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Bergantino Forte
- Thread starter David A. Davis
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- bergantino forte
@danalogue has one out on tour right now and is lovin’ it. Perhaps if he gets a few moments to spare he can provide us with some feedback on it. So far I’ve gotten out of him “it’s a beast.” And that’s good enough for me
Jim Bergantino
Commercial User
Yes, Dan’s a man of many words! ;-). Look for a nice story coming soon on our FB page.@danalogue has one out on tour right now and is lovin’ it. Perhaps if he gets a few moments to spare he can provide us with some feedback on it. So far I’ve gotten out of him “it’s a beast.” And that’s good enough for me
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I have to head to a meeting, will give it a workout tonight, have a gig Tue and may have steubig over for a mini ampalooza. Quick impression is that it is voiced a bit differently than the Mesa. One might call it more open, another might call it thinner. That is running flat on the Forte but not flat on the Mesa so it isn't an apples/apples comparison.
More later...
More later...
..............
Ok, finished with day job stuff, dug into the amp a bit more. I always reserve judgement until I get it into a live gigging situation, but gawd knows I've cycled through enough gear to have a decent idea.
I'll compare it to the Mesa D800+ since...well, that's what it is sitting on top of. Running into the Subway 1-12 cab. When I first plugged it in it seemed a bit noisy but most of that was my Pigtronix Infinity (which needs to be rebooted regularly). Noise floor is similar to the D800+, it seemed louder on the Forte because I had it overall louder (master volume tapers are different).
My initial thought was that the Forte is a bit more open but more thin, but I'm finding this really depends on the gain setting and the VRC. I'm pretty much a compressor snob as I'm spoiled by using either my FEA dual band or Empress live and a Mike-E (Distressor circuit) in the studio. When I crank the VRC I find that I'm pulling up some distortion with my fretless, not so much on my fretted. The fretless though is an odd beast as the TI flats and low action combine for some interesting artifacts.
I typically leave the eq flat at first and mess with gain structures and in this case the VRC. Then I fiddle with the eq to see where they feel right/wrong. One reason I was interested in the Forte is that the eq centers are right around where I typically would set a parametric anyway.
I'll put some more hours on it tonight but I'm finding sweet spots by gain between 11-2pm and VRC 9-1pm. Once you get past noon on the VRC it is a bit too squashed for my taste, but frankly I like having a bit of it in the signal chain. Between those two knobs you can go from a more open/articulate sound to a fatter/thick tone. The G-string really speaks well on this amp, and in general notes seem to be very quick attack and they keep kicking. By contrast the Mesa is just a hair softer in the attack with just the slightest bit of sag (vaguely tubeish) - which I also like a lot depending on the gig.
With both amps I find I don't really need to touch the eq except maybe to deal with a room. On the Mesa you have the deep switch and voicing along with gain, the Forte it is gain and VRC. With the eq on the Forte I can get close to the Mesa deep switch, but not quite the same.
Short story is there is magic in both amps. The D800+ wins on flexibility as you've got the dual parametric, deep and bright switch, voicing control and variable HPF. But the Forte has the eq in the right places and the gain and VRC interact in ways that I haven't fully explored yet, but so far like. Both will get stupid loud.
I'll compare it to the Mesa D800+ since...well, that's what it is sitting on top of. Running into the Subway 1-12 cab. When I first plugged it in it seemed a bit noisy but most of that was my Pigtronix Infinity (which needs to be rebooted regularly). Noise floor is similar to the D800+, it seemed louder on the Forte because I had it overall louder (master volume tapers are different).
My initial thought was that the Forte is a bit more open but more thin, but I'm finding this really depends on the gain setting and the VRC. I'm pretty much a compressor snob as I'm spoiled by using either my FEA dual band or Empress live and a Mike-E (Distressor circuit) in the studio. When I crank the VRC I find that I'm pulling up some distortion with my fretless, not so much on my fretted. The fretless though is an odd beast as the TI flats and low action combine for some interesting artifacts.
I typically leave the eq flat at first and mess with gain structures and in this case the VRC. Then I fiddle with the eq to see where they feel right/wrong. One reason I was interested in the Forte is that the eq centers are right around where I typically would set a parametric anyway.
I'll put some more hours on it tonight but I'm finding sweet spots by gain between 11-2pm and VRC 9-1pm. Once you get past noon on the VRC it is a bit too squashed for my taste, but frankly I like having a bit of it in the signal chain. Between those two knobs you can go from a more open/articulate sound to a fatter/thick tone. The G-string really speaks well on this amp, and in general notes seem to be very quick attack and they keep kicking. By contrast the Mesa is just a hair softer in the attack with just the slightest bit of sag (vaguely tubeish) - which I also like a lot depending on the gig.
With both amps I find I don't really need to touch the eq except maybe to deal with a room. On the Mesa you have the deep switch and voicing along with gain, the Forte it is gain and VRC. With the eq on the Forte I can get close to the Mesa deep switch, but not quite the same.
Short story is there is magic in both amps. The D800+ wins on flexibility as you've got the dual parametric, deep and bright switch, voicing control and variable HPF. But the Forte has the eq in the right places and the gain and VRC interact in ways that I haven't fully explored yet, but so far like. Both will get stupid loud.
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Hi Jim
I bought a -12 hd couple of weeks ago
@ 25 pounds is just what I need for easy one hand transport
Bought another brand class D head to run through it ... very disappointed and will return it ...so will be giving Forte a close look soon
I bought a -12 hd couple of weeks ago
@ 25 pounds is just what I need for easy one hand transport
Bought another brand class D head to run through it ... very disappointed and will return it ...so will be giving Forte a close look soon
Looking for Forte to provide tone articulation and volume in a tiny package
I can affford the BI but not looking for complicated apps and such Not a technophobe ; just want to turn on plug in ...set it and play!
Any thoughts on 1x12 / Forte with low B ? I have 2 basses that want to try my Bergantino rig but don’t want to stress it
Not currently gigging but building an easy cary rig to travel with upon ocassion without bringing a trailer which is why I’m buying Bergantino
Thanks
I can affford the BI but not looking for complicated apps and such Not a technophobe ; just want to turn on plug in ...set it and play!
Any thoughts on 1x12 / Forte with low B ? I have 2 basses that want to try my Bergantino rig but don’t want to stress it
Not currently gigging but building an easy cary rig to travel with upon ocassion without bringing a trailer which is why I’m buying Bergantino
Thanks
The nice thing about the B|Amp is you can set your desired EQ points and have them available for instant tweaking. The other features such as HPF, compression, overdrive, etc. are essentially set and forget especially since you have two or three presets plus you current "live" settngs. If the forte offers everything you need then you can save some $. If you want or need tweakability then the B|Amp offers it in a very easy to use package. Jim is a clever man for offering both.
Monster player and all around good guy Steubig stopped by to give a listen. We did some A/B/C (as easy as 1-2-3). A few thoughts:
The Forte/H1203 combo is pretty much magic. Didn't really need to touch the eq, just changing the switches on the back of the cabinet (one is a mid boost, the other a high-end roll-off) there are a bunch of great sounds. In particular my Deep 4 just kills with this head. To the extent that I may end up selling my Fodera 4-string fretless as I can cop that vibe with the Rob Allen (i.e. not sounding like an upright).
We both agreed that the Mesa is a hair compressed, either in the preamp section or power amp section. The upside of that is that it can hide some sloppy technique, and tends to feel a bit more like a tube amp with a nice solid note impact. In contrast the Forte is quite "fast" and you get a lot more finger and string noise. If you're going for a very articulate sound, the Forte will give you that a bit more than the Mesa. If you're going for a good rock or R&B sound, the Mesa will get you there quicker imho.
Different flavors of great. Mesa is hard to beat on price/performance and flexibility with the D800+. Forte hits like a bit more defined hammer, which for some gigs I prefer. Just depends on the band situation. My current thinking is that I'll likely sell the D800+ and keep my D800, then swap between the D800 and the Forte depending on the gig.
The Forte/H1203 combo is pretty much magic. Didn't really need to touch the eq, just changing the switches on the back of the cabinet (one is a mid boost, the other a high-end roll-off) there are a bunch of great sounds. In particular my Deep 4 just kills with this head. To the extent that I may end up selling my Fodera 4-string fretless as I can cop that vibe with the Rob Allen (i.e. not sounding like an upright).
We both agreed that the Mesa is a hair compressed, either in the preamp section or power amp section. The upside of that is that it can hide some sloppy technique, and tends to feel a bit more like a tube amp with a nice solid note impact. In contrast the Forte is quite "fast" and you get a lot more finger and string noise. If you're going for a very articulate sound, the Forte will give you that a bit more than the Mesa. If you're going for a good rock or R&B sound, the Mesa will get you there quicker imho.
Different flavors of great. Mesa is hard to beat on price/performance and flexibility with the D800+. Forte hits like a bit more defined hammer, which for some gigs I prefer. Just depends on the band situation. My current thinking is that I'll likely sell the D800+ and keep my D800, then swap between the D800 and the Forte depending on the gig.
I had the GK Fusion mb 800 for a couple months and realized that I like a SS preamp. I borrowed my buddies GK 1001rb and LOVED it! I sold the fusion 800 and planned to buy the 1001rb today. I went to the two local shops that were not Sam ash or GC and tried Genzler, DNA, Mesa and the Bergantino Fortè. The Berg killed all! So sweet and clean and when driven to the edge, sounded perfect! Heading home now to compare it head to head with the GK 1001RB on my Schroeder 112pl cab. The Berg is a little more expensive but has so much that I am looking for (2 ohms, light, small)and sounds soooo good
Wish me luck! I'll report back by tomorrow!
Jason
Wish me luck! I'll report back by tomorrow!
Jason
And tomorrow is now today and i have it...
Not much i can add to what has been said above, by more experienced and knowledgeable folks than me. Sound/EQ is exactly right for me, build quality is outstanding and the classy appearance makes me feel uptown. I can also personally attest to Jim B's outstanding customer service/support; in addition to promptly answering emails he spent an hour on the phone with me, diagnosing and resolving a cabinet rattle.
So, great cabinets for any conceivable venue, great amplifiers from basic to rocket scientist, and great customer support. What's not to love??
Not much i can add to what has been said above, by more experienced and knowledgeable folks than me. Sound/EQ is exactly right for me, build quality is outstanding and the classy appearance makes me feel uptown. I can also personally attest to Jim B's outstanding customer service/support; in addition to promptly answering emails he spent an hour on the phone with me, diagnosing and resolving a cabinet rattle.
So, great cabinets for any conceivable venue, great amplifiers from basic to rocket scientist, and great customer support. What's not to love??
