Behringer Ultrabass - Yay or nay?

Nay

I find the quality of all Behringer products to be slightly lacking. Also... If you currently have a combo, instead of getting another cheapie combo, perhaps you would get more out of saving up for a little bit longer and getting an actual rig? Browse the classifieds in your area, look for a used 410 cab for real cheap, then add a power amp/preamp setup in front of it? You would probably be able to find something with about 4 times the performance and quality for about twice the price of the ultrabass.

 

It's a nay from me also.

 

nay, will only please you for a short amount of time. not saying its gonna break down but you will want more from your amp/speakers. get a head and cab as stated above.

 

I have one of those and I say NAY with a capital N!!!! I think they sound horrible and I`m going to replace mine as soon as I get the money.

 

I have been using the 4500 head for a couple years now without issue. Sounds good, its loud and so far hasnt broke down. For the money its hard to complain much.

I also have a Behringer 60 watt practice amp thats been in use for nearly ten years now without issues.

 

Don't waste your money on another cheap combo..... Since you already have a combo, save your money and buy something that you will not out grow in a short time......

 

seriously ? I use my 4500 head with 2 x 15" cab, Jazz bass w/ flats , nothing but fat punchy tone.

 

Sorry but ... nay from me as well. Behringer makes ok combos but you've already got an ok combo. I would instead consider a used 4 ohm capable head in the 300 or more watt range) and separate 8 ohm cab, maybe with a 2x10 or 1x15 speaker. This will be plenty small and easily transported and should be plenty for most practicing, and when it comes time to gig, you can add a similar cab for double the amount of air moved.

 

Check out a GK MB200 or 500 with a matching MBE cab.... or Check out the Ampeg Portaflex series heads & cabs.....

 

Not only NAY but RUN!!!!! Behringer gear may seem like a great deal at first but it will only bring you much grief. What they do is reverse engineer other companies products and make them with the cheapest parts possible, guaranteed to fail in 6 months o less.

Honestly, try something like the GK Backline series combos o Microbass series, Markbass o even an Acoustic practice combo, any of these will be a fa better deal.

 

My 4500 head is great. I do have the 2x10 cab too. But after a year both speakers were replaced. It's fine now...

My 4500 head sounds great through a 4x15 cabinet. The 5 band eq is gorgeous. I can compare. Have tubeheads and a Trace Elliot AH250.

 

personally if i needed to buy something and that is what i wanted to spend i'd buy it, my friend has the 180 and it has lasted 6 years problem free and as for the 4500 with a 4x10 at the studio we used i never had any problems aside from it lacking the richer tones i could tweak out of my mesa and sunn heads, but for really loud and kind of undefined grunge/goth punk it's really good

 

Nay,
Gave mine away. Way to heavy to carry around (68lbs). Bought a GK115, half the weight and three times as loud. There selling around $350.00 there is a used one shipped for $300.00 on site. I’m presently looking at a Carvin MB12 that supposedly has better high end response. Will see.
Hope this helps

 

Hmmm... Sounds like the business model for almost every "U.S." Bass gear mfg.; take bids from several and then contract the Asian manufacturer who brings the reverse engineered product to the US market the lowest price point, while staying reasonably close to spec.
It’s all about keeping the retail price down and the margins for the Asian Mfg., the US Brand, the distributer, and the retailer as high as possible; and the consumer benefits by getting more “bang for their buck” than at any time in MI gear history.
The only “loser” is the US workforce.
I’m not excluding our European and other friends from this scenario, I’m just using the US example because I know that market and it’s such a huge percentage of the consumer market for MI gear.

Behringer was actually at the forefront of the "way things are" now, I think Behringer is like the modern day version of Peavey in the early '70's.
Peavey was always referred to as “Good gear FOR THE MONEY”, which carried a stigma not unlike the Behringer thing now days. Lots of players wouldn’t be caught dead playing Peavey because it was “cheap”, just like Behringer is now.

Was Peavey “junk”? Not by a long shot IMO, in retrospect I think Peavey was and is quality, bulletproof gear at a very reasonable price point, although I admit to gear snobbery and probably wouldn’t buy Peavey gear even now.
However I recognize this as MY problem with the stigma from decades ago and not any problem with Peavey gear. Old habits die hard!

I think Behringer has similar problems. From a practical standpoint it’s like arguing for fine china over paper plates; both have their uses, their pros, their cons, and their perceptions about who uses them and why.

I’m not saying that Behringer doesn’t cut things closer than some other branded Asian imports also built in one of “The Peoples” factories, in fact I’m pretty sure they do to hit that ridiculous retail price point, but come on; a Behringer BX4500 is $250 brand new with a warranty. If it dies in a few years your still out less than the depreciation on a “U.S” Branded amp that may have even been built by the same people in the same factory even if you just chuck the Behringer in the trash – and that “out in the trash” scenario certainly isn’t a given in light of the results posted by some real world users in the very thread.
In fact it seems that most of the “haters” are NOT even actual users, just bandwagon jumpers who feel for some reason it's important to get their opinions heard; regardless of the fact that it's just regurgitated hearsay.

Like some of us were in Peavey’s early days…

 

+1

 

I have the bxl3000 (the next size up from what youre looking at I think) and I dont have any problems with it at all. I got it in like new condition of craigslist for $200 last summer, and it still works great. And it is loud enough for my band without having to turn it up past 5 or so. It isnt the greatest tone in the world but it IS pretty cheap. I say go for it

 

Nay. Go bigger, IMO

 

I've owned a Behringer baby amp for maybe 6 years and it's been totally reliable. A friend owns a couple and has had similar experience. My amp is the little brother of what you are considering. The friend owns the amp you are looking at.

I wouldn't buy a larger Behringer because I don't like the tone but in my experience there have not been reliability issues.