Perhaps, but it's a great sounding amp! Every time I start thinking about selling mine, I play through it (through my AccuGroove cabients) and it sounds so nice I don't want it to leave.
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Bugera 1960 for bass
- Thread starter Koffelito
- Start date
Perhaps, but it's a great sounding amp! Every time I start thinking about selling mine, I play through it (through my AccuGroove cabients) and it sounds so nice I don't want it to leave.
^ I agree, great sounding amp. But you can't expect it to sound good with all the EQ knobs on "5" like an Ampeg. If you understand the EQ it's fine - even stock 
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^ I agree, great sounding amp. But you can't expect it to sound good with all the EQ knobs on "5" like an Ampeg. If you understand the EQ it's fine - even stock
True, I laugh at all the YouTube videos on amps with a passive tone section that starts with the Bass, Middle and Treble controls at noon (and often never vary from that).
Threw the meter on it to see how the Infinium acts with 6550 and with my math, I'm only getting that the amp is pushing 6550s rather cold. I'm getting around a 30-40% of a 6550.
Got the Infinium a few minutes ago. I might not need to mod it right off the bat! Channel 1 is very bright and good for overdrive. Channel 2 is described in the manual as being "much more linear" and it really is quite clean. I left my test bass (my Highway 1) at the practice spot last night. That means I'll be trying the 1960 with the band (and some 6550's) tonight to see how it hangs.
Gut pics to come too if I chose to keep it. I had a great deal on a Mesa Buster I forgot about too!
Gut pics to come too if I chose to keep it. I had a great deal on a Mesa Buster I forgot about too!
For what it's worth, fit and finish are only mediocre up close. The little trim lines are poorly glued on top. The tolex on the face could be done better. It's a beauty from five to ten feet but once you get close enough to see that ugly little bulldog, it's not as pretty a picture. I'm sure that the performance with 6550's and the quality of assembly of the innards will be the deal breakers for me on this amp. I'm not particularly impressed with anything but the tone thus far.
Also, I've been using it with bass at noon, mids dimed, and treble anywhere from off to 1 o'clock to try to keep it "flat"-ish.
Here it is on top of the XTC:
Also, I've been using it with bass at noon, mids dimed, and treble anywhere from off to 1 o'clock to try to keep it "flat"-ish.
Here it is on top of the XTC:
There are a few design improvements. One really good one off the batt is the reinforcement metal tubes around the pot shafts. Big plus and helps keep the pot shafts from wiggling around.
christw said:
That's too bad, my "classic" 1960 is very clean and nicely finished. Internal construction should be typical mass-produced machine stuffed pcb construction. There's a Behringer factory tour video on youtube and the machines do most of the electronics work.
It's not horrible. It's just I'm a little disappointed that Bugera didn't much exceed it's reputation in that one way. 
Reporting from practice. I should have a clip or two to share too. I keep re-EQing it and finding I like it best using channel 1 & 2, max presence, treble, mids, bass on 3. Channel 2 mixed into mild overdrive with enough of Channel 1 to bring in a bright non-distored midrange in. Currently have the 6550's in it. It might have a little more juice than with the EL34 but I kind of doubt it.
My impression: I like it but I'd need a second cab if this were my only amp. This band demands cleans. It still sounds great distorted though. The Fender 300 Pro will remain my head for this particular band but I like the Bugera. I just wish I'd picked up that Mesa Buster.
Reporting from practice. I should have a clip or two to share too. I keep re-EQing it and finding I like it best using channel 1 & 2, max presence, treble, mids, bass on 3. Channel 2 mixed into mild overdrive with enough of Channel 1 to bring in a bright non-distored midrange in. Currently have the 6550's in it. It might have a little more juice than with the EL34 but I kind of doubt it.
My impression: I like it but I'd need a second cab if this were my only amp. This band demands cleans. It still sounds great distorted though. The Fender 300 Pro will remain my head for this particular band but I like the Bugera. I just wish I'd picked up that Mesa Buster.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
Can't expect full tilt from 6550 loaded into an amp with an OT for EL34, they have pretty different requirements to get max power, so it would require some sort of switchable primary on the OT.
484volts x 26.7ma x 4 power toobz seems to yield roughly 52 watts. Either my math has gotten even worse, or those 6550's are barely on 
Checking back really quick. 6550's make a huge difference for bass. It sounds like a weak ass Marshall through my SWR Goliath III with the stock EL34's. With the 6550's and channel 2, it sounded much more Fender-y.
IDK. I'm awfully turned OFF by this "infinium" feature. I'd rather set dissipation to the proper point for the output tubes, as opposed to letting a circuit determine "reasonable" bias settings on it's own.
You're going to re-set it at least weekly, right? And then you'd still need to modify the original 1960 to have individual bias adjustments for each output tube to get the benefits that the Infinium has
. However it would be nice to have the setpoint adjustable - I seem to remember it being fixed at 28ma per tube?
I'm going to be rejoining the 1960 club. The folks that I sold my own amp to a couple years ago just agreed to sell it back it to me.
Weak as....? Would you say having a set of 6550's were better than the EL34?
Also, heads up. The Bugera EL34's tubes that were loaded stock were crap. Had to toss them and put ANYTHING in it and it made it sound better.
Here in a few minutes I'll pull my meter out and see what it does with a 6L6, EL34 and 5881. I'll post the results shortly.
Though I would agree having something biasing it for you and placing it colder may turn you off, but the Infinium it also there for the long lasting effect. Have you ever saw how cold a Peavey 5150 is set? Very! Anyway, doesn't mean a bad thing, just depends if you dig the tone and power produced.
If you want set bias on each tube, you may look into a Weber kit or buy a Granger Amp. However, look at tossing $1600-1800 on a Granger Amp.
Also, heads up. The Bugera EL34's tubes that were loaded stock were crap. Had to toss them and put ANYTHING in it and it made it sound better.
Here in a few minutes I'll pull my meter out and see what it does with a 6L6, EL34 and 5881. I'll post the results shortly.
Though I would agree having something biasing it for you and placing it colder may turn you off, but the Infinium it also there for the long lasting effect. Have you ever saw how cold a Peavey 5150 is set? Very! Anyway, doesn't mean a bad thing, just depends if you dig the tone and power produced.
If you want set bias on each tube, you may look into a Weber kit or buy a Granger Amp. However, look at tossing $1600-1800 on a Granger Amp.
The stock tubes weren't in the same league. Zero low end or headroom and their overdrive sounded like bad 6L6 for bass. Sounded just like my old Marshalls did though!
The 6550 made it feel like a V4B meets a Bassman depending on EQ and channel settings.
