Product: Barcus Berry XL8
Price Paid: USD 125
Submitted
07/14/2008
at
01:46am
by
purplecat-nyc
Features
:
7
It's a small solid-state amp with high- and low-gain inputs, drive, preamp, and master volume controls, and treble, midrange, and bass. 8" speaker. From 1978.
It's a little heavy to carry to the semi-acoustic situations I play in, so I leave it at home.
Sound Quality
:
9
As a guitar amp it didn't do much; I don't like the distortion.
But it's been my main bass practice amp for 30 years. I get a really full bass tone, even from the 8" speaker.
It's a practice amp--don't expect to use it with a drummer.
Reliability
:
10
I've had it for 30 years. OK, my ex-wife's cats clawed through the grille cloth and then our 2-yr-old put his hand through the speaker--but I got a new speaker for $20, and it sounded better. (and a steel grille cover too)
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
Like I said, it's a really solid, good-sounding practice and semi-acoustic small-gig amp. I've gone through lots of gear in the last 30 years, but this has been my main bass practice amp.
Product: Barcus Berry XL8
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
12/04/2007
at
05:22pm
by
swipp9
Features
:
9
This is small solid state practice amp with an 8" speaker. I'm not sure when this was made. I purchased it from a friend in 1988 and he had had it for a few years already. It was fairly versatile at one time. It needs a new speaker at the moment after years of abuse (being used for bass but even worse at full volume trying to play with a full band with everything cranked. We were desperate.) It has the LOW and HIGH inputs which I can't really tell the difference between. It has one channel but three volumes. Two "INPUT" section volumes--one labelled DRIVE, the other VOLUME. It has TREBLE, MID, and BASS knobs. I wish it had a ground switch.
Sound Quality
:
9
It is definitely a practice amp as in practice w/o a full band. Not a band with a rock and roll drummer anyway. I suppose you could use this for some sort of gig that is low volume. The sound is pretty warm for a solid state. It has a nice tube sounding sort of distortion. It's good for practicing in my bedroom. The speaker is not sounding so good at the moment.
Reliability
:
9
It has been pretty dependable. I've had it for almost twenty years. As I mentioned before it is in need of a speaker. Too small to gig with. For me.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Don't know.
Overall Rating
:
7
I've been playing thirty years or so. I'm not a professional musician although I have a band that plays out here and there. I'm into garage and lo-fi type rock so sound quality is not a moral absolute to me. If it was lost or stolen, I would not seek to replace it. Not that I hate it. It does the job fine.
