiles. They pay the equipment expenses, so if you audio freaks wanna buy my gear, I'll play on nicer stuff, alright?
This amp suits my playing styles just fine, from Lynyrd Skynyrd to REO to Hank Jr. I have played it out without running through the board, but it had to be maxed out on both volume and gain, and performed just fine.

Like I said, it took a nasty fall and survived. And as anyone who gigs regularly will tell you, equipment gets abused, from hauling it in and out of little redneck bars to long rides in the back of equipment vans at extreme temperatures. This little amp has performed well.
As for a backup, the equipment van always has a backup, but I'm yet to use it.

Ampeg has an excellent website they recently redesigned at
www.ampeg.com
I have not had to contact them directly.

Overall, this is an excellent amp, though probably underpowered for my application, which makes the xlr an essential feature. Running it through the board, it makes an excellent on-stage monitor. It has worked out real well that way. If I had it to do over again, and still given my limited funds, I would buy this amp again. For $350 I got a brand new amp that I can make money with gigging clubs. But, I would like a little more stand alone power for gigging, so I'm saving for something in the 400 watt range. But, I will definately stay with Ampeg.