Is This Amp Underrated?! Fender Bassbreaker 15!

[@dennisl501]

Talk to an amp repairman before you buy a Fender Bassbreaker. Yes, every word about tone is true. Every word. Superior tone and sound. However, these amps are often noisy on standby, are internally flawed, and are apparently predisposed to early tube failures. Four years ago, I went through two new BB-15’s within two weeks under warranty. Popping and hissing sounds on standby both at home and in the store. Cashed out the purchase. But, I STILL deeply miss the amp. Nothing since compares to it. Sadly, confirmed now by no less than three amp repair techs on KZbin alone that this is a poorly designed, nearly impossible to repair amp with a high failure rate. Again, four years later, I still wish that I had a Bassbreaker 15. But, the amp service world loathes them.

[@BenNeal]

It’s such a shame really. The amp sounds so damn good 😭

[@voiceofexperience]

There's always a catch 😂

[@scottagar6061]

Had one...great tone except for high gain setting...but was noisey ..hiss and hum all the time..deal breaker...and Ive read all the horror stories about issues.

[@blogsfred3187]

I’ve had mine for about eight years, no issues, no noticeable noise. Brilliant sound.

[@jasonlewis5350]

Every one I have ever tried was noisy also but sounded great. They had everything right except the quality of construction and components just to hit a price point. If they’re smart, they’ll consider a relaunch of the line after they redo the BB amps with quality parts and construction, and not worry about building a tube amp that competes with modeling and digital amps price wise. If it’s worth the investment, people will pay the necessary money.

[@Bcananzey]

I had my gain knob fail and repaired it myself. It's not really that bad. Guys that complain want simple. For what this amp offers you can't expect simple guts. You pull out the board you need to repair and put it on the bench. It's actually modular. Now I think it was probably the easiest part to replace but I didn't see huge issues to fix other components. Yes lots of screws and plugs but that's why they make labels.

[@cliveshalice8490]

Thanks Ben for taking the time to review the amp, definitely food for thought. Just wanted to say what a killer opening track and performance - absolutely loved it!

[@BenNeal]

No worries! Thanks so much, had a lot of fun with this track!

[@Dave79-be7ld]

Literally bought a 15 today. Really like it. Don’t know if it’s close to a Bassman/JTM45 or a BluesJnr as I’ve never played them. But I picked mine up revalved and freshly serviced for £300. I’m happy. The neighbours not so much 😂

[@BenNeal]

Haha killer deal!

[@jakestadium]

I’m right there with you man. Just picked one of these up, and I much prefer it to any blues jr ive ever owned. I think this is the shining star of Fender’s current amp lineup outside of the vintage RI series. Tonally it’s much sweeter/refined and more versatile than any of the hot rods. Outside of large outdoor gigs, I foresee this becoming my #1 gig amp. The verb sounds absolutely awesome (and I’m a spring reverb purist). It’s sounds equally great at home and band volumes, which is a rarity. Also because of the gain structure switch, you can get it set to edge of breakup for pedals at literally any volume. And the price/build quality is absolutely killer too. Just an absolute knock out winner of an amp.

[@BenNeal]

Hell yeah! Completely agree!

[@gwhiz3708]

I have one and love it, just hope it doesn’t brake down. There’s repair videos on KZbin. It’s pretty much a disposable amp

[@fixedgear37]

@@gwhiz3708 those are all old point to point guys who don't want to be bothered with actually taking the amp apart, the circuit board is still through hole and completley repairable, just more work to get to it

[@danletter9357]

It’s a great little “bedroom” amp. Or practice amp. It will do everything. Literally. I own this amp, my favorite setting is low gain stage, with gain and volume cranked. Everything else at noon. You can roll off guitar volume for clean, and roll up for dirty. The reverb is always at 2 1/2 to 3 for me. Cons are nobody will work on the thing.

[@mdrake34]

The BB15 has been my main amp for several years now. Have a FSR Midnight Oil with the Greenback. Live in the medium gain stage, gives me the tones from my favorite classic rock/blues records at home volumes, best master volume taper of any Fender amp I've tried, and great guitar volume knob clean up. It has beaten out both a Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini and Marshall Mini Silver Jubilee.

[@afterstars]

Wait until you need to get it serviced. Amp tech nightmare.

[@johnladdsmusic]

I started with the BB-15 and added a BB-30. Both amps have become my mainstay for live playing. They are both fabulous amps for different reasons. A fender amp with a killer drive sound…who knew?

[@soofitnsexy]

but without the fender cleans....it does not compare to a princeton DR etc. but a fun rocking amp it is!!!

[@johnladdsmusic]

@@soofitnsexy I have a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb for classic Fender cleans…definitely nails that old school tone…I will say the Bassbreaker 30r has a ton of clean headroom on the clean channel…but it’s more Vox like tone wise

[@soofitnsexy]

@@johnladdsmusic ahhh thanks!

[@ajofadams]

I have one of these and I’ve got to say, i love it. It’s the perfect plug in and play amp, so easy to find a tone and I’m with you, the mid-gain is home. No pedals. Gain just past 12 for single coils, just below for humbuckers. I just play at home, and it’s perfect for that too. Can get the master high enough to get the speaker moving without rattling the windows. I’ve the sc20 jcm800 too and it’s almost useless to me, even on the 5 watt mode can’t get the master past 2 on dial. 3 makes room rattle. All the tones are thin.

[@SteveSkillings]

I saw the title and had to react. This amp is my “if you could only have one amp” choice and I am lucky to have vintage amps (I’m old) and originals or reissues of all the classics. Brian May, EVH, 80’s Rock, AC15, and other sounds can all be found in this beauty. It’s my “I don’t know what mood I’m in right now” amp, because it can do it all IMO. It is SO versatile. And I use it without effects too for all gain sounds. Straight in, and it does it all. I hope that helps those who are just figuring out that this amp is insanely good. It’s a keeper for me. Oh, I play blues to metal, I’m not a jazzer. Give it a try is my recommendation. But be prepared to keep it.

[@suprbird]

Really trying to find a good amp without breaking the bank for me. Have a fender player series tele. Theres a deal on a used one near me.

[@davidbarlow431]

​@suprbird You can't go wrong with a Vox AC15 with a tele - they are a match made in heaven. Only downside is the weight, the Vox comes in a hair under 50 lbs but I think it's worth it.

[@jollygoodtime9197]

How the actual fuck do you only have 2k subscribers? I’m not new to music but new to guitars, and just got this amp on the cheap locally. It’s amazing. I can just use a delay and tremolo pedal, and man that’s basically done. Finished. It’s all I need. Period. This video is well made, it’s concise, and you’re choice of chord structure and melodic playing is amazing for this amp review. You’re gonna kill it, man, and you need WAY more subscribers.

[@Dave79-be7ld]

I’m the same in regards to pedals. I also use a Rat to boost for lead. Wow! They like eachother a lot

[@Nightwinflyer]

When the Boss Katana amps hit the market, I almost bought one online from my local music store sight unseen. I ended up going in and trying it to be sure. I am glad I did. They also had a Bassbreaker 15 in the limited edition Midnight Oil with a Celestion Greenback. Worlds of difference in tone and feel in favor of the Bassbreaker 15. I am a big fan of solid state amps and have recorded a lot of songs with the Marshall MG100CFX head. The Bassbreaker 15 is what came home with me that day, and I also picked up a Bassbreaker 007 combo. Great amps. Using them in my home studio, there isn't a tone I can't dial in. 100% reliable. Awesome intro track too, by the way!

[@BenNeal]

While I definitely love the Katana, there is definitely something about the tone and feel of a great valve amp! Thanks heaps!

[@Nightwinflyer]

@Gioele I recommend finding one in a store so you can play it. You will lose all the effects that the Katana has, and the FX loop on the Bassbreaker is very noisy. But as far as great tone, the Bassbreaker is fantastic.

[@Lalairu]

I've been considering a Bassbreaker for a long time. I think the 15w would be too much for me since I play mostly home, but I play with people sometimes. Are you happy with the 007? THX!

[@Nightwinflyer]

Yes. It is very loud for bedroom playing if you crank it. I haven't used it with a band. With pedals it gives awesome tones, as well as just on its own. I bought mine used and saved a bunch.

[@Lalairu]

@@Nightwinflyer thanks for the advice :)

[@PurposefulPorpoise]

Con : Impossible to work on. Avoid at all costs, unless u enjoy spending $800.00 every 6 months for a new one

[@dennisl501]

Four years ago, I went through two new BB-15’s within two weeks under warranty. Popping and hissing sounds on standby both at home and in the store. Cashed out the purchase BUT I still deeply miss the amp. Tone is awesome. Confirmed now by no less than three amp repair techs on KZbin alone that this is a badly designed, nearly impossible to repair amp with a high failure rate. Again, I still wish I had a Bassbreaker 15. But, the service world loathes them. Sort or like owning a Fiat. A great car to drive but mechanics do not want to work on them.

[@btecww]

Fantastic composition in the introduction. I own the Bassbreaker 15. The amp sound great. Some say it’s unreliable. I have had mine for 0ver 6 years. Not issues

[@guitarlair]

I love this amp, I bought mine a few days ago, I tried multiple low wattage amps, H&Ks, EVHs, Oranges etc... there was always smth missing in those amps, some would have a good clean tone but then a bad drive tone and vice versa, others would sound great but lack EQ versatility, or lack a line out for recording... anyways... it was very hard for me to decide, then I saw a Bassbreaker 15w head and decided to try it just for the sake of telling myself I really tried everything at the store (and it also had a XRL out for recording with the option of switching off the cab simulation, so I thought "why not")..... oh boy, when I plugged a Gibson Studio in I immediately liked the clean sound, it was the best clean sound out of all the amps I had tried until that moment, then I tried the mid gain and that's when I fell in love with the amp, the Gibson SCREAMED, it felt like I was playing a vintage marshall with fuller sound and more balanced low end... I decided to buy the amp at that moment, I didn't even need to try the hi gain option at that point, I knew it would sound badass and I was right, it's like the mid gain on roids.. the EQ is super responsive and changes the tone a lot, the reverb is usable and the line out surprised me when I connected to my Mac and used my IR's at home, I was very surprised how good it sounded even being a line out that excludes the power amp. KILLER AMP

[@anthonycashero7605]

Man yea the eq is fantastic on the 15. It's my favorite thing about it.

[@sunson69]

Yes, we stay at mid gain level all the time which has really great tone and even better with OD pedals! One of the best in-depth reviews for BB15~ Thanks a lot!

[@BenNeal]

Yes I agree! Thanks 🙏🏽

[@sunriseshell]

The original Bassman was intended to be a bass amp. But people discovered that if you plugged in a guitar turned it up and played hard it would swamp the circuit and create a wonderful sound i.e. "overdrive".

[@ryanslauderdale]

Then Jim Marshall ripped it off and the rest is history.

[@nekkon1989]

It just sounds sooooooo warm... I don't know what people don't like about the clean channel. I have a Bassbreaker 30r and I hear criticism like "it sounds too British", or "those EL84s have that top-end sparkle" and other generic stuff that I simply do not understand! Bassbreakers sound great, and for the price they are a no brainer. Would I like to own a Pro reverb? Sure. Is it worth double the money? I highly doubt it.

[@maxpeck4154]

Seems like a killer affordable amp. I hadn't considered one of these when I was shopping for an amp but I really dig it. Nicely done

[@BenNeal]

Yeah they’re great! Thanks 🙏🏽

[@theguitarclubonline]

I don't care about the amp! That jam was sensational :D

[@BenNeal]

Thanks so much!

[@brianjamescountry]

I just picked one up in a pawn shop. Saw it on the shelf and gave it a go. Was blown away by the tone.

[@BenNeal]

They sound killer hey 🤘🏽

[@CarlyonProduction]

Also I should day my friend built a tweed bassman, then modded it to be a little stiffer (like the JTM) and then ended up putting el84s in it. Long story short, it is one of the most amazing amps I have ever heard. So if this is mostly a bassman from end with el84s, I would expect it to sound pretty damn good. We get carried away with all the boutique manufacturers today, but honestly, the big names are mostly putting out some pretty good stuff. Reissue ac30 is great, these are great. After owning a ton of super expensive boutique amps I can honestly say, a Matchless doesn't ALWAYS sound better than an AC30. There are plenty of cheaper alternatives that sound amazing. As a reference, I just bought one of the Electro Harmonix Mig 50 amps - this is basically a tweed bassman - and I have to say its one of the best amps.i have ever played (at any price)

[@DerMensch1]

I can tell you right now what it is for me: it’s butt ugly. I don’t care if that’s shallow. It’s psychological. I wish Fender had cared about the aesthetic. It’s supposed to be a cross between a Bassman and a Bluesbreaker. Those are both beautiful amps. But the Bassbreaker looks like a really naked and ugly amp. None of this will stop me from eventually buying one, because I believe you: it sounds great. But that’s why I haven’t rushed out and bought one. It looks terrible.

[@BenNeal]

Totally fair enough, looks are important!

[@tejeguitar]

Considering that one as my go-to live gig amp. I already have the bigger brother of this line, the Bassbreaker 45, which I bought it new around 4-5 years ago, when the bassbreaker line just got out. And I've nothing but pleased with it. It was the sound I was looking for. And since then: 0 failures, 0 issues, although being a nightmare on the inside (multiple huge PCB boards). But so far so good. If some day it does have any issue, I'll simply bring it to the amp tech, as I am not any of that either haha. But damn, cannot say it enough: it sounds killer.

[@Magic_Man916]

I just snagged one for a steal.. and it's fantastic... I played the bassbreaker 30 combo and head in 2016 at GC, and have kinda secretly loved it ever since, and this 15 combo just fell in my lap and I couldn't pass it up. This is gonna sound crazy, so buckle up, but I like it more than my Two Rock Crystal 50 that I eventually sold. Just by a little bit, but remove the money aspect.. which would I rather play thru? it's the Bassbreaker And I'm glad it led me to your channel, great video dude! Rock on 🎸🎵🎶

[@Matthew_Scan]

I had one and it crapped itself after a week. Not bad amp if I were to get one again I’d get the 30 because of the foot switching option

[@BenNeal]

Yeah I’ve heard they can be unreliable and hard to repair unfortunately…

[@brandonmessmer5102]

Amazing playing and thorough review, I really like the tones on this amp, but would be ecstatic if the gain stages could be switched via footswitch. It does clean up well, but his would make this amp so much more useful when gigging.

[@dylanli5332]

Spot on! Thanks for sharing! Great review! I own this amp for almost a year now and still loving it! Even at low volume for home use it still sounds great! It’s versatile and suitable for wide range of music genre.

[@BenNeal]

Thanks heaps! Yes killer amp!

[@triclone123]

Delicious performance, video and sound. Thank you!

[@BenNeal]

Hey thanks!

[@vincentdesautels4971]

I have 15 watt head with the BB 112 Cab and I really like it. You are right about the mid gain it’s the sweet spot. Thanks for the tip about pushing the mids and high instead of the bright switch

[@wa8936]

Thank you, Ben, for such a good video: informative, intelligent, with skilled playing. Thank you for not subjecting me to the torture of terrible, nauseating clichéd playing.

[@Dave-nm3xc]

Great demo bro. You are a phenomenal player!

[@BenNeal]

Thanks!

[@NorthernMonkeyMusic]

Hi Ben, great video. New viewer to your channel here. Can i ask - what model Strat (white) is that, and what are the pickups? They sound really close to what I am aiming for. Thank you.

[@BenNeal]

Cheers! Strat is a player series (Mexican) and just the stock pickups!

[@NorthernMonkeyMusic]

@@BenNeal Even more impressive then! Cheers.

[@carpediem4413]

Would be a keeper if there was a foot switch for the gain stages or boost. Not the best build quality. They sound great though.

[@BenNeal]

Yeah a foot switch would be cool, although there seems to be a volume jump between each gain stage so it could be tricky to set right. Would be helpful for some I'm sure!

[@keithplunk6611]

Finally a great souding video. Tone out the ass with that classic harmonic feel. NO OTHER AMP can SOUND like a wet, scoopy, crunchy, tubular harmonic amp like that. I like to sound good....don't you all. Get a Marshall or Fender amp or one that specs out to these two old girls. Don't insult yourself or your axe with a shitbag amplifier! NEVER!!!!

[@marcospintor1333]

My buddy had this amp for a few weeks. It sounded horrible. One of worst amps we’ve ever heard. He got rid of it and ended up with a blues jr. He seemed much happier with that

[@guitarmike6757]

I own one it’s a killer sounding amp very versatile,but it’s downfall is no amp tech will touch this amp with a ten foot pole!!! They are virtually impossible to work on because the 3 sided incasement my tech called it a disposable amp so I’ll just keep rockin until it chokes😏😏😏😏

[@1Dougloid]

Until it is out of warranty and conks out, then you're on your own. They're dogs to work on.

[@BenNeal]

Yeah… A lot of people play them until they break and then just get another one 🤣 Definitely a bummer though!

[@Bero70]

Spot on, except IR's that you constantly referring to. It's a cab sim on XLR and that's like forgotten technology compared to IR's. I run mine thru Load Box and then Torpedo C.A.B. M for recording. Couldn't be happier. I changed tubes on mine for Mesa/Boogie tubes ( from Sweetwater) in all positions. Works perfect. It's a great amp. I have mine for about 6 years now.

[@BenNeal]

Yep you’re totally right, my bad! Great amp though!

[@pomegranitejason]

Forgot to mention, the covering is a sort of grey tweed and looks cool, but I believe the marketing failed on the looks, an amp is just a box but look at a Matchless or Bad Cat. it missed on capturing the Fender nerds like me, but I bought it for it's sounds. Maybe I'll build a head shell for it.

[@tpap6827]

I bought a new Fender bassbreaker when they first came out in fact it was the 15 it was like a low-powered marshall that did Marshall tones better than Marshall the gain stages were awesome the only problem was you can't switch the game stages while you're playing live and I thought the clean was great it would be great to go to clean to their High Gain or medium gain stage. As far as I was concerned the distortion was way better smoother warmer and creamier than any pedal distortion I made the mistake of getting rid of it too early because I tend to go through amps and guitars quickly always looking for the next newest tone that I want to play with and then I end up buying the same base breaker at the exact same with the same model that was several years old and it didn't seem to hold up very well or else the former owner abused the s*** out of it because the tone had kind of started getting crappy and buzzy. I could probably have gotten New tubes but I heard they're a real b**** to get inside and repair then I thought the dt20 and dt50 by line 6 but were the all tube amps by Wagner that didn't have all that digital modeling s*** sounded awesome but I bought one from guitar center and it didn't have a working fuse and I bought it back and they couldn't replace the fuse at the time I wanted it so I just got a different amp which I like but those amps when I heard the demos on Anderson and other stations they sounded amazing why is it that people do not like something that's different from a manufacturer people like all that line 6 garbage with modeling and I know the Helix is the only thing worth a damn and it's not even as good as the other modeling products of the same price range and then you've got the sender appearance and I love Fender amps but they're distortion and overdrive for the most part unless you get high-powered twins or old 59 circuits from which the Marshall plexi Super Lead was based you end up getting amps that when you turn them up collapse I got a blues tuner with a celestion speaker and a Tweed model that I thought was going to be great and once you turn the thing up towards started breaking up it collapsed and sounded like absolute garbage I do like the Michael landau hot rod DeVille with two clean channels one of which you can use as a pedal platform to get you dirty tone and I thought it was genius that he didn't use the same EQ for each section. While I do tend to be partial to real amp distortion most Amo t ldistortion socks until you get the amp to a ridiculous volume that was the great thing about the bassbreaker 15 is that you could get great distortion it almost any volume and it sounded like real power amp distortion. I love old Marshall plexi read tone and I love high-powered twin lead tone with celestion speakers of course because I cannot stand the Jensen or but I'm really sick and tired of amps that are eating over the top modern High Gain also I do love my black star club 40 and I like a lot of the higher-end amps like bad cats and Morgan for distortion tones in the combos, I love Fender clean tones and I think they're a decent pedal platform to get the right amp but I'm not a fan of Fender overdrive tone for lead for rhythm it's okay if it's heavy blues or classic rock but if you want great tone like vintage Zeppelin or early Van Halen the stuff like that you need a big amp like a marshall plexi or like Jimmy Page you can get a combo amp and make it right in the studio and it'll sound great but as far as getting on stage and getting that great distortion and when I say distortion I'm not talking about heavy metal distortion at the most I'm talking about the Van Halen lead tone at the heaviest in the early albums and a rhythm tone that generally speaking is going to be much cleaner when you turn the volume down and have quite a bit of gain when you turn the volume up but I'm not looking for power cord chugga chugga game. I own a vox ac15 which is a great amp but I have been through three different iterations of the Blues Junior and not one of them was better than a practice at low volumes the towns that generates are mediocre at best if you want a 15 watt Fender get yourself a Princeton reverb and be done with it

[@AnimeVoiceGuitar]

Bad XLR out? or Bad cabinet emulation? I am wondering how it sounds like using something like OXstomp and the XLR out of the amp.

[@thatampguy]

The amp sounds great. Now remove the chassis and have a look.

[@tpap6827]

I am sorry for continuing to comment but I cannot thank you enough for telling people what I've always told them. so many people who never played the amp tell others how bad it is and I like if you had one or even played one they usually blow off answering the question because the obvious answer is no. The andersons video where the captain is praising the blues Junior and his Buddy chapters is playing the 15 watt bassbreaker and the conclusion that they both come to is it the bassbreaker has a much better dirty tone and in my opinion the clean is better and I think the plate reverb is better than that center spring reader that comes on the blues junior. I think that reverb works great on some amps from the blues Junior it either isn't enough or once you turn it up a little bit too much it just is so much reverb again the blues Junior sounds terrible when you turn it up past three or four the thing simply implodes on itself and I was a big fan when I first got mine because I only played it clean and bedroom volumes and it did the fender thing pretty well for a low price back when. Now the things are going for 700 bucks and they haven't improved at everyone's creaming over the fender Blues Junior and I figured that if you pay twice as much and get the Princeton reverb you will have a great Fender amp for life but if you want to amp that sounds like an old high-powered twin or an old basement but with even more smooth gain I think the bass breaker is hard to beat plus their plate reverb really works well with go to clean and the dirty.

[@tpap6827]

You are exactly right everything you say and I'm so tired of people saying this Aunt doesn't have awesome tone. It has some of the best tone of any combo I've ever heard on the high game stage and even on clean but the problem is just it's not the most user-friendly and for live gigs my thank you for giving it it's just review because so many people sit around and talk s*** about it because it's not a princess and Weaver well if you're a fender clean devotee then this is not the answer you want an ant sounds like your favorite broke it up stones on your favorite records this amp will do it all at low volumes isp

[@JasonRidesmoto]

I have it and love love love it.... it's hard to make this amp sound bad...

[@BenNeal]

Yeah I agree! Sounds great at almost every setting!

[@cloremancey2653]

Just walking out of a guitar store with a bass breaker 15. Went in with the idea to buy a deluxe reverb, also tried the junior iv limited edition. I play at home only, level is a major concern for me. I hear the critics about repair but where I live I’m quite sure there is no service for any amp anyway. I’d rather dispose a 800 usd amp then a 1500. 😢 time to bring it back home now

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

I love the BB amps. My favorite of all to be honest. I’ve two 007 models, combo and head. And a 15 of course. I’ve had tube failure on the 007 combo, but I know a very good tech! He recapped a Blues Jnr for me after that flamed out. Funny at 8:30 the amp is actually on standby by as the lamp is flashing! The Direct is poor, it’s at its best when you mic it. Great review.

[@richdonn]

I have a Bassbreaker 007 that sounds great. A special edition with a Greenback speaker.

[@robertn8423]

Thanks for the great demo and point on comments! I have the Limited Edition in British Green w/ Celestion Greenback and it sounds terrific. It took me some time to learn how to adjust the EQ, Master, Gain (on Low setting) to dial in the blues tone I wanted, and up to that point wasn't impressed with the amp. Agree w/you do n't need a High Gain stage, the Low and Medium are fine and offer lots of tonal variety, and yes the amp really doesn't need a Bright switch. I typically run the amp at home on Low Gain for blues and completely cut the Mids, with Bass and Treble at 11 o'clock and w/Fender Stratocasters (S/S/S) and Empress Germ Drive to provide robust sound and some additional bottom to taste. Also agree Fender missed the opportunity to market this line effectively and it would have had much wider appeal and a better understanding of what it was trying to achieve. In the future, would like to see Fender Research and Product Design come out with a new amp more like the Bassman but for now, this amp works just fine. Cheers from Canada!

[@BrianGay57]

I love my BB15!!

[@aceofspades1542]

The lead tone with the black lp custom is awesome 👌🏻👍🏻

[@BenNeal]

Thanks!

[@mattgilbert7347]

Got mine not long after they came out. Had to spend a bit at the amp doctor, but it was worth it. Mini-Marshall. There's no IR. It's just an old-school EQ as cab sim. I don't use it, but it's handy for running the amp with an IR loader or whatever you prefer. You weren't doing anything wrong. You can turn off the crappy cab sim, defeat the speaker, and play silently in your apartment at 2am with the amp and an outboard IR :) The medium gain is where it's at

[@BenNeal]

Yeah mini Marshall for sure! Thanks for the info on the cab sim, that makes a lot of sense haha. Yeah that XLR would be super helpful with an OX or two notes or something! Love the medium gain 😍

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@BenNeal No worries mate, that's the idea with that XLR :) I'm looking at the Two Notes Captor - it is a serious bit of kit and would come in handy with a few other amps. Great demo!

[@cparks7800]

I didn’t buy one because I didn’t like the knobs. Literally. I got a dv mark Galileo 15. It died in a week, so I went and got one of these like a good boy. Lol

[@robbo4858]

crybaby amp techs that 'cant' work on an amp ? come on. People mod amps all the time anyway. While its apart, fix what is 'bad' about it and stop whining. Your getting paid to do it right?

[@julioguerrero8849]

Great review. At around the time you uploaded it, I got a Bassbreaker 007 combo... from your pros and cons section of the video, sounds like the 007 is the one you'd pick over the BB 15.

[@BenNeal]

Thanks! I’ll have to try and get my hands on the 007!

[@tpap6827]

The basis breaker15 blows away the blues Junior the orange tiny tear or any of those other amps you mentioned which in my opinion are all garbage

[@edwinmartinez9787]

You should also consider your playing makes a great difference

[@BenNeal]

Yeah for sure!

[@edwinmartinez9787]

I hear to stay away from them very hard to repair

[@jaredrechy390]

I just came for another shitty review, but maaaan! man! that intro made me stay, I really like that amp and your work makes it shine even more, thanks I want one now

[@williamlive7252]

One of the worst amps I’ve had to work on, get ready for ridiculous bench fees Not worth the bother far to many alternatives out there now.

[@tpap6827]

Great amp but when something goes wrong it's a pain in the ass to repair. But they have amazing tone when you buy one and if you take care of it I don't think there's anything better

[@mattm2827]

My reverb function was dead on arrival on mine. Mine sounds nothing like yours sadly.

[@derekwright5564]

I disagree with your opinion on the 3 gain stages. I dont care for the low and medium gain stages personally but I absolutely love the high gain stage. But I still want the low and medium stages for other types of playing. Without any of the gain stages the amp would not be as amazing as it is. Keep the videos coming.

[@BenNeal]

Yeah fair enough! I do actually think the high gain mode sounds great! Thanks for the comment!

[@gingercat777]

Forget to mention it's unfixable?......if anything goes wrong throw it in the garbage bin.

[@kdakan]

Agreed 100% it is a great amp, sounds good at any settings, with any kind of guitar, tele, jazzmaster, les paul, strat, es-335, at bedroom levels and gig levels. One thing to be aware is it is not pure crystal clean, it easily breaks up when it is louder than bedroom volume, that's the amount of heaadroom it has as a 15w amp, but this holds true for similar amps as well I guess? Maybe not? Thumbs up for your creativity as well, I enjoy your playing and mini songs you come up with for your demos, my ear is fatigue with wanna be classic blues players demoing stuff on youtube.

[@BenNeal]

Thank you!

[@metalliholic]

I live on the medium gain structure also. It sounds great!

[@BenNeal]

So nice!

[@ted5394]

Sitting here listening to a freaking Salesman ! Might be a good amp but can’t stand this guy !!

[@thesurfjunkies]

Too bad the XLR jack IR sucked. If you’re going to add one to an amp make it a good one. Overall the amp does sound great, nice review.

[@BenNeal]

Yeah agreed. Thanks!

[@DominiqueWillkins]

The big downside for these amps is that they cannot be serviced or fixed easily Due to the engineering on the chasis. At leas on the 15w combo

[@sickenzzzzz]

Glorious intro track!

[@BenNeal]

Cheers!

[@adamwatson6916]

Everyone wants every amp to be built and marketed to what they want . SMH.

[@abletenor]

what a great guitarist you are, very good, congratulations man!

[@BenNeal]

Thank you so much!

[@KYCDK]

i like it has the clean and dirt channels, it has what i want, clean fender, dirty marshall

[@BenNeal]

Yeah for sure!

[@sebastian993]

has a terribly designed power section that blows resistors/capacitors. this will ultimately lead to voltage & tube problems. due its awful design (employing modern production methods), you literally need to take the whole thing apart if it breaks, meaning repairs end up costing more than the value of the amp.

[@BenNeal]

It really is the downside of this amp 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@gainonten4031]

The xlr is fun to record or play with headphones, turn it off and use a mooer radar. Fixed

[@jeanpat8946]

OMG ! Fantastic playing, awesome gear , sound perfect , I agree the Bassbreaker is a Suiss kinife can do any kind of music !!!

[@BenNeal]

Thank you! Agreed!

[@sekboi]

Ok for a general purpose amp but it’s a disposable product. The amp is almost impossible to repair via conventional means and being a tube amp, it will eventually require maintenance. As a an amp tech, I refuse to work on these. The boards are inaccessible. They have to go back to Fender for repairs.

[@BenNeal]

Such a bummer. I think the amp sounds so great and is one of the best in its class. Unfortunate that it’s pretty much impossible to repair!

[@sekboi]

@@BenNeal I agree. It does sound great. The Peavey classic 30 is another example of an impossible to repair product. I don’t know why these guys are designing new amps like this that are basically disposable.

[@gainonten4031]

What do you think of the repair difficulties for tje Marshall Origin? I think thats a jtm45 which is pretty much the mid gain setting on this bassbreaker 15. If its easier and sturdier I could go with that

[@unabonger777]

It has a blinkin' light? why? and is this the stock speaker?

[@EasyHeat]

Very nice "Down the Upside" vibes on the beginning of that intro amigo! I saw Soundgarden on that tour. Could this possibly be the best home recording valve amp? I definitely want to find out. Cheers!

[@zachhafer3852]

“Down on the Upside” is what I also immediately heard. I’ll be buying this amp.

[@AtomicGarden68]

I think this amp is a perfect marriage to a Telecaster for some reason.

[@kennyh5083]

Too much talk and no action!

[@bradrathbone9078]

Mate, this isn’t porn hub. 😂

[@BenNeal]

🤣

[@michaelyolch79]

I bought the 15, but just not enough headroom. Bought the BB 30R instead and it’s an ENORMOUS difference in every regard.

[@Squall6575]

How is the 30r in terms of low volume use?

[@michaelyolch79]

@@Squall6575 No problem at all. Sounds amazing at every level. It's quickly becoming my favorite amp of all time!

[@Squall6575]

@@michaelyolch79 you son of a gun, you may have just convinced me. I just got the bassbreaker 15 a week or so ago. Now Im considering selling it for the 30r

[@michaelyolch79]

@@Squall6575 It's not even a close comparison...unless you ONLY need to play at low volumes. But the 30R can play quiet, or be a huge, killer wall of sound. The thing is...when you turn UP the level of clean that the 30R can put out, it's just GLORIOUS! And you can get A LOT of volume before breaking up IF you need to.

[@BarbarraBay]

Your videos are starting to annoy me because you play so nice and everything you trial sounds really good. 😄😄😊😊🙂🙂

[@BenNeal]

Hahahahah thank you!? 🤣

[@jarnostalhane]

Great demo, thanks! I've had this amp before and now i want one back to my home studio.. and yeah, the direct sound is so bad!! I'm gonna buy just the head and use it with my torpedo captor x. Cheers!

[@BenNeal]

Yeah that’s a killer idea!

[@lockymcneill7905]

Thanks for checking it out and sharing your thoughts! I had the amp and played live with it nearly every week for nearly two years. Loved the concept being bluesbreaker inspired as I have always been drawn to that tone. I agree that the cab sim was not useable. I also had noise issues with the effects return which was a known fault. Something to do with power noise. I had it modded before I sold it. Finally if you want a pedal platform amp this is not like the Vox ac’s or Jnrs, as it is not a great headroom amp. You struggle gain staging with overdrives because of it. It loved treble boosts and fuzz in front. Just my thoughts…

[@BenNeal]

Thanks! 🙏🏽

[@losangulos]

What amp would be a great pedal platform?

[@rodneywhite2565]

This amp absolutely rocks!! I’ve had them all. Marshall, Peavey, Blackstar, blah blah blah. All good but this little thing right here has some balls on it. May be only 15 watts but it sounds fantastic. I fell in love the first time I played it and left the store with it. I was really disappointed when the 30 watt version came out. I was looking forward to the higher wattage and footswitch but that amp is voiced different. Not EVEN the same as this one. Good review dude!!

[@BenNeal]

Thank you! Yeah such a ballsy little thing!

[@csh9853]

saving right now for that amp.

[@wardphillips2104]

Do you think a Ric 620 would sound “jangly” enough with this? Thanks.

[@BenNeal]

Yeah I reckon! Turn on the bright switch, maybe turn the mids up and the bass down a bit!

[@Icantthinkofanything007]

That opening track!! The way it shifted gears - Chris Buck became Mark Litteri (still can’t spell his name). So good!!!!!!!!

[@BenNeal]

Huge compliments!!! Thanks Greg!

[@bobt7484]

Excellent review. I have 2 Juniors that I have modded. Might have to look into a Bassbreaker. Really nice playing! Totally enjoyed it.

[@mikelermanmusic]

I grabbed one of these a year ago as a backup and now I play it constantly. I love the dark sound and ability to have that thump, since it's so easy to EQ for treble if needed.. or use pedals for high mids. This amp is very underrated and I would take it over a Blues Jr any day.

[@KYCDK]

i'm the kind of person who wants 1 amp, cause amps are expensive, i'd rather have multiple guitars and one amp, rather than multiple amps and 1 guitar

[@BenNeal]

Fair call!

[@sonermert]

Powerfull tone, play, record. Congratulations guys. And I love bassbreaker 15

[@ronb7481]

I think your dead wrong about the options on this amp. It is the very reason I'd buy it.

[@BenNeal]

Epic 🙏🏽

[@LucMackowiak]

i like how you play guitar , good sound , 👍 i just subscribe

[@BenNeal]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@pomegranitejason]

I just picked up my Fender BB 15 combo today used from L&M, I was a bit concerned having heard a lot of people hating them to work on because of the cramped and hard to get at components. I had a Fender supersonic 22 combo that started getting noise issues shortly after the warranty ran out. However, the supersonic had great vibrolux and boutique Marshall/Boogie/Matchless tones, a surprisingly wonderful sounding but perhaps unreliable weapon. The BB 15 sounds just as good, and I'm happy with it, having played it for a total of 25 minutes so far.

[@CyberneticArgumentCreator]

They aren't popular because they did negative marketing with their release. They never got any support, really, just a few basic videos after its release, no real marketing push. The amps have always been amazing. And every single Bassbreaker - the 7w, 15w, 30w and 45w - are different. It isn't just more wattage in the same circuit. So it's even more confusing because the sounds are WAY different and for different applications. The 45 is a high headroom Tweedish pedal platform, the 7 is like a modded early Champ with a drive control. Their tone stacks are different, too. I hope Fender keep making them until people realize this and they don't become discontinued and skyrocket in price because I still need to pick up the higher wattage ones.

[@timritter8677]

I agree that the medium gain structure sounds best. If you want some beautiful high gain sounds, use this amp on medium gain structure with a klon type pedal. It just sings!

[@BenNeal]

Killer! I haven’t tried a klon type thing into it! Sounds like it would be sick 🤙🏽

[@robbyclark6915]

Reminds me of the late 90s into mid 00s Fender Twin amp otherwise known as the "evil twin" because of it's two overdrive/distortion channels to accompany tge single clean channel. The "Twin amp" or evil twin, was designed by amp guru Paul Rivera back when he was at Fender. 100 watts switchable down to 25 watts. All kinds of very cool features, especially for the time and being a Fender. 12 tubes all together! Efx loop that is switchable, direct out that is switchable, three different push/pull knobs (Rivera is crazy about those) that do a bright switch and the other two effect the amount of drive/distortion the amp puts out. Very versatile and very good sounding amp. I almost bought one but got a new deluxe reverb instead, but I am going back for that amp if it's still there in a couple of months. I kinda kick myself for not buying it on the spot tbh. Killer amp that has stood the test of time. For whatever reason the Rivera amps never really caught on? I'm definitely a fan!

[@ManchurianCounterweight]

Great video. I have this amp, and I'd like to point out that the gain staging happens in the 12AX7s - BB15 has three, and there is no diode or op-amp or digital clipping occurring. Consequently, they sound great. I can't understand why somebody would choose a BJr over this amp, if they gave it a side-by-side listen. But I agree, terrible marketing, terrible name. Bassman plus or Britbreaker or Bluesman something, anything than its current name.

[@SaxJockey]

Glad he explained the derivation of the name; it had been confusing me 🤔. The Blues Junior seems to have a more Fender clean tone, but I like the Mid/High Gain options on the BB15. Is it true that the BB15 can produce a good tone at moderate (home) volume? The vid here shows the master volume fairly low. People say the volume control on the BJ is not quite so useable? I have a 15W Fender Hybrid Tube Amp which produces good tones at moderate volume. Reason I am looking into the BB15 is that I just bought a Fender Mustang Micro (Headphone Amp) and really like the BB15 High Gain amp model on that.

[@BurqueBone]

I’ve always wanted to play one I think you got me over that hump

[@BenNeal]

Hopefully you dig it!