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Behringer Ultrabass - Yay or nay?

#41
I had quite an experience with Behringer gear in the past and I can say that every piece of equipment that I owned had a different QC rating in my opinion.

Their QC seems to have many ups and downs, because I had things that worked fine and some that fell apart in less than 6 months.

For example, I owned a Xenyx mixer and a couple of B2 PRO condenser mics that were perfect after 3 years of band/studio abuse, heck, I even dropped the mics more than once and they still worked fine...

OTOH I had a preamp, an EQ and a compressor from the "Vintage Tube" series that looked great (aluminum panel, vintage knobs, old time VU meters...) but sound was meh and pots got scratchy then some stopped working. Sold them as-is for less than half the price I paid.

Years ago I was looking for a bass combo and the Ultrabass line was a choice, I mean, price was right and they sounded fine at the store. But a friend of mine worked in another local music store and he advised me to keep away from the Behringer amps because they had a couple returned before warranty expired and a few others he said that customers complained about blown speakers and so...
 
#42
I just don't dig Behringer amps. I've owned four (2 guitar, one bass, one keyboard), and they've all been sub-par in at least one area. The best one I had was a GMX212 stereo guitar amp. It's only issue was a lag in channel switching that was unacceptable for gigging purposes, it sounded pretty good... and was loud enough. The keyboard amp I owned had an awful speaker (after I replaced it the amp sounded good), and the first guitar amp was just under-powered (much like the bass amp).

All that being said, I still own some Behringer gear. The Xenyx mixers are fine, the bass V-Amps are good, I've found they're effects pedals to be good for the price, and my band uses a DDX3216 when we play live and it's the beast bang for the buck digital board you can get your hands on imo. I'll likely get a Behringer rackmount compressor sometime soon.

I've noticed the OP plays with a hardcore/metal band though, and if he's planning on using this for rehearsals I doubt very seriously that it'll be loud enough. If all he needs is something for bedroom practice or acoustic stuff this amp would be alright... but then again I'd wager that the Ibby is likely serving this purpose fine.

Perhaps it's just a G.A.S. attack. ;)
 
#43
I'd say Yay for Behringer but nay for combo. If you already have a decent combo you should save up for an amp head and cab. Behringer makes good products for low prices. I myself own an ultrabass amp head and cabinet and they both sound clean and very powerful. The price is great especially for someone on a budget and the actual quality no doubt exceeds the price paid.
 
#44
5StringFool said:
I just don't dig Behringer amps. I've owned four (2 guitar, one bass, one keyboard), and they've all been sub-par in at least one area. The best one I had was a GMX212 stereo guitar amp. It's only issue was a lag in channel switching that was unacceptable for gigging purposes, it sounded pretty good... and was loud enough. The keyboard amp I owned had an awful speaker (after I replaced it the amp sounded good), and the first guitar amp was just under-powered (much like the bass amp).

All that being said, I still own some Behringer gear. The Xenyx mixers are fine, the bass V-Amps are good, I've found they're effects pedals to be good for the price, and my band uses a DDX3216 when we play live and it's the beast bang for the buck digital board you can get your hands on imo. I'll likely get a Behringer rackmount compressor sometime soon.

I've noticed the OP plays with a hardcore/metal band though, and if he's planning on using this for rehearsals I doubt very seriously that it'll be loud enough. If all he needs is something for bedroom practice or acoustic stuff this amp would be alright... but then again I'd wager that the Ibby is likely serving this purpose fine.

Perhaps it's just a G.A.S. attack. ;)
Click to expand...

I agree with this.

For me as far as Behringer is concerned-

If it makes power or has speakers (amps, cabs), I don't use it

If it alters signal (mixers, eqs, effects), it's usually a fine value for the money.

I use a Bass V-amp pro and a DI and they are pretty good. My friends bass head is junk.
 
#45
Thanks for all the responses, but I'll just clarify a few things.

I do indeed play in a metal band (But I don't even know what 'Hardcore' would mean....) but it's just a three-piece. Me, a guitarist/vocalist and our choice moron on the drums, so I hope it would be loud enough for practice.
The venue we have a regular gig at has a lovely GK something or other that I use there, but this behringer would only be for home/band practice and very small venues.

And IME, the tone isn't too bad if I use my compressor. I've only had very little time to play with them though.
 
#46
I don't have any experience with behringer combos or amps, but being someone who recently upgraded from a small combo to an actual rig.. I say go for it, you will be amazed how much better your bass will sound.

Just looked on craigslist in my area, there's a mark VI peavey amp and 410tx cab being sold together for $300. I might just have to pick it up as a backup.
 
#47
They are pretty heavy to drag around.
I have had both the 120w and the 90w.
As long as you don't turn the volume up over 50% they sound real nice, but when they are really getting their ass kicked you can hear it's not the most expensive amp in the world.

Get one, but get the most watts you can afford ( price isn't much more for a bigger Behringer).

Put shortly, they sound okay - but you get what you pay for
 
#48
I had one for a day. returned.
I had a backline for 2 days, returned.
I've had an original SWR wm12 for a little over 2 decades. every other piece of bass gear I've had I sold/traded/swapped from eden to humble hartke to yorkies, trace, aggie, GK. I'm still looking for all those other things but the simple WM12 is the gift that keeps on giving. i have a plan to upgrade the speaker to something new/exciting
 
#50
I owned a BLX3000, 300 watt for about 5 years, no problems. The only reason I sold it, was that I picked up an SWR Workingman 15 for less than I sold the BLX3000 for. I now have the SWR as well as a BLX900, 90 watt practice amp for a couple years, also no problems. We also use a Behringer head phone amp, as well as a mixer. No problems, very happy with the equipment.
 
#51
I've been using the BXL 1800 A for a year now and it's been reliable. It produces a reasonable sound for the money. The ultra bass gimmick, however, sounds horrible.

Apart from the above mentioned, I don't see why you should replace The Ibby by a Behringer, unless there's something wrong with it.
 
#55
the actual behringer (450/1800/3000) combos are missing the dynamizer, so don't go for them, they sound mediocre just as any cheap combo.
but... i own a Behringer BX Ultrabass 1200 and it's the best little basstard i ever owned.
the amp is the real mccoy, i play 5-strings and there's no lack of power at all using it at up to 500 folks-venues (split with a tech 21 d.i. to the f.o.h.)
the dynamizer is very efficient and allows volumes up the 118db (which only metallic punkers may need) with almost no distortion.
 
#56
Let me tell you....
I had a 4500, liked it, used it for gigs, never got the sound I wanted. Sold it and bought an Ampeg B2R...but it was my cabs.... (2-10" & 1-15" Trace Elliot)....

But I bought a pre-Fender SWR Henry the 8 x 8 and A/B'd it with the 3000 I still had, against the Ampeg. The Behringer won.

This is an amp that took not one but TWO falls forward while playing (due to an unlevel outdoor stage). The amp continued to work thru the gig, and STILL works.

Try THAT with some high-priced amp. Chances are good you'll have a door stop after that!

It ain't what you use sometimes...the cab(s) you use can make a helluva difference...
 
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#57
I have a Behringer UltraBass BXL 1800A

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Lets make things absolutely CLEAR.


  • Yes Behringer reverse engineer gear, ie rip it off....This amp is hartke copy

  • yes it is is cheap and that generally is followed by nasty, but not ALWAYS


  • The aluminium cone is nice for funk electric but crap for DB so I have to user a zoom simulator to deal with it. Other wise I play it with a flat eq

  • The functionality is very good, lots of options DI ect the effects such as the distortion and octave are ok-ish..... I have better pedal options. The effects loop is good


  • It is made in China with the most economical parts and lots of plastic, probably in a factory with people who are very depressed with their lives.... therefore.....
    • It does have a slight hum. but it is cheap
    • If you get one come out of factory on a good day it is a bargain

  • It is heavy, but that is GOOD thing.... Ultimately a bass amp should have its drive encased in granite...... Imagine the lows out of that.

I use mine as a monitor feeding back to me and DI-ed out to the PA..... Don't need a big stack!

Of course if money was no object I'd go for all EBS, GlockenKlang, Ashdown, or Warwick...

But for the price they are good as long as you get a good one. And if you don't keep sending it back until you get one that came out of the factory on a good day! :)
 
#59
Well I punted my Bugera 550 this week. I know its Bugera but still Behringer. I bought it cheap to use in a noisy rock band I was a member of for a short time. I ran a ton of effects thru it and it did ok for that although EQing this amp was always a chore. I figured if it blows up..who cares.

My reg band (country) had a bass rig for me at practice but the guy who owned it came and took it away. I used the Bugera clean thru a 4x10 cab and it was horrible. The tone was from pure mud to clangy high end. I spent half of the practice ticked off EQing the thing and had to use the active pad button to keep my passive P bass from farting out the speakers.
It works fine..sounds bad. I own Behringer pre amps/DI and they are good but my experiences with their amps are not godo. There are to many other choices even used to go with one IMO.
 

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