bugera v22

[jaxonplayer]

is the bugera v22 a decent amp worthy of an american special telecaster. i'm new to the electric scene but been playing acoustic for 40yrs.

many recommend the fender reverb amps but they are pretty expensive. the bugera is at least 1/2 the price new. i won't be gigging with it soon but could be mixing it in with an acoustic duo if i learn how to play it decently.

the venues are small to medium so i won't really half to crank it that much. there will be no drummer.

 

[Dharma bum]

I had one, nice sounding clean channel but I returned it before any problems could develop. I think by now pretty much all the bugs in these are fixed. I only returned my because it wasn't loud enough for what I was doing. The 'head' of the amp runs at 4 ohms, and the speaker at 8, so it's really an 11 watt amp unless you plug into a 4 ohm cab I believe

 

[Bortyeast]

Yes, it is. I own one, and it's a very fun little amp. Well worth the asking price - play through one for an hour or so, I think you'll be impressed.

 

[soulman969]

The Bugera's are well made good sounding amps. I have it's baby brother the v5 and it's a dynamite little 5w amp. For what you intend to use it for it would be perfect. I could use my v5 in an unplugged setting with headroom to spare so you'll have plenty of volume.

The cleans on the v22 are great and it takes pedals well. If I was in the market for a 1x12 tube combo that one would be high on my list. It's a good value.

 

[eddie knuckles]

You will be impressed. Very nice cleans to be had on the v22. I don't set the amp to do anything else. GREAT platform for pedals. I haven't gigged with mine yet, but as lead guitarist in rehearsals with a 6 piece band it has held up well. Make sure you get an "amber" light version. I believe the original "blue" light ones are the ones with issues. For the price, you are getting at least twice (or even three times) the amp you are paying for. I genuinely LOVE mine - in a warm and sparkly kind of way....

 

[crizzly_bear]

A few years ago v22s had horrible issues, to the point where you could read any thread about them and it would be filled with people talking about how the amp died inexplicably. IIRC some design flaw about some transformer overheating and then melting or something. The tone, features and price are all great though so hopefully they ironed out that issue

 

[Timbertea]

Only downsides to the V22 are the digital reverb (which isn't bad, but it isn't what I want for deep reverb), the speaker (its not awful, but swapping it out can be a major improvement), and that it can be a big mid heavy (not a downside for me -- you can make it sound like a Vox with the mid controls or even a Marshall if you back off of them) with some guitars.

I have a blue light one, and I haven't had any problems with it. Mind you, when I gig with it I don't push it into output tube distortion very often, but it has held up despite my initial reservations of longevity.

The bight input can deliver some serious twangy country too if you get a notion!

 

[wishicouldplay]

I have the v22 and I had to go through 2 of them before I got to this one. The first thing I did was switch out the tubes to electro-harmonix. The first amp I had was from the sales floor at a local shop (not g.c.). I play at church and set it up and was really stoked about it until the light went out. I took it back got a new one in and it would cut in and out because were the tubes meet it wasn't connecting right. Then I got the one I have now switched the tubes and have never had a problem since. I love the tone I can get out of it(cleans and grit to distortion). All in all a good starter amp if you switch the tubes out. Its still my main amp and Im happy. I will get some pics of what I did to it to play at church loud through the p.a.

 

[wishicouldplay]

I made a isolation box, made a head for iso box, coverd in carpet and red crushed velvet. I will have to find more pics later.

 

[Davo17]

The Bugera's are well made good sounding amps. I have it's baby brother the v5 and it's a dynamite little 5w amp. For what you intend to use it for it would be perfect. I could use my v5 in an unplugged setting with headroom to spare so you'll have plenty of volume.

The cleans on the v22 are great and it takes pedals well. If I was in the market for a 1x12 tube combo that one would be high on my list. It's a good value.

+1 on the V5, and I would not hesitate to own a V22, its also a great sounding amp.

 

[soulman969]

I'll comment on my experience with the tubes Bugera uses as well and simply say that it pays to change them, especially the preamp tube or tubes. The Chinese 12AX7s are noisy and harsh. The Tung-Sol 12AX7 is a far better tube in these amps and if you want less gain and more clean headroom I liked the EHX 12AT7 or the Phillips JAN NOS 12AT7 I'm using now.

It's pretty amazing how spending $10-$30 on some different tubes can make a nice difference in these amps. Speaker swaps can also help but it's far more expensive than a tube swap and once broken in the stock speaker isn't all that bad. The nice thing about these lower cost Bugera's is that they lend themselves well to tweaking.

 

[Gerick Guitars]

yes Yes yes mines completely stock and I have no intentions on changing a thing

 

[Macatowa]

With all the knobs and send return it has much more than any amp in its price class. I like the fact its two channel and you can add an OD pedal and have the levels of gain. The cleans on my Tele are superb!

 

[Chicago Slim]

Would the V22 be a good option to a Vox, with the right speaker?

I would like an AC15, but I can't get myself to buy a 48 lbs, 15 watt amp. The V22 is a little lighter and cheaper. Would id make a good Vox alternative with a speaker like a Weber Blue Dog or Eminence Tonker?

 

[Macatowa]

I understand the V22 is modeled after a Vox and a Fender.

 

[soulman969]

Would the V22 be a good option to a Vox, with the right speaker?

I would like an AC15, but I can't get myself to buy a 48 lbs, 15 watt amp. The V22 is a little lighter and cheaper. Would id make a good Vox alternative with a speaker like a Weber Blue Dog or Eminence Tonker?

It runs a pair of EL84s like a Vox and probably leans more in that direction, especially when overdriven, than it does a Fender. I would describe the v5 which runs a single EL84 as being very Vox like. It has the same mid prominent voicing a Vox does.

I'm not certain what speaker to suggest to you though. I haven't spent enough time around a v22 to be sure. Many of us with the v5 put in an Emi 820H to get away from that mid prominence we felt made that amp too "dark". Eminence has a ton of choices for British voiced speaker though and their website does and excellent job of detailing the characteristics of each.