Bought an old Ampeg 2x15

[gearHed289]

I occasionally scroll through ebay bass amps section looking at Ampeg, Mesa, Sunn, Marshall.... Well, a couple of weeks ago I found this old 2x15. The thing that caught my eye was, it's the same model I had bought Junior year of high school, and used through the 80s until I switched to an 8x10. I never knew what it was. As a kid, I thought V-4B, until I found out that's a completely different design. Then maybe B-25. Nope, those are shorter and wider. Saw a V-6B in a 1973 catalog and thought that was it... Well, apparently, it's called a BT-140 and was marketed with a solid state head starting in 1968. Came stock with JBL D140F speakers. This is EXACTLY what I had, and the guy is local, so I waited for the price to come down and snagged it for $225. Looks totally original, right down to the chrome metal Ampeg badge (I still have the one off my old cab, now on my 8x10). He says one of the speakers might be shot, which is fine. My friend Doc Audio can take care of that. To make room, I'm going to try to sell a 4x10 I built about 12 years ago. Two sealed chambers the exact internal dims of an SVT, loaded with speakers pulled from a 70s Ampeg. 13 ply birch, recessed handles, black Ozite, heavy ball corners, and little 2'' casters if anyone's interested.

Here's a pic and the original listing - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ampeg-vintage-JBL-bass-cabinet-/111173711713?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=X5t69KQ8N8%252FrpcQwTrli2nUQtbY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Pilgrim]

My eye is very pleased by that photo!

My back remembers lugging my Fender 2x15 cab around and winces at the memory.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Ampeg also made a 4x12 for the V-4 in an SVT-sized cabinet. The speakers are in a diamond arrangement.

[gearHed289]

Never saw that one. They made a lot of weird stuff. I just saw a V-2 4x12, which looks like the same size as a B-25 2x15. Two chambers, front ported, and the ports overlap the center divider. Then there's the V-9. Nine 10s, ported, in an SVT size box, only wider.

[Highlander]

Very nice...

[gearHed289]

Picked it up yesterday and gave it a quick spin. WOW, does this thing sound good! Not that I really expected otherwise, but the eBay listing did say one of the speakers might be shot. I got on it fairly heavy, and couldn't really get it to fart out. I might just bring it to Saturday's show. Very sweet mids and just... TONE! I don't know how else to describe it. Really glad to have a 2x15 again after 20+ years without. Oh, and it is ORIGINAL, down to the corners, strap handles, screws, dolly board... It's all there. The previous owner bought it new in 1971. 

[Dave W]

If the speakers are okay, it's a real bargain.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Never saw that one. They made a lot of weird stuff. I just saw a V-2 4x12, which looks like the same size as a B-25 2x15. Two chambers, front ported, and the ports overlap the center divider. Then there's the V-9. Nine 10s, ported, in an SVT size box, only wider.

When Magnavox owned Ampeg, it was still making its own wooden cabinetry for its stereo consoles, so they were just efficiently using the same outer dimensions for cases and making new jigs for subdividers and probably why the cabs weren't more successful/popular. The dimensions worked for the SVT cabinet, but using a one-size-fits-all approach to cabinets made sure that the guitar versions were always going to take a back seat. Many of their guitar cabinets have met their deaths when they were mistakenly used for bass. Even though Ampeg owned the bass market in the 70's, only the larger guitar market floated any of the 70's amp icons on through the 80's. Hiwatt went under. Fender went bankrupt after buying out Sunn. Ampeg went bankrupt with its parent company and was sold off to the Japanese when Philips bought Magnavox. Gibson remained irrelavent. Only Marshall was able to continue on into the 80's because they became synonymous with rock and guitar players liked what they had to sell.