Jim Bergantino
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Bergantino B|Amp-Power and Versatility (and cost-efficiency!)
- Thread starter kjones
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- bergantino
If you meant our AE410, it is available for download on our website.
I've been playing through Jim Bergantino's cabinets for quite a few years now. I appreciate his commitment to fidelity and the high standard he represents for bass cab design.
I haven't yet played through a B Amp but, on 'paper', everything about the preamp section is exactly what I've been wanting for many years, most significantly: A 4 band EQ with adjustable Q and built in HPF - yes! FINALLY!
I've been reading about the B Amp online. So far, the one aspect of the B Amp that I haven't found much discussion about is the power amp section and how dynamically responsive it is to the low end. But maybe I need to read further?
I am one of those who is still (eagerly) waiting to be impressed by the newer generation of lightweight power amps. The CA9 is still the gold standard for me, having a dynamic response to the lowest of my bass notes that is quicker, punchier and just plain 'feels' better to me than anything else I've played. But it's just too damned heavy! At 59 years old, with bad knees! I keep very busy as a full time musician and it simply isn't practical for me to lug around the CA9. And a lot of my gigs are travel gigs with rented backline, so I get to play through all sorts of amps on a regular basis.
But man, I would love to have something like the B Amp to put in my suitcase and take everywhere. I don't want a little amp that has been voiced to make up for inherent lack of low end dynamic response by accentuating - "baking in" - the low frequencies with a wide Q boost. Words like "deep", "boomy", "wooly" - they put me off. Heck, these days even the word "vintage" sends a shiver down my spine! But CLEAN doesn't scare me at all - I can get all the hair I want from Darkglass and others who specialize in that aspect of tone - but the thing that's most important to me is high fidelity, right down to the low B.
I've read a little about the latest generation of ICE modules here on TB - like the 1000 ASP - read enough to be hopeful that this technology is continuing to improve. Is this what's under the hood of the B Amp?
I haven't yet played through a B Amp but, on 'paper', everything about the preamp section is exactly what I've been wanting for many years, most significantly: A 4 band EQ with adjustable Q and built in HPF - yes! FINALLY!
I've been reading about the B Amp online. So far, the one aspect of the B Amp that I haven't found much discussion about is the power amp section and how dynamically responsive it is to the low end. But maybe I need to read further?
I am one of those who is still (eagerly) waiting to be impressed by the newer generation of lightweight power amps. The CA9 is still the gold standard for me, having a dynamic response to the lowest of my bass notes that is quicker, punchier and just plain 'feels' better to me than anything else I've played. But it's just too damned heavy! At 59 years old, with bad knees! I keep very busy as a full time musician and it simply isn't practical for me to lug around the CA9. And a lot of my gigs are travel gigs with rented backline, so I get to play through all sorts of amps on a regular basis.
But man, I would love to have something like the B Amp to put in my suitcase and take everywhere. I don't want a little amp that has been voiced to make up for inherent lack of low end dynamic response by accentuating - "baking in" - the low frequencies with a wide Q boost. Words like "deep", "boomy", "wooly" - they put me off. Heck, these days even the word "vintage" sends a shiver down my spine! But CLEAN doesn't scare me at all - I can get all the hair I want from Darkglass and others who specialize in that aspect of tone - but the thing that's most important to me is high fidelity, right down to the low B.
I've read a little about the latest generation of ICE modules here on TB - like the 1000 ASP - read enough to be hopeful that this technology is continuing to improve. Is this what's under the hood of the B Amp?
I can't tell you which of the ICE modules it is. I would suspect it's not the 1000, but I simply can't say for sure.
I can tell you this: sudden dramatic power anywhere on my fretboard, high, low, and in between. And it's not wooly, boomy, or anything else baked in. It is indeed the sound of your bass.
You've been waiting to be impressed by the newer generation of lightweight power amps? Your wait is over.
Now, off to play it!
I can tell you this: sudden dramatic power anywhere on my fretboard, high, low, and in between. And it's not wooly, boomy, or anything else baked in. It is indeed the sound of your bass.
You've been waiting to be impressed by the newer generation of lightweight power amps? Your wait is over.
Now, off to play it!
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,079
- 46,038
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Nope, the 1000ASP is a few generations old. The B!Amp uses the much newer 700ASC
Passinwind, thanks for the clarification. I had thought it was other way around; I guess I need to pay closer attention to the posting dates with some of these TB threads. I think I've taken this about as far as it can go online - gotta free up some time to actually check this amp out!
Since I started playing the B|Amp, what I lack in technique I make up for in tone. I played the B|Amp and HDN212 at my first gig with my new blues band last night. It went well, but the high point was that the sub drummer said my tone was great. Of course, that may have been damnation by faint praise.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,079
- 46,038
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
I was very favorably impressed every time I stopped by Jim's booth at NAMM, FWIW.
Just in case Jim is perusing this, here are a few other features that I could be interested in. FWIW
Foot switch
Chorus
Foot switchable volume boost
Compressor
A few of those were on the GK MB150E112 I gigged for quite a while, and I found them to be fairly useful. And, what the heck, everything else is in this amp; so, why not that stuff too, while we're at it.
Otherwise, this is just about the perfect bass amp. It's got plenty of useable girth and power and extremely flexible controls centered around an out of the box tone that is just perfect. The only thing I actually adjust on it is the HPF, which I tend to set at 60Hz. Everything else is perfect on the gig. As @Munjibunga accurately said, I don't know why I would need anything else. Of course, "need" being the operative word.
Foot switch
Chorus
Foot switchable volume boost
Compressor
A few of those were on the GK MB150E112 I gigged for quite a while, and I found them to be fairly useful. And, what the heck, everything else is in this amp; so, why not that stuff too, while we're at it.
Otherwise, this is just about the perfect bass amp. It's got plenty of useable girth and power and extremely flexible controls centered around an out of the box tone that is just perfect. The only thing I actually adjust on it is the HPF, which I tend to set at 60Hz. Everything else is perfect on the gig. As @Munjibunga accurately said, I don't know why I would need anything else. Of course, "need" being the operative word.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,952
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Yup. So far, the only head we have bench tested with the new 700ASC module is the Genzler MB-800, and it performed very well. The B|Amp feels very much the same, in terms of dynamics, headroom and perceived output power, which makes sense.
This is the first time I have gigged a head and cab made by the same company since the mid-1970's. 
Better check my pulse.
Better check my pulse.
This is the first time I have gigged a head and cab made by the same company since the mid-1970's.
Better check my pulse.
Well, if you count my Sadowsky SA200 and 410 cab, I guess both of my working rigs have the same badge on them. Before that, the last time was my Fender Bassman 100 with 410 back in 1977.
I bet the Sadowsky rig is the bees knees for tone.
Well, it does sound fantastic, and even after ten to twelve years of ownership it's still shocking how good it sounds every time I turn it on. But, as I move into my late 50s (yikes!), my days of humping two lumps which are each way over 50 lbs are over, especially as my strong son/drummer/roadie is considering colleges. So at this point, the whole stack sits at my church in a double locked closet, where I can wheel it out once per week for services.
Meanwhile, my all-Bergie rig does every other call I have! This system is working pretty darn well right now. In fact, I'm about to go downstairs and work on my new songs for this weekend's gigs. I'll probably use the headphone jack in the B|Amp along with running my iPad into the Aux jack, which are features we rarely talk about on here, but is something I use a ton.
After decades of using tube amps, however, I have to consciously remind myself that, yes, it's ok that I'm not plugging anything into the outputs--nothing will explode!
Meanwhile, my all-Bergie rig does every other call I have! This system is working pretty darn well right now. In fact, I'm about to go downstairs and work on my new songs for this weekend's gigs. I'll probably use the headphone jack in the B|Amp along with running my iPad into the Aux jack, which are features we rarely talk about on here, but is something I use a ton.
After decades of using tube amps, however, I have to consciously remind myself that, yes, it's ok that I'm not plugging anything into the outputs--nothing will explode!
Hey, I'd like to thank RocketMusic for answering some questions I had about the B-amp on the phone yesterday. Always great to get info from someone who knows and uses the product in question!
One of the best out there. I have debated a new rig lately. I have been a Genz Benz guy for a long time and I love his stuff and it has served me well. I had a Bergantino cab a while back and loved it. This head was intriguing when it was announced. Even more so now. Many of my gigs these days are DI/IEM though so I'm not sure if this is the best use of funds right now.
Very interesting experiment in reactions to my rig today.
I ran the bass end of a jam for six long hours today. I played about half of that, and about four or five other bass players played through my rig for the rest of the time. I used the B with my HDN 210 and 112.
I had made three pre-sets to try to cover a variety of styles. I set up a perfectly clean essentially flat setting on the "no memory." I had a slightly mid-boosted with some moderate overdrive for a traditional tone, given most of the songs were a few years old. I also had a mid-scooped, kind of 70s Jazz sound if anyone felt like channeling Marcus.
Most of the players showed up early, which gave them time to listen to their basses through the rig. I was intrigued to see that the players were pretty much a 50/50 split between the overdriven and the clean sound. Every one of the bass players was very complimentary, including one guy who said, after a song, "I can't believe this thing sounds this good."
I ran the bass end of a jam for six long hours today. I played about half of that, and about four or five other bass players played through my rig for the rest of the time. I used the B with my HDN 210 and 112.
I had made three pre-sets to try to cover a variety of styles. I set up a perfectly clean essentially flat setting on the "no memory." I had a slightly mid-boosted with some moderate overdrive for a traditional tone, given most of the songs were a few years old. I also had a mid-scooped, kind of 70s Jazz sound if anyone felt like channeling Marcus.
Most of the players showed up early, which gave them time to listen to their basses through the rig. I was intrigued to see that the players were pretty much a 50/50 split between the overdriven and the clean sound. Every one of the bass players was very complimentary, including one guy who said, after a song, "I can't believe this thing sounds this good."
- There were lots of comments about its power; it was kind of an medium room, no FOH support, and it was nowhere near half-way up in volume. I couldn't have been more pleased with how it worked and sounded. Kind of cool to be able to sit back and hear my rig.
- I think the overdrive is adding a lot to this amp, and apparently others agree!
Here's a thought for those who are concerned of the cost efficiency of the B|Amp. I have B|Amp #00. The newest version of this amp now comes with control over frequency bandwidth (Q) and it has overdrive, distortion and fuzz built in. In a week or so, the newest batch of amps will come with a built-in compressor. How much would individual pedals for these features cost for another amp? There are other features in the works that will be included in the newest versions. I'm not sitting here complaining about being left behind, because ol' #00 has all those new features, too. I've heard that Jim is even working on making the amp able to control your TV.
So yes, you could buy a D800 and a D800+ for about the original price of the B|Amp, but you wouldn't have anywhere near the capabilities and versatility of the B|Amp. I get it that some want simplicity (I own several simpler amps), but you get a lot for your money ultimately. I like a lot of latitude in getting to the tone I require at a given time.
My point is that you don't have to worry about the next latest and greatest Bergantino amp coming out, because the latest and greatest version can be downloaded for free. Buy once, cry once.
So yes, you could buy a D800 and a D800+ for about the original price of the B|Amp, but you wouldn't have anywhere near the capabilities and versatility of the B|Amp. I get it that some want simplicity (I own several simpler amps), but you get a lot for your money ultimately. I like a lot of latitude in getting to the tone I require at a given time.
My point is that you don't have to worry about the next latest and greatest Bergantino amp coming out, because the latest and greatest version can be downloaded for free. Buy once, cry once.
