I bought this amp about 4 months ago and have been putting it "through the wringer" to see how well it will work under different situations. I have used it in studio settings with success, as well as in live venues (large and small, indoor and outdoor). This is an excellent workhorse! The classic black Ampeg look will be a welcome sight at any gig, playing any genre. I prefer the tone of 10's over 15's, but I bought this unit as B-stock, so the price was too good to pass up. :) Even for a 15" and a 1" horn, this cab has the goods with tone. The XLR out is dead quiet, so running it into house PA or to the console when recording works well. There is no ground lift though, so if you do get hum though the PA, you may just have to mic the cab. The built in tuner is a very convenient feature, and the built in mute switch is great for tuning between songs during the set. After all, the audience doesn't necessarily want to hear you tune. ;) The included casters make this heavy combo very easy to tote around. I just wear my gigbag on my back and roll this combo in front of me. The EQ section is a simple 3-band preamp with a 5-way selector knob with preset EQ filters. I like settings 2 and 3 on the selector knob. The preamp's EQ is a passive boost only system. This works well enough, but I would have liked to see an active circuit with a flat EQ setting allowing for cut or boost.

The only thing thing this combo could use is a built in compressor, but there is a limiter circuit protecting the driver from peaks, and this levels off the peaks of the tone. This is a good value and worth the investment.

Bottom line: Whether you're a beginner or a pro, you'll be well served with this inexpensive combo amp. Ampeg's classic tone meets real world sensibility.

Don't go into buying this amp with the unrealist expectation that it will dominate the venue with volume and make your guitarist's amp stack sound like a Pignose... This is a GREAT workhorse with decent power. In fact, 220 watts is plenty for any small to medium sized venue that you'll play. Larger clubs and outdoor festival gigs will usually have PA set up for the sound, and this amp has an XLR DI to run to the board. I would rather run through the house and be even in the mix than have a big stack of speakers that may or may not cut through and sound GOOD.

Anyway, this has all of the features that a working bassist needs WITH THE EXCEPTION OF a compressor. There is a built in limiter to protect the power amp from peaks, but you can buy a compressor pedal and that will have you covered.

The built in tuner is a great feature -- VERY convenient. This amp is a versatile amp with great tone for many different styles of music. If you need a relatively inexpensive, reliable amp to gig with, this is a solid option. Put this one on your list, go play it locally to make sure that you like it, and get it. You won't be sorry.

I've owned the Ampeg BA115HP for a little over a year now, and I've got to say, it's a good amp overall. It's a great setup for any rock bassist playing small to medium venues, although if you're looking for an amp with super tone or something used mainly for slap-style playing, look elsewhere. All the basic features are here, but a lack of external speaker jack and any tone control whatsoever would have been welcome additions. Great sounding amp with tons of volume.

Wow. This amp sounds incredible! I thought I knew what a good bass sound was until I heard this one. It's a very rich, smooth, hi-fi sound with amazing low-end. I've struggled for many, many years trying to find great tone on my 6 string guitars and amps, and it only took a few days for me to find a bass tone that I'm totally in love with using an Ibanez Mikro short scale bass with Quarter Pound pickups. The only hiss I hear is when I remove my hand from the strings while the gain is way up, and it's plenty loud enough for my band. An EQ pedal will add more volume and tone shaping options if you need it, but I don't. It has everything I need, so I cannot complain about lack of features. More features = higher cost. The built in tuner is a really nice touch. The best amp I've ever owned for sure.

I just got this amp for christmas. overall, I am very impressed. This amp shuts alot of other tube amps down. the only thing is that I wish it had a high/low boost like some of the other ampegs.