Ampeg 1966 B-15-N w/ Altec Speaker Serviced

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The Ampeg B-15-N is one of the most influential bass amplifiers ever built, and this 1966 example is loaded with an Altec 421A 15" speaker — a pairing that produces the deep, focused, studio-refined low end this model is famous for with a little extra headroom. The Altec 421A is a high-quality ceramic driver with a well-regarded reputation in bass applications, and its presence here elevates this above a stock B-15-N. Thirty watts through an efficient 15" in a folded-cabinet enclosure delivers more usable volume and headroom than the wattage figure suggests. The amp is in excellent overall condition, with the chassis rated excellent and all the important original components intact throughout.

The Ampeg B-15-N — the "Portaflex" — defined the sound of recorded bass from the early 1960s through the 1970s. If you've heard a Motown record, a soul session, or a classic rock album from this era, you've heard this amplifier. The flip-top cabinet design, where the head stores inside the cabinet for transport, was an Ampeg innovation that solved the problem of gigging with a substantial amp while keeping it in a single manageable unit. By 1966, the B-15-N was a refined, mature design: 30 watts, a tube rectifier (5AR4), push-pull 6L6 output stage, and three 6SL7 preamp tubes — a topology that contributes directly to the amp's warm, harmonically full character. The original blue checker vinyl covering, silver sparkle grille, leather handle, and select hardwood cabinet and baffle are all present and original.

The cabinet is in very good condition with standard signs of love and use, and the baffle is very good as well — no repairs or changes to either. The grille is original. The chassis is excellent with no repairs or changes. All knobs, potentiometers, and the leather handle are original. Power and output transformers are original Ampeg units. Current tube complement: 5AR4 rectifier (Amperex), 2x 6L6 power tubes (JJ), and 3x 6SL7 preamp tubes (Magnavox, International C). Bypass caps have been updated, as has the power cable, which is now grounded. 

SPECIFICATIONS

• Date: 1966
• Weight: 66 lbs
• Dimensions: (Closed / Head stored inside): H 21" × W 21" × D 14", (Open / Head on top with caster dolly installed): H 33.5" × W 21" × D 14"
• Watts: 30 watts
• Case/Cover?: none
• Covering Material: Blue checker vinyl
• Covering Color: blue
• Covering Original?: yes
• Cabinet Material: select hardwood
• Cabinet Condition: very good
• Cabinet Repairs/Changes: none
• Cabinet Original?: yes
• Grille Style: silver sparkle
• Grille Condition: good
• Grille Original?: yes
• Baffle Material: select hardwood
• Baffle Condition: very good
• Baffle Original?: yes
• Baffle Repairs/Changes: none
• Chassis Material: metal
• Chassis Condition: excellent
• Chassis Original?: yes
• Chassis Repairs/Changes: none
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Handle Material: leather
• Handle Original?: yes
• Speaker 1 Brand: Altec 421A
• Speaker 1 Size: 15"
• Speaker 1 Cone Code: 21353-3
• Speaker 1 Original?: No
• Speaker 1 Cone Original?: Reconed
• Speaker 1 Condition: excellent
• Power Transformer Manufacturer: Ampeg
• Power Transformer Original?: yes
• Output Transformer Manufacturer: Ampeg
• Output Transformer Original?: yes
• Reverb Onboard: no
• Tremolo Or Vibrato Onboard: no
• Pedal Included?: no
• Rectifier Tube: 5AR4
• Rectifier Tube Brand: Amperex
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6
• Power Tube Brand: JJ
• Preamp Tubes: 3 x 6SL7
• Preamp Tube Brand: Magnavox, International C
• Potentiometers Original?: yes
• Filter Caps: Original
• Internal Repairs: unknown
• Power Cable: grounded
• Accessories Included: none
• Documentation: none
  

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By completing your purchase you are agreeing to this shipping policy. Shipments require signature on delivery, no exceptions. Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely. If there is damage, retain all packing materials intact, photograph them immediately, and send the photos to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.

Amplifiers: We take additional precautions to prevent common shipping damage. Depending on the amp, this may include removing tubes, pulling the chassis from the cabinet if heavy transformers present a drop risk, or removing heavy speakers that could crack baffles in transit. Reassembly is required on delivery — we label everything clearly. These measures add to shipping costs but reflect hard-won experience. Vintage amplifiers (20 years or older) are sold as-is — all amps are tested in our shop upon intake and again before shipping. We cover shipping damage but cannot be responsible for the failure of vintage components in instruments that are 20 to 50-plus years old.