Fixing to try out a Behringer UltraBass...

[mellowgerman]

straight up buy it man. at least the head. I used to have one and am actually planning on getting another one. It was super reliable and sounded good for the money. you just can't beat it. I know all the GK and Eden folks on here are gonna bash the behringer, but don't listen to them. obviously if they have enough money to get that stuff, they don't know what it's like to be in a situation where you have to go with the cheaper stuff. take it from me, you'll be more than happy with this head.

 

[Pilgrim]

As far as I'm concerned, your drummer can stuff it. The world has plenty of Behringer haters, and many of them have never owned Behringer gear.

I have the BX4500 head and it has run for more than a year without a glitch. No problems, just power and performance. At gigs i run it through an 8-ohm Peavey BX 115 cab, and I keep an extra 12" cab with a Carvin speaker handy so I can daisy-chain if needed. But even playing an outside gig, I've never had to turn the amp above one-third! I'm gonna start leaving the 12" cab at home, as I'm unlikely to ever need it.

I've followed threads on Talkbass about the 4500 head, and regardless of what experiences others have had with other Behringer heads, the 4500 seems to be a dependable workhorse. There are a lot of Talkbass contributors who have had very reliable service from them.

Based on my experience, a Behringer BX4500 head and single 15 are a powerful combination suitable for most uses. The sound isn't zingy-bright, but it's a great classic bass sound.

 

[Koiman]

I've owned the BX4500 for over 2 years now and am very happy with it. I've run a multitude of cab combinations all with good results. I am able to get a wide variety of tones from it. As for loud, this amp can go up to what I call stupid loud. I am running very efficient cabs. I just wanted to offer an honest opinion to help others make a good decision.

 

[txbasschik]

Its good to have perspectives from both sides of the fence. I'll haul the 15' out and play through it with the Behringer head today.

For the price, I think I can maybe buy both rigs. I can make payments on the Behringer...I see the guy every week, and he's kinda leaving it in my hands, anyway.

I need a good rig for gigs, and a good rig for the house. If I have the two heads, and the two cabs, and the 4x10 I already own, I'm set for amplification for a long time. All those needs would be met. I can just leave the big cab on the band trailer, and use it only when needed. With my choice of 450w or 600w for heads, I'll really only need that big ol' cab for places like Rock City (huge room).

This is what I've been working to have for three years, if I can swing it.

Cherie

 

[Howlin' Hanson]

Hey Cherie,

Can you tell us how you would compare your old sound compared to your upgrade? I felt your sound was pretty good at the Locker Room, though perhaps more bite is what you are looking for?

Also, is the trailer kept it the shade? I am leary of keeping any of my gear in a closed vehicle during the summer here. Any idea how heat and humidity affect speaker cabs?

Anyway, good luck with this decision, I'm sure it will all be good!

And then what kind of GAS will you have?

 

[T-Bird]

Hi, Cherie.

If You decide to buy the Behringer head also, there's one option to increase its reliability greatly.

For obvious reasons I don't have too much experience with Behringer amplification , but my IME the most problems with lower grade amps is the wave soldering problems (when there's different temp-grade components) and power supply caps.

If You have a competent tech as a friend, going over all the solder joints with a touch of good grade solder and replacing the PS caps will most likely extend the life of that amp considerably. ( A few more up-market products could benefit from those maintenance procedures too ).

Obviously it won't change how the others view Your amp, but that way you'll reduce the risk of the amp blowing.

One of the problems with cheaper gear is IMHO the lack of chematics, as those little sheets of paper or a few bytes in the net can be the deciding factor between no-fix and a reasonable repair in the event of failure.

Regards
Sam

 

[ToneGrail]

I recently bought the 4500 head and the matching 410 aluminum cone cab about a month ago. So far, no problems. The guy I bought it for had it for a year and was using it regularly. He told me he bought the rig off of ebay a year ago.

I would say that given Behringer's reputation concerning reliability factors, it's almost safer to buy it used because it has been put through it's paces and thoroughly tested, provided it hasn't been subjected to abuse, like mismatching impedance and such.

That being said, my 4500 rig sounds great and is proving to be a dependable workhorse.

 

[modulusman]

I recently bought the 4500 head and the matching 410 aluminum cone cab about a month ago. So far, no problems. The guy I bought it for had it for a year and was using it regularly. He told me he bought the rig off of ebay a year ago.

I would say that given Behringer's reputation concerning reliability factors, it's almost safer to buy it used because it has been put through it's paces and thoroughly tested, provided it hasn't been subjected to abuse, like mismatching impedance and such.

That being said, my 4500 rig sounds great and is proving to be a dependable workhorse.

Buy it used so you have no warranty and can just throw it away when it breaks. Makes sense to me.