TC Electronic BG250 Combo

There are many threads on the BG250.

Played through one at GC and it sounded awesome in the store.

 

I love mine. It covers me and my 5 strings for everything from Classic Rock to Jazz with more than enough volume to gig.

As already said, there are several threads on it.....

 

Check out my review I posted here.

http://www.talkbass.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/1815/cat/28/title/tc-electronic-bg250

Best amp for the money right now. Keeps up with a drummer and moderate guitar just fine. I have gigged it 2-3 times per month since last August when I got it. Other than the tolex being soft, it is the perfect lightweight amp for me. Again, for the price, the best amp out there.

As always, email [email protected] and ask for a deal or check the American Musical Supply site for a full warranty B stock or open box. I got mine for 339.00 with a full warranty plus an additional year free from American Musical.

 

I just picked up the head version of this amp BH250 and its pretty impressive and actually has less controls then the combo. (no master volume or Tube Tone control). The competition for ultralight combos is really heating up these days but the TC is a contender I think. Check out the new Traynor Small Block 115 if you have a chance.

 

I have the head but it won't run at 4ohms. I have a 4 ohm Avatar 2x12 neo and it shuts down. Nice head though

 

I just got one - first gig we went to was a large hall - but no sound guy, PA provided only for vocal mics! The bad thing about this amp is that, when the other instruments are not playing, it can sound very slightly boxy, probably a consequence of the lightness. Once the band has been struck up, though, it sounds great. It did a great job despite the size of the room - no complaints here (or from the audience, more importantly) at all.

 

You probably have the BH250, since the head for the BG250 is not available as a head only. Totally different critter....

 

I have owned one for a while. I have been happy with the bang for the buck factor. The tone print is pretty cool, I use the compressors more than anything. Loud enough for most gigs.

I played an outdoor festival last week. I had it on the stage floor tilted back and I could hear it fine with no monitor support for myself (it was in the FOH, of course.)

The amp covering is very thin and probably easily damaged.

 

I've had one for a while as well. It's a unique amp in that it EQ's a bit oddly and the tone is on the dark side.

When people talk about how their amps sound this way or that way they usually don't mention the guitar they're using or the strings or the music genre they're playing.

For classic rock the BG250 is too dark for my Gibson SG with flats on it. It just won't EQ brightly enough. Works much better if I use the SG with rounds, but my Fender P/J with GHS flats sounds better still on this amp (again, my genre; YMMV).

With one exception, I can't get any combination of bass guitars and strings to sound as good with the BG250 as my Acoustic B200H head with two 1x15 cabs, but the BG250 is a hell of lot more portable.

That one exception is using a Danelectro Longhorn strung with Chromes. It's killer with that combination on the BG250.

Other users may pontificate to the contrary. In the world of subjective opinions there are no absolutes.

 

I got one of these recently, to use it an easier to carry amp then my old, trusted, Ampeg SVT with it's 8x10.

I tried the BG250 at rehearsal only now but, to give you an idea, I only had to put the master volume at 3 to be heard very clearly, with bottom to spare.

It's a cool little amp, light, loud, and good sounding. The tube drive does sound pretty close to a real tube amp, the tone print is a cool toy that can be turned into a great tool (I've loaded a compressor in it, which sounds very well, the tone print is called Comp in the middle).

Overall, I'm pleased with that amp.

 

I really am drawn to the concept of the BG250. Lots of power, and from what I read, plenty of bottom end, and can keep up with a full band playing in smaller venues. However, my biggest concern is I live in Alaska, and it worries me that I see regular posts of TC users talking about various electronic problems with the amp, and if I buy one, I would have to ship it out to have it serviced.

I supposed I could buy the MF extended contract and play the heck out of it if I got it, and try to make it fail by trying all the elctronics on a constant basis. I see it as the same as a computer -- it relies on electronics so there's going to be a failure. I wish they built one without the Toneprint -- I would buy it without hesitation...

 

I thought that the BG250 was one of the best loud/portable combos I had ever owned. It has a slight rattle somewhere so I returned it (and because I really didn't need it). No issues with the Toneprint....I loaded the compressor and never changed it. It was loud!

 

I'm getting my stuff from Sweetwater now. No tax, free shipping, free extended 2-years warranty and the best customer service I've experienced from any big retailer. PM me if you want a contact name there. Also, it looks like the price on these BG250's has dropped everywhere to $349...

All amps rely on electronics. The toneprint and Tubedrive are 100% defeatable, so you can bypass them altogether.

 

I walked into GC yesterday with $350 to put down on a GK MB115 or MB210. I went in pretty set on one of those, probably the MB210, but when I walked in and saw the TC Electronic sitting next to the GK's I plugged in. First I tried a SoundGear fretless...not sure of the model, but MAN it sounded sweet. Lots of growl and great balance on the top end. I then plugged in a Jazz Bass. Again, it had lots of snap but the bottom was all there without sounding too boomy. Then I turned the price labels over...There was a scratch and dent MB115 for $400, the MB210 was $700, and the TC Electronic was $350. As far as performance went, I didn't see a $350 difference between the MB115 and the BG250. I took my layaway payment and walked out with the TC Electronic. I spent a few hours in my music room last night with my Ric 4001 and this new amp. I was very happy with what I was hearing. I need to spend more time getting familiar with this amp, but it looks like it's going to be a good purchase. On another note, I hate taking new gear out unprotected. I want to get an amp cover for it, but I hate that the bottom of the amp is still unprotected. I was looking into the Studio Slips Clamshell case for this amp. Anyone have any comments on it? It looks nice, but it's a bit pricey.

 

That's pretty pessimistic. Not all electronics fail but when they do it's often immediately in which case the amp would still be under warranty or a return and exchange privileges from the seller. The few who've reported they've had a problems with theirs had them within the first few days or weeks they've owned the amp. I've played mine for a year with no problems whatsoever.

If the only reason you're holding back is the Toneprint feature then I'd say don't. It superfluous to the amps basic operation. It's simply there to provide the option of downloading an onboard effect. If you don't want that you can simply turn it off. What you're implying is like you wouldn't buy a certain car because it has a CD player which might fail. "No soup for you".

 

Not sure what the price is on the Studio Slips, but you might check out the Gator GPA-715. It's intended as a soft case for a 15" PA speaker, and apparently fits the BG250 perfectly (someone posted pics in one of the BG250 "club" threads - search Gator GPA-715).

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...g&matchtype=&gclid=COjQsqjQ5rgCFZSY4AodmTYAJw

 

The MB115, which is now discontinued, had a street price of $399, which is $50 higher than the newly lowered BG250. It can be found on clearance for near parity.

The new US-made MB115-II has a street price of $499, which is $150 higher than the BG250.

There is no way you can compare these two models and come up with a $350 price difference. You listed the same bad info in the other thread too.

 

Sorry it was an MB115-II. I didn't mean to trip anyone up. I compared the MB210-II, MB115-Ii, and the BG250.

 

From the context of being in GC, and since you wrote "There was a scratch and dent MB115 for $400, the MB210 was $700, and the TC Electronic was $350. As far as performance went, I didn't see a $350 difference between the MB115 and the BG250." It seemed pretty clear to me that you meant to say "$350 difference between the MB210 and the BG250." and that you were referring to the "II" series models.

Just as a note, you can edit your posts after the fact.