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AMP BH420 Hey look what I found!

#21
Frankie Fender said:
I thought it was a mod too, but it is the footswitch jack to activate the Enhance function. Brad Johnson shows one in a picture of his collection too. It is the one on the bottom. Brad's Collection I don't know if it was on the earlier ones or the later ones or just an option. Anyone?
Click to expand...

Going by serial numbers, the footswitch is on the later ones.

I checked out AMP Products when they were new in the mid 1980's. IIRC the BH-420 was around $600 street price, a lot of money back then. I ended up buying a new SWR amp which was basically the Groove Tubes preamp in an integrated format. When I finally got my first AMP in the early 1990's I kicked myself for all of the time I wasted with other stuff:D. I've been hooked even since and even though I try out everything under the sun, until I found the Thunderfunk I had no intention of using anything else. Now I rotate the four amps (including the Gibson) but mainly use the TF.

An additional amp is required to biamp. You could run either the AMP or the extra amp low pass, high pass or full range. I tried it a couple of times early one and felt it didn't improve on the simplest way to hook it up. My first full rig with the BH-420 was driving the original Guild/Hartke 410/115 combo, full range. It sounded excellent. Just got tired of carrying that much cabinet around.

I recently found an XB-15 cab, which is pretty wild. It's a 1-15 cab in a sleeve that turns into a large ported extension of the cab.

The other change on the Thunderfunk is the EQ centers, IMO they're set more in line with where modern players might need them. I still haven't used my EQ section on a gig since I first bought it (my AMP) and only used the TONE BAL control a couple of times. I think they're amazing little amps.
 
#22
The XB-15
 

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#24
I own them all - the SL-1, the AMP 420, a non-working Gibson, the Groove Tube version, and the T'Funk. I claim to be no expert, but .. well I'm no expert.

I use the AMP for practice (is just stays there), and the T'Funk to gig with (a little lighter). Interestingly, I use the lower front jack on my AMP for a tuner connection - not sure if it's in the exact same place as the one pictured in this thread, memory says it's a bit further left (viewed from the front). Perhaps different mod's were made to mine (bought second hand).

The AMP is unquestionably the "fattest" sounding one.

I've not spent much time with the SL-1, but it's a very functional preamp based on what little I've played with it.

I took the GT model to a couple rehersals, and wasn't able to quickly get a sound out it that knocked me out, while the other amps all sound pretty good with limited or no tweaking.

The features all vary slightly - parametric points, variable vs. fixed enhance, variable vs. fixed limiters, etc. The AMP has a balanced pre-EQ line out, not a balanced post-EQ out like the newer models, etc.

The internal front end of the AMP line is different from the Gibson and T'Funk, and the AMP lacks some "fat" circuitry added into the later versions; I would guess "the switch" simply bypasses this section. The T'funk is almost identical to the Gibson, with a two-sided vs. 1 sided PC (easier to build), a couple dropping resistors beefed up and relocated, and many components of higher quality. Other than that, it really is almost identical to the Gibson.

In the poweramp end, they all look pretty similar to my untrained eye. The T'Funk has some added capacitance and uses a smaller tranny, which makes noticable lighter than the AMP. I've not seen the newer T'Funk models, but suspect the added power is real but also near-token.

WHAT TO BUY .. statement not a question.

If you find a good used AMP, ya can't go wrong. The AMP has a couple resistors that are "hanging" in a bad place, I had mine fixed; apparently the Gibsons have this same problem. I'm not enamoured (spelling) with the GT / SWR unit, your milage may vary. The T'Funk is a really good amp, if you buy one used, you can probably get your money back in resale. I do know of another model being developed - I've heard the first passes - that is a real step up from any of these.
 
#25
tombowlus said:
That's pretty wild! How does it sound?
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It sounds decent, not Earth-shattering. In it's defense, I need to replace the gasket material on the bottom of the cab to make a tighter seal. I bought it because of the other AMP stuff I have, didn't really intend to use it. It is a clever idea and I've been needling Joey Nahas about making a collapsible cab that'll fit in the floor of my Miata;)
 
#26
After a long hiatus I am back. I've used the BH420 at one gig so far. The gig was a nightmare, so I'm not sure yet how the AMP fares.

I didn't want to give it an unfair negative post so that is why I have not posted a review until now, I felt that the gig I played last month did not give the 420 a fair chance.

We opened for a band that had a stadium sound system for a very live room that was roughly 100'x60'. I don't know how much wattage they had but there were 3 18' subs on either side of the stage, They supported 3' horn midrange cabs and big horn tweeters. All in all they stood about ten feet tall. Overkill? and how.

Seeing as we were the openers they didn't give us a sound check or a warmup. They just had us set up and told us to play. To sum it up, the monitors only carried one of our guitarists while the other guitarist (the one I usually key off of) was not even heard through his amp because of the incredible volume of the first guitarist through the monitors. They wouldn't let him turn up because of the hot send to the board, but yet he was not in the monitors. GRRRR!

We asked for adjustments but the sound guy had an attitude like we were second class and that was all he could do for us. I could not hear the drums even though I was practically standing on top of them. All of our vocals were indescernable and what I heard mostly from my bass was from the speakers out front. I was playing through my NV610 and had the AMP cranked to about 3 o'clock, but was not happy with my sound, it was all mud and no definition. Understandably because I was in the middle of a war zone. Amazingly, this was a paying gig!

Remarkably, everyone out front said we sounded good. Now I have played through bad situations before but this was the worse. We were louder than we ever played and I thought it all sounded like one big mess. I don't think I can blame the AMP for my bad sound, it was a combination of no soundcheck and a soundsystem out of control.

I'll tell you though, in rehearsal I think the AMP sounds great. I am not willing to write it off because of the gig from hell. The AMP has a scary low end if you boost it. I leave it flat and that is enough. It also has a lot of power. I run the full 400 watts and It has a very round tubeish tone. All from a lightweight SS head.

I have switched from flatwound to roundwounds on my main Jazz because I am looking for a more aggressive tone, so next time I play it out I can give a more detailed review.

FF
 
#30
Reopening an OLD thread:

I just bought an AMP BH-420 (sight unseen) from a player who claims it is fine except for scratchy pots and one missing knob cover. He confessed that the high end is harsh ("If you turn up the Highs -- Yikes" was his quote.) but said that it was fine otherwise. I paid $250 for the amp already racked in a six-space rack, so I think i got a good deal. Can't wait to hear it!

Hey, what was the other amp being based off of the BH-420 you said was being developed? Should be out now, no?
 
#32
nyctigerintx said:
Reopening an OLD thread:

I just bought an AMP BH-420 (sight unseen) from a player who claims it is fine except for scratchy pots and one missing knob cover. He confessed that the high end is harsh ("If you turn up the Highs -- Yikes" was his quote.) but said that it was fine otherwise. I paid $250 for the amp already racked in a six-space rack, so I think i got a good deal. Can't wait to hear it!

Hey, what was the other amp being based off of the BH-420 you said was being developed? Should be out now, no?
Click to expand...

Thunderfunk... It's been out for a while. Good luck with the BH420. Love mine!
 

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