Yorkville Bloc 250B Head

I use this amp for small to medium venues, it has plenty of power.
175 watts at 8 ohms, 250 at 4 ohms (a big 250 that is)
I believe most features have been listed in prior reviews so I will leave it at that.

I walked into a pawn shop with about 300 bucks, and saw this jewel sitting in the corner priced 25 dollars less than a 300 watt behringer head. I tried them both, and the yorkville was definitely more ballsy than the other. I tried them on a fender 4x10 cab, and a Pro Peavey 15 cab. This thing shined with the tens, and the guy threw the four ten cab in for 80 dollars more. So I took the head and 4x10 cab to practice that night and hooked up another two ten cab I had and it was very very powerful and punchy. I play with a very energetic drummer, and to my surprise, I was less than half way up on volume, and maybe half way up on my bass volume knob and staying right there on the edge of too loud for them.
I am using it with an Ibanez SR300 with active pickups. Fender 4x10 cab, and a cheap Soundmaster 2x10 cab (until I can find a decent priced 15 cab). Great overall sound even with the soundmaster cab believe it or not.

I haven't had this head long, but I owned a Yorkville BM200 for 6 years and a Yorkville Bass Master XM100 combo for the last year and haven't had a single issue with either. If this Yorkville head is anything like Yorkvilles normally are, it will last and be reliable.

Have heard good things, but never had any issues so I didn't need to call.

I have been playing now for eleven years, a combination of six string and bass, but I have played a lot more bass than guitar. I own an Ibanez SR300 that is the lightest, and best playing bass I have played. I own a Ross systems power amp and behringer sub processor that I was using with four tens prior to getting this head. I have a Fender P bass, A Dean Evo Bass (short-scale), A Yorkville Bass Master XM100 combo, several different effects pedals, I'm not going there.
If it were stolen, I would hunt for another.
I love the raw power this thing has, its a HUGE 250 watts. I haven't found any dislikes yet.
I didn't do much comparing besides the behringer BX4500H. I was hunting for a new bass rig, and as soon as I saw the Yorkville head, I knew I would be leaving with it. When I got the fender 4x10 cab for a little more, I was happy as can be. A powerful cab and bass head for 240 bucks??? That is unheard of. I guess even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while.

Thhis amp was built in 1998. I think you can get every sound you want out of this amp. Just spend a few minutes in front of it and turn the knobs in the right position an then you have it. It's very versatile. I play classic rock and jazz and I'm very pleased with it.
The power is great. It is always loud enough for me.
There are two inputs, effectloop, comressor, parametric EQ (a great one) and a limiter.
The power amp and preamp are solid state.

I use a G&L Asat Bass, a Jazz Bass and a Precision Bass. These Basses sound very well played though this amp. I use a 4x10" and a 1x15" cabinet with this amp. The sound is clear and not noisy. There are no distortions on high levels.

This amp is a tank. I play this amp 8 years now an never had any problems.

Never dealt with them.

Great amp, very reliable. The Sounds are great, it is lightwight, well built. Great Amp.

My Bloc-250 has 2 inputs, each with its own gain knob, and switched by a button. One of the two does not work, but I purchased the unit used back in 1998 and it has always been that way. It has one channel of fully parametric EQ (Gain, Freq, bandwidth, and boost/cut) along with a 4-band shelving EQ with +/- 15db of boost and cut for bass/low mid/high mid and up to +25 for treble. I've always been able to dial in a decent sound with it with most basses on either a 1X15, 2X10, or both cabinets. The sustain knob seems to be a simple compressor, and the presence button adds a boost in the upper midrange that I have never found particularly useful. To keep an eye on levels, there is a "green-yellow-red" indicatior for input gain, and a red clip light for the parametric EQ and output stage. There is also a switchable limiter to keep clipping in check when it is pushed hard. The parametric EQ and sustain can be switched on/off via a standard 2 button footswitch, but I do not have it. There is also an effects look and balanced line out.

There is enough EQ on here where I can usually get a decent sound using both the 1X15 and 2X10 together. The compressor works alright, it does help bring out notes more but tends to get muddy when cranked. The paremetric EQ is almost a neccesity as I have a hard time dialing in a good sound without it, even with a lot of mid-cut from the shelving EQ it still seems to have a lot of "bark" in the midrange without scooping it. The EQ points aren't perfectly placed, but they'll usually do. If you have the right bass and cabinets you won't need to dial in a whole lot with it anyway. I've put a Cozart 5 string, Ibanex EDB600, and varios P/J copies throught it, and one time a Stingray. The stingray sounded awesome even with the EQ set totally flat! I do notice with continuous 5-string duty it seems to get tapped out a bit on the low end when you're playing at near maximum volume, the capacitors are probably just drained from hitting very low notes continuously at full power.

Other than the one input never having worked, this amp has NEVER given me any trouble. Its been carted around to every gig I've played in the last 7 years, banged around, dropped once or twice, run to the point of almost overheating, and spent 2 hour shows with the clip light on almost all night and I've yet to get so much as a hiccup from it. Built like a tank.

Never had to use it.

Its not super-fancy, but its more than paid for itself over the years. If about 250 watts of power is all you need, one of these things will get the job done! I picked it up for $150 at a pawn shop my sophmore year of high school, and its worked without falter ever since. For the price, I think I more than got my money's worth.

Made in the mide 80's I think!! Not too long after Yorkville bought Traynor or the name changed? If you can find a Traynor "mono" block..buy it!!!This amp is close to those old "killers"". I only wish it had EQ sliders...but the parametric works well.

With 2 channels, parametric EQ...you can easily dial in a great sound, the "shape" even works!! I own/owned many old acoustic amps 150/370/B3 and this amp keeps up with them...except maybe the 370!! Great amp!! Turn it up!! Very little distortion....I use it with a single JBL K140..it rocks!!

Never had a problem...built well

Never had a problem....not sure about finding a schematic..I believe Yorkville can provide if needed.

Had one stolen out of my Jeep....I was very pleased to find another in good shape. Next to my acoustic 370 & B3...this little amp kicks. been playing over 25 years, Rick 4001, Fender Jazz 5 string, both sound great through this amp....Sounds great right out of the box!! You won't need much time to dial in a great sound!!

Late 80's design solid state bass amp, rated 250 watts rms @ 4 ohms.It is not rack mountable and is built like a tank!
Two inputs, selectable with full individual adjustment and three colour LED level indication. Includes a Presence Switch and an adjustable Sustain Control. (like the Enhancer control found on SWR and Eden heads). A sophisticated Parametric EQ with LED indication, consists of a Gain Control, Frequency Adjuster(100hz-4khz), Q Adjustment (dull or sharp focus), and a Cut and Boost Control. The Parametric EQ can be engaged by a front panel switch or with a footswitch that also allows sustain on/off switching. The Master Control section has a Master Volume Control, Bass, Low Mid, Mid, and Treble Control. There is a Switchable Limiter and LED Clip Indicator. The front panel is completed by separate 1/4" send and return EFX Loop, a 1/4" Line Out and a Power ON/OFF swich with LED indication. The rear panel consists of a HUGE heatsink and two 1/4" outputs as well as an XLR balanced line out for recording. There is no fan.

I use a Fender American Jazz Deluxe, Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003, as well as Gibson EB3 and EBO. It is clean and quiet. If you can't dial in any sound you want with this amp you are doing something wrong!Lots of clean solid power and sounds loud for it's 250 watt rating.
I also own an Eden WT800 and an SWR Bass 350, so I have a pretty good reference to what good sound is. You can dial it up to imitate either amp fairly closely. Although not sterile sounding by any stretch, it is not as warm as the tube preamp hybrids. And it does NOT have the visceral impact subsonicaly that either of the Industry Kings have. It cuts through the mix with two guitarists and a drummer very well (who are playing at sane levels). But the bass is solid, tight, and pleasant to listen to with a fast transient response. The highs are transparent and smooth without much hiss or noise.

Yorkville bass amps, like the Traynor Tube Amps that the company built before the name change, are solid, reliable and basicly bullet proof. I have taken this amp to many Jams and watched guys beat the hell out of it, and have gigged it on many occassions before the Eden and SWR's came into my life. It still goes to Jam Sessions! No worries! Servicing??? What servicing? Well to be honest, the pots have been cleaned by me with contact cleaner and some are beginning to sound scratchy from years of use. What do you expect?? If I were to have them replaced, it would sound like new and frankly when set in position sound just fine.

Never needed repairs in ten years and neither has my Yorkville 400BH that I have had for seven years. The company sent me a manual for the 400 BH when I bought it used!

This is the most sophisticated solid state bass amp Yorkville has ever built. I have been playing fo twelve years and have already mentioned my stuff in the text except the cabs which are 3 1x15, 1 4x10, 1 2x10, and 1 4x12, all custom built. I had two of these amps at one time and another bass player at one of the jams begged me to sell it to him when I got my Eden! As an inexpensive SWR substitute or poor man's Eden , much like Amp Products, this amp amazing. It does NOT sound as good as the BIG names, but for the money I have tied up in it I don't have any worries! My SWR and Eden stuff, although solid and reliable, only gets played by me!!! For the money...... as a main amp or jam amp ....If you find one in good shape....grab it!!!!! It is one of the great bargains out there that not many people know about!!! I know where there are two more of them!!!! And they are cheaper than when I bought mine!!!