• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

TecAmp S212/Puma500 Ultra Light Rig

#681
pulse said:
Hey Ken

yes it amazing tone

and in your experience this older version does not serve a band mix so well?

it sounds so articulate and authoritative on its own. it actually reminds me of my SVTII that I am looking to down size from!

thanks again
J
Click to expand...

I can only speak for myself, but big lows, super hi fi top end, and very clean mids works GREAT in a sparse mix, like the piano or guitar trio jazz work I do on occasion. However, in a more pop/funk/rock mix at higher volumes, that low end is quite big. The EQ is very good, so you can muscle it into being tighter and punchier.

It is a great head, and the low end is very 'tubey' in a way. Don, the guy who makes the Low Down Sound cabs, feels it is the best sounding small head he's every heard, and also, like you, feels that it sounds like a VERY good all tube head run totally clean.

Hard to not like it! FYI, they are coming out with a totally revamped Puma1000 in 2011 that is now a 1000 watt into 4ohm monoblock head that is 2ohm capable. That should be quite something.

Anyway, very nice stuff, and if you are looking for a sort of super clean, wide, big 'tube-like' tone, the Puma500 is pretty darn cool (either the original or the new version).
 
#682
KJung said:
It went down unfortunately. Sent it back again. I still have my original that I love, and that has been a workhorse for me, but have had issues with this second one. The entire repair and upgrade was a bit of a debacle for me (long story). We will see what happens if and when it is fixed.
Click to expand...

Would you recommend the Tecamp brand as far as reliability is concerned?
 
#683
hensonbass said:
Would you recommend the Tecamp brand as far as reliability is concerned?
Click to expand...

I am mixed on that right now. Quite a few problem posts with the heads over the past few years since I've owned my TC rigs, BUT, they've redesigned the heads and made quite a few changes. In the US, since Glenn at Austin Bass Traders is the primary dealer now (he is great), I feel reasonably comfortable again. Glenn will totally take care of you if there is a problem, and he also has a US 'under warranty' repair guy so you only have to send something back the EU in extreme conditions.

Beautiful sounding stuff, but just so pricey that I have a hard time recommending it at this point, given so much other great sounding stuff out their at literally half the price.
 
#684
KJung said:
In the US, since Glenn at Austin Bass Traders is the primary dealer now (he is great), I feel reasonably comfortable again. Glenn will totally take care of you if there is a problem, and he also has a US 'under warranty' repair guy so you only have to send something back the EU in extreme conditions.
Click to expand...

Good to know Glenn has an authorized warranty guy in the US, I did not know that :)... As you know Ken, I have been thumpin' on my 212 combo continuously since I got it... and I'm fortunate to have had zero issues with mine. FYI, I don't drive the unit as hard or as long as some of the pro's out there, but I do still use it every day and push it pretty hard etc.... so, i guess YMMV there.


KJung said:
Beautiful sounding stuff, but just so pricey that I have a hard time recommending it at this point, given so much other great sounding stuff out their at literally half the price.
Click to expand...

+1 on this amp being one of the best sounding mini amps out there.... it's just so unique. Very smooth, tube-like tone with that clarity found in other digital amps. Also, I feel that they aren't that expensive when you factor in USA brands like say Mesa... who's products are comparatively even more costly when purchased new IMO. I understand that's an 'apples to oranges' comparison... but I am someone who has gone down both roads.
 
#685
KJung said:
I can only speak for myself, but big lows, super hi fi top end, and very clean mids works GREAT in a sparse mix, like the piano or guitar trio jazz work I do on occasion. However, in a more pop/funk/rock mix at higher volumes, that low end is quite big. The EQ is very good, so you can muscle it into being tighter and punchier.
Click to expand...

+1

That's roughly what I hear in my amp... clean, deep, vintage hi-fi kinda tone... that and the fact that my combo is essentially an s212-II which is tuned to be even deeper in the lows with less sizzle on top, may also be why I run it with the bass eq down to about to 10 o'clock 90% of the time. It all seems to work just great for my tone goals in a live mix (rock'n roll cover band). FYI, I also have a pedal board now with some tone shaping units that I'm experimenting with... honestly, I've always hated pedals, but it's amazing what some of these pedals can do for your tone these days... seriously!!

-pat
 
#688
I traded in my Puma 500 earlier this year. The Hi freq EQ knob stopped working, and when I took it back to the retailer he said that since TecAmp's US distribution network was somewhat "in transition", he wasn't sure how long the warranty claim would take to repair it. Impatience got the better of me, and he offered to take it back in a trade for another head.

Fast forward to now, and since I'm in the market for a 2nd head, I'm back to looking at the Puma 500. As much as I like the sound clips I've heard of the Aguilar TH500, the sound coming from the Puma just sounds a bit more in line with what my ears like (there're Ken's on YT as well as some dude playing a Mayones). Price-wise, compared to the TH500, I don't know if I prefer the tone enough to justify 2x the $$, though!

I plan to give Austin Bass Traders a call once I free up some funds. The newer Puma 500 1HU that I've seen, is that in addition to the regular Puma or has it replaced it? On the TecAmp website, the photo of the Puma is the newer one (seems wider, but less tall), but when you click on the photo, it takes you to the "older" model.
 
#689
AMp'D.2play said:
I traded in my Puma 500 earlier this year. The Hi freq EQ knob stopped working, and when I took it back to the retailer he said that since TecAmp's US distribution network was somewhat "in transition", he wasn't sure how long the warranty claim would take to repair it. Impatience got the better of me, and he offered to take it back in a trade for another head.

Fast forward to now, and since I'm in the market for a 2nd head, I'm back to looking at the Puma 500. As much as I like the sound clips I've heard of the Aguilar TH500, the sound coming from the Puma just sounds a bit more in line with what my ears like (there're Ken's on YT as well as some dude playing a Mayones). Price-wise, compared to the TH500, I don't know if I prefer the tone enough to justify 2x the $$, though!

I plan to give Austin Bass Traders a call once I free up some funds. The newer Puma 500 1HU that I've seen, is that in addition to the regular Puma or has it replaced it? On the TecAmp website, the photo of the Puma is the newer one (seems wider, but less tall), but when you click on the photo, it takes you to the "older" model.
Click to expand...



Not sure what is going on with that company at this point. They keep floating prototypes out at NAMM, and then nothing comes of it.

I LOVE the original Puma500.... unique... fat, warm, crystal clear. I call that head the 'Anthony Jackson' head, and for that kind of playing, it is amazing. That isn't really my thing, so I sold mine to TBer emjazz, who attends Berklee, plays a high end humbucker loaded instrument, and uses Berg 112's. Last time we talked, he loves it as I knew he would.

I tried one of the new prototypes, using the ICE module like almost everyone else (versus the Powersoft power module in the original). It sounded quite different, and much more like my Markbass F1/F500 (which is a good thing, but I wouldn't pay that price for it).

I would HIGHLY recommend trying an F500. With the VPF filter engaged at around 9 o'clock, you can get some of that deep, wide, crystal clear type voicing that the Tecamp provides, and the price value is amazing.

I seem to always come back to that particular Markbass spec (the F1/F500).... very clean, loud, reliable, feature packed, small, and you can get it to grind and burp (or at least transmit any grind and burp coming out of your instrument) very nicely to the audience, and also widen and smooth it when playing in less dense mixes, for a very hi fi tone.

IMO and IME. Again, love the original Puma500, but not really impressed with the company at this point regarding communication, product updates, and service. On service, the good news is, if you buy from Glenn at Austin Bass Traders, you are pretty much golden. He's great!
 
#691
Midas said:
Again my question... do you think the 212 Combo with additional cab is loud enough for a rock band?
Click to expand...

If you don't have the 212 combo already, IMO there are probably better choices for a rock setting. However, four 12's and 500 watts will cover a lot of ground. Not sure how the mid driver in the combo will play with the tweeter in the stand-alone cab... never heard the combo 212.
 
#692
I agree with Ken.

Not apples to apples, but I use a Tecamp Puma1000 in a rock band, and it would not be my first choice. I absolutely adore it in my pop band and my roots/acoustic band, but it's too wide and clean in the rock band. I typically stick a Tronographic Rusty Box in the effects return to narrow the response and add a touch of overdrive.
 
#693
Midas said:
Again my question... do you think the 212 Combo with additional cab is loud enough for a rock band?
Click to expand...

As has been said, if you're playing rock music look elsewhere. It's not a rock amp. When I think rock bass I think less lows with a mid hump to cut through. I'm sure you could eq these amps to do that, but you could still find better choices in many other brands for a rock bass sound. The best rock/punk sound I'd ever heard was an old Stingray into an Ashdown ABM amp through a Berg 610. That was wicked.

For what I do the old Tecamp Puma500 (Ken's old amp) is perfect. I leave the eq flat and play, end of story. It sounds great. I will admit that I played a wedding gig playing some more pop rock stuff last night and I immediately missed my old Ashdown amp. I was just missing that flavor. The Tecamp certainly did an admirable job though.
 
#694
emjazz said:
As has been said, if you're playing rock music look elsewhere. It's not a rock amp. When I think rock bass I think less lows with a mid hump to cut through. I'm sure you could eq these amps to do that, but you could still find better choices in many other brands for a rock bass sound. The best rock/punk sound I ever heard was an old Stingray into an Ashdown ABM amp through a Berg 610. That was wicked.

For what I do the old Tecamp Puma500 (Ken's old amp) is perfect. I leave the eq flat and play, end of story. It sounds great. I will admit that I played a wedding gig playing some more pop rock stuff last night and I immediately missed my old Ashdown amp. I was just missing that flavor. The Tecamp certainly did an admirable job though.
Click to expand...

+1 The good news is, cutting a touch of bass and boosting the very musical low mid knob on the Puma will get it to sound more like some other more typically voiced amps with more attenuated deep low end, and that kind of 'meaty hump' around 200hz or so. However, I wouldn't spend all the money on a TecAmp, and then be looking for that sound, since you can get that elsewhere for a fraction of the price.

IMO!
 
#695
I played an old Tiger Top with an 8x10 Tec recently and was totally amazed by the sound. I play in a rock trio against a 4x12 100w marshall rig. My tone is a very piano string like one, """similar""" to the Endwistle/Alembic style sound.
Maybe the new Black Jags with the "Rock" poti is worth trying out?
 
#696
Just to share my story with Tecamp support.

Once I was playing at home very quietly and I started hearing a strange noise and before I could turn it off, it started to smell burn and I saw smoke out of it.
I'm pretty sure it was a (high) peak of voltage that burn my amp.
Talked to my dealer and he sent it to Tom (Tecamp).
Tom said that situation only happens with a high peak of voltage (current) or if you put the voltage selector in 110V while applying 230V.
The later was not the case.

But he fixed the amp (the power amp stage was completely replaced) and charged me nothing.

That's more than Great Service.

And this was 4 or 5 months ago.
 
#698
New Tecamp 500 1hu on the way. I was thinking of trying the MB F1 again, but I've been there and done that, and I need something that is international capable, has aux port and headphone out, and isn't so...damn...ugly (IMO :D). I'd throw down an extra 300+ USD any day to make an F1 look like a Puma. Just me, though. :smug:
 
#700
1050 plus shipping. Basically, the same as in the EU. 790 Euros in to USD. It's the only reason I'm trying it out now before I move over there. Not cheap, but cheaper than the previous version, which hung around 1250 or more. Plus, I think I'll like the tonal profile a little more than the last version from what I hear about them.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back