Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I am a studio sessio bassist, so I normally do not have much need for a bass amp. From time to time, I may need an amp in a studio for a "miked" tone for the recording, but in most cases I run direct with great results.
However, I had a dilema: When a studio client would ask me to play live with them, I frequently had to turn down the gig because I had great basses but no amp. I was looking on zZound's website (http://www.zzounds.com) and found this bass amp on sale as a B-stock item. B-stock is great value because it is slight used, usually returned merchandise that has been completely checked over and resold from the manufacturer. I bought this amp for considerably less than retail, it came with full warranty, and it had no cosmetic flaws when I opened the box. I plugged the amp in and hooked up my bass to test the amp, and the tone was amazing! This small combo amp, pound for pound, outperforms the bass stack that I owned before!
This amp has 220 watts, which is plenty of power for where musicians in the real world play. Face it: when was the last time you played an arena?! =D This is perfect for a gig in a restaurant, small bar, or club. This combo has an XLR output as well, so when recording or playing a larger venue or an outdoor festival, running to the PA and/or the recording console is extremely easy. I'm not a fan of 15" drivers, but again, I got such a good deal on this amp that I couldn't pass it up! I would have preferred a 2x10 configuration, which Ampeg does have available if you prefer that configuration. Nevertheless, the 15" driver with the 1" compression horn does produce clean, clear, versitile tone. I have used this combo for anything from rock, jazz, blues, metal, pop, country, gospel, etc. I have never had any complaints about the tone.
The preamp filters consist of a simple 3-band EQ (bass, mid, treble), which sounds surprisingly good for only being a 3-band EQ. There is also a 5-position switch with predetermined EQ curves from the factory: 1 & 2 scoop out the mids (1 = heavy scoop, 2 = light scoop), 3 is flat (no coloration), 4 & 5 boost the upper mids while keeping the lows and lower mids flat. All of these positions have very usable tones by themselves, but then when you use the 3-band EQ to tweak the tone... BAM!! Ampeg tonal magic!! I don't know what Ampeg does to make this little box sound so good, but whatever it is works! ;)
Some other features that I like are the BUILT IN TUNER (huge convenience, and the tuner is accurate), a mute switch (always a welcome addition to a bass amp as far as I'm concerned), and removable casters so that moving the amp around is a breeze. Also, the classic black Ampeg look. I can go to any kind of gig, and the musicians and fans will immediately know what kind of amp I'm playing and how good it will sound. There's also RCA left and right (that's red and white) connections so that you can hook up your iPod, CD player, metronome, or drum machine while you practice. I usually don't practice plugged in, so that doesn't really matter much to me. :)
There are also a couple of little things that Ampeg thought of that don't really matter to players unless something goes wrong... For example: ever broken a knob off your combo amp because it stuck out too far and your car door hit it? I think we've all been there... The tops of the control knobs are slightly under flush from the top of the cabinet. Minimal risk for knob breakage. The power cable is built in, though I would have preferred a standard detachable power cable. Again, though, minimal risk. There is a space on the back of the cabinet under the head that's about 4-5" tall and is deep enough to tuck the power cable away when no plugged in. They even thought to put velcro tabs in this spot to secure the cable.
A couple of things that I would have liked to see on this amp include a compresser and lighter weight. The power amp does have a built in limiter to protect the amplifier from signal peaks. This does have some effect on the tone, but it is minimal. I like a compressed tone, but I can buy a foot pedal for compression. Not a huge-mongous deal. Also, this thing is an 85 lbs BEAST!! The casters do make lugging this heavy box around easy once it is on the ground, but getting it in/out of the car is a little rough on my lower back. If you don't mind the weight too much, this will not be an issue. I would have also liked to see an effects loop and an auxilary speaker output. I think Ampeg was trying to keep this amp very simple, so I understand why these features aren't there. It still sucks a bit though...
Overall, I was very impressed with the performance, tone, look, and everything else with this particular combo amp. I am very glad that I bought it, happy about the good deal I got, and overjoyed with the tone this box puts out.
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Ampeg BA115HP BassAmp Series 1x15 Solid State Bass Combo Amplifier, 220 WattWhen the bass simply has to be heard and felt, the BA115HP is the high-powered combo solution. Featuring a 220-Watt power section and a custom 15" Ampeg speaker, the BA115HP can fill a medium-sized venue with headroom to spare.
Designed to meet the needs of today's multi-string bass player, the BA115HP's HF level control lets you dial in the perfect amount of top-end, so all those harmonics and chordal subtleties you've worked so hard to develop get heard by the entire audience.
If you're the kind of player who changes basses often during a performance, the BA115HP's mute switch will come in handy-and it allows you to use the built-in digital chromatic tuner in total silence. The XLR balanced line output is perfect for patching into front of house or recording consoles. Solid Ampeg tone, with conventional functionality, the BA115HP.
Specifications:
RMS Power Output: 220-Watts
LF Driver: 1 x 15" Custom Ampeg Speaker
HF Driver: 1" Compression Driver with Level
Preamp: Solid-State
Power Amp: Solid-State
Tone Controls: 3-Band
Mid Tone Control: Style
Balanced Line Out: Yes
Built-in Tuner: Yes
Mute Switch: Yes
CD Input: Yes
Headphone Output: Yes
Dimensions (W x H x D inches): 21 x 21 x 15.5
Weight: 80 Pounds
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