Guitar World Verdict
Another blinder from Origin Effects - a small, convenient and immaculately-crafted package shot through with the sound of Motown, funk and classic rock. If it’s those vintage sounds you’re after, and you’re in the market for a serious preamp to do it, then it’s unlikely you’ll find anything better.
Pros
- +
The build quality is superlative.
- +
The sounds are exactly as you’d hope from a Flip-Top recreation.
- +
It’ll integrate into your rig seamlessly, or stand on its own.
Cons
- -
Seems churlish to mention it, but it’s not cheap. It’s worth it though.
You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
What is it?
Origin Effects – one of the most striking success stories of late in the world of effects, a Buckinghamshire, UK-based operation specializing in beautifully-crafted, feature-packed compressors, overdrive pedals and preamps.
Numerous rave reviews speak to the quality of Origin’s products. Since the brand’s inception in 2012 it has gone from strength to strength among both guitarists and bassists.
The story today is the BASSRIG ‘Amp Recreation’ series, which debuted at the start of 2022 – these are bass preamp pedals in the time-honored pedal-cum-DI-box format, based on classic bass amps.
This comprised the Super Vintage, emulating an Ampeg SVT, and the ‘64 Black Panel, emulating a Fender Bassman. Now, a third member of the family has arrived; another Ampeg classic up for grabs in pedal form. It’s the hallowed B-15 ‘Flip-Top’, introduced in 1960.
Origin makes no bones about having wanted to include the B-15 in this range for a while, but its PR release for the new BASSRIG Fifteen stresses the effort taken to do it right.
Not only is the B-15 beloved of generations of bassists, evidently it’s also not the work of a moment to emulate it successfully in a pedal.
The company's own admission, of having taken its time with the Fifteen to make it truly right, feels very ‘Origin’ - it speaks of serious attention to detail, in pursuit of the best possible product. And now it's here; let's see what's what.
Specs
- Price: $565 | £449 | €459
- Type: Bass preamp pedal/DI
- Controls: Output, Blend, Drive, Bass, Treble, 3-way switch for DI cab emulation (permanently on/off/when FX engaged only), Amp Out EQ - LF trimmer, Lo Cut switch, Hi Cut switch, HF trimmer, DI ground/lift, On/Off footswitch
- Features: Switchable B-15 cab emulation, post EQ for tuning to amp/cab, clean blend
- Connectivity: ¼” instrument input, ¼” amp output, XLR out
- Bypass: Buffered
- Power: 9v DC, minimum 200mA
- Dimensions: 146mm x 93mm x 64mm
- Weight: 846g
- Contact Origin Effects
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
First of all, I've handled lots of solid, well-made pedals in my time; this is a different story altogether.
The BASSRIG Fifteen is practically an objet d'art – it weighs almost a kilogram, looks like a piece of high-end studio gear, and the attention to detail in the build is fanatical.
It looks (and it is) expensive and exquisite enough that you'd almost feel bad gigging it; at the same time, it's very clear that it’d take the punishment, feeling effectively bomb-proof.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★★★
Like Origin's products tend to, it also packs in a lot of features, but with commendable ease of use
Like Origin's products tend to, it also packs in a lot of features, but with commendable ease of use. Recognizing that today's pro bassist prizes flexibility, the BASSRIG can be integrated into the signal chain in multiple ways.
You might run it into an amp’s effects loop as a preamp (or into the input as an overdrive), to be used with a cab. When used this way, you’ve a suite of extra EQ controls to compensate for different amps and cabs – cutting highs for vintage vibe from a modern tweeter-equipped cab, for example.
For the purposes of this review, I focused mainly on the XLR output and ran straight into my powered full-range Laney cab. I was therefore able to make use of the carefully-crafted B-15 cab emulation too; a switch on the pedal allows this cab sim to be used even when the preamp is disengaged, a nice touch.
My instruments of choice were my faithful 1983 Ibanez Roadstar (a passive P-bass, effectively) and a Japanese ‘62 reissue Fender Jazz from 1990, fitted with Seymour Duncan Antiquities.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
The B-15 is fêted for its warm, rich midrange, but also for its tight, attenuated low end. And, as valve amps do, it breaks into a lovely overdriven growl as the volume increases.
There are no valves here, of course, but all these characteristics still make themselves known. The ranges of the controls are well-judged, the interaction between the Volume and Gain controls being very intuitive and amp-like.
With the Gain around 10 o'clock and the Volume higher to compensate, it's a big, warm clean sound with a tiny bit of retro fur around the edges. Whether you play a P-Bass, a Jazz or even a StingRay, it’s a fabulous tone that sits perfectly in an ensemble for classic rock, pop, Motown and funk.
With the Gain high, it's fat and aggressive, sounding genuinely like a cooking tube amp
At higher gain settings, Origin recommends backing off the Bass control to preserve definition but, regardless, this isn't the more modern-sounding growl of an SVT.
With the Gain high, it's fat and aggressive, sounding genuinely like a cooking tube amp. For more clarity, the Blend control allows clean signal back in alongside the magnificent roar of a Flip-Top in full voice.
Verdict
The build is nothing short of stunning, the features are intelligent, and the sounds are wonderfully evocative
It’s no surprise that Origin Effects has created such a high-quality emulation of an Ampeg B-15 – its reputation is what it is for a reason.
The time and effort has been taken to get it right, and it’s paid off. The build is nothing short of stunning, the features are intelligent, and the sounds are wonderfully evocative.
Anyone who’s seen the BASSRIG series, and was waiting for Origin to turn its hand to the Flip-Top, will surely be delighted – the Fifteen is exactly as good as you’d hope it would be.
Guitar World verdict: Another blinder from Origin Effects - a small, convenient and immaculately-crafted package shot through with the sound of Motown, funk and classic rock. If it’s those vintage sounds you’re after, and you’re in the market for a serious preamp to do it, then it’s unlikely you’ll find anything better.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | This isn’t solid like other pedals. This is solid like the door of a bank vault – the build is simply exquisite. | ★★★★★ |
Usability | It does everything you need, superbly – easy to get great sounds from, and easy to integrate into your rig. | ★★★★★ |
Sounds | If it’s that Flip-Top sound you’re after, it’s hard to find anything that combines quality and ease of use like this.
| ★★★★★ |
Overall |
There are simply no chinks in the armour here.
| ★★★★★ |
Also try
Hands-on videos
Origin Effects
BassTheWorld
Barefaced
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
