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TC Electronic Club

  • Thread starter Thread starter VS
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Bam 200 vs. Thrust BQ500
The Bam is now back in stock at SW for $119 and the Thrust is due back in stock at $169
Am I crazy not to spend the extra $50 for the extra wattage and a compressor? Really like the form factor of the Bam though.
Due they sound similar and does the 200 watts feel very stout?

I cannot speak on the Thrust personally, but I did have the BAM for a short time. I think it is a great little amp, very transparent and of course, very compact. Perfect for jamming at home, small rehearsals, etc. It's not something I would personally record with or use for gigs (unless it was a very small venue). It's fun and it's cheap. I ran it through two, 2x8" cabs, so I probably have a little different experience than some. The volume was decent enough but I found myself having to boost the bass and treble controls and scoop the mids to achieve a desirable sound. I would spend the extra $50 and get a little more umph, so it's there when you want it.
 
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Bam 200 vs. Thrust BQ500
The Bam is now back in stock at SW for $119 and the Thrust is due back in stock at $169
Am I crazy not to spend the extra $50 for the extra wattage and a compressor? Really like the form factor of the Bam though.
Due they sound similar and does the 200 watts feel very stout?
You know the TB answer is both! I do love the bam format and it is significantly smaller in practice than the bq500. It was plenty loud and people have said it is gig worthy if you can pop it into 4ohms with enough cabinet. The bq is definitely louder. The aux-in is nice. So there is no help.
I keep the bam in backup mostly but would use it for headphones or easy plug and play practice of any kind. I DO enjoy the aux-in of the bq though.
 
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Agree with you on the RH750. It really is a brute of an amp and extremely versatile. Also agree on TC being sold to Uli Behringer. It's a shame they are no longer innovative and seem content to just produce inexpensive gear. Not expanding on the RH heads or Blacksmith seems like a big missed opportunity.

Still running my RH750 here. I still love it. The whole bass-amp line was a product of "Bass Amp 2.0" and kind of Uffe Hansen's brainchild.
Once he left, they shifted back to the BH line and took it in a different direction with effects and Toneprint. Except I think Toneprint development is now basically dead, too.

For Behringer, as far as musicians go, the flavour of the month continues to be synthesizers.
 
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I cannot speak on the Thrust personally, but I did have the BAM for a short time. I think it is a great little amp, very transparent and of course, very compact. Perfect for jamming at home, small rehearsals, etc. It's not something I would personally record with or use for gigs (unless it was a very small venue). It's fun and it's cheap. I ran it through two, 2x8" cabs, so I probably have a little different experience than some. The volume was decent enough but I found myself having to boost the bass and treble controls and scoop the mids to achieve a desirable sound. I would spend the extra $50 and get a little more umph, so it's there when you want it.
VS - do you still have the 2 2x8s? And what amp did you upgrade to?
 
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View attachment 7110834

Count me in, not all gear has to be expensive to be good! All smiles from me with my BAM200.

I like to think I’m no slouch for tone. My last head was an Eden WT800 and combo a GK.

TC is not a “cool” brand but at least it’s not a clone too. Just a bare bones amplifier.

I didn’t think the marketing departments could give us such reasonable things.
Love the home-made cabinet with wicker! However - that's a LOT of wicker standing in the way of the sound, it being a pretty dense material for a screen. Is there a noticeable difference with the screen off vs on?
 
Love the home-made cabinet with wicker! However - that's a LOT of wicker standing in the way of the sound, it being a pretty dense material for a screen. Is there a noticeable difference with the screen off vs on?
Thanks. No difference observed. Admittedly my trials were primitive and completely subjectively run. These were my inspiration -

1746543060912.png
 
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Yep, finally acquired. Had been on back order from Sweetwater since December. But then appeared at my local music shop in Saigon for $15 less. $104 including currency conversion fee.

BC208 on order. Been playing a little thru headphones, pleasantly surprised at the tone this little guy can generate on its own. Will work quite well with the Warwick pre-amp for jazz. Otherwise, I play my G&L SB2 thru the Digitech BP355, so can't wait for the BC208 to arrive to dial that in. Hoping to get it in time for a June 13th gig.
1000107102.jpg
 
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Seems like my BAM is very scooped and I never noticed and apparently like that lol. I DO play with a 100% tone on LB-100 p-style bass with light flat chromes so maybe that has enough mids that I am essentially flat. Either way, I “made do” for several months with only the headphone out of my BAM and IF it had an aux in, would
have been happy as a clam with it as a headphone amp.

Hope you get your cab in time for the gig!
 
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I picked up a couple of BC208 for cheap. I guess I am a member of this club...

I am considering either another Ashdown EVO 300W class-D head or cheaping out with a BQ250 (£220 S/H versus £120 new) as a backup. I have a Tech (Eich) 1x15 that I am selling (if not very successfully). The Trace Elliot Boxer in the practice room is OK, but I am wondering about picking up something else from TC for the practice space and leaving another amp there or keep the Tech 1x15 after all as it does sound good and has decent sensitivity, but the 2 2x8s are much more pleasant to lug around. But maybe a BQ500 or the Ashdown is a better option than the BQ250, depending on 4 ohm or 8 ohm option. I think a 250W amp into an 8 ohm 2x8 would certainly be insufficient!
 
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Someone said they'd added a tweeter to a BC208. I am not sure how that would be possible. I do wonder about putting Speakons in, though. It seems odd that the BQ250 and 500 amps have (IIRC) Speakons but the BC208 doesn't as they would seem to be good pairings.
 
Someone said they'd added a tweeter to a BC208. I am not sure how that would be possible. I do wonder about putting Speakons in, though. It seems odd that the BQ250 and 500 amps have (IIRC) Speakons but the BC208 doesn't as they would seem to be good pairings.
Re: Speakons,
That has always seemed strange to me as well, but it's clear that TC really designed the 208s to pair with the BAM200, as that only has TRC out and the cabs only have TRC in. But a pair of 208s really sound good, so why "limit" them to the BAM?

And Redbrangus had a post with pic showing his addition of Speakons to the 208. Feb 2024
 
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Re: Speakons,
That has always seemed strange to me as well, but it's clear that TC really designed the 208s to pair with the BAM200, as that only has TRC out and the cabs only have TRC in. But a pair of 208s really sound good, so why "limit" them to the BAM?
Indeed.

Adding Speakons myself wouldn't be too hard. I have two sockets somewhere, so I am halfway there! The Ashdown doesn't have Speakons either, though :(
 
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Re: Speakons,
That has always seemed strange to me as well, but it's clear that TC really designed the 208s to pair with the BAM200, as that only has TRC out and the cabs only have TRC in. But a pair of 208s really sound good, so why "limit" them to the BAM?

And Redbrangus had a post with pic showing his addition of Speakons to the 208. Feb 2024
BAM200 - 200W. Probably 100W into 8 ohms. BC208 - nominally 200W RMS handling. A BAM400 would be the ideal pairing (not taking into account Xmax, thermal, etc.)
 
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