Can you let us know what you think about this amp. I'm debating pulling the trigger on this or not.
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TC Electronic BG250 Club (Part 2)
- Thread starter drpepper
- Start date
Can you let us know what you think about this amp. I'm debating pulling the trigger on this or not.
I have a 1st Gen 115 also. Are you using a regular cable for the footswitch? I tried that with mine a while back, but couldn't get it to work.
Thanks. I spoke to my local shop and he's given me an incredible price, cheaper than the European online vendor, Thomann. I'm confident it will be fine for my weekly pub gig. What I want to see is how it will sound with an extension cab. If it sounds good, it will replace an older Markbass head, a Roland CB100 and a Schertler Jam 150 Pro, all of which I have been very happy with. I want to go lighter and more portable for the bulk of what I'm doing. If the 208 works, great. If it doesn't, I may sell all and get a QSC K12.
Few more observations about my 208. It is definitely more vintage sounding than I expected. If you are into clean, glassy sound, it may not be the best choice. There is something, I think other people called it wooliness in the sound. I think it's actually lighter, more like silk than wool. And, even more important, I like it.
I really think it would shine with an extension cab.
I really think it would shine with an extension cab.
Yes, I owe you all a report. My crazy work schedule of last week with an international business trip stood in the way of an early report.
Anyhow, the 208 is definitely a keeper! One of my fears was that it would not be loud enough. That turned out to be no problem at all. In my case, playing with an acoustic (i.e. non-amplified) horn section, the output level of the combo is more than enough. Further, I love its small size and low weight. This amp isn't going to give you any back pain. I recognize its size comes with a special sound characteristic, however, not in a way that prevents me from finding good sound settings. I ran the EQ in the mid-positions most of the time last weekend with a good sound as a result. In my experience it takes time to find the perfect setting for the combi of the bass's on-board pre-amp and the amp EQ. So I will take that time. Same counts for finding the best toneprints. I used the Jaco Years print on my fretless during a couple of slow songs wit a great sound as a result. A sax player made a remark that my bass sounded fretless!
Also met another bass player that bought a BH250 recently for the price I paid for the BG250-208.
So, overall, I am quite happy with the amp! Great amp for its size, weight and price (especially the current low price in Europe) and defenitly loud enough for my purpose!
Cheers, BassChap
Hello, I've been thinking of buying a BG250-115 combo, for using it only on gigs, keeping my Fender Bassman 250/115, heavier and bigger, only for rehearsal, not having to move it any more.
Just wanted to know if the TC Combo will be as loud as my old Fender, what do you think?
Thanks for your help
Just wanted to know if the TC Combo will be as loud as my old Fender, what do you think?
Thanks for your help
I have a question for all 208 owners/users. Does your unit have somewhat 'whooly' sound?
I have seen several reports here and on TC Electronic forum where people complained about this. I am also experiencing this to some level and would like to understand it better. I am currently using TI flats, and I know that some of the other people that reported the same thing are flats users too.
I wonder if anyone with round strings have the same experience.
Cheers
I have seen several reports here and on TC Electronic forum where people complained about this. I am also experiencing this to some level and would like to understand it better. I am currently using TI flats, and I know that some of the other people that reported the same thing are flats users too.
I wonder if anyone with round strings have the same experience.
Cheers
I've had two bg250/115s, both COMPLETELY different. The first one was a GC floor model, only bought it because it was still in half decent shape and worked alright. After a few days it started to get kind of "wooly" tone that I really didn't want. Returned it and they put it right back on the floor, and ordered me a new one. New one I can get really any tone with, including the "wooly" kind of deal. Much more satisfied with the 2nd one. Just thought I should throw in my $0.02... It isn't just the 208s that get that way.
Excuse me but as a non native english speaker I'm not sur of the right meaning of "wooly".
Do you mean it's distorded ?
Do you mean it's distorded ?
Ha, OK, so I've learned a new word Cool !
Regarding this muffled feeling, I noticed on my own bg250 (115, first version) that at low volume I have the same feeling but once I'm near 4 on the master the sound becomes clearer.
It is not high end focused indeed, but clearer. I don't find another word.
And I have to go further 5 to see the speaker moving, so I guess it's a speaker thing. It may needs a sufficent volume to deliver in a better way all the frequencies.
This is why I like to plug something between it and my bass (as a vt bass or a zoom b3 in my case), like that I can deal better with the low end when we rehearsal not too loud for example.
And like a lot of people have noticed, the treble control of the bg250 is not set in a very usable way for everybody. So with an external eq it's simple to boost around 3 - 4 kHz.
What I say is that I like my bg250 (it's light, powerful, clean sounding), but I rarely use it alone.
Cool !Regarding this muffled feeling, I noticed on my own bg250 (115, first version) that at low volume I have the same feeling but once I'm near 4 on the master the sound becomes clearer.
It is not high end focused indeed, but clearer. I don't find another word.
And I have to go further 5 to see the speaker moving, so I guess it's a speaker thing. It may needs a sufficent volume to deliver in a better way all the frequencies.
This is why I like to plug something between it and my bass (as a vt bass or a zoom b3 in my case), like that I can deal better with the low end when we rehearsal not too loud for example.
And like a lot of people have noticed, the treble control of the bg250 is not set in a very usable way for everybody. So with an external eq it's simple to boost around 3 - 4 kHz.
What I say is that I like my bg250 (it's light, powerful, clean sounding), but I rarely use it alone.
You just explained the root of my love/hate relationship with my BG250-210. I can plug into my Hartke amp and with little effort get a sound I love. With the BG250, I feel like I'm fighting to add the certain high end overtones (ie clarity) that I am looking for. I'm considering purchasing a Hartke VXL Attack pedal. It should give me the same shape control I have grown to love and some other tonal adjustments.
EDIT:
I played around with the amp and my Zoom B3. Set the amp completely flat except bass cut to 1.5. Then instead of using amp emulation or the BassDriver (SansAmp) effect, I used only the AcBsPre equalizer and left the gain, depth and level alone but set the tone flat. Even flat, the AcBsPre added some nice upper overtones. That may be because of the gain or depth settings.
Next I boosted the low-mid from 0 to about 5 and swept through the low-mid frequency dial. Poof...I have the "poor man's shape" setting I was looking for. It's not exactly what the shape does, but it's close enough. So, I swept through the frequencies until I had what sounded good to my ear. On the Hartke 400hz (middle) is usually what I like. In this case, I went all the way to 1.2khz. I'm assuming that the difference in settings has to do with the different sonic qualities of the BG250 compared to the Hartke. Perhaps I would like a difference frequency altogether in a performance setting. In any event, I have something I can try out now.
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Ha ! So you discovered too the great thing that is the AcBsPre !!
I also found very good settings with it for the bg250.
I made some frequency analysis on it, and as you discovered that a boost at 1.2kHz was great, I decided to boost instead of that the mid frequency which is tuned around 1.6kHz, so not so far. Like that I keep the low mids available if needed.
And I had good results in gigs : nice clear tone, very precise.
Just to know, when you stayed you let the Depht untouched you mean it was at the factory preset (around 7 I think) or you put it at 10 ?
I ask you that because the Depth is a low pass filter (it cuts everything under a certain frequency) :
- at 10 it lets the low end untouched
- at 5 it cuts below 80 / 100 Hz
so if you let it at 7 it's normal you heard a clearer tone from your bg250.
(just for your information high mids are set at 3kHz and Highs are set around 7 or 8 kHz if I remember well).
What I understand with the bg250 is that the cab makes a boost in the low / low mids frequencies. Which one I don't exactly. Maybe around 80Hz.
That explains the boominess encountered in some rooms.
With the bass knob of the bg it's possible to reduce it, but I find that sometimes it let the tone a little bit to thin. This is why I like to use some kind of eq before it. And the AcBsPre is great for that : it's possible to tame the boominess while boosting some low mids in a higher frequency. No boom and thick tone.
What I think is that the bg250 is a great amp for its price. But, even if the eq is interesting it may not be sufficent by itself to sculpt a very precise tone. But it's the case with many amps or combos with simple eq solutions, no? So, not a big deal. This is why so many stomboxes are designed to achieve diffrent tones.
Another trick I tried just a few minutes ago which seems interesting : reduce both the bass and the mids on the bg250 (between -1 and -2) -> it reduces the muffled kind of tone without sounding honky. And so the highs are more present.
Let me know if you already tried this kind of eq
Let me know if you already tried this kind of eq
Yes. I'm trying to learn the value of some of the other features that the B3 has that I haven't been taking advantage of
I have a gig Saturday. I'll have to see how this all pans (pardon the pun) out.
I meant that I left the defaults from the preset.
True, but my disappointment is that the default "flat" settings of the EQ are not a good blank canvas to work with. My Hartke kickback combo/head I play completely flat......phenomenal tone.
