BUGERA vintage 55 hd club

DONT LAUGH I just picked up one of these tone monsters, its a fantastic botique amp and a cheapo berInger price, I know built in china..but hand built with quality componets and things you only find on high end amps like a pentode triode switch which goes from 55 wats to 25 watts, helps save the tubes when you dot need full power..lots of controls for tone..stero capable 6l6 power tubes for that great blusey tone...doesnt do metal very good but country, blues , jazz and classic rock well..a lot of amp for the money made a believer of me ..I figured a POS until i heard it, played it and read the reviwes from other owners...most gave it all 9.5's and 10's...so any one else try one or own one..lets talk about it

Must respond here also so that people will know the facts rather than fiction.

I really don't understand where you get your ideas, but the Bugera V-series is:
- very far from being hand wired
- made mostly with SMC (Surface Mount Components)
- not boutique
- not stereo (or "stero") capable

Quality is not the best, since channel switching issues are easy to find being talked about.

Still, they seem to sound very good and I'm thinking of getting myself a V22.

Are there really quality issues with bugera V55 HD? rather than the channel switching? I'm planning to buy a V55 head. But i can't make up my mind, the quality issue with the amp is a big concern i must put myself unto. Any one who have gigged their V55's and lasted a year without any repair or so?

I realy like the burgera v series, the quality issues seem to be gone with the newer on behringer amps.

I use a V22 and I'm very happy with the product. I've been with Bugera since they started selling amps in the US and have experienced some trouble with cheap components, but they seem to be working out alot of the bugs they had in the early days.

They make a wide variety of amps to fit almost any style of music. If you're on a budget, this a great company.

I have a V5 but from what I understand, the V22 and V55 have the issue where a voltage regulator overheats, then it starts with the channel switching, reverb helicopters and general weirdness.

Luckily its a cheap easy fix, you can stick a heatsink on the existing regulator or replace it outright for one with a heatsink on it. Once that regulator runs cooler, no more wierdness.

It's not a hand wired amp, I think Bugera is pulling one here. Perhaps the components are hand soldered to the board and that's what they mean by hand wired. Either way, I have to admit my V5 board and components seem pretty robust, no complaints here but the transformers seem cheap. The stock speaker is good. The pots aren't sealed pots like I am used to, they are just odd but seem solid when using them.

Now that I have had a little time with my V5 and have taken it apart to see what makes it tick, I am confident about getting the V22 or V55, I just can't decide which one I want. I am leaning toward the V22 because I like that it has 2 channels and a loop and is still running EL84s, it seems like so many EL84s in my price range are single channel amps.

Oddly enough I think Bugera did a good job on the digiverb. I have had amps like the Palamino that were great but the Solid State driven sping verb was really weak and I can't afford a tube driven verb unless I go with the Jet City amp that is on sale right now (back to single channel) so it looks like the V22 is a winner to me. And, it sounds great!

Here's a link for more on the switching issue, the fix is all over the internet, I would hope by now Bugera has addressed the issue and uses a better regulator setup with newer amps they are shipping.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-central-station/210782-bugera-v22-switching-prob.html

Go Bugera! :)

I play for a living and use the crap outta my V22 and its had no problems. Bugera seems to be pretty good about listening to customers about issues with amps and fixing the bugs. My first amp from them was a 6260 and had problems right out of the gate. they were very good about both fixing my amp, and coming out with a better version of the same amp(6262) to address the known problems.

I like the V55 as well, but prefer the V22 for the same reasons you mentioned. I LOVE EL84's!!! Since I mostly play slide, I think that tube is perfect for getting that really smooth compressed kind of overdrive when pushed hard, but without pealing someone's eyelids back because of insane volume levels.

Best of luck if you get a V22!! Its a fantastic amp!

What I really wish is that they made a V22 head...I'd love to have that plugged into my old Jensen 15.

If anybody wants to sell one of these...drop me a line.

Owner of v55 here. had it for over a year. I own a hot rod deville as well, quite often I hear comparisons of these amps. Anyway I could definetly live without the Fender other than the reverb is great, the bugera's reverb is digital and is useless to me. Other than that, it has been very reliable to me. Tone wise I am suprisingly in love with it, from the moment i plugged it in- Very Voxy overdrive and the clean to me is freakin boutique. Lets remember everybody likes different sounds and guitars sound different through different amps, but if you want bang for the buck don't think twice. It doesnt have the Fender traditional clean, its got its own thing- and the overdrive is way better than I've gotten outta my Hot Rod.

The head is unruly tall, I guess no overheating issues in that box, but its about time I build a cabinet for the head as well as the speakers I use (2-eminence 12"). Gonna go for a vintage radio look- you know all wood no covering stained and lacquerd up purdy.

Also, the first time you replace the tubes with something nicer (electro/harmonix in Mine)
and you will be welcomed with a new vigor and detail to your sound. get them pup's biased! other than that I see no real need to tweak this amp.

Oh yeah, about the v22 head wish.
The v22 is so cheap just buy the combo and build a cab for the head. just an idea. it'd be easy as cake.

well, its been a while since I have wrote about this amp. I have since sold my hot rod deville (and others). I have pretty much been using this as my main squeeze. I am still pretty excited every time I turn it on, have had no problems ABSOLUTELY no problems at all with it. Sure If I was rich it wouldnt probably be my first pick, but in a blind taste test, I know for a damn fact many folks would LOVE this amp. The tone really is something to appreciate- Especially with my Danecho pedal latched up to er'. Good garage rock/country/billy amp. I love the clean- Different than a fender for sure, but it's got a real nice voice!

A local shop near me has a used V55 for $200. I am thinking about picking it up but am unsure. the only amps I have right now are a 2x12 Fender hotrod, a Peavey MACE head hooked up to a ampeg 4x12 cab. both really loud amps, I just want something that sounds great with out making my ears bleed.

Just pulled the trigger on a V55-HD. I'm pretty excited about it, especially for the money. I also saw on their website today that they now come with a 3 year warranty. I'm excited, I'll post how I like it after I'm able to play with it for a few days.

It was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. Dang fine amp, I'm very happy especially for the money spent. Matches up great with my Line 6 cab. I can't believe how much clean headroom this thing has. Very happy with my choice.

I've had the V55HD for a month & absolutely love it. The clean channel is unbelievable. Yeah people bitch about the gain channel -but it's only usable if it's LOUD -crank the master volume and it will smooth out the fizz. Has that classic 70s heavy rock sound. I also use an old MXR Dyna Comp that boosts the single coil pickups and gives it a sweet sustain. Using a 4X12 cab helps too.
In a nutshell it's not a bedroom amp -this thing shines cranked.

I had a V22 and got 25 hours out of it. I bought it used for a song at GC. Not a blemish on the thing, and the footswitch was still taped in the bottom of the cabinet. The owners manaul had nary a mark on it, and the screw heads holding the chassis in place were all black and new looking -- no rust, no scratched paint. put new 12AX7s in it when I got it as at least one of the tubes was badly microphonic. After 25 hours of playing at the local club (roughly 12 evenings of play time) the amp crackled, volume cut out and poof. Done. I put new EL84M power tubes in it, biased it (it was close without adjusting). Same deal, heard some sound out of it, but when I cranked it up, it started cutting out. Since it is circuit board construction, I wasn't about to try to figure out what was wrong with it. GuitarCenter sent me refund (I purchased extended protection). No attempt was made to repair or replace the item, which I found interesting. Perhaps due to the used status of the merchandise when I purchased it. The nominal 8 ohm amp measured only 5.6 ohms. If the other components were this out of spec, then I'm not surprised the amp didn't last.

I sold the amp for parts and between my refund and what I got for the dead amp, I nearly broke even on the deal (price of tubes, remember.)

It made heavenly tones, absolutely beautiful. When I played it, I played it nearly cranked to max but not quite. It just couldn't take it. What a disappointment.

Considering building my own point-to-point amp at this point.