The Origin Effects BassRig Fifteen is an all-analog preamp pedal and DI for bass that puts the Ampeg B-15 Portaflex studio combo on a pedalboard. It simulates the entire amp, as Origin Effects' John Dines puts it, "from top to toe, including a full amp topology and cabinet simulated DI"1. The B-15 itself is what Origin Effects' Jacob Holdsworth calls "this icon of bass", a little combo that became a studio staple, and the BassRig Fifteen brings that sound, feel and character to a pedal using a full valve-style signal path in miniature23.
It was released on 18 November 2025 as part of the BASSRIG range of "Amp Recreations"4, alongside a matching Fifteen Blue finish of the Cali76 Bass Compressor. It is designed and built in England, in a rugged stainless steel enclosure5.
What the BassRig Fifteen does: the Ampeg B-15 sound on a pedalboard
The pedal recreates the whole signal path of the original B-15 studio bass combo in solid-state circuitry: the preamp, phase inverter, power amp and reactive load are all simulated inside the BassRig Fifteen2. That includes a simulated push-pull power amp with a reactive load, which is what gives an amp-in-a-box pedal the feel of a real tube output stage rather than just a tone stack5. Bass Musician Magazine's Cláudio Ribeiro notes that with it, Origin Effects has "turned their attention to one of the most recorded bass amp sounds in history"8.
The controls are kept simple, which Origin Effects describes as "simple controls to get you to a record-ready tone quickly"3. Two controls do particular work:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| BLEND | Adds in clean signal for low-end clarity and extra articulation5 |
| AMP OUT EQ | Tailors the voicing of the pedal to suit any backline amp5 |
The AMP OUT EQ is the key to using the pedal with a real amp on stage. Because a backline bass rig has its own tone, the EQ lets you shape what the pedal feeds it, and Lo Cut and Hi Cut switches affect only the 1/4" amp output, lopping off low and high frequencies to bring the stage amp's cab response closer to the B-15 cab1.
The Lo Cut and Hi Cut switches only affect the 1/4" amp output. The XLR DI output is unaffected, so your front-of-house sound keeps the full B-15 cab simulation1.
Power and connections: 9V DC, 200mA
The BassRig Fifteen runs on 9V DC from a 2.1 mm center-negative mains adaptor and draws 200 mA5. There is no battery option: Origin Effects says it "dispensed with the usual 9V battery option, both to save space and to allow us to adopt a high-current approach"5.
At 200 mA, this pedal needs a proper isolated or high-current power supply. It cannot run on a battery, and a low-current daisy chain may not deliver enough current.
Connections are a 1/4" instrument input, a 1/4" amp output and an XLR DI out6. The output impedance is 500 Ω5, low enough to drive long cable runs cleanly.
The DI OUT has flexible switching with three modes5:
- Clean DI: a straight DI feed of your bass.
- Cab sim for other preamps: the B-15 cabinet simulation applied to another preamp's output.
- Unfiltered preamp output: the preamp and power amp simulation without the built-in cab sim, for feeding an IR loader.
That third mode is what makes the pedal work with modern IR-based rigs: you get the analog amp simulation and let your IR loader supply the cabinet5.
Where it sits in the range
The BassRig Fifteen is one of Origin Effects' bass amp recreations. The 2026 lineup also includes the BASSRIG Super Vintage and the BassRIG '64 Black Panel3. Where those pedals recreate other classic bass amps, the Fifteen is the studio B-15 combo sound, aimed at players who want that recorded bass tone direct to the desk.
What reviewers said
Gearnews' Jef, writing at launch, said: "I really like the way Origin Effects builds their pedals, and the solid construction and use of high-end components make for great gear for working musicians"9. Bass Musician Magazine's Cláudio Ribeiro, reviewing a unit provided by Origin Effects in April 2026, praised its feel, clarity and DI tone8.
Videos
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Questions
Does the BassRig Fifteen take a battery?
No. Origin Effects left out the usual 9V battery option, both to save space inside the enclosure and to allow a high-current design. The pedal runs from a 9V DC 2.1 mm centre-negative mains adaptor only, drawing 200 mA, so it needs a proper pedalboard power supply rather than a battery.
Can I use the BassRig Fifteen with an IR loader?
Yes. The DI OUT has flexible switching with three modes: a clean DI, a cab sim for other preamps, and an unfiltered preamp output for feeding an IR loader. That third mode gives you the raw preamp and power amp simulation without the built-in cabinet emulation.
Can the BassRig Fifteen be used in front of a bass amp?
Yes. It has a 1/4 inch amp output, and the AMP OUT EQ tailors the pedal's voicing to suit any backline amp. Lo Cut and Hi Cut switches affect only that output, trimming low and high frequencies so the stage amp's cab response comes closer to the B-15 cab.
Is the BassRig Fifteen true bypass?
No. It uses a high-quality buffered bypass rather than true bypass. The pedal also has a low output impedance of 500 ohms, which helps it drive long cable runs and the rest of a pedalboard without losing signal.
Is the BassRig Fifteen analog or digital?
It is all-analogue. The preamp, phase inverter, power amp and reactive load of the original B-15 are all simulated in solid-state circuitry inside the pedal, with no digital processing in the signal path.
Sources (9)
- BASSRIG Fifteen: Cab Sim, On-Stage Monitoring, and Why They Are Not the Same, Origin Effects, 2026-05-01
- BassRig Fifteen by Origin Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- 2026 - Our Bass Guitar Amp Recreation Line Up - Origin Effects, Origin Effects, 2026-08-18
- Product Release: BASSRIG Fifteen & Cali76 Bass Compressor Fifteen Blue, Origin Effects, 2025-11-18
- BASSRIG Fifteen, Origin Effects, 2026
- Origin Effects BASSRIG Fifteen review, Guitar World, 2026-01-07
- Earthquaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey review, Guitar World, 2026-10-21
- Gear Review: Origin Effects BassRig Fifteen... The Art of Getting Bass Tone Right, Bass Musician Magazine, 2026-04-20
- Origin Effects BassRig Fifteen: Ampeg B-15 in a Pedal, gearnews.com, 2025-11-18
