TC Electronic BH250 - anyone tried one yet?

[Gunsfreddy2003]

Thinking of getting one of these as a back up/practice amp as it has aux in etc and wonder if anyone has bought on yet and got any feedback?

They seem a steal at £235 and the app for changing effects seems pretty cool too!

[eude]

Some folks have >> http://basschat.co.uk/topic/181271-tc-electronic-bh250/

Eude

[bobpalt]

Got one delivered a couple of days ago to use at home, and it certainly sounds very nice. Makes a few odd noises at start up that I will have to keep an eye on, has a couple of cheap wobbly switches on the front and although the shop insisted it was brand new and taken straight from their warehouse, its certainly been used at some time and had the power cable missing from the box. The shop said this happens some times with TC equipment........

[Gunsfreddy2003]

Do you think it would be loud enough to gig with and cover a drum kit?

[quote name='bobpalt' timestamp='1349363532' post='1825336']
Got one delivered a couple of days ago to use at home, and it certainly sounds very nice. Makes a few odd noises at start up that I will have to keep an eye on, has a couple of cheap wobbly switches on the front and although the shop insisted it was brand new and taken straight from their warehouse, its certainly been used at some time and had the power cable missing from the box. The shop said this happens some times with TC equipment........
[/quote]

[bobpalt]

Hard to tell really, as its in my conservatory wired to a TC 112 cab, but it does seem loud, and certainly more powerful than the GK MB200 it replaced.

[spaners]

Had mine for a couple of weeks now. Love the sound. Love tone prints. Build seems very solid, no funny noises from mine. I havent tryed it through anything bigger than my RS112 8ohm cab, but at home that is loud at just 1 quater volume. Had an ampeg pf350 befor and that was def not as loud into the same cab. Into a pair of 12s or a 4x10 at 4ohms I think this would be more than enuf loud for most things and if you need more theres a Di on the back

[attachment=120451:P9180017.JPG]

[Gunsfreddy2003]

Cool - seems like a no brainer then!

[quote name='spaners' timestamp='1349725735' post='1829756']
Had mine for a couple of weeks now. Love the sound. Love tone prints. Build seems very solid, no funny noises from mine. I havent tryed it through anything bigger than my RS112 8ohm cab, but at home that is loud at just 1 quater volume. Had an ampeg pf350 befor and that was def not as loud into the same cab. Into a pair of 12s or a 4x10 at 4ohms I think this would be more than enuf loud for most things and if you need more theres a Di on the back

[attachment=120451:P9180017.JPG]
[/quote]

[spaners]

if you get one then the foot pedal is well worth the money too.

[Gunsfreddy2003]

There was some confusion on the thread as to what it did with this amp - can you clarify?

[basskit_case]

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' timestamp='1349733729' post='1829960']
There was some confusion on the thread as to what it did with this amp - can you clarify?
[/quote]

There are three switches:

1: Mute
2: Toneprint on/off
3: Switch between the last two loaded toneprints

Agree with spaners, well worth the investment

Edited October 9, 2012 by basskit_case

[eude]

[quote name='spaners' timestamp='1349725735' post='1829756']
Had mine for a couple of weeks now. Love the sound. Love tone prints. Build seems very solid, no funny noises from mine. I havent tryed it through anything bigger than my RS112 8ohm cab, but at home that is loud at just 1 quater volume. Had an ampeg pf350 befor and that was def not as loud into the same cab. Into a pair of 12s or a 4x10 at 4ohms I think this would be more than enuf loud for most things and if you need more theres a Di on the back

[attachment=120451:P9180017.JPG]
[/quote]

Sounds good man, I don't need to change my set up, but I've got itchy feet.
How would you describe the RS112 cab along with the head? Is it an old school sounding thing, or is it more hifi?

Cheers,
Eude

[spaners]

I would say its kinda old school sounding, but then im playing finger n pick onto tapewound strings so it aint guna sound hifi lol.
the RS112 is a bit boomy in my living room so got it set slight cut on the bass slight boost to the mids and treble kinda 10 oclock 2 oclock 1 oclock
sounds realy good up to about 10 oclock on the volume, then the light fitting starts to rattle n things fall off the wall !!!!!

[Gunsfreddy2003]

What does it sound like if you mix the tone print with an external effect pedal? For example octave with fuzz?

[quote name='basskit_case' timestamp='1349768246' post='1830126']


There are three switches:

1: Mute
2: Toneprint on/off
3: Switch between the last two loaded toneprints

Agree with spaners, well worth the investment
[/quote]

[eude]

[quote name='spaners' timestamp='1349819919' post='1831089']
I would say its kinda old school sounding, but then im playing finger n pick onto tapewound strings so it aint guna sound hifi lol.
the RS112 is a bit boomy in my living room so got it set slight cut on the bass slight boost to the mids and treble kinda 10 oclock 2 oclock 1 oclock
sounds realy good up to about 10 oclock on the volume, then the light fitting starts to rattle n things fall off the wall !!!!!
[/quote]

Nice one dude, thanks for that

[bruce@tc]

[quote name='bobpalt' timestamp='1349363532' post='1825336']
Got one delivered a couple of days ago to use at home, and it certainly sounds very nice. Makes a few odd noises at start up that I will have to keep an eye on, has a couple of cheap wobbly switches on the front and although the shop insisted it was brand new and taken straight from their warehouse, its certainly been used at some time and had the power cable missing from the box. The shop said this happens some times with TC equipment........
[/quote]



Hi bobpalt



Only just seen this as I've not been on here for a little while.



I'm really sorry you've had an issue here. 



I would like to know what dealer you purchased your amp from so I can trace the supply chain.

That is not what we would have expected as regards to customer service within our UK dealer network and I'd like to take that up with them directly, making sure that this doesn’t happen again.

We've obviously only been shipping these a short while and you absolutely should have received a brand new unit at the time if that was what was promised. 





Feel free to contact me via PM

 if you wish.

Many thanks



Bruce

Edited October 15, 2012 by bruce@tc

[phatbass787]

Was chatting in my local shop today and there was one of these being repaired on the techs bench, I asked him what he thought as i thought they look interesting and he said not bad for a 75 watt head... to which I said ahh is that why you're repairing it then, he said nope that's what they put out RMS I've just power tested it now its repaired... So I remember all the fuss with the 450 heads being 200 odd watts and it looks like they're still manipulating things, obviously watts aren't everything but I'm losing more respect for TC each time they launch something backed by highly creative spec and marketing...

[eude]

[quote name='phatbass787' timestamp='1350414155' post='1838575']
Was chatting in my local shop today and there was one of these being repaired on the techs bench, I asked him what he thought as i thought they look interesting and he said not bad for a 75 watt head... to which I said ahh is that why you're repairing it then, he said nope that's what they put out RMS I've just power tested it now its repaired... So I remember all the fuss with the 450 heads being 200 odd watts and it looks like they're still manipulating things, obviously watts aren't everything but I'm losing more respect for TC each time they launch something backed by highly creative spec and marketing...
[/quote]

That's surprising and disappointing, by all accounts this little guy is a lot louder than plenty of other micro heads in a similar price bracket, some of which are rated up to 350W, does that mean that these other ones are more like 50W?...

Eude

[sk8]

It's worth getting the foot switch

[Musicman20]

[quote name='phatbass787' timestamp='1350414155' post='1838575']
Was chatting in my local shop today and there was one of these being repaired on the techs bench, I asked him what he thought as i thought they look interesting and he said not bad for a 75 watt head... to which I said ahh is that why you're repairing it then, he said nope that's what they put out RMS I've just power tested it now its repaired... So I remember all the fuss with the 450 heads being 200 odd watts and it looks like they're still manipulating things, obviously watts aren't everything but I'm losing more respect for TC each time they launch something backed by highly creative spec and marketing...
[/quote]

Again I doubt they'd try to actually fudge it...if APM is built in then its a different story.

The 450/750 amps keep up and take over amps in their wattage range.

[sk8]

Same tech, same test on a shuttle 3.0, MB200 and Reidmar then I would take it seriously

[eude]

[quote name='sk8' timestamp='1350459692' post='1839024']
Same tech, same test on a shuttle 3.0, MB200 and Reidmar then I would take it seriously
[/quote]

Good point, I'm sure folks will fudge the figures, but probably only to round them up so the spec looks nicer.
I am suspicious that TC may have been a little bit cheeky with the RH450/Classic450 heads, especially seeing that some of their endorsees jumped on the RH750 head as soon as they could, but if they [b]had[/b] been caught out there is no way in hell they would try it again, that would be business suicide...

On a side note, I also read somewhere that the power module in the Fender Rumble 350 head, which is rated at 350W, is identical to the one in a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, which is 600W, right?...

Like sk8 suggested, I'd rather see these type of heads compared in these kinds of tests rather than shot down one by one, at the end of the day it's a hell of a lot of kit for £250 even if the rated wattage is a little off, TC don't market this as a gigging solution, they sell it as a rehearsal up to small/medium gig head.
Even with this report, it's the [b]only[/b] negative comment I've read anywhere with regards to the power of these things, here and over the pond.
Still sorely tempted...

Eude

[bruce@tc]

[quote name='phatbass787' timestamp='1350414155' post='1838575']
Was chatting in my local shop today and there was one of these being repaired on the techs bench, I asked him what he thought as i thought they look interesting and he said not bad for a 75 watt head... to which I said ahh is that why you're repairing it then, he said nope that's what they put out RMS I've just power tested it now its repaired... So I remember all the fuss with the 450 heads being 200 odd watts and it looks like they're still manipulating things, obviously watts aren't everything but I'm losing more respect for TC each time they launch something backed by highly creative spec and marketing...
[/quote]

Hi

I've been travelling all day so only had time to look at this now. I'd like to respond to the comments made by phatbass787.

Firstly being in that the BH250 has been shipping into the UK market for less than a month, no authorised dealer would be repairing one themselves as we would be handling any repairs via warranty or DOA procedures. Warranty work for TC Electronic is with either our UK service centre in Sheffield (Real Electronics) or by replacement/repair direct from Denmark. Not only that but no UK authorised dealer is an authorised service centre and currently would have no need to attempt a "repair" due to the timeframe anyway.

I've just checked the numbers (as I have access to this) and can tell you there has only been one incidence where we swapped the unit out for a new one at GAK in Brighton, the UK service centre hasn't even seen one yet. This isn't a bad failure rate for over 80 pieces shipped into the UK in the first month as its less than 1.5% which is way lower than the industry average.

Secondly any failures would like to be seen by our amp development guys in Denmark as the product is so new so it would have been shipped to us.

Thirdly, I don't believe any of our dealers who have had the product have an amplifier workshop on the shop floor either, so I don't understand how you could have seen this?

Fourthly without wanting to get into a slanging match here, the 75w also isn't at all true as the amp has a 250w TC power module. It's true that with the APM engaged by design that a full 250w rating wouldn't be measured via sine wave on a scope, however that isn't a true representation of what a bass guitar signal does in our view.

Hope this clears it up and shows the true picture. Always happy to help with any issues or queries on our kit (subject to me having time and being available) :-)

Thanks

Bruce

Edited October 17, 2012 by bruce@tc

[winterfire666]

Some good points from bruce@tc.
Tc have always made great gear and a lot of the things bieng said about them are unfair.
There is no need for slangin matches. If you dont like it, dont buy it.

Also im gonna have to try one of these, they look very handy indeed.

Edited October 17, 2012 by winterfire666

[yorks5stringer]

This head is reviewed in November's BGM( out now). Might be worth looking at it in WHS or even buying it! Gets a decent review too ( there again nothing really ever gets slated!)

[eude]

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1350497226' post='1839753']
This head is reviewed in November's BGM( out now). Might be worth looking at it in WHS or even buying it! Gets a decent review too ( there again nothing really ever gets slated!)
[/quote]

Just got home to find my copy, gonna read that review before I go to bed

[quote name='bruce@tc' timestamp='1350493510' post='1839687']
Fourthly without wanting to get into a slanging match here, the 75w also isn't at all true as the amp has a 250w TC power module. It's true that with the APM engaged by design that a full 250w rating wouldn't be measured via sine wave on a scope, however that isn't a true representation of what a bass guitar signal does in our view.[/quote]

Thanks for chiming in Bruce, that's very reassuring and not helping my BH250 GAS one bit

Eude