Help! Bad GAS attack!

Talk about guitars, amplifiers, effects and other gear
Post Reply
User avatar
Blindboy
Posts: 1787
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:34 pm

Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by Blindboy »

Thinking about a new teeny amp for small coffeehouse style gigs (winebar gigs :big_smile: ) Heard mention of Bugera 5W amps here, found one on E-bay that I could pick up locally for about $75. Also saw fender champ 600 for as low as $55. Anyone on here have experience with either one of these babies? Are they worth the money? Are they loud enough?
Update... I found a Blackheart like the one HBL has (before mods) for around $140. More than I really can afford (it will bid higher, I am sure) but I love his tone. :drool:
I still need to see if 5W will be loud enough. :amp:
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
User avatar
MojoJim
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:38 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by MojoJim »

BB - I don't know about those amps. But I was reading an article in Wikipedia today on "Guitar Amplifier" and read the following:

"The relationship between perceived volume and power output is not immediately obvious. A 5-watt amplifier is perceived to be half as loud as a 50-watt amplifier (a tenfold increase in power), and a half-watt amplifier is a quarter as loud as a 50-watt amp. Doubling the power of an amplifier results in a "just noticeable" increase in volume, so a 100-watt amplifier is held to be only just noticeably louder than a 50-watt amplifier. Such generalizations are also subject to the human ear's tendency to behave as a natural compressor at high volumes."

I remembered it because I found it so surprising. When I saw your post I thought it might be part of the answer to your question about loudness.
User avatar
12bar
Site Admin
Posts: 3273
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by 12bar »

I have the champ 600 (see other post), it's a neat little amp. No extras, just turn it up and play. Load enough to play to a piano, but not for bigger gigs.
It loves strats, they sound much better than my Epiphone. Very clear sound, little overdrive. Several vids and mods on youtube.
User avatar
weelie
Posts: 228
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:23 am

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by weelie »

5W is loud enough! One guitarist in our band plays 5W Laney amp (12" speaker though), we are not gigging or anything, but there's drums, bass, keyboards and another guitarist... and you can hear him well enough. :) A lot louder than his Tech21 30W modeling amp.

Fender 600 with it's 6" speaker I don't really like. If it had an 8" I think I might.
User avatar
Bluesmole
Posts: 98
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:59 am

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by Bluesmole »

I agree with 12bar about the Champ 600. It's a lovely 'clean' amp just made for strats and teles. It hardly overdrives, but sounds great with a BD2 and my old (and cheap) Zoom 505. It is plenty loud enough for practice with friends,but for small gigs I'd go for a 15 watt valve/tube amp. Good hunting BB! :amp: :amp:
"Big Bill Broonzy, a white boy's inspiration" (1963), and the Blues ever since.
User avatar
Strummer07
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm

Bugera 5 Watters

Post by Strummer07 »

Hi Bb

Both the Champ and the Bugera are decent 5watt amp, Bugera V5 has a tone control AND a reverb and an attenuator fitted as standard 5W 1W and 0.24W .. Handy and reverb a plus ... .. Champ is really volume basic one knob tone control and an on off switch and thats it!!! but there is nothing wrong with simple, as long as its fit for purpose .. and both these amps are !!


But they both put out some great all tube sounds ......and a fender Strat or tele through the Champ ............lovely.
I tested the Champ in the shop several times and comapred it with other amps and its a belter , perhaps a bit basic and perhaps needs a speaker upgrade ( or an exteension cab .. both have outputs for one , a bit hard to find on the Champ) for louder volumes ( 6inch is possibly on the small side to get a decent bass at coffee shop levels)

http://www.bugera-amps.com/EN/products/V5.aspx

http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 2330100000

Bugera V5 has an 8 inch speaker as a standard .so it just might have a slightly more gutsey sound ...but I've not tried 'em back to back.

As long as your not playing with a full set drummer I'm sure you'd be fine with either .and at 75 or even 55 bucks they are a steal. ( I wish we ciould pick up stuff like that in Europe ....even 2nd hand they'd be twice that price over here )


Here's a Bugera sound bite .. there's a few on you tube .....just google it, there's a slightly spooky one with a gun on top of the amp ??? Decided not to attach that !!

[youtube]jvmbMGH4J8c[/youtube]

(Hi Mods .. I'm doing something wrong in he youtube atttachment dept .what part of the thread do I need in the brackets pls ??)Hope that link works

good luck
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
User avatar
HalfBlindLefty
Admin
Posts: 2015
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: Bugera 5 Watters

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Strummer07 wrote: (Hi Mods .. I'm doing something wrong in he youtube atttachment dept .what part of the thread do I need in the brackets pls ??)Hope that link works
Hey Strummer :) I corrected your youtube link. just do a edit on your own post and you catch the trick (only use the youtube identifier code between the "=" and the "&". select & copy, hit the youtube button and paste...) presto :banana:

Code: Select all

youtube.com/watch?v=     jvmbMGH4J8c        &feature=related
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
User avatar
HalfBlindLefty
Admin
Posts: 2015
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Just noticed... I'm secret mod agent 00487 hehe, you can't tell I'm still a mod.....

I'm on the hunt and destroy spammers mission :drool: :D
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
User avatar
Strummer07
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by Strummer07 »

Thanks Mod :thumbsup:
this is the bit wot I needed...........................

"=" and the "&".

Thank you .................the Bugera 5W is quite a pretty lill amp innit !!
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
User avatar
HalfBlindLefty
Admin
Posts: 2015
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Mhh not my kinda sound from that amp......
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
User avatar
12bar
Site Admin
Posts: 3273
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by 12bar »

HalfBlindLefty wrote:Mhh not my kinda sound from that amp......
In contrast a 600:

[youtube]jBcIZYoGfd8[/youtube]

[youtube]Y1TGTrXjvd4[/youtube]
User avatar
HalfBlindLefty
Admin
Posts: 2015
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

:chicken: :amp: Much, Much more to my likings... :amp: :chicken:
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
User avatar
Strummer07
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by Strummer07 »

I agree .. Fender better sound all round (and better demo guitar playing !!) .. its a really iconic looking amp too ..and I'm told stuck through a larger speaker/ seperate cab it can knock your sox off !!

The only reason I didn't actually get one ( and opted for the Blackstar HT5) was (after several tests runs ) ... no attenuator switch to reduce power for night/home use , no headphone socket and the mains hum on UK power was offputting ..it may well not do that on a US mains source or continental mains ..I think your cycles are sighly different to ours . Anyway it hummed too much for my delicate wee ears !!

All pretty good for a small amp though :thumbsup: .and at those prices $55 and $75

Has to be worth buying
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
User avatar
Blindboy
Posts: 1787
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:34 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by Blindboy »

I guess I will have to come down off of my mountain and demo a couple of amps. :whistle: (I hate going into town)
I simply can't buy one without playing through it myself. :icon_whoknows:
The Champ is looking pretty good tho... I think I will borrow my brother's Blues Jr. Whatever I get needs to be louder than my Supro. If I do go amp shopping, I plan to take a guitar and the Supro and play them side by side.
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
User avatar
HalfBlindLefty
Admin
Posts: 2015
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Just to make it even worse : make sure you try a Blackheart.... even though it's more expensive..... viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15&p=708#p703 <GRIN>
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
User avatar
BadBluesPlayer
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:31 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by BadBluesPlayer »

Blindboy - I have a Fender VibroChamp XD. It's 5 watts and has a bunch of different voicings that are very good at low volumes. I played it with my jamming buddies about four different sessions while my Egnater Rebel was in the shop, and it's pretty loud when played thru my two 12 inch speaker cabs - with the master all the way up. The bass player still had to use his earplugs. Definitely loud enough for a coffee shop/small venue. Still sounds great with the little speaker too.

I like the different voicings for a small amp. It makes the amp really versatile at low volume. When I get sick of the Marshall sound, I just flip it over to the Blackface or Champ or Tweed or Bassman settings or whatever. It has an acoustic setting too. It really does sound good.

Here's a little vid of the VibroChamp with my ES-339 recorded thru the pinhole mic on my video cam with the amp across the room. I think it was on the Marshall setting. Lousy acoustics but you can hear the Marshall crunch:

[youtube]p2vpE1KuKNk[/youtube]
User avatar
VikingBlues
Posts: 4466
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Re: Help! Bad GAS attack!

Post by VikingBlues »

Sorry I haven't been able to contribute to answering your question BB, but I''m under GAS attack myself so much I don't know what to suggest. Part of the GAS has been released but its still not all gone and it's the 5W tube amp question that's still driving me mental too. If I sort out my thoughts on it enough and go and try any I'll post here and let you know how I get on. Mind, there's not a lot of choice available on these in Edinburgh. Currently though my brain just feels like a rat in a maze trying to solve a puzzle by scurrying round at huge speed and banging its head on the walls. :wall:

I'm finding this thread most interesting though. Keep the advice coming in guys! :D
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
Post Reply