59 years ago my father bought me my first hand which was a B12 I still have it it still works. Had to put some new tubes in. But it still sounds great.
But you are missing the point. It's not a challenge of "how much" the amp can give. But how it's giving it. A modern Marshall could give you more tones capacities, channels and frequencies setup than the old one. But the old one simply sound right out of the box and sound much better than the newer series, when you understand how they work. I don't know this amp, but wouldn't doubt it's different in the logic. @bflo1000
@bflo1000 you know it's not illegal to mic a single bass cabinet although if you show up to the gig with a refrigerator sized amplifier/speaker system, a microphone would be redundant. I'm not sure if Ampeg included it on this reissue but a line out jack resistively coupled to the speaker outputs can go straight into the mixing board, no mic required. Ideally a sound engineer could capture a single point output on 2 channels, a mic'd channel and a direct out channel, eq'd and mixed to taste. The era of the wall of stage sound with each guitar and bass players having their own stacks is over; even gigantic bands for the most part have abandoned large speaker cabinets and go solely through the PA.
Tubbyness is a negative sound to me. They got away with dull sounding bass rigs and flatwounds with no real low end because there was no fidelity in the pop recordings back then. Records where 45's, jukeboxes, and record changers with a stack of 12" records. They weren't cut for any deep bass or serious high frequency clarity. That stuff wasn't really that great, it was just the tech that was available at the time.
Watched this vid when it first came out, and just watched it again. Garth really does a great job showing it off. As the owner of a 64 B-15N, I can attest to the beauty of the B-15, and this Heritage model and the soon-to-come Heritage B-15N have the sound. Awesome job, Ampeg and Garth!
What a fantastic video! And he makes it look so easy. But now I want one of these amps now that I see and hear what it can do -- it's like any question you could have about what the B15 can do is answered right in this video. It's so thorough! Great, great, great video!!!
I own one of these and don't listen to the people that tell you they are rubbish. This rig pumps and the choice of two channels is great. The tones the sounds and the rarity of them adds to them as well. Not cheap , not made cheaply either and the fact is AMPEG IS STILL KING . And I own a big SVT rig as well with 810 and again The King .
The combination between the Precision Bass and the Amplifier sounds fantastic, I own a Vintage 1966 and the reissue. The B 15 Heritage comes very close to being as great as the original. I enjoyed your demonstration Garth, however if you roll off the tone on the Bass and add more Bass than treble on the Amp you can get more of an Upright Bass sound (round and full)when you cut the treble on the Amp it makes a huge difference - think Family Man Barrett and Phil Chen.
Dino M. is the Ampeg Guy, but Garth is Ampeg's "Ron Popeil." This is such a fantastic video because he says, does and plays all the right things. Still, ain't no way I will drop $4K on this amp, but, man, I've got that G.A.S. twitch we all know so well and I can't wait for more of these new Ampeg specialty videos. Thanks, Ampeg!
My B200r nails the muted pick tones here in this vid. I even fixed the infamous buzzing sound those amps were known for. Ampeg should hire me for QC troubleshooting. ;-)
Wonderful ! Please, would it be possible to get the microphone reference (brand+model) used for the video, it just sounds fantastic. Thanks in advance.
No muting dealies (you mean bridge dampeners I believe.) I'm using only my palm to mute while picking. I'm also using Chromes flatwounds by D'Addario, which add to my tone. Check out my instructional vid "Classic Bass Tones of the 60's & 70's" for more on different muting techniques.
If you look and are persistent, I'm sure you will get one. Not everyone who bought one new will keep it forever. Be patient and find a motivated seller.
great review and playing! I just discovered that Jamerson only used the B-15 live. When recording he went direct like the other Motown musicians w/ a home-made tube DI that has been meticulously recreated by acme sound. Check it out Garth; Acme Audio WB-3 Motown DI
@@wolfram4321 A great amplifier and having two channels is great . The difference between a Jazz and P bass and even a Rickenbacker is dependant on what channel you choose . But a great rig .
No in the case of this Heritage B-15 my friend. It is hand built entirely in the US using audiophile quality components. It was also fine tuned with direct input from the inventor of the original B-15, the great Mr. Jess Oliver. It was one of the last things he did with Ampeg before he passed away...
I quite like doing soft muting with a finger above the fret I'm playing, you can only do this on very simple passages but it give a lot of control that I like. And yes, bridge dampeners, that's the word.
I am fortunate to own one of these . They a very pricey but the sound and rarity. When I tried it out the store rang other guys to have a look in case I did not get it. Well I got it #37 of 250.
I own one of these and yes very pricey but the sounds are far better than many of the so called Boutique Amps that are not as good sound or reliability wise . This with any bass ( P/J preferably ) but with any bass this is great. I also own a SVT with 810 and what ver anyone says there is only one King ! That is AMPEG !
I currently have an original '66 B-15-N that I'm currently restoring after being left in a garage (and exposed to the elements) since '77. I currently use with my MIM Jazz Bass and it is incredible. One Question, what kind of speaker (if anyone knows) are in the original models?
Ridiculously old guy says; The thunky P-Bass sound at the end of the video is the best! Sorry, I was commenting on the previous video> But still applies here. 😁
I had one of those that I bought in '64. The only problem I ever had with it was the speakers were prone to blowing out. You had to be careful with the power.
i just visited ampeg.com.so that is the reason i could not find b200 rocket whit one 12u7 in the preamp,could not find in music stores on ebay nowhere!!!it was discontinued!!!!i was planing to be my studio amp
I used to have a 1960 B15-XY that I sold to pay the rent during a nasty divorce...I miss that amp. It had a guitar and acordian imput. I used to play through it using a HK Cream Machine and wow. It had a 15 for the low end, two mids and a horn. I have enever seen another amp like it for six string guitar.
Except the motown sound has nothing to do with the B-15. Jamerson's B-15 wasn't miked, it was DI. But Paul MacCartney used a B-15 in studio and it was miked, same for Carol Kaye. Awesome sound, I wish I had the money to buy one of these!
gmaj0r actually McCartney used a Vox AC-100 head and a T60 cab and later a Bassman. They were endorsed by Vox in the early years. Carol used a Super Reverb (rather odd choice for a bass but whatever...)
It helps that Fielding is a great player, but this is a great amp. I have a 1964 it is sounds great, but it needs a lot of nursing. New, clean and better than original spec's, it is well worth the money. No other amp sounds like this.
Wonderful tone, but those old 60’s originals were only suitable for recording and the smallest of gigs, playing at low volumes, because if you turned up, they farted out drastically. I’ve owned three of them. I’d be interested in how this reproduction holds up on stage with anything more than an acoustic band… Oh, and Carol Kaye told me that she couldn’t remembered using one of these flip top ampegs during her career in Southern Ca.
I know tube watts and solid state watts are two different things in terms of volume. Could you gig with this amp in a small-medium venue if your drummer doesn't have hams on the end of his arms?
Agree even coming through my apple lap top it sounds like I am in the room with him. That is typical of Ampeg I own a SVT & 810 and it is the king of bass .
One of the best demos I have watched. Great balance of good playing, technical information and history.
My dream amp. That '66 pick tone he demonstrates at 3:44 is simply sublime to me.
59 years ago my father bought me my first hand which was a B12 I still have it it still works. Had to put some new tubes in. But it still sounds great.
I have an original 1966 B-15 and I can attest to the fact that these amps do in fact have unbelievable tubbyness. :)
But you are missing the point. It's not a challenge of "how much" the amp can give. But how it's giving it.
A modern Marshall could give you more tones capacities, channels and frequencies setup than the old one. But the old one simply sound right out of the box and sound much better than the newer series, when you understand how they work.
I don't know this amp, but wouldn't doubt it's different in the logic. @bflo1000
@bflo1000 you know it's not illegal to mic a single bass cabinet although if you show up to the gig with a refrigerator sized amplifier/speaker system, a microphone would be redundant. I'm not sure if Ampeg included it on this reissue but a line out jack resistively coupled to the speaker outputs can go straight into the mixing board, no mic required. Ideally a sound engineer could capture a single point output on 2 channels, a mic'd channel and a direct out channel, eq'd and mixed to taste. The era of the wall of stage sound with each guitar and bass players having their own stacks is over; even gigantic bands for the most part have abandoned large speaker cabinets and go solely through the PA.
Tubbyness is a negative sound to me. They got away with dull sounding bass rigs and flatwounds with no real low end because there was no fidelity in the pop recordings back then. Records where 45's, jukeboxes, and record changers with a stack of 12" records. They weren't cut for any deep bass or serious high frequency clarity. That stuff wasn't really that great, it was just the tech that was available at the time.
Very well done! Its nice to watch a demonstration video by someone who knows how to present a particular amp properly.
Watched this vid when it first came out, and just watched it again. Garth really does a great job showing it off. As the owner of a 64 B-15N, I can attest to the beauty of the B-15, and this Heritage model and the soon-to-come Heritage B-15N have the sound. Awesome job, Ampeg and Garth!
very good demo , very good amp, and your precision is beautiful
What a fantastic video! And he makes it look so easy. But now I want one of these amps now that I see and hear what it can do -- it's like any question you could have about what the B15 can do is answered right in this video. It's so thorough! Great, great, great video!!!
just got one for home and studio, can't wait
BEAUTIFUL SOUND ! VERY VINTAGE AND WARM ! THANKS !
BTW: A great video, great sounds with this amp and with this player and bass ....
I own one of these and don't listen to the people that tell you they are rubbish. This rig pumps and the choice of two channels is great. The tones the sounds and the rarity of them adds to them as well. Not cheap , not made cheaply either and the fact is AMPEG IS STILL KING . And I own a big SVT rig as well with 810 and again The King .
The sound is extra vintage!!! Wow!!!
Ampeg! Make more of these!
That amp sounds amazing, and that bass looks super rad.
I have a vintage SVT-100 U.S. made and I LOVE it !! Nothing sounds better with an Alembic than an Ampeg.
Excellent review. Clearly you know what your talking about and you get some beautiful tones out of this amp!
The combination between the Precision Bass and the Amplifier sounds fantastic, I own a Vintage 1966 and the reissue. The B 15
Heritage comes very close to being as great as the original. I enjoyed your demonstration Garth, however if you roll off the tone on the Bass and add more Bass than treble on the Amp you can get more of an Upright Bass sound (round and full)when you cut the treble on the Amp it makes a huge difference - think Family Man Barrett and Phil Chen.
I got the Ampeg SGT-DI today, playing it on my jazz 5, the b15 emulator sounds very similar to this real tube amp. Very happy of my purchase
The di sounds pretty good but it's not even close to the real thing
Damn, it's a gem. It's an amp that's practically made for Precision Basses, it sounds ridiculously good!
They are good and I was blessed to get one and being Limited Edition it was a stroke of luck getting it.
Dino M. is the Ampeg Guy, but Garth is Ampeg's "Ron Popeil." This is such a fantastic video because he says, does and plays all the right things. Still, ain't no way I will drop $4K on this amp, but, man, I've got that G.A.S. twitch we all know so well and I can't wait for more of these new Ampeg specialty videos. Thanks, Ampeg!
Beautiful P bass you have!!
well my friend that would be(is)my dream and yes whit silver grille cloth.greetings from macedonia to the makers of the greatest bass amps
thank you very cool demo....
Good Lord I WANT THIS!!! I'd love to hear my Fender American Deluxe V through one of these!!
I've never seen someone so excited about a piece of gear before haha!
you are so pro mate ;)
thanks for doing this video.. appreciated..
Love the tone warm and just what Bass should sound like.
Man that thing sounds nice!
The player helps also
My B200r nails the muted pick tones here in this vid. I even fixed the infamous buzzing sound those amps were known for. Ampeg should hire me for QC troubleshooting. ;-)
Tubby-ness. I like your use of the word. I want this rig.
i think i'd kill for one of those
He has a nice feel.
Wonderful !
Please, would it be possible to get the microphone reference (brand+model) used for the video, it just sounds fantastic. Thanks in advance.
Love that Ampeg round sound. That's why I bought that BA-108. It may not have exactly the same tone as a B-15, But it's pretty damn close.
To clean?
No muting dealies (you mean bridge dampeners I believe.) I'm using only my palm to mute while picking. I'm also using Chromes flatwounds by D'Addario, which add to my tone. Check out my instructional vid "Classic Bass Tones of the 60's & 70's" for more on different muting techniques.
Only 50 made? Well then, what’s the point? How the hell are you supposed get one? Great amp. But it will never mine.
If you look and are persistent, I'm sure you will get one. Not everyone who bought one new will keep it forever. Be patient and find a motivated seller.
great review and playing! I just discovered that Jamerson only used the B-15 live. When recording he went direct like the other Motown musicians w/ a home-made tube DI that has been meticulously recreated by acme sound. Check it out Garth; Acme Audio WB-3 Motown DI
Really great amp but turn it up man! We want to hear the amp. not the acoustic sound from the strings/ frets.
If you get the chance to play one you will hear it. I own one and it is huge !
Seriously.. If you're promoting audiogear, pay some extra attention to the audio! The lav mic is still open when he's playing. That's just bad.
@@michaelmarshall1713 I don’t own one and want to hear the sound at least in the video. :-(
@@wolfram4321 A great amplifier and having two channels is great . The difference between a Jazz and P bass and even a Rickenbacker is dependant on what channel you choose . But a great rig .
@@michaelmarshall1713 Thanks for the Info. But we claim That we Cannot Hear the Amp in the Video.
No in the case of this Heritage B-15 my friend. It is hand built entirely in the US using audiophile quality components. It was also fine tuned with direct input from the inventor of the original B-15, the great Mr. Jess Oliver. It was one of the last things he did with Ampeg before he passed away...
do you have any old hollowbodys you can demo out of it so I may get an idea of the sound?
I quite like doing soft muting with a finger above the fret I'm playing, you can only do this on very simple passages but it give a lot of control that I like.
And yes, bridge dampeners, that's the word.
Is the matched cab a PF115HE or PF115LF? What is the driver spec'd at?
How much of that tone is the maple neck?
very nice
I am fortunate to own one of these . They a very pricey but the sound and rarity. When I tried it out the store rang other guys to have a look in case I did not get it. Well I got it #37 of 250.
Note that it appears that Garth is using Nylon Tapewound stings. Those have a huge impact on the tone that he is getting.
Those are D'Addario chomes...flatwounds.✌
I own one of these and yes very pricey but the sounds are far better than many of the so called Boutique Amps that are not as good sound or reliability wise . This with any bass ( P/J preferably ) but with any bass this is great. I also own a SVT with 810 and what ver anyone says there is only one King ! That is AMPEG !
All of your pick sounds felt like it was muted, is that just the amp sound or do you have one of those string muting dealies down at your bridge?
Garth..compressor in line or straight to amp? I'm hearing compression...NICE TONES!!!
I currently have an original '66 B-15-N that I'm currently restoring after being left in a garage (and exposed to the elements) since '77. I currently use with my MIM Jazz Bass and it is incredible. One Question, what kind of speaker (if anyone knows) are in the original models?
Some came with Alnico's as an option. Hopefully you finished this project by now lol
Do you use flats or tapewounds, on this video???? Thank u
I use D'Addario chomes flats.
@@garthfielding2197 hi Garth, great video, can I ask if the B-15’s have a good sound for reggae, are they good for the low end, thanks 🙂
Ridiculously old guy says; The thunky P-Bass sound at the end of the video is the best!
Sorry, I was commenting on the previous video> But still applies here.
😁
I am wondering what difference is between this amp and the new PF50T ...
They didn't use amps at Motown, all bass was Di'd
Hair stood on end for the '64 tones.
had a 66 wish I had it now .... and my Harmony Rocket from then as well ..
@Zinfanus You can get an original B-15, in good condition for half the price of this
12" speakers are the bomb for bass. Maybe the fine team at Ampeg are working on something for us devoted 2x12 guys?
I had one of those that I bought in '64. The only problem I ever had with it was the speakers were prone to blowing out. You had to be careful with the power.
Awesome demo. It sounds so good! Wish I had an extra $4,000...
i just visited ampeg.com.so that is the reason i could not find b200 rocket whit one 12u7 in the preamp,could not find in music stores on ebay nowhere!!!it was discontinued!!!!i was planing to be my studio amp
I used to have a 1960 B15-XY that I sold to pay the rent during a nasty divorce...I miss that amp. It had a guitar and acordian imput. I used to play through it using a HK Cream Machine and wow. It had a 15 for the low end, two mids and a horn. I have enever seen another amp like it for six string guitar.
There's a good reason why people still record with a B-15 and a P-bass. It just works.
Yes and the others have been playing catch up ever since.
RE-20... yum
Garth's playing and P-bass makes this video for me! Nice amp though :)
Except the motown sound has nothing to do with the B-15. Jamerson's B-15 wasn't miked, it was DI. But Paul MacCartney used a B-15 in studio and it was miked, same for Carol Kaye.
Awesome sound, I wish I had the money to buy one of these!
gmaj0r actually McCartney used a Vox AC-100 head and a T60 cab and later a Bassman. They were endorsed by Vox in the early years. Carol used a Super Reverb (rather odd choice for a bass but whatever...)
My '66 doesn't rattle, and if it did I'd know how to fix it. The noise is all in your head!
Awesome sound. Love it.
It helps that Fielding is a great player, but this is a great amp.
I have a 1964 it is sounds great, but it needs a lot of nursing.
New, clean and better than original spec's, it is well worth the money.
No other amp sounds like this.
I am not exactly sure what active electronics have to do with using your hands and pick to play? They have self playing active electronics?
I thought jamerson went straight to the desk?
He did, although he did use a B-15 live sometimes.
cool
Will it sound nice through a jazz bass?
yes
kman 4443 thanks!
I do like my action low : )
I want one a lot. I'll stick with the sansamp and the mim pbass with that price tag though...
No rattles. And he is playing in front of a drumkit... How amazing!
hi im garth fielding
please, someone, talk about b15nf 1965! sounds like 1966? or 1964? i have one with a square magnet... thanks!
I’m sure the Epiphone Jack Casady bass would sound good through this also.
Yes, it's a cool amp and with my Precision Bass can really kick asses, but it cost too much for a tube 30 watt. The right price can be 2000 $
i agreed with you. $5000 is alittle too pricey for that b-15
matthew nicholas sweet water had them several months ago for $2700. Are they that much now?
@bayonetworkx9 --I sold my '67 a few years ago for $2200 but I have seen them go for $900-$1600
watts rms ?
30
Want .
Wonderful tone, but those old 60’s originals were only suitable for recording and the smallest of gigs, playing at low volumes, because if you turned up, they farted out drastically. I’ve owned three of them. I’d be interested in how this reproduction holds up on stage with anything more than an acoustic band…
Oh, and Carol Kaye told me that she couldn’t remembered using one of these flip top ampegs during her career in Southern Ca.
damn why,why ampeg does not make 12" speakers 1x12,2x12 or 4x12 it would sound so good
borce miovski I think 8x 5” will actually give you a tone you think 4x12” will give you. Check out Phil Jones bass
Miced with an Electrovoice, might I add ;)
I know tube watts and solid state watts are two different things in terms of volume. Could you gig with this amp in a small-medium venue if your drummer doesn't have hams on the end of his arms?
I feel my bellbottoms growing haha
around 1500U$ I think. But if you have a studio you'd better keep it. This is THE ultimate studio bass amp.
I got one . Only 250 made worldwide ??? Very pricey but very warm tone that is what bass should be.
I was thinking so much for my broke self getting one.
Initial release, only 50 made in 2010 built by George M of Metro Amps. And 100 more built in 2012
@ 3:20 I nearly came in my pants
5:12 Pretty girls - draz :D
Unless I start playing 60’s Motown, I’ll stick with my Darkglass AO900.
Dont know why these get stick that tone is fucking immense
Agree even coming through my apple lap top it sounds like I am in the room with him. That is typical of Ampeg I own a SVT & 810 and it is the king of bass .
Great demo. But I have to say it: As most of the pro gear demos, your bass strings sounds "too new".
GAS
"Have fun trying to find one?" Why make and post this video if you're only making 50 of them?