Originally debuted at Bass Player Live 2010 by Darryl Jones and stirring up a ridiculously intensive and lively conversation on the forums at Talkbass, Ampeg proudly announces availability of the extremely limited edition Heritage B-15 flip-top bass combo. Joining the ranks of Ampeg’s popular Heritage Series, the Heritage B-15 is hand-built in the U.S. and fully endorsed by Jess Oliver (inventor of the iconic B-15). The Heritage B-15 delivers legendary tone in the most premium Ampeg design ever.
“The Holy Grail of bass amplification is back,” remarks Ampeg’s Director of Amplification, Pyotr Belov. “Hand-built and hand-wired in the U.S., the Heritage B-15 is truly a labor of love and no expense was spared… it’s an unabashed tribute not only to Ampeg’s history, but to the man himself, Jess Oliver.”
The Heritage B-15 features the circuit paths of both a 1964-era B-15NC and a 1966-era B-15NF, including classic Baxandall tone stacks and premium N.O.S. preamp tubes along with a bias switch, recreating each years’ distinctive bias methodology. The extremely high-quality flip-top cabinet features the legendary double-baffle design and houses a custom-designed 15˝ Eminence® driver with a massive 109 oz ceramic magnet. Hand-built by renowned tube amp builder, George Metropoulos, and designed in collaboration with cabinet expert, Mark Gandenberger of Vintage Blue, the Heritage B-15 exudes the unmatched quality in construction and performance that made the original the most recorded bass amplifier in the world.
The Ampeg Heritage B-15 is available in the U.S. only with a 2011 limited edition release of 50 units. Each Heritage B-15 includes a signed letter of endorsement from Jess Oliver and features commemorative badges on both the head and cabinet.
I had the folded horn and a Carvin 125 watt bass head. It was a kiellr rig for 1975. I soon found an SVT head (with an 18 Cerwin Vega cab) for $350, and used it with the Carvin folded horn cabinet. The cabinet had two 15 CTS speakers which sounded great. I tried a pair of EV SRO’s (big coffee can magnets) but the CTS speakers sounded better. I also bought a pair of the EV re-entrant horns sold by Carvin for out PA. I used one of them with the folded horn on a couple gigs. I developed my love for horns for bass using that rig.