Peavey BAM 210 Combo

I bought this amp new, but the store keeper has had it in his showroom for four years. I guess the high price tag and small size put many buyers off. I gave $400.00 plus a year old Fender Bassman 250 with a 15. The Bassman kept giving me problems. This amp has everything any bass player could ever want. There is only one channel, but the input trim knob is very useful in getting a clean sound. I play in a blues bassed band, and have never run out of volume. I was very surprised at how loud this amp can get, with tones of tone

I have a mid 80s Peavey TL-5 bass and a Tacoma 5 string fretless acoustic bass guitar. I like a clean tone and this amp really delivers. All the settings can be confusing, and the manual does a poor job of explaining how to set this amp up. What a shame, because I have never played through a better sounding amp in the 45 odd years that I have been playing. I'm 57 years old. I did figure out how to tweek and store a couple of sounds I like, so I turn the thing on,push the footswitch to channel, rotate knob to section I want, and play

I traded my Bassman because it let me down plus it had nowhere near the sound this BAM has. I own several products made by Peavey and they have always been reliable. The Peavey dealer in Harrisonburg VA. where I have been buying has always been helpful. I've only used this amp on one gig.

Warren at the Guitar and Amp Center in Harrisonburg VA has always taken care of my problems with Peavey gear. Although, I've rarely needed assistance with this brand. I filled out the paper work to get the extended warranty.

This amp rocks. I can't wait to try it out with an extension speaker. Years ago, I bought an SWR Redhead and was totally disappointed, but this little 2 ten combo kicks butt.

Someone has copied specs below, so I'll just say that mine is slightly different. Mine lacks the extendable handle, but I have the heavy flip out ones on the sides. Mine also has removable casters, and it came stock that way.
The modeling sounds absolutely PHENOMENAL! Peavey really nailed the tone of the modeled amps. I get compliments on my tone all the time, and most people think I have a bunch of outboard gear, but I don't. I rarely use anything other than the amp.
Some have said that this amp has 16 programs. Not true. It has 16 factory presets (most settings can be changed, except for amp and cabinet model settings), plus 16 user presets (where everything can be set), plus each program (factory and user) has a second mode that has the same sound, but several settings can be tweaked, somewhat like some guitar amps have a lead boost, but the basic sound stays the same.
You can also enter the FX mode via the footswitch while playing a sound and turn individual effects, EQ, etc. on and off.
The amp is quite a bit more versatile than other reviewers may realize.
The only thing I can't stand is the octave mode. I usually play a Spector 5 string, and it just can't handle it. It pretty much sounds like crap with my Jazz Bass. I've never bothered with my Ashbory.

As above, Spector 5 string with active electronics, Jazz Bass, Ashbory with active electronics. I have added a 15" cab. I tried several, and the Carvin BR115 was the only cab that sounded decent and could handle the BAM's output.
Prior to getting the 15, the amp had a very full sound, and it covered the lower end respectably, but you really need a big speaker to hit the low fundamental notes. With the 15, I can play fast and hard on the B string, and it sounds tight and powerful with a real kick in the gut, when you turn it up. It always had plenty of power. As others have said, this amp is LOUD!
I've played for 21 years, and I've got several friends who have played longer, and they regularly say that I have the best bass tone of anyone they have heard play in our region

I have heard that others have had problems with this amp, usually right after they got it. Apparently, if it lasts the first couple of weeks, then it's unlikely you'll have problems.
I've had mine about 2 years, and I've had no problems, other than dented plugs for the pedal (pack those away properly, they must be easier to bend than they look).
I have seen Peavey gear abused like nothing else (except maybe Crown power amps), and nothing takes the abuse and comes back for more like their gear. I've literally seen equipment that fell one story onto concrete, and I saw an amp that fell out of a van at highway speed. Stuff was scraped up, but it played fine.

I tried the forum once or twice. It was okay, I suppose. Not my favorite way to find solutions to music equipment problems, but there was good information, if you took the time to find it.

I spotted these on clearance at Musicians Friend a few weeks back, and I strongly considered buying a second as a spare, but I didn't see the point. The one I have is plenty loud, and it's built like a tank.
I really love the sound. The only thing I'd change is that crap octave effect. Now that I've got low end to spare, I'm thinking about an EBS Octabass.
Some people have said they want reverb, but I don't. And I've gotten some use out of the synth and fretless sounds, despite what others have said. Not a lot, but a bit.

The amp is a late model Peavey BAM 210. BAM dyslexically stands for "Bass Modeling Amp" Best I can tell, everything is digital except maybe the power amp. It drives 350 Watts internally, and goes to 500 Watts with an external cabinet. It has a configureable compressor, amp modeling, cabinet modeling, three band EQ with a mid-shift, pre- and post- level adjustments, 8 built-in effects, and an XLR output with ground-lift an level that can be switched to be pre- and post-modeling and pre- and post- eq. It's very heavy (96#) and awkward to carry, but it looks small just sitting on the floor. It comes with a 6-footswitch floorboard. It has a built-in tuner, an effects loop, and a low-output headphone jack for silent practice. You can save up to 16 setups + boosts and switch between them from the front panel or floorboard.

I'd like to start by saying that I agree with pretty much everything below except for the claim that it doesn't have much bass output. Since the amp is digital, it's possible to set it up wrong and get horrible tone. The front end has an input trim knob, and you need to adjust this so that the loudest signal you'll ever produce with your bass won't turn on the Sig. Clip LED. Otherwise, you'll be sending a hard-clipped square wave through the amp, and it will sound awful. The compressor is quite good and easily adjusted. The models give a wide range of sounds from funky old tubes to modern solid state amps, and a variety of cabinet tones, with and without tweeter (there's a relay that clicks loudly when the tweeter is turned on or off). The pre-gain control, available on some models, creates poor tube overdrive emulation when used with guitar, but it sounds pretty good for bass. I prefer to keep it below 50%. The tone controls are generally touchy. a little bit of adjustment does a lot. I think the chorus, flanger and phaser effects are great for bass in small doses. The others just clutter up the front panel. The front panel and footswitch don't take long to learn. Study hard.

What's the bottom line? you can get anything from squeeky clean and articulate to an "only the bottom" tone that will stay out of the way of keyboards, etc., with cabinet choices to match, and the low-end on my 5-string seems to go down forever. It fits in a small car, and it's loud enough to annoy a drummer. With the compressor, chorus and flanger, you don't need anything else (though a compressor/limiter up front of the input A/D would improve the dynamic range, especially if you're slap-happy). It may be the ultimate church/jazz bass amp. A CD player will only sound bad through it, but basses sound real good. Real good.

Mine hasn't broken, but you might actually want to consider an extended warranty with free shipping on this if you can get it. UPS and FedEx don't want it because of the weight. Round-trip shipping might run you $150. The cabinet is built like a tank, but I haven't seen the electronics. They may be cheeze.

I think these amps are getting rare. Musician's Friend just ran a close-out, and they no longer list it. There's a lot to be said for a separate amp and cabinet. They would be easier to move, and you can replace one element without starting over. On the other hand, this amp is a monster that won't scare anybody, and that's nice too.

I'm glad I bought this amp. It walks all over my old SWR Workingman's 15.

From Peavey:

BAM??? 210
Item # 00456360
MSRP: $1,599.99

State of the art technology. The BAM??? is an awesome bass combo that has endless features. High power, angled baffle board (to achieve tilt-back sound without sacrificing low-end). Oh yeah, it's a modeling amp too!

Features

* 500 Watts RMS at 2 Ohms
* 350 Watts RMS at 4 Ohms
* Two 10 inch cast frame woofers
* Horn-loaded tweeter with L-pad attenuator for tweeter and protection circuitry
* Front ported
* Angled bafflle board for that tilt-back sound
* Chorus/flange with crossover (variable high pass filter)
* Octave divider
* Distortion
* Auto-wah (AKA-Funk wah)
* Bass, mid-range, and high tone controls with mid shift
* Tone controls - passive and active type EQs
* PLEASE NOTE: This item only available for in-store pickup


Specifications
Dimensions 23.5" W x 24" H x 17.25" D (Unpacked)
27" W x 27.5" H x 21.5" D (Packed)
Weight 106 lbs. (Packed)
96.6 lbs. (Unpacked)

Probabaly the most versatile bass amp in its price range (possibly any price range) ever built. It definitely does the trick for the alternative hard rock, classic rock, prog and metal that I play.

I wish you could use two effects at once, but it's not really necessary for me. If I need a little distortion with one of the other effects, I just turn up the pre-gain.

This amp should have enough power for any application I ever need. I have yet to push it past 5 on the volume and 4 usually does it when playing with a guitarist and drummer in rehearsals. Though I can't imagine needing more power, adding an extension cab nets another 150 watts so that flexibility is there if one needs it.

I wish Peavey had included a cover. I had to spring for an additional $70 for a custom made job to protect the carpet from my cat!

I'm using all Peavey gear. The value on their stuff for bass is simply amazing. Quality stuff at affordable prices. My primary bass is a Millennium BXP AC (w/ the Cirrus VFL pickups)and my second bass is a USA Foundation with a pair of single-coil Super Ferrites.

The amp is pretty quiet. There is fan noise which could be an issue if you are mic'ing the amp for recording (just use one of the direct outs and this becomes a nonissue) but it's not audible while you are playing.

Some models can get pretty hissy if you boost your treble at all. This is a slight issue for me as I like a modern, bright tone; dark and heavy but with a definite high end bite. Think Justin Chancellor of Tool. It would take a lot more cash than I spent on the BAM 210 to exactly reproduce Chancellor's tone, but I get the general gist of it with some other tonal coloration that makes the sound my own.

Can you make every sound a bass amp is capable of making with this thing? No. But the variety of sounds that can be created is unsurpassed. At the very least an approximaition of any bass tone one would want is somewhere inside the BAM.

The effects are good. The compressor is fantastic and the modulation stuff is very nice, especially the flanger (which I use to broaden the overall spectrum of the tone). The distortion is a bit brittle and digital sounding, but as I wrote earlier, I am more likely to use the pre-gain for a little distortion if I need it.

For my sound I like the SVT amp model. Mostly I have used it with the default Ampeg 8x10 speaker emulation (and added the tweeter!) but I'm finding now that the tone is a little too "round" for me. I get a better bite when I use the speaker swap function to put the SVT (called TVS here)through the SWR 210 (Redhead), the Eden 410 (West Coast) or with no speaker modeling at all.

The Peavey Max Amp model is nice too. I like the amp models with the pre-gain circuits and the cab models that use the tweeter the best. Even limiting myself to these choices I have a wide variety of sounds to choose from.

I hav only had the amp a few weeks, so I can't comment on its reliability. It does have a five year warranty.

In general I have found Peavey stuff to be better than average in terms of reliability.

Peavey has a website with product manuals available for download. There is also a users forum where you can sign up for online advice. You'll get a response about 3/4 of the time, a useful one about 1/2 the time.
On a spectrum ranging from 10(a 24 hour toll-free hotline and free two-way shipping for repairs)and 1 (no support at all) I split the difference on the score.

I've been playing guitar for 22 years, and bass regularly for six years.
If this amp were lost or stolen I would file an insurance claim and get another one, assuming one could be found. The amp has been discontinued (come on Peavey! Give an amp a chance!) and they are getting hard to find.

I compared this to Line 6's Lowdown 300 modeling amp. Only another modeling amp could compare favorably with this in terms of versatilty. The Lowdown seemed to have slightly more bass response but not as many features and to not be as tweakable. The Lowdown may be a simpler amp to use and a better "plug and play" box, perhaps, for those without the patience to tweak a little, but for the money the BAM 210 is way better. Keep in mind the BAM 210 was on sale for 62% of the list price which made it, a $1,500 amp, exactly the same price as the $600 Lowdown.

You all know the features and facts about this amp so lets move on to
the more important stuff.

I used both a Schecter Stilleto Studio 4 & 5(Low B). I play classic Rock. I borrowed the amp from a friend and compared it to my Carvin Cyclops and my Yorkvill XM200 Amps. The Bam210 has punch and sound great on the highs but thats it. It has no bottom end and the bass setting had to be set to max just to get some warmth and low end. Compared to my other amps this one is not a keeper. The effects are nice and so is the amp modeling but remember it has 2 ten's. No matter what you do a 10 does not sound like a 15 or 18. It is a great slap bass and probably sounds great with a 15 inch cab but for $1,200 dollars it not worth it to me.

I only borrowed it for a day and that was enough so I can't rate it.
My friend says it has never given him a problem.

No Idea never used them.

I have played bass for 30+ years, I teach bass and play live every week. The store I teach at sells peavey and I only own a peavey bass practice amp for my studio. The peavey has punch and good mid range tone but if you like low warm bass look for something else or add a 15 or 18 cab to this amp. I'm so glad my friend loaned me the amp to try out before looking to buy new. He saved me tons of money. I need to take him out to lunch!!!. The features are nice but are not for me I use a very nice effects rack for those needs. I hear good things about the Bam 210 but it looks like I will be getting another Carvin Amp. The BRX212 sounds good.

The features have been pretty well outlined by the previous entries but I feel that a couple of awesome things have been left out. It has a direct out that gives incredible control of what you are sending to a PA. You can have your own preset eq go to the board or you can just send the signal and let the PA work it. It also has MIDI capabilities that I have just recently started working with and this amp delivers!

I use a 5-string fender jazz bass and I can get anything I want out of it. The effects aren't outstanding but I do like the funk wah and the synth to get some feedback and wierd sounds. The cab select option on it is unbelievable. It really can sound like an ampeg, GK, but I like the Bam tone the best. What I like best is the clarity and PLENTY OF POWER!!!!

It did break down on me one time but that was probably from being on the raod and moving it around a lot. Simple problem simple fix. Wire came unattached to the speaker. Took it to authorized dealer got it back the same day, never missed a beat.

Customer support is great. Had a repair technician in town and it was fixed in a hurry. It was under warranty. They offer a 3-year warranty but two more years if you fill out the warranty card and mail it in. After I mailed it, I found out you can do it online. 5 year warranty is smokin'!

I have been playing for 15 years and this is the best amp I have played through. I love it's capabilities and especially the built in tuner. I went through 5 pedal tuners before I got this amp and haven't had one since. If it were stolen or lost, I would get exactly the same thing. I have tried other things that sound great but this gives you incredible control on the stage. Obviously this is a great cab by itself but I would definitely add an additional cab, I have tried a 15" sub and a 4x10" and I like the 4x10 better, but use your own ear to figure that one out.

solid state, amp modeling and various effects, tuner and compressor...the folks below me outlined these already.

for the amp modeling, it does a great job. playing with a three piece, the models sound respectable. solo there are obvious differences between this and the real deal, but it's the best i've heard...this is a very good thing to have in a cover band, this amp modeling.

the effects...eh. the chorus is workable. the phaser is pretty decent, as is the overdrive, but i don't use them. the others, not so much...the wah, synth and octavers are awful sounding to me, and the fretless, what the heck is that? all i need is chorus though...the tuner does great, and the compressor is amazingly transparent...i'd like a little more squash sometimes! <not that i'm comlaining.>

this amp is plenty loud for a four-piece, and can have an extension cab. i put a tko 115 under it set like a sub for big shows or outdoor gigs, and it does fine.

incidentally, this is a silly heavy amp. be careful!

using a g&l trib l-2500, a cheapo jazz copy with passive pups, and a defretted washburn b-2. sounds good for them all with slight adjustments.

if i work really hard, i can push it into overdrive, but it's an effort. clean power, very nice...

no problems with this or any other peavey product i have owned. i take good care of my gear.

3 yr warranty.

the manual is a bit iffy, i don't really dig the forum based service page...

i switched to bass a couple of years ago, and wanted a peavey amp...this is what i ended up with. no regrets. great for a hardworking cover band.

This is a modeling amp. It models the Ampeg SVT amp and cab, SWR Super Redhead, Eden World Your, GK 800RB, Hartke 4x10, Acoustic 360, Fender Bassman 2x12 and Ampeg Fliptop. You can mix and match these with 1 effect or run dry. There is also a compressor, tweeter and tuner. The footswitch allows limitless combinations. You have 16 preset and 16 user defined settings. Each setting has a boost, an effect on and off, a secondary effect on and off, compressor on or off and tweeter on or off. You can add a tweeter to cabs that normally don't have one. The boost is just a secondary setting for the EQ. The secondary effect setting allows you to change speed and depth on the same effect. You can't change effects with this. Hands down, this amp is the best tone machine out there. This amp will cover every style and is LOUD! This has option of adding another cab, power amps, pre-amps and other midi effects. Download the instruction manual from Peavey.

This sounds great for rock on the SVT, killer slap tones from the Super Redhead and World Tour, and great finger plucking from the Ampeg Fliptop. You can design your own amp with this thing. The fan is a bit noisy, but you will not notice it unless you're listening for it. This is plenty loud to practice with a drum set and guitar player. If you need more volume, just add another 4 ohm cab. If you do this, be sure to turn the tweeter off the second cab so you can still control the tweeter on and off for various models. A couple of the effects seem worthless. Fretless sounds muddy, who uses an autowah? and the synth is hard to use in a musical situation. The octaver isn't that clean and jumps around a lot unless you continue to play hard. The amp not only has two main settings, but has tweeks I haven't yet learned. The only effects I could see using are Chorus, Flange, Phase Shifter and Distortion.

The first BAM I got in had a burned out LED and the fan would turn on and off. The amp soon burned up and no sound would come through the speakers! Thankfully, Peavey took it back and sent me another one for free. This amp is built like a rock. The grill is tough, what is bass player magazine talking about? I mean yea, I've had heavier grills, but should a grill be taking shots from a baseball bat? The best grills and casters HANDS DOWN come from Mesa Boogie. You can order the handles they have on their cab which will be a lot tougher than the moveable handles on this amp. If you pull these handles too hard, you may break them. The Mesa handles are like $20. I feel this amp can hold up on the road, but I wouldn't be throwing it around TOO much.

Peavey's user forum is helpful. Not only do other Peavey owners read it, but actually Peavey support staff get on there. You can get opinions from users about settings and other problems they have had along with professional Peavey help. I like this kind of customer service better than calling a hotline (though Peavey should offer this as well).

I bought this for versatility, price and size. It fits well in my small apartment! If you're looking for the best tone and you're some kind of pro, don't buy this amp! Buy the real deal! They made this a modeling amp for a reason. Not all folks can afford the real deal! An Ampeg SVT and cab will set you back more than $2000. Acoustic 360's aren't made anymore. The thing with those is, they only have one tone. This amp can make all the sounds, though not at the highest quality level. This is still the best sounding amp I've ever had. If you're looking for the most versatile combo on the market, this is your amp. HANDS DOWN.

Made in 2002.

Very good effects. Nice Built in tuner. Included control pedal is incredible... even allows you to tune while looking at the pedal. This amp has plenty of power and tone.

Minor Gripes: I play a seven string bass and the octaver doesn't track the 1st, 2nd, or 7th strings very well. If you play a standard 4 string you won't have any problems.

The three different Wahs are essentially the same. The Fretless Wah should have a reverse envelope.

The pop-up luggage-style handle and recessed rear weels are BRILLIANT! previously I had to haul a pre amp, two power amps, and three cabinets to bi-amp and get the sound I wanted. Now I get close with something that's tiny and convenient.

Couple things that would make this amp a 10:

Spent $13 to get the amo cover. Seems that they could include it for that price.

A one space rack onder the power amp would be nice for using better effects (if you're into that kinda thing).

More mid shaping would be REALLY nice. A little shift buttton to give you another mid and shift would be dreamy! (did I just say dreamy?!?)

I wish this amp had been modled at 96/24 instead of 44.1/16. As I said, I play a 7 string and on the extremes of range you can hear a little granulation of tone.

You'd have to be as picky about tone as me to hear it and once again, if you play a standard 4 string you'll never hear it.

This thing is a workhorse! I got rid of a HUGE cumbersome rig (ok... ok... I'm getting old) to move to this amp. This thing works like it's supposed to. Everytime. All the time.

Never had to use it. It's always worked.

I've been playing for 18 years. Apart from my bass this is the best piece of equipment ever dreamed of. I bought this amp the day before a gig (Yeah, bad move). All the settings were WAY too loud for the gig and I was on 1! This made me very happy 'cause I new I'd have plenty of headroom.

The tone on this amp is really outstanding. The speaker modeling is astounding.

With this amp you can have your cake and eat it too... Heck, why else would you have cake?

THIS AMP HAS IT ALL. EVEN WITH OUT THE EFFECTS IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SOUNDING AMP ON THE MARKET. I AM SELLING ALL MY OTHER AMPS, CABS, AND EFFECTS BECAUSE I NO LONGER NEED THEM.

I USE ESP BASSES 4 AND 5 STRINGS SOME ARE ACTIVE SOME PASSIVE THIS AMP WORKS FOR ALL OF THEM. I PLAY JAZZ, FUNK, ROCK AND BLUES I CAN DIAL IN ANY THING I WANT AND GO FROM ONE SOUND TO THE NEXT VIA FOOTSWITCH. THIS REVIEW WOULD BE WAY TO LONG IF I COVERED ALL THE SOUNDS BUT YOU CAN GET ANYTHING YOU WANT LISTEN TO STU HAMMS DEMOS ON PEAVEYS SITE IT SOUNDS THAT GOOD NO JOKE.

I HAVE NOT HAD IT LONG ENOUGH IT HAS SO ,MANY LIGHTS AND NOBS THAT IM ALITTLE WORRIED BUT PEAVEY HAS A GOOD REP AN WARR.

I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH THEM

I HAVE PLAYED 14 YEARS AND THIS IS MY FAVORITE AMP YET, WHEN I BOUHT THIS IT WAS BETWEEN A EDEN METRO 2-10 AND THE BAMM THE EDEN SOUNDED GREAT BUT THIS AMP SOUNDED BETTER AND COVERS WAY MORE SOUNDS. I WAS PLAYING A AMPEG SVT PRO 3, WITH A ART EFFECTS PROCESSER THROUGH A SWR TRIAD AND HARTKE 2.5XL. I AM SELLING THAT STUFF AND WILL GET A PEAVEY PRO 4-10 AND RUN IT WITH THIS AMP ITS FINE AS A STAND ALONE BUT I LIKE TO GET CRAZY. IF ANY THING HAPPENED TO THIS I WOULD GET ANOTHER ONE BUT THEIR EXSPENSIVE BUT WELL WORTH IT.