Thunderfunk Bass Amps

[Jirishman]

Does anyone own/know much about this brand? I tried one at Chicago's Music Garage and it was essentially love at first sound.
All I know is that they sound fantastic, and are not cheap. Any user reviews or additional input would be appreciated. Thanks!

[BurningSkies]

There's a whole bunch of TF love on TB. If you do an advanced forum search with Thunderfunk as the keyword and limit it to thread titles, you should get a whole bunch of reads...

[Kael]

Before the fly weight amp craze struck, thunderfunk was the amp du jour on TB. They've since been surplanted by the light weight amp craze as the amp that everyone wants, but that hasn't changed there performance one whit. I've been using one for four or five years now and the thing simply works. Any cab. Any bass. Any room. It sounds stellar. I've used a Tech 21 pedal with mine lately for the "tubey" thing with a few acts, but if you dig clean tone, 'funks are where it is at.

PS: The newer 750's are really pricey. If you don't need that much headroom you can get a good used 550 or even one of the 400 watt jobbers for a lot less.

[CapnSev]

Yep. I sold mine and got a LMII when everyone hopped on the Markbass train. I love my LMII to death, but I do miss my 550 sometimes.

[dmrogers]

I agree with the above posts. The "latest & Greatest" have kinda taken away from some of the other great amps to be had.

I have two Thunderfunks. I liked the 750 so much I got a 550B. They are keepers! Like Kael said, "Any cab. Any bass. Any room" it just works. Fantastic EQ if you find yourself needing it.

Do a search and read up on them. It will be good read......

[atrapp]

Originally Posted by dmrogers

I agree with the above posts. The "latest & Greatest" have kinda taken away from some of the other great amps to be had.

I have two Thunderfunks. I liked the 750 so much I got a 550B. They are keepers! Like Kael said, "Any cab. Any bass. Any room" it just works. Fantastic EQ if you find yourself needing it.

Do a search and read up on them. It will be good read......

+1

I have both as well, super quick, sledgehammer bass, and the eq options are awesome if needed - find one used here, you'll be glad ya did.

[Chef]

Ain't nuttin wrong wiuth a Thunderfunk. Great amp.
Used one for years. Changed cause I like change
I, personally, would stay away from the 750 and shop for an older 550 or 420.
I bet there's a used on here now if you look.

[FunkyWilly]

Originally Posted by Jirishman

Does anyone own/know much about this brand? I tried one at Chicago's Music Garage and it was essentially love at first sound.

You can demo Thunderfunk amps at the Music Garage in Chicago this Saturday at the DNA showcase. It's essentially an event to showcase and test drive the new DNA cabinets, and Thunderfunk will be one of the amps provided for test drives.

[Hollow Man]

I've owned the TF750, and sometimes wonder why I sold it. I too went for the lighter stuff, and while a lot of those brands work phenomenally, I've not found anything better than TF, only different (and lighter).

If Dave ever came out with a micro head, I'd preorder in a heartbeat.

[nutdog]

Love my 550. It has lots of knobs and sounds good no matter where you put them. Just different kinds of good. Runs silent. Very high build quality.

[Jirishman]

Originally Posted by FunkyWilly

You can demo Thunderfunk amps at the Music Garage in Chicago this Saturday at the DNA showcase. It's essentially an event to showcase and test drive the new DNA cabinets, and Thunderfunk will be one of the amps provided for test drives.

Thanks for the info, I'll try to make it.
Thanks to everyone for the input, I'm definitely interested in buying a used 550.

[4-string]

I owned a 750, but sold it after a short while. Great amp, but not quite my thing.

Try, or at least do your homework, before you buy.

[spiritbass]

I started with a 420 and now have a 550B. They always make me sound good. Rock solid reliability IME. When I see theads about what's the best headphone amp, I'm tempted to post it. Seriously, you can un-plug from your cab and use the headphone output to jam silently. Great sounding DI with adjustable level and ground lift. They have a longe pedigree going back to the A.M.P. company...

[Chef]

Howdy Spiritbass!

[c-ba55]

I haven't heard anything better. Some small amps get almost the same result, but in any head-to-head I have a clear preference for Thunderfunk. When I hear something else that sounds basically great, and then the TF right after, my eyes snap open and I go "so that's what the other one was missing."
Having judged that I am willing to carry the incredible burden of 15 pounds around, that's what I use (used to have 420, now 550).

[RickC]

Originally Posted by c-ba55

I haven't heard anything better. Some small amps get almost the same result, but in any head-to-head I have a clear preference for Thunderfunk. When I hear something else that sounds basically great, and then the TF right after, my eyes snap open and I go "so that's what the other one was missing."

+1

My 420s have been on vacation since I got bit by the ultralight bug, but I'm thinking about going back. First time I plugged into one it was love and that feeling never faded over the course of 7 years steady gigging.

/rick

[Joebone]

If you dig clean, warm and fast, the Tfunk is king of the hill. I have not tried all of the micro amps out there, but based on some Genz Benz and MarkBass experience, I really, truly think that there is no substitute for a good old-fashioned power supply with a kick-ass transformer. And I rarely have to walk more than a block with my stuff, so I don't find the 20 pounds of a 750 to be that onerous. Used 550s and 420s can be killer deals (I've owned both). The bad news is that while pricey, the 750 is, to my ears, even better still and they can also be found used (as was mine). More girth and headroom, and completely hum-free. I spend a lot of time with acoustic musicians, horn players and percussionists, and am pleased to find that the 750 lets me generate the kind of presence I want to have without having to be too loud for what's going on around me. I also do some chordal playing, and the Tfunk manages to keep things sorted out instead of having the chords congeal into one molten mass of mess.

I'm now messing around with an old Eden WT405 that's not as powerful but has a bit warmer, fatter sound, a killer compressor, and perhaps even a little grit once I start re-calibrating the "warm" switch; it's fun and a lot like the Tfunk, but it so far has not convinced me that it can take the Tfunk's place. Several times I've been on the verge of taking the WT405 to gig, but always end up grabbing the Tfunk instead. I'll probably keep this as a different "flavor," but while I have thought about selling the Tfunk, I probably won't.

And if you're just learning about these, do some searches for AMP (Amplified Musical Products) and Russ Allee, who designed the AMP stuff that mutated into the Tfunk, and who also did design work on early Eden and SWR stuff. The Tfunk is a genuine classic.

[Bassist30]

I have been playing Thunderfunks for over 5 years now. Love the amps. I have the 550B that has the 750a power-board in it and a 750A. Love them both. Have not changed amps all this time and a record for me. Yea its not lite like all of the digital type amps available, but at 19 or 20 pounds Im not complaining. I carry neo and non neo cabs and all are heavier than many of the tube driven amps. So Im not one to jump on the lite amp bandwagon unless i heard something better. So for me personally Ill stay with the thunderfunk. There was a time I was going to sell the 550B. I had just gotten the 750A but once someone backed out and no one else was at the time interested in the 550B. But Im keeping both for now.
There is a difference in the 550B and 750A. Maybe that's why I can't have just one. They both are very good. The 550B compresses the bottom end a little more than the 750 but not in a bad way. Its a very meaty buttery type bottom. The 750 has a little more clarity across the board and more open on the bottom end. Having tube amps before Its hard to believe it does not carry a tube yet has the transistor clean type tone also.
To me it was the sound i was looking for. I anticipate something new coming up as the 750A has been around for awhile. I am hoping he stays with his system as i feel there is a difference with, tube, transistor type and digital amps.

[mongo2]

I played an AMP BH-260 and BH-420 (predecessors of the Thunderfunk) for quite a few years. I switched to the lighter micro amp but still keep a BH-420 in the trunk as a backup.

[bikeplate]

HI

Dont hesitate. Sound great and they dont breakdown!!

Rob