Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My girlfriend (who bought me my 4003 bass) asked me what i wanted for Christmas,and as another Ric bass was out of the question i asked if i could have a new bass amp.Ampeg seem to feature highly with forum members so i have settled with the Ampeg BA115 bass combo.

My question is now that Ampeg have moved it's production to South East Asia does the combo still have that Ampeg sound that the American made amps where famous for.Have any forum members tried out this combo since production was moved,and what where their thoughts on it.Ampeg to me where always the Rolls Royce of bass amps.

As you are in the UK it may not matter, but a lot of us here in the US are dumping our Ampegs because Loud Technologies, the company that bought Ampeg along with Alvarez and Crate, laid off most of the US workforce in their move to Vietnam.

Nampeg is the new name for those amps, BTW.

I'm not dumping mine, but I doubt I'll be buying any new ones.

Haven't tried out any new ones so I can't give an opinion on tone or quality though.

Thats not nice laying off so many people,as so many of them would have families to provide for.I also did'nt know that they owned a few well respected companies,maybe that is why the prices are lower now here in the UK.I have had many makes of bass amp but i've always wanted an Ampeg,i played on a BA115 a couple of years ago in a guitar shop and could'nt get over how good it sounded with a Ric bass.

I had been looking at that amp as well, however I didn't know that all of the layoffs had happened - I thought that the cheaper amps were just a secondary line. It's a two strikes your out (that's a baseball reference for those of you in the U.K. - you know, it's like Cricket but with funny bats) situation for me, because if they are being made alongside the Crates, I have no interest. Crate makes the most lifeless amps on the planet.

ROb

Maybe you could still find one that was made in the US if you looked hard enough.

rob_u wrote:...if they are being made alongside the Crates, I have no interest. Crate makes the most lifeless amps on the planet.ROb

AFAIK, Ampeg has been made alongside Crates for as long as both were owned by St. Louis Music (SLM).

One thing has not changed since the move overseas (to lower manufacturer's costs) is the price paid for an Ampeg at your local dealer, funny that!

jps wrote:

rob_u wrote:...if they are being made alongside the Crates, I have no interest. Crate makes the most lifeless amps on the planet.ROb

AFAIK, Ampeg has been made alongside Crates for as long as both were owned by St. Louis Music (SLM).

One thing has not changed since the move overseas (to lower manufacturer's costs) is the price paid for an Ampeg at your local dealer, funny that!

Ha! I thought of that today while looking at the new AMS catalog that came today. Didn't affect the pricing any, did it!!

I want to say to Shawn to try out a BA115 before buying. I had to trade mine in as it was not powerful enough (loud enough) to overcome the drums in a practice situation, so I doubt it could handle live. Nice practice amp though.

Guess I'll continue to buy old used Ampeg / Magnavox . I likes em ! Boycott Nampeg !!!!!

Well my Girlfriend has bought me The Ampeg BA115 combo,and i wish i'd have bought one years ago.The sound is better than any of the bass amps i've owned,wish it was still American made.

I hope you all get your Christmas Wishes.

My Ampeg SVT3-PRO and SVT410HLF is all American made and will use that also long as it lasts, but will not buy Ampeg products from now on. My GF ordered a Ampeg cab cover for my SVT410HLF, and the thing was made totally wrong! The top left side is flat and square, but the right round and totally higher! It's totally lop sided! It's shocking..... I sent them an email yesterday, so will be interesting to see if I hear back.

Who knows maybe one day another American company like Rickenbacker, will buy back Ampeg and then they would be American made again.

John Hall said he would make amps again after all lawyers and product liability insurance company CEOs are put on a bus and driven off a cliff.

I could see that happening!

Hello Jeff,i guess we'll be waiting for a while then.

jps wrote:John Hall said he would make amps again after all lawyers and product liability insurance company CEOs are put on a bus and driven off a cliff.....

What would the increased liability be for amps? Unless one is stupid enough to bring one in the tub with them, plug it in, turn it on and live to sue. A rickenbacker bass could just as easily be used as a projectile. Now does JH have liability insurance for that?