Ampeg B15 Fliptop

This is a great tube bass amp, it's most popularly used in recording studios, for various reasons. Perplexingly, it has two channels. One has inputs for both guitar and bass (?) and one is just for bass. There aren't many other features expect for EQ, which is two knobs (bass and treble), and volume for each channel.

UTILIZATION

One of the glories of this amp, at least when it comes to playing bass, is that there is little to no need for adjustments. The basic eq is all that you would need. It's great for the old-school players who just try to lay down a tasteful groove. For the Les Claypools and Fleas of the world, this might not be enough, but if you play jazz, R&B, Soul, Real rock and roll, or country, there's no reason you couldn't be using this. It even sounds great with upright bass!

SOUNDS

I like to use this with a Fender P-bass, as it gives me the power that I need. The amp, meanwhile, takes care of the warmth and pop. This is a great amp for the old-school players, as it doesn't rattle the earth the way the new, obnoxious bassists do. It can go from sounding deep and full to light and trebly, it's got a ton of diversity. I don't really like it when played with Ibanez basses with active pickups, or things of that nature, because I think that those basses sound better with other amps (Like Hartkes). This one, however, really keeps it warm and tasty. It also sounds good with a Jazz Bass. A good upright bass, with the right pickup/mic type, will also yield great results with this amp, assuming of course that it's the amplified sound your looking for. I'm not sure why they included the guitar input, I don't think this sounds good at all for guitars. For the most part I've only seen this in the studio I worked at, but most people were really happy with it, if not thrilled. It might not be great for live use, because it's an older model (at least the one I use), but don't take my word for it! Its good in the sense that it totally depends on the bass player and his bass, in the wrong hands, it won't sound great. But that's not the sign of a great amp.

OVERALL OPINION

I think that the tone of this amp is great, mainly because it responds well to the tone of each player. Some bass amps are very bad about compressing the tone, or highlighting the wrong aspects of the sound. This makes every bassist sound the same! I like this amp because it feels like the antithesis of that. It's pretty expensive, but the quality is in a range that is so good, it couldn't be anything less than great. I highly recommend this.

The Ampeg B15 Fliptop is one of my favorite bass amps to use for recording.  The amp is a tube based consisting of two separate channels.  The first channels has 1/4 inch inputs for guitar and bass, while the second channel just has an input for bass.  That's pretty much all that there is in terms of the make up of the amp, so as you can see it is pretty simple to follow.


UTILIZATION

Getting a great sound from the Ampeg B15 Fliptop isn't to hard to do in my opinion, as everything is self explanatory and easy to follow.  Each of the two channels simply has parameters for volume, bass, and treble, which is just about as basic of parameters as you will see on any amp.  I find that as long as there is a good bass player and a good bass involved, this amp will definitely take care of the rest.  In no circumstances could I really see a need for a manual when using this amp...


SOUNDS

The overall sound of the Ampeg B15 Fliptop is outstanding.  This is generally seen as one of the most popular bass amps out there amongst bass players as it has a rich sound that is great for all sorts of applications.  While I've never used the amp personally for a live show, judging by my use of this amp in the studio, this is a sound that will translate anywhere.  I've never met a bass player who didn't like using this amp as it is really a universal feeling.  For both a Fender Jazz or P-Bass, this amp does a great job of bringing out the best features in your sound.


OVERALL OPINION

I can't say that I've got any problems with the Ampeg B15 Fliptop.  The amp has served me while during a number of sessions and I've always been pleased with the sound that I'm able to get.  The price is definitely reasonable even though it isn't exactly cheap, as you are getting a bass amp that should last a long time.  Every bass player should definitely have the pleasure of trying out the B15 and is an amp that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a top notch bass rig.