Posted: 6/16/2011 7:46:37 PM EDT
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I want to buy a new tube amp head, I had a Peavey VTM 120 back in the day, but wasn't happy with it. I was never happy with the tone and it only had one channel. I really want a JCM900, I love the sound and I know they go for about $650 used on ebay. I keep seeing the Behringer made Bugera amps on the net, and they sound great in the videos. I see there are a lot of love it or hate it reviews. It's hard to sort them out. For $450 new, it seems like a steal. I can't decide if I should roll the dice on the Bugera or just spend the extra money on the amp that will hold it's value. Does anyone have any experience with the Bugera line of amps? None of my local stores carry them, so it would be an internet purchase, just like the Marshall would. I know it sounds like I am talking myself into getting the Marshall 
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JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. If he wants a Marshall, let him get it! Besides, with a THD Hot Plate, any amp is useable, anywhere!!! |
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JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. Because he's probably like me & wants to make his whole house resonate with 100 watts of Marshall goodness. And you know what, it doesn't hurt anything to have a 100 watt amp for messing around with. Plus he could also look for 50 watt head, which are regarded by some to sound better due to the different poweramp section. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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I run through a Marshall DSL half stack. I bought a Bugera combo last year as a practice amp for another hard rock band I was in and hoping to get a similar sound as my marshall. I didn't like it the least little bit and took it back. 20 watt combo with a single 12" wasn't loud enough for practice and it sounded bad. Tried the 6505+ combo and didn't care for it either. I could get a similar sound though with a Peavey Valveking 2 x 12 combo, sounded good.
Really if you want a Marshall sound get a Marshall. I'd go with a DSL over the 900 though. I did some mods to my head so it didn't have the buzz like a stock DSL and I love it. Your tone comes from the amp so don't get what you won't be happy with. |
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JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. If he wants a Marshall, let him get it! Besides, with a THD Hot Plate, any amp is useable, anywhere!!! Sure let him get it if he wants it. I have no beef with getting what you want. I'm just saying that a Marshall stack is impractical in many aspects. If its going to sit against a wall and be something to rattle the chandelier every now and again, great. If you actually have to transport it to a gig, squeeze it into a corner in a bar or the living room is a little cramped, just saying, there's other options. Been there, done that. Not worth it, IMO. YMMV. |
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JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. Because he's probably like me & wants to make his whole house resonate with 100 watts of Marshall goodness. And you know what, it doesn't hurt anything to have a 100 watt amp for messing around with. Plus he could also look for 50 watt head, which are regarded by some to sound better due to the different poweramp section. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I doesn't take 100 watts to make a house resonate. Unless you are Nigel Tufnel. 
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I was actually looking to get the 50 watt head, and a 2 x 12 cab. I would love to get the same tone that Michael Schenker gets, and I know he uses the 50 watt heads because he thinks that they sound better than the 100 watt heads. I could get the combo version, but it is costs a lot more than a head and a decent cab. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. Because he's probably like me & wants to make his whole house resonate with 100 watts of Marshall goodness. And you know what, it doesn't hurt anything to have a 100 watt amp for messing around with. Plus he could also look for 50 watt head, which are regarded by some to sound better due to the different poweramp section. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile I doesn't take 100 watts to make a house resonate. Unless you are Nigel Tufnel. |
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Bugera? Bugera products are made by Berhinger at a giant complex in China known as Berhinger city. Their QA/QC is known to be problematic at best and their customer service is known to be terrible. Independent repair shops can't always help because they can't get schematics for Bugera amps. They aren't published anywhere. Marshalls on the other hand are among the best of what's available. Do they fail? Sure. But you can get them serviced at any shop because schematics are easily had and the amps themselves have been in circulation for a while. Hell, maybe you want to send yours in for mods so they can fix it 'till it's broken? Done. I know this is apples vs oranges, but I think I would be more comfortable buying a Taurus or Rossi product than something from Bugera. At least those guys have some form of customer service and their products can be serviced by gunsmiths. If you want a professional opinion, I know an amp tech who happens to be a member here. He's not on Arfcom often, but I can page him on facebook.
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JCM900? Which stadium will you be playing at? I mean, get real, even club musicians rarely need more than 20 watts. There are a LOT of ways to get a passable and deafening Marshall tone without buying a houseboat like a Marshall head and 4-12 cab. Really !!!??? 20 watts wouldnt even cut it for sound check  , Ive been using a JCM2000 TSL100 and a 5150II half stack in clubs for years. Not talking about little corner bars but big rock clubs. Sure, you can get away with a little combo amp but you sacrafice so much tone. You dont have to play it on 11, but having the power available is better than hoping some shithead soundguy with a 20 year old rig can make your guitar sound good.
The 50 watt JCM900 is amazing if you can find one, the 100 watters blow. you can really work the gain on the 50 watt, its breaks up nice. The 100 watter is just too much midrange and not enough low-end. just my 2 cents. If you want a killer amp thats versatile, get a Peavey XXX head. It has 3 independent channels with a footswitchable effects loop that if used properly can be a 4th channel. The MODERN Peavey tube heads are amazing for hard rock and metal. But you can never go wrong with the right Marshall, you just have to plug them in and see what you like. And the best part about the XXX is that you can run 6L6 tubes OR EL34's, lots of different tone options. Trust me, the XXX is a sleeper and you can get great deals on them The Peavey XXX in action Oh, and a Bugera is a Behringer. PooP |
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Bugera is shit.
I have a 333XL-212... I love the tones I get, but it's seriously the worst quality piece of shit I've ever used. Their other amps are pretty low quality as well. This will be the last Bugera I ever buy. I love it as my first tube and I will never get rid of it, but I can't honestly recommend one to anyone. Circuitry has gone out (the Lead XL no longer works, nor does the FX loop), both standby and power lights are out, and the socket for the footswitch has broken and fallen back inside the amp. Stay away. |
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Bugeras had some problems with reliability in the past. I thought they've gotten better though over the last few years? But if you really want that JCM, just save up a little longer and get it. If you pass it up for a Bugera you'll just be wanting to replace it in a few months and wish you had gotten the JCM. |
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I know nothing about Bugera, but I do know this....every amp out there will sound exactly like it was built to sound. What I'm saying is, if you are looking for Marshall tone, there is one way that you can be guaranteed to get it You can get 'close' with other amps but lets be honest, they are trying to copy Marshall tone. Some do it well, but its still just a reproduction of the real deal. I have had a few Marshall amps over the years - to be honest, they arent my drop-dead favorite sound.....but they are an absolute neccesity for any guitarist that wants to sound like a lot of albums. There are a lot of cool tones out there....and everyone has an ear for what they like. If you like the way a 50W Marshall sounds...there is your answer. Now I am going to go play my TSL  |