Ampeg PortaBass 228

light weight combo,dual channel amp.no speaker out.line out,headphone out,effects loop.no stand by.detachable power cord.

What a piece of crap of a bass amp.No low end speakers distort at moderate volume on all my 4 strings.won't stand up to noral drum volumes.no high end.all mids jaco tone is cool.only enough volume for accoustc gigs.[which I do]

had it 2 weeks waiting for the speakers to blow.I always have back up.

here's the problem.ampeg is now a chinese co.thats right.distributed by Loud out of seattle.no customer support,just a girl w/a data base for parts[very friendly]

no volume bad tone very high price.but light.if they would put emminence speakers in these they might be the holy grail.markbass combos have the same problems.I'm getting a fender bassman 150.at least it sounds like a bass amp.

All the necessary features are there. Great tone control with two mids, extra highs, extra low buttons. Two independant channels makes this amp perfect for practicing with a drum machine or with a student.
I can't think of any feature missing. With 30 lbs and it's small size it's the ultimate combo, the protability is just incredible. I tried many, many combos and it had by far the best sound.

I use a 2006 Fender American Jazz Bass. For its weight the amount of bass you can get out of this amp is extraordinary. These two eights and the bass reflex do an amazing job.
I love the fact that there is no hiss. It drives me crazy with the Ampeg BA line. This offers a much more modern design and technology.
Did I also mention that it can both play at real low volumes (I use it at night when the kids are sleeping and the amp does not cut out) and really loud? It is rated 200 watts and it yields 200 W worth of sound!

No problem here.

I did not have to use it. So I will rate it high.

When I saw it was the only combo sold at a very high-end retailer on 48th street in New York city (the name starts with R), I knew it might be something special. After owning this amp for over a year I understand why. Amazing sound, features, value and portability. At the end of the day the most important thing is the sound and this amp's got it. A great, round, rich sound. It does not sound like an SVT, few amps do, but as far a quality combo it's hard to beat. I am surprised Ampeg has not put more marketing efforts behind this amazing product. They keep on promoting their BA lines and they seem to ignore the fact they have a jewel of a product with incredibly high marketability. Just a thought from a consumer who took a pretty in-depth look at the combo market.

Bought this one new at a local shop. 2 channel (non-footswitchable) 200 watt combo with 2-8 inch neodymium speakers. Effects loop, nice EQ. Standard Ampeg head set up. This baby only weighs 30 lbs!!! So far I haven't gigged with this combo (though I am sure it would do small gigs). I have jammed using this with a full band with no problem....actually it has had headroom to spare. It gets an 8 since it is so light, but it looses points since you can't switch between channels. You can run 2 basses at once, which is nice when you have multiple tuning nights.

I have jammed on several occasions through this thing, and WOW. Simply put. This thing has tone for days, and has ver surpising volume and bottom end for 8's. It's no 200 watt 12 or 15 bottom end, but those speakers couldn't touch the tight focused sound of these 8's either. Just a matter of preference. This thing a prime reason Ampeg is really kicking ass in sales lately. I have yet to hear a comparable combo that sounded any better. The only negative is that it does have a slight electronic interference sounding buzz that comes from one speaker. It really isn't noticable when jamming, or recording so far. I only gets an 8 because...well...let's face it...everything doesn't sound like a tube head through 8 10's does it?

I have only had it a short time...but it is the second Ampeg product that I own...and I have had no problems with either over the years. I don't gig with a back up. If I felt I needed to do that...I would buy a different amp.

No use yet. However, they do have a decent web page for info. I just wish they would list some more of the obscure and vintage manuals and info on there.

Best combo I have ever had. Lightweight, very loud, fantastic tone. I highly recommend you try one out if you are in the market for a practice amp you can also hit small gigs with. Not to mention that you just won't see alot of these out there...it's nice to be at least a little different.