Ampeg J12T - Jet II

eksfiles · March 12th, 2004, 10:13 PM

Hi everyone. Just wondering if anybody owns one of these lil' beauties? Looks like a nice little class-A combo. I've heard several comments that the amp reminds them of a Vox AC15. Any opinions on that? What's the scoop with this amp?

Thanks for your comments!!
eksfiles.

Big Cookie · March 12th, 2004, 10:45 PM

First off it is NOT class A. The construction is very cheap, they don't sound bad with a change of speaker and tubes. I haven't heard any resemblance between the Ampeg and an AC-15, which isn't class A either.

eksfiles · March 12th, 2004, 11:08 PM

Well I'm not gonna nit-pick if its class a or not, hell even I know ac15/30's aren't true class a either....but
I've been reading some reviews on harmonycentral.com, and some other sights, and all the reviews likened the amp to a vox ac15/type of amp. With el84's in the mix, I'm sure it gets a little of that british vibe.....

thanks cookie.

marleyman · March 13th, 2004, 03:00 PM

I picked one up on ebay for $275 in mint condition.

I bought this amp as an accomplice/practice amp that was enough to also use for jams etc. I own a Winfield Thomas "November" Head that I use w/ a 2x12 cab for my main rig.

In the sub $300 range is what I was looking for in a practice amp, and I had narrowed it down to a Pro Jr., Classic 20 or the Ampeg.

The ampeg sounded cool w/ a 12" speaker and the verb and tremolo built in. It has its own cool vibe for the sound and I guess its "voxy" in a sense but not a dead on AC-15 by any means. I play a Les Paul BTW, so I am using 'buckers with this amp. (Duncan PG's).

I had my other guitarist play through it at rehearsal and it sounded good.. he was using a Epi LP with P-90's and it kept up and cut through the mix with our band.

FWIW, for the price and a small practice amp it fits the bill perfectly. I wouldnt trust it to by my sole amp but for my practice usage at lower volumes and a go-to amp to throw in the car for impromptu jams etc....I am sure it will handle it.

sound dog · March 14th, 2004, 11:27 AM

Not so sure I'd make the AC15 comparison either....the Ampeg really has a vibe all its own. I've had the J12R version(sans tremolo) for about 7 years now...not only a great practice amp, I GIG with this amp all the time.
A couple of qualifiers...tubes have been changed and it's been rebiased, and the speaker has been upgraded to a Reverend All-tone 12"...and, I play in a band in which I'm the only guitarist, and we mike onstage(guitar, bass, drums, keys)...still, I can't turn this thing up past 4 or 5 without someone hollering at me(this from 15 watts)...
Portable, easy to lug around, simple layout, great sound, cost me $335 NEW...easily the best bang-for-the-buck amp I've owned in 37 years, and I've had a bunch...not sure if it would work for everyone(tastes being what they are), but I'd replace it in a heartbeat if it grew legs...BTW, I play ONLY Teles & the occasional Strat thru it...and, it's pedal friendly as well.

marleyman · March 14th, 2004, 01:40 PM

Sound Dog...how tight was the fit of the Rev. Alltone speaker?

There is not alot of clearance in these cabs..I would like to put a G12H30 in it, or something else possibly and am gathering info from others who have replaced the speaker in their amp & their choices:)

Thanks;)

sound dog · March 14th, 2004, 02:46 PM

...REAL tight...right up against the chassis, in fact, and the back board now sticks out maybe 1/16"...but it's a small tradeoff for a REAL fine speaker with great range..

marleyman · March 14th, 2004, 02:52 PM

Yes, the Alltone is a nice speaker. I ran one in my Fender HRD and sold it with that speaker in it.

The buyer loved it too!

Thanks for the info 8)

harlycarly · March 14th, 2004, 02:56 PM

and I really like it. As said here, it is not a Class A, nor is it a VOX. That being said, I think for the $$ it is a great amp. Trem & verb are nice and for my tastes it is a more versatile amp than say a Blues Jr. (which I also own) for less money. I saw mine in a local shop used and walked away with it in near mint condition for $165 (about 3+ yrs ago). Mine was plagued with a "rattle" (a common problem, see Harmony Central) that I fixed with a little patience and some 1/4 inch foam weather stripping on the chassis. Thought about changing the speaker and different tubes but still haven't gotten around to it because it's pretty cool as is. I'm sure it can be "improved" with a few simple swaps.

Not the "holy grail" but a sweet amp for sure and tough to beat for the money.

tjalla · March 15th, 2004, 07:46 AM

Not for me - I found it too peaky in the upper mids to work well with my guitars that had moderate-hot output pickups (I solo on the bridge PU alot). It sounded great with my Fralin 54 loaded strat, but started getting nasally when I plugged a tele/Epiphone Casino in.

That was with a Weber P12RT, and I also tried a Alltone 1250 for a while - hung better with a loud(ish) blues-rock band at a jam, but its still that EL84 sound, which hasn't been working for me.

However, I DO regret selling it before trying a deeper sounding speaker, like a Weber C12N or S in there. I've a feeling it could be a killer small-gig amp with the right speaker swap.

OTOH, the tremolo is *not* footswitchable - which in a live situation renders it pretty much useless for me. I'd rather have the J12R version with bass/mid/treble as opposed to the J12T's single tone knob (which is more of an upper mid/treble boost and cut - turning it down to reduce peaky mids also killed the top end clarity).

Nice 'verb tho, and I bet it would sound great if used for more open-chord/jangle/hint-of-dirt type rhythm guitar.

Cheers,
Trev

March 12th, 2004, 10:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
eksfiles Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Windsor, Ontario CANADA Posts: 148	Ampeg J12T - Jet II Hi everyone. Just wondering if anybody owns one of these lil' beauties? Looks like a nice little class-A combo. I've heard several comments that the amp reminds them of a Vox AC15. Any opinions on that? What's the scoop with this amp? Thanks for your comments!! eksfiles. __________________ ...a little less conversation, a little more action...

March 12th, 2004, 10:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Big Cookie Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ennis, Texas Posts: 693	Ampeg First off it is NOT class A. The construction is very cheap, they don't sound bad with a change of speaker and tubes. I haven't heard any resemblance between the Ampeg and an AC-15, which isn't class A either.

March 12th, 2004, 11:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
eksfiles Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Windsor, Ontario CANADA Posts: 148	Well I'm not gonna nit-pick if its class a or not, hell even I know ac15/30's aren't true class a either....but I've been reading some reviews on harmonycentral.com, and some other sights, and all the reviews likened the amp to a vox ac15/type of amp. With el84's in the mix, I'm sure it gets a little of that british vibe..... thanks cookie. __________________ ...a little less conversation, a little more action...

March 14th, 2004, 02:46 PM	#7 (permalink)
sound dog Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The center of Pennsyltuckey Age: 55 Posts: 397	Yo, Marleyman... ...REAL tight...right up against the chassis, in fact, and the back board now sticks out maybe 1/16"...but it's a small tradeoff for a REAL fine speaker with great range..

March 14th, 2004, 02:56 PM	#9 (permalink)
harlycarly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Republik of Vermont Posts: 657	I've Got One and I really like it. As said here, it is not a Class A, nor is it a VOX. That being said, I think for the $$ it is a great amp. Trem & verb are nice and for my tastes it is a more versatile amp than say a Blues Jr. (which I also own) for less money. I saw mine in a local shop used and walked away with it in near mint condition for $165 (about 3+ yrs ago). Mine was plagued with a "rattle" (a common problem, see Harmony Central) that I fixed with a little patience and some 1/4 inch foam weather stripping on the chassis. Thought about changing the speaker and different tubes but still haven't gotten around to it because it's pretty cool as is. I'm sure it can be "improved" with a few simple swaps. Not the "holy grail" but a sweet amp for sure and tough to beat for the money.

March 13th, 2004, 03:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
marleyman NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: In a groove... Posts: 8	I picked one up on ebay for $275 in mint condition. I bought this amp as an accomplice/practice amp that was enough to also use for jams etc. I own a Winfield Thomas "November" Head that I use w/ a 2x12 cab for my main rig. In the sub $300 range is what I was looking for in a practice amp, and I had narrowed it down to a Pro Jr., Classic 20 or the Ampeg. The ampeg sounded cool w/ a 12" speaker and the verb and tremolo built in. It has its own cool vibe for the sound and I guess its "voxy" in a sense but not a dead on AC-15 by any means. I play a Les Paul BTW, so I am using 'buckers with this amp. (Duncan PG's). I had my other guitarist play through it at rehearsal and it sounded good.. he was using a Epi LP with P-90's and it kept up and cut through the mix with our band. FWIW, for the price and a small practice amp it fits the bill perfectly. I wouldnt trust it to by my sole amp but for my practice usage at lower volumes and a go-to amp to throw in the car for impromptu jams etc....I am sure it will handle it.

March 14th, 2004, 11:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
sound dog Tele-Meister Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The center of Pennsyltuckey Age: 55 Posts: 397	Not so sure I'd make the AC15 comparison either....the Ampeg really has a vibe all its own. I've had the J12R version(sans tremolo) for about 7 years now...not only a great practice amp, I GIG with this amp all the time. A couple of qualifiers...tubes have been changed and it's been rebiased, and the speaker has been upgraded to a Reverend All-tone 12"...and, I play in a band in which I'm the only guitarist, and we mike onstage(guitar, bass, drums, keys)...still, I can't turn this thing up past 4 or 5 without someone hollering at me(this from 15 watts)... Portable, easy to lug around, simple layout, great sound, cost me $335 NEW...easily the best bang-for-the-buck amp I've owned in 37 years, and I've had a bunch...not sure if it would work for everyone(tastes being what they are), but I'd replace it in a heartbeat if it grew legs...BTW, I play ONLY Teles & the occasional Strat thru it...and, it's pedal friendly as well.

March 14th, 2004, 01:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
marleyman NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: In a groove... Posts: 8	Sound Dog...how tight was the fit of the Rev. Alltone speaker? There is not alot of clearance in these cabs..I would like to put a G12H30 in it, or something else possibly and am gathering info from others who have replaced the speaker in their amp & their choices:) Thanks;)

March 14th, 2004, 02:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
marleyman NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: In a groove... Posts: 8	Yes, the Alltone is a nice speaker. I ran one in my Fender HRD and sold it with that speaker in it. The buyer loved it too! Thanks for the info 8)

March 15th, 2004, 07:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
tjalla Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,947 7 Photos	Nice but... Not for me - I found it too peaky in the upper mids to work well with my guitars that had moderate-hot output pickups (I solo on the bridge PU alot). It sounded great with my Fralin 54 loaded strat, but started getting nasally when I plugged a tele/Epiphone Casino in. That was with a Weber P12RT, and I also tried a Alltone 1250 for a while - hung better with a loud(ish) blues-rock band at a jam, but its still that EL84 sound, which hasn't been working for me. However, I DO regret selling it before trying a deeper sounding speaker, like a Weber C12N or S in there. I've a feeling it could be a killer small-gig amp with the right speaker swap. OTOH, the tremolo is not footswitchable - which in a live situation renders it pretty much useless for me. I'd rather have the J12R version with bass/mid/treble as opposed to the J12T's single tone knob (which is more of an upper mid/treble boost and cut - turning it down to reduce peaky mids also killed the top end clarity). Nice 'verb tho, and I bet it would sound great if used for more open-chord/jangle/hint-of-dirt type rhythm guitar. Cheers, Trev