I need help with myAmpeg BA-115T Bass Amplifier

[Gonads]

I just got this sweet new amp, but before I plug in and start jamming I have to understand the input things better. I have two inputs to connect my cable in, one says: odB Input: Connect your "passive" bass guitar here using a shielded instrument cable. This input is not padded and is best suited for bases without electronics or "hot" pickups.

-15dB Input: Connect your "active" bass guitar here using a shielded instrument cable. This input is padded 15db and is best suited for basses with active electronics or "hot" pickups.

Which one do I plug my cable into? I play an Ibanez Soundgear 406 six string bass.

Heres my amp
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ampeg-BA115T-1X15-100-Watt-Bass-Combo-Amp?sku=481724

and heres my bass, this is all I could find on it.
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/product/Ibanez/SR406+Soundgear+6-String+Bass/50/1

[grieverOSOK]

check whether or not your bass has active pickups. if theyre active i'd recomend the second input, if theyre passive id recomend the first. if you have a 3 band EQ in your onboard electronics its prolly best to go active as your pickups are most likely active.

[DBoons Ghost]

You plug into the -15dB input.

Your bass is active. It has a battery, which means it's got an onboard preamp.

I had an older model of that amp. It's awesome. I was able to gig small bars with it and kick.

[Gonads]

You plug into the -15dB input.

Your bass is active. It has a battery, which means it's got an onboard preamp.

I had an older model of that amp. It's awesome. I was able to gig small bars with it and kick.

Great, thanks for the help.:chug:

[DBoons Ghost]

Great, thanks for the help.:chug:

Anytime. Enjoy!

[grieverOSOK]

hmm i just checked the links and ibanez uses passive pickups. it really shouldn't harm it in any way. your elctronics themselves are active but your pickups arent. i would use the active (-15) input. but i'd say its safe to use either. i haven't seen one of those ibanez 6 strings in quite awhile. all i ever see are the newer mahogany 6s.

[Gonads]

My amp makes a kind of hissing sound when it's on, is that normal?

[rh15951]

Is the treble turned right up on the bass or amp? That's the usual cause of hissing. How loud is it?

And you can plug the bass into either input as long as the preamp doesn't clip/distort when you play.

[Gonads]

The trebble isn't the cause of the hissing sound, the amp just makes the sound when it's on, so it wouldn't hurt if I plugged my cable into 0dB? Because I noticed I get a much louder sound through that input.

[rh15951]

As long as its not distorting it'll be ok. Is there no input volume knob?

If it's a quiet hiss it could be to do with the electrical supply. If it's quite loud you might wana get it checked out at the store you bought it from.

[Gonads]

I have one volume nob and a main volume nob, it makes a sound like sssssssss like a snake hissing and it really bothers me, it's kinda loud, I unplugged the input cable and turned everything down and I still got the sound. I read reviews where people have the same issue it's just what the amp does, it's normal for it to make a hissing sound.

[Gonads]

I can live with the hissing sound, it's worth the great tone I get and when I crank up my amp and start getting into it, I hardly notice it.

[rh15951]

Personally I don't think you should have to put up with a hissing sound on your amp... But if you're happy that's all that matters.

[Gonads]

I'm wondering if theres a way I can fix the hissing sound, if I cant then I'll still live but I'm wondering if I can fix it.

[exit]

I'm not much of a techie but hissing sounds always make me think there is a problem with the speaker...

[hazletbassist89]

Just make sure your volume nob on the bass is high (I play mine maxed out) and the one on the amp lower (unless you want to be really loud). And also, like previously stated, some times the highs in the EQ will make hissing. In my Hartke, sometimes even the upper mids will make a bit of hiss.

[Livewire]

Is the amp used or did you get it brand new? My fender rumble does that when I have the treble way up. It could be your cable, some old cables tend to give feedback. Fool around with the eq on the amp and see if it continues when you change around the settings. If the hiss persists, then its either the speaker, your cable, or the bass is too "hot" for the amp, which I doubt tbh. Does it still hiss when you put it in the active or the passive inputs? Fool around with it and let us know.

[Gonads]

I got the amp brand new for 500 dollars. I get the hissing sound without the cable so it has nothing to do with the cable, and I turned down everything and changed the eq all around and it still makes the sound and just as loud. I read a review where this person says that the tweeter hisses a little so it probably is the tweeter, I don't even know what a tweeter is but heres the review, would I be able to replace the tweeter for something more quiet? I don't understand that much about amps. http://www.bgra.net/2004/review.php?id=400&type=combo

[rh15951]

If it's brand new take it back, it shouldn't be making noise.

[Gonads]

I'm probably gonna take it back because It's hard to practice by myself with that annoying hissing sound. I just don't know what to try out next, this will be the second time I have to return an amp in the past week, and they don't give money refunds so I have to exchange it for another amp they have, and it will probably be a backline 115 because they don't have a lot of different amps.

[Gonads]

My music store says there gonna check it out and fix it for free after christmas, I just hope it can be fixed or I figure out why it makes this sound. Sometimes my amp gets a distorted sound, is that because it's getting to hot or I'm playing too hard?

[Livewire]

maybe your bass is too much for the amp to handle, which is weird tbh. my fender rumble amp actually started to clip after i changed the stock pups to seymour duncans. so i know that the seymour duncans are too "hot" for the amp to handle. but luckily theres a passive button i can push which helps take away some of the clipping. sucks though, the ampeg is a killa amp

[Gonads]

Yeah I wish I had a four string fender jazz bass because I don't even hardly use the two extra strings and I like the feel and sound of the J bass better, I just got this bass used for 80 dollars and it would of been dumb to pass that deal up because this bass sounds good. Maybe if I get lucky I can trade in my soundgear 406 for a used fender jazz bass or precision bass. I'll probably take out my old 4 string Soundgear beginners bass and use that until I can afford something better since my amp can hardly handle the six string.