NAD: Ampeg M-15

Make it loud here.
User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:17 am

This could be cross posted anywhere in this section, I found this for sale locally and between looking at the pictures and researching it I made an offer which was accepted. It’s somewhere in between a small and a medium, 2 6l6’s and octal preamp tubes with an undersized PT puts this about 25 watts and it’s got the original 15” Jensen. Fuck yeah!
Image
Original tubes, replaced filter cap can and funky speaker connection. Trem pedal is hardwired, weird , but original.
Image
I traded my Pro reverb for a G & L, that was the last 6l6 40 watt Fender that I was holding onto and I never has a 15” cabinet.
A new grounded cord and a slow power up and we’ll see what it sounds like, the girl I got it from said it’s been in storage since the early’ 90’s, it does pay to check the local online listings. And it’s not a back breaker. Happy days!
Last edited by Scout on Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
solfege
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 544
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:05 pm
Location: Philly

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by solfege » Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:34 am

Dude! Where did you see this? I though i checked all those listings but that's an amazing score and I never saw it. Congrats!

User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:58 am

Yeah, most anything underpriced gets gone in a flash, this sat for a few weeks overpriced
but I told the seller it needed some love to get it right and she agreed to a lower price.

It was buried weeks old in an online listing but it’s all original so I had to get it.

I love Ampegs, they are voiced to be cleaner louder and they kill with P 90’s.

Joisey’s finest, them and real Danelectros. Thanks, sometimes you get lucky.

User avatar
solfege
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 544
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 5:05 pm
Location: Philly

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by solfege » Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:20 am

For sure, and there are so many old ampegs lying around here ... and good techs who know how to work on them. I've been eying them too.

User avatar
hexes
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 793
Joined: Tue May 07, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by hexes » Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:04 am

HELL YESS

you have one of my dream amps. i’m a sucker for ampeg, 6L6, and 15” speakers.

i was raised on big loud cleans since ampegs were affordable. black panel era fender has always been a subpar platform to me. ampeg did reverb better than fender could ever dream.

User avatar
garyfanclub
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 571
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:29 am
Location: NYC

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by garyfanclub » Sun Apr 24, 2022 9:40 am

Damn, an octal preamp AND an ORIGINAL 15” speaker?

Sign me up! My Reverberocket 2 is mighty jealous of that thing. Would love to hear clips of you get around to recording some.

User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Sun Apr 24, 2022 1:39 pm

I'm pretty excited about firing this up, I'm waiting for a few things but I'll post some audio soon.

User avatar
Jonesie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4047
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Jonesie » Sun Apr 24, 2022 4:06 pm

If you have the means to get a step down transformer to run it around 110v I recommend it, my Jet was great at 120, but I swear to god it sounds significantly better at 110.

User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:16 am

I do have a variac to slow start old amps. Around here I have noticed residential voltages to be running a little high, like 123 to 125 volts, I actually haven’t checked my own recently but I imagine it’s also on the high side (I’m an electrician).

Van Halen was famous for running his rig at a lower voltage to get the tone he was after. To a point I would think that would be safer for the components than running a higher voltage which would cause the secondary voltages to be higher and stress everything, some amps have DC voltages near the upper limits as it is. I am no expert in that area, electricity and electronics are separate fields.

User avatar
hexes
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 793
Joined: Tue May 07, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by hexes » Mon Apr 25, 2022 10:51 am

variacs will change bias levels too, so it’s best to measure plate voltage and calculate bias as you drop the supply down. the M15 is cathode biased, at least.

i’m building a bucking transformer for my tweed deluxe. my walls are 127.5v (yikes)

User avatar
DeathJag
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2297
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:44 am

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by DeathJag » Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:01 am

Oh MAN! I am dying for a 1x15” amp that’s not a Showman. Which Jensen? A C15N?
hexes wrote:
Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:04 am
ampeg did reverb better than fender could ever dream.
I know you’re on SG101, and now I am very curious what those differences are. I mean a 6G15 vs. Ampeg reverb. (Never been a fan of any in-amp reverb.)

User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:18 am

Yeah, it’s a c15n . Well, in checking that I JUST SAW SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE CONE!

I’m determined to keep it , I know there’s a good speaker tech around here, I’ll have to get his name.

User avatar
hexes
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 793
Joined: Tue May 07, 2019 3:59 pm

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by hexes » Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:44 am

OP you can definitely have that speaker reconed easily. good luck! http://www.millersound.net seems to have a great reputation. looks to be an hour from DT philly.
DeathJag wrote:
Mon Apr 25, 2022 11:01 am
Oh MAN! I am dying for a 1x15” amp that’s not a Showman. Which Jensen? A C15N?
hexes wrote:
Sun Apr 24, 2022 12:04 am
ampeg did reverb better than fender could ever dream.
I know you’re on SG101, and now I am very curious what those differences are. I mean a 6G15 vs. Ampeg reverb. (Never been a fan of any in-amp reverb.)
you’re right. the 6g15 is the pinnacle and why I play guitar. I meant to say onboard reverb. especially with the V series ampegs. fender amp verb has a darker hollow sound with a kinda harsh splashy springy decay in the reflections. ampeg seems much more even in freq response with smoother decay characteristics.

User avatar
Scout
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 962
Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:26 pm
Location: Phillyish

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Scout » Mon Apr 25, 2022 12:19 pm

Thanks, Miller was the one I was thinking of, they're actually 20 minutes from me.

User avatar
Surfysonic
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1863
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 12:22 pm
Location: Walkersville, MD
Contact:

Re: NAD: Ampeg M-15

Post by Surfysonic » Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:50 pm

Belated congrats, Scout! Ampeg amps are great! Saw a bunch of vintage Ampeg amps and a 90's reissue Reverberocket @ Atomic Music (they're on Atomic's Reverb shop) - worth checking out! 8)
The doofus formerly known as Snorre...

Post Reply