TC Electroninc BAM 200 vs Warwick Gnome

[dfp]

Bam 200 was barely enough, really not enough power for me with a pair of 112 cabs on an outdoor gig. I could get by but didn’t get the power in the lows like I wanted. I do love the basic tone and eq of the Bam, at lower volumes. I actually like its basic sounds better than some pretty nice amps I have tried… there’s a nice open top end grind possible, whereas some amps attenuate the top end and sound overly polite. A Bam with twice the power would be great.

 

[bassbrad]

I have used my BAM200 for the past couple of months in the studio daily for a couple of hours each day and now on 2 3+ hour outdoor gigs happily reporting it has done the duty without issue. We are a not too loud not too quiet jazz group so YMMV.

 

[groovepump]

I second Mastermold with the suggestion to get something that isn’t a cheapo if you are actually doing outdoor summer gigs. I’ve seen too many dudes have their cheap stuff go into safety mode or whatever it’s called on a hot day. Gk, Genzler, Mesa, even the lower power Markbass are all reliable enough to trust on a hot summer day. The Trace Elliot is what I’ve seen go down personally (it wasn’t broken though), so if you don’t want to be embarrassed and stressed, get a better amp. I think the really small ones are prone to shutting down on a hot day as they don’t have great cooling. The small Aguilar is another I would trust.

FWIW, TC is no longer anything like it was. It is now Behringer completely, as they’ve shut down everything that was related to the original TC. There may be some vestigial good engineering left, but not much.

Thanks for the info. I wasn't aware of the TC - Behringer situation. Probably why Sweetwater is selling off the BAM200 and the BQ500 amps so cheap.

 

[Not_Shane]

My vote is for the GK MB200.

I'd vote for this too, if only they weren't 3x the price of the other 2 options (and out of production)
These are top tier mini heads, but for the last few months i've seen them go for $350+ used
the BAM200 is barely $100 new, the Gnome $200 new, a little over $100 used (just looked).

a pet peeve when someone asks input on A vs B and people suggest C which costs multiple times more.

 

[groovepump]

My BAM and 2x8 has been fine, used it today for a couple hours rehearsal in 35C temps, I haven't turned it on for months! But all went well. Fine with two guitars and drums although no one is playing real loud.

I rehearse weekly with my BAM200 and BC208. We play a bit loud, not crazy loud. It has been good for a few years now, no probs. I add a second BC208
( 4 Eights total at 4 ohms) and it's usable outdoors at smaller wineries. I gig medium and large venues with my Mesa and a 410, but I still use it when I wanna just bring a small setup in a backpack and walk into the venue with my speakers in my hands.

 

[G RICH 5]

My BAM and 2x8 has been fine, used it today for a couple hours rehearsal in 35C temps, I haven't turned it on for months! But all went well. Fine with two guitars and drums although no one is playing real loud.

I've had the BAM for quite some time. I think it sounds like a bass amp. Lol
I like it enough to get the BQ 500.
Just arrived today, so no idea on the sound until I plug it in