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The new tc electronic BG500.

#241
Since the thread is up…

I’m still gigging mine every weekend since I got it in early July, so about 12/14 gigs, and man, this thing still amazes me.

Note that we always have full PA support (I provide it), but being that our stage volume isn’t exactly low and I do what I have to do to compete, I’m often turned way down in the PA ‘cause I’m out there pretty good.

Indoors and out, it cranks out all the tone and volume I could ask for with plenty to spare, and no wanting for pedals or any extra stuff.

I feel sorry for those who returned it because they didn’t trust its reliability (not because off the weight), as you’re probably going to have to spend a whole lot more to get even near the performance.

Of course I realize the watts probably aren’t as-advertised, and I’d be upset if I’d paid full price, but all things considered, I’m still loving this thing.

I’m actually wishing for a gig that’s too big for it so I can bring out the big rig, but I’m afraid it might not happen.

:)
 
#242
As an update: I'm pretty happy with mine. It certainly has a lot of options, and I think it takes some tweaking to find some good tones out of it, but every time I've gigged it so far it sounds fantastic!

I admit that it has taken me some getting used to though. I'm usually a clean, crisp and quick kind of guy when it comes to amps, and this amp has a naturally tubey feel to it. In fact, its the tubi-est sounding amp I've ever owned besides a tube amp. I think there is a whole lot of tricky compression going on among the Tubetone, Spectracomp, and TC's amp-building in general.

Every time I think that I'm unhappy with the tube-like fattiness with it at home, a gig convinces me otherwise. I think that I'm not digging the sound, but when I gig it, man, does this thing deliver! It really sounds clear and big and fat at the same time.

Don't get me wrong, it will do clean and quick, but it needs a little encouragement from the eq. I have a saved setting that took me a long time to acquire for such purposes.

Overall, its held up and I'm a really happy camper for $350.
 
#244
Of course I realize the watts probably aren’t as-advertised,
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Who cares, if my BH500 is only 200 Watts then its the loudest 200 watts I have ever heard, its definitely louder than my old 500 watt GKMB210/MBE115 so that must be wrong as well :D
My amp can easily hurt my ears if I let it so why would I worry about a mere number, I have just started using proper earplugs as my hearing sometimes suffers !

Everything is the same button/control wise.
Click to expand...

Thanks Capn :D
 
#245
GRAHAM SG1 said:
Who cares, if my BH500 is only 200 Watts then its the loudest 200 watts I have ever heard, its definitely louder than my old 500 watt GKMB210/MBE115 so that must be wrong as well :D
My amp can easily hurt my ears if I let it so why would I worry about a mere number, I have just started using proper earplugs as my hearing sometimes suffers !



Thanks Capn :D
Click to expand...

+1
I also own, and enjoy the BH500. Coming from the GKMB210 combo, and previously the tc RH450, I am happier than ever. IMO these amps are one of the better performing bargains out there...I have a sneaking suspicion that these amps , the BG/BH 500's, will "appreciate" in value, sooner rather than later. :hiding:

BTW- Shouldn't we have a BG500/BH500 club by now?
 
#246
I can't resist a bargain, even if I don't need it! I picked up the 115 version yesterday. I thought it would make a rehearsal, jam rig plus I liked the feature set and had been following the quasi-watts thread with some interest and was curious.

My gig rig is an Aguilar DB750 and 2 DB112 cabs so of course it's not the slightest bit fair to expect any sort of comparison between the two but I will say this, it's bloody loud! I could get a ballpark tone similar to the Aggie but some of the 'heft' was not quite there which is to be expected, the Aggie is a beast. What I didn't expect was that I would gig this amp with no hesitation whatsoever.

I'm planning to use it for rehearsal tonight and will see how it holds up but I'm amazed at the volume and tone this screaming deal produces.
 
#248
I play with the Jeff Watson Band (not the Jeff Watson from Night Ranger, which is fun because we often get Night Ranger fans wanting a signature from Jeff!). Here's our FB link.....

The Jeff Watson Band | Facebook

We're playing a casino gig for the first time ever this weekend, not sure whether this will be a good thing or not.

BoostedRex, where are you and who do you play with? Like to check out your band sometime as well!

Jim
 
#249
Jim, started a new project as of this past Wednesday. We'll see if it blossoms into a gigging situation. Not sure if I'll be out with the old group anymore. The lead singer had a bit of a meltdown the other day. :(

Checked out the 2 vids on your Facebook page. You guys have a great sound and your tone in both vids is killer! I'll try and get out to Colusa tonight. I live down in Roseville, but it's not all that bad of a drive.
 
#251
CapnSev said:
I think it takes some tweaking to find some good tones out of it.
Click to expand...
I'm finding this to be true as well. I've used it for two rehearsals so far (three-piece with a loud guitar player.) The amp is loud enough, but I'm alternately having a hard time cutting through and getting enough bottom end. Last night, I was playing my 5-string P-bass with the tone rolled off, and with the amp's EQ flat, it sounded thin, frankly. I was so distracted by trying to get a good tone out of the amp that I was messing up the songs. Finally, I hit on something by boosting the bass and low-mids, cutting the high mids and treble and adding some Tubetone. I just feel like I shouldn't have to work so hard. Before this, I was using an old Peavey 160-watt 1x15 combo with a bunch of switches, buttons and 9-band graphic EQ and it was easy to get a great tone every time. And I swear, that amp is almost as loud as the TC Electronic with the gain and master at similar levels. The Peavey is a much bigger unit, and maybe the TC's tall/thin profile has something to do with it, but if that thing is putting out 500 watts, I'm Albert Einstein. I'd have to say I'm disappointed so far. It sounds great in the basement but not so much in a band mix.
 
#252
Thats too bad Dave. I actually like mine better in a band setting than I do at home.

I'm playing a P5, like yourself, as my main player and I find that the two contour buttons make a huge difference for me. For my main setting, I use contour 1, add a touch of high mids and treble for clarity, bump up the spectracomp to 3 or 4, and use tubetone to taste.

But yeah, this amp doesn't sound that great set flat I think.
 
#254
I picked up a 210 recently, really like it so far. Flexible tone controls, compressor, tubetone - sweet. We will have to see next time I jam w/my buds, as to how it sits in a band setting.

I have found that with every amp I have owned (so far) I prefer some tweaking from flat, particularly when cranked (usually roll off the bass and mids a bit, and kick up the treble slightly.) I used to use the enhance buttons on my B200R regularly, as I tend to prefer that enhanced/contoured sound. Also, funny thing but the last couple of times I played it, I found that I am growing to like the sound w/o the contour.

Traded in my LMIII as part of the deal - we'll see how that goes in the long run. I do like combos, though...
 
#255
One thing I have noticed about my 2x10 BG-500 is. It has 3 sounds. The headphone out sound, the sound I get playing it at home, and the sound I get at the gig. All 3 of these are using the exact same settings. SO this leads me to think that this amp is very dependant on the room your in as to what kind of sound your going to get. Personally I Like it alot. It sounds great thru the headphones. But the same sound at rehearsal sounds different. SOunds even better in a big room at the gig. I have yet to need more power which is amazing. Everyone loves the sound im getting, even though im not quite that far along yet, but I do like it alot. For being what it is, a cheap low cost useable bass amp, I give it 9 out of 10.
Also, I still have all my buttons in tact. Ive ran it all over town in my truck bouncing around too several times.

Does it beat a $3500 amp, hell no, but then it was not designed to either. This to me is about the ultimate rehearsal/small gig/low cost/entry level/easy to use bass amp ive ever tried. They just didnt make stuff like this when I started out 30 something years ago.
 
#256
jowens004 said:
One thing I have noticed about my 2x10 BG-500 is. It has 3 sounds. The headphone out sound, the sound I get playing it at home, and the sound I get at the gig. All 3 of these are using the exact same settings. SO this leads me to think that this amp is very dependant on the room your in as to what kind of sound your going to get. Personally I Like it alot. It sounds great thru the headphones. But the same sound at rehearsal sounds different. SOunds even better in a big room at the gig. I have yet to need more power which is amazing. Everyone loves the sound im getting, even though im not quite that far along yet, but I do like it alot. For being what it is, a cheap low cost useable bass amp, I give it 9 out of 10.
Also, I still have all my buttons in tact. Ive ran it all over town in my truck bouncing around too several times.

Does it beat a $3500 amp, hell no, but then it was not designed to either. This to me is about the ultimate rehearsal/small gig/low cost/entry level/easy to use bass amp ive ever tried. They just didnt make stuff like this when I started out 30 something years ago.
Click to expand...


I noticed that the youtube vids, particuarly those where they use the XLR out, sound different than what I first experienced in my room, and the headphone out a bit different than either - which was not necessarily unexpected. After some tweaking of settings, I can make the sounds more similar (relative to differences in bass used, etc.) I am supposed to get my Focusrite interface by early next week so I can use the XLR out into my PC. I am itching to see how it sounds coming from the amp to my PC via headphones, vs headphones directly out of the amp, vs in my room. Not really important, but your first comments triggered my memory in noticing something somewhat similar. Nonetheless, this amp (either way) sounds sweet to my ears. Finally, some satisfaction...
 
#257
Yes, it definitely sounds different to me. The headphone out exposes a flaw in this amp. (At least to my ears). There is some really nasty noise in the root sound of this amp. It is proportional to the volume. Its definitely there in the headphone out. When you play live you cant really hear it with all the other noise going on from the other band members. There is nothing I can do to alter the presence of this fuzzy noise. I do NOT think it is meant to be there. It is not like the fuzz from the tube emulator knob. This is just pure junk electronic components somewhere in the signal chain IMO. Chinese manufacturing and corner cutting no doubt.

This defect rules this amp out for any recording for me. Even though the sound thru the headphone out is very nice. That little bit of uncontrollable fuzzy noise just drives me insane. But since im not working and music is my only source of income at the moment, beggars cant be choosers. It will do fine for the gigs I have until someone blesses me with a day job again.

Then, Hello Mesa Boogie!
 

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