b-52 amps

[alex1fly]

Re: b-52 amps

I played an AT-212 over the weekend at Guitar Center. I was impressed with the stock tone. Cleans were spanky, distortion was Mesa-esque but with less of that upper register Recto fizz, nice and spongy. It would need an OD pedal of some kind to get into metal territory. The amp was very responsive. Overdrive tones oozed with tubey goodness. It was quite loud, but sounded good at a reasonable self-jamming level. The construction seemed pretty solid too. I mainly played into the high gain input. The contour control helped set the right amount of mid scoop, and the low res control added warmth and bass to fill out the tone. With an OD pedal and/or an EQ pedal, I'm sure this amp would be quite a pleaser! If I were to get one, I'd get the AT-112 version, with less features and less weight.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: b-52 amps

Well, i love mine. About the best bang for the buck that I can think of ampwise.

Unless you're talkin speakers in which case WGS has you covered.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: b-52 amps

B52s are made in China by a factory that builds a variety of products for various manufacturers. One amp I know for sure that comes from the same factory is Egnater's tourmaster.

 

[DMR]

Re: b-52 amps

Nice to see such open-mindedness about B-52. I've had an AT212 for almost a year and the only thing I put in the front end is an MXR 10 band EQ and I get all the gain I need, even for metal tones. For the money you get a whole lot of amp. I still have the stock tubes in there although i'll change them one of these days. The thing sounds monstrous with a dialed in Boss Metal Zone pedal in front if you're looking to go over the top.

The only cons are that on mine the reverb dial is really weak, which i've read was a consistent problem with older models. And my amp is an older model that doesn't have the built-in fan, and it runs pretty hot if you're playing for an extended period. But i've heard B-52 customer service sends free fan kits to those who bought the older models. I've been too lazy to arrange for one.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: b-52 amps

Nice to see such open-mindedness about B-52. I've had an AT212 for almost a year and the only thing I put in the front end is an MXR 10 band EQ and I get all the gain I need, even for metal tones. For the money you get a whole lot of amp. I still have the stock tubes in there although i'll change them one of these days. The thing sounds monstrous with a dialed in Boss Metal Zone pedal in front if you're looking to go over the top.

The only cons are that on mine the reverb dial is really weak, which i've read was a consistent problem with older models. And my amp is an older model that doesn't have the built-in fan, and it runs pretty hot if you're playing for an extended period. But i've heard B-52 customer service sends free fan kits to those who bought the older models. I've been too lazy to arrange for one.

From sifting through harmonycentral reviews, the reverb and heat do seem to be a recurring problem with the older models. Many users say that the newer models don't have the reverb problem, and that B-52 put in a fan to minimize the heat issue. I'm considering buying an AT-112 instead of a Boss GT-8 and FRFR cabinet. The AT-212 I played at GC had all the nice qualities that a tube amp should have, and I finally understand what the tube amp raving is all about - even though I've owned two tube amps, a Fender Hot Rod and a Mesa Roadster, the AT-212 felt so much more warm and alive with quality in its tone and response. I plugged in and instantly said "woah." Too bad it weighs so much! :scratchch

The more I play on and learn about gear, the more I'm discovering that you don't need expensive stuff or tons of features to sound good. It's more about finding the right gear that lets your own expressive style come out. Too bad I didn't figure this out a few thousand dollars ago

 

[DMR]

Re: b-52 amps

I also had a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. In fact I traded it in to Guitar Center for store credit so I could get the AT212 (besides, it was getting old). I always liked the cleans on my Fender but it could never get anywhere near where I wanted to go as far as gain. Poor Man's Mesa? I'll take that. I can't afford to spend somewhere in the area of almost 3K for a boutique tube head and matching cab. My wife would kill me. I'm very happy with the tones i've gotten out of my AT212. The MXR 10-band EQ also works wonders in conjunction with the amp.