Bugera!?!(cheap tube amps)

Styles

Hey peeps, anybody played on the Bugera line of valve amps yet?

AlanRatcliffe

I'd never heard of them until you asked. Hmmm. A Behringer made line of tube amps... Which probably means a cheap copy of someone else's products.

First reports are good, but they seem to appeal to the heavy players who like Br00tal amps like the Peavey 5150. Some concerns about durability - but Behringer products are always going to raise those.

The whole line is 120W amps though - where in SA are you going to be able to turn that up?

I'd wait a year to see how many have blown up.

Styles

Hehehehe, I know, I hear Behringer and i cringe!
My guitarist in Sixarmsofchaos bought one two weeks ago. I have to say i'm pretty impressed.
It's quiet, Two channels with independent eq and reverb.
Clean channels got clen and crunch, not footswitchable though.
On the included footswitch you get clean, lead, reverb and effects loop.
For R5500 cash you can't get a better deal.
The sound is close to the Peavy 5150 but much quieter.
Awesome blues sound. Great cleans. It can go BR00TAL(lol), but back down your volume knob and it cleans up.
Some pics this week. . . .

AlanRatcliffe

Cool. I'd be interested to hear how you both feel about in a few months time, when the honeymoon is over. R5.5K is a great price for an all tube 120W amp. Did he get a head or a combo, btw?

Behringer get knocked a lot, but I try to treat them like any other product line and try things with no preconceived notions. I use the FCB10101 footpedal (which is awesome) and I also have a T1953 tube mic preamp (which is not). Their Ultra-DI is pretty cool too.

I think a lot of the hate for Behringer comes from US forums, where many have a problem with the fact that Behringer manufacture in China (and have a tendency to "borrow" other manufacturer's designs). Of course for us, the China thing makes them affordable - always an important factor for us with our weak currency and impoverished musicians.

Styles

Yep yep, I hear you brother ?, I'm counting the days till the first tube blows/a cap goes/ the pcb craps out somewhere. . .
I had a WEM 50W Dominator and an Ashdown Fallen Angel 60 a few years ago, and so far this head seems to be holding up.
Touch wood(lol)

Mr-M

Hey, I just saw this thread.

A Behringer-made Valve amp? Accident waiting to happen IMO!

Granted some of their stuff is decent - I have the MiniAMp 800 Headphone Amp and a crossover which have worked, but some of their other gear is terrible quality (I've had a few things expire myself) - but I still wouldn't trust a gig to one of those, especially considering they have no track record making valve amps.

For a cheap Valve amp try the Peavey ValveKing 112 50W (around R7000 I think). A friend bought one recently. Amazing tone & really versatile (more so than the Bugera I would say) for the money and a much more usable power level than 120W.
www.peavey.com/products/browse.cfm/action/detail/item/116188/ValveKing(R)%20112%20Combo.cfm

AlanRatcliffe

Mr M wrote: they have no track record making valve amps.

To be fair, the same was said of Peavey at one point... ;D Look how that turned out.

For a cheap Valve amp try the Peavey ValveKing 112 50W

I've always liked the Classic 30 (especially once the speaker is swapped out for a Celestion), but it's LOUD. I'm waiting for the new Peavey Windsor Studio to pop up locally, with a view to getting it as a jamming/practice amp. Smaller and lower powered at only 15W, but still with a 12" speaker. 15W is loud enough for most situations (I'm not playing metal). What makes it really usable for me is the built in power-soak, so I would be able to get the volume down while still winding the power amp up. The only other thing comparable that's readily available is the Fender Princeton studio, but that's only a 10" and is R22K!

Mr-M

To be fair, the same was said of Peavey at one point... Look how that turned out.

As far as I've hear, they did have their fair share of teething problems in their early days with Tube amps, I just wouldn't want to be one the clients having first hand experience of a teething problem with a new manufacturer that is in no way boutique quality.

I'm waiting for the new Peavey Windsor Studio to pop up locally, with a view to getting it as a jamming/practice amp. Smaller and lower powered at only 15W, but still with a 12" speaker. 15W is loud enough for most situations (I'm not playing metal). What makes it really usable for me is the built in power-soak, so I would be able to get the volume down while still winding the power amp up

Looks very, very tasty! I'll keep my eyes open for one of those!