Burman Pro 501 Combo

Build in 1978 in the UK - point to point , singe channel bit like a UK boogie , triple gain preamp.
Very well build and heavy , 1 x 12" loudspeaker
Reverb.

With strat , tele , les pauls , sounds great , once you have mastered the gain system , also sounds great into an extension cabinet (4x12).
Good clean sounds and heavy overdrive available ,but not switchable.
Supposed to be 50watts but i think more like 75watts.
Was humming a bit - until the psu caps were replaced - not bad for 30 years !

I always gig with a backup.Never had any problems with it.The power supply capacitors have just been replaced by me after 30 years (not a hard job).I bought some JJ caps online.
So the Mesa Boogie was cancelled for ?? 30 worth of parts.
I've installed and set up JJ KT77's in the output stage as they are the tubes it was designed for.About ??20 a pair.
I obtained the circuits online (thanks Tracy) and the build quality is very solid.Supposed Military spec , but a jump jet would not get airbourne with one of these on board lol.

I understand Burman amps may resurface, but no news for the last 5 years.
I have the circuit info and am qualified to keep it going .

Playing for 30 years+ , I have used many amps , the burman is solid , loud and compact - if heavy.
Don't put castors on- it will shake the valves/tubes to death.
Work with the controls and it's very versatile.
I would buy another one .
Repairs are straight forward.

Really chuffed i've found this site as i dont know much about my amp although i've had it for 10 yrs. Bought from a guy who bought it from a band called 808 state. more sounds than a marshal due to the 3 gains i was told?

very good as said above. you can get completely diffeent distortion sounds from muffle/fuzz to really trebley edgey sounds. I love it!

Very sturdy. Tubes go every few years though.

I've put a Yam SG2000, PRS Pre Factory Classic Electric, Kramer Ferington, Fender Strat, Takamine 260 through it. I'd say the PRS sounds awsome as they're a real match for eachother, it's like they challenge eachother and spurr eachother on!

Just aquired this 70s? 50watt burman Pro series combo, it is a basic valve amp, with very few features, two channels, reverb, but it does have a great twin gain facility on second channel, Mesa incorporated similar twin gain at a later date.
Burman also has pre-amp out and level control for studio D.I.
would be superb if it had channel switching facility, but could easily be modified.

using it with 83 Yamaha SG2100, 79 Jaydee Flying V,
and 83 Cheri Telecaster (malmsteen model)
this amp is incredible, Uses Burman branded Fane or Celestion speakers, very big sound, clean or dirty (blows my Laney VC50 away) loud as hell! will handle just about any gig
terrific kit for heavy rock, blues, or country, but may need a processor for use with metal.

Gigged it solid now for 6 months, replaced pre-amp valves, so far no problems.
Great build quality, can,t see much going wrong with this baby.

Burman amps were made in Newcastle, England,
ceased production in the 80s, looks bomb proof, no stupid transistors to worry about, would think that a decent amp tech is all thats needed for servicing.

Been Playing for over 25 years, and own two of these beauties,
50watt and 100watt models, love the pure valve sound and military spec build.
A very very heavy amp (definitly a two man lift!).
channel switching mod is a must do.

Just a few lins regarding the Burman Pro Series Amps,
501 rated 50w 1 channel 1x12 speaker
502 rated 50w 2 channels 2x12 speakers
2000 rated 100w 2 channels 2x12 speakers
4000 rated 100w 2 channels Bass Head

All left Newcastle with KT77 tubes no other tube is used in original
Speaker were either dual cone Fanes or silver domed Celestions
No 501 heads were produced
can't recall producing a 502 head but 2000 heads were made also 4000 Bass combos.4x12 , 2x15 , and 8x10 cabinets were also made.
worked at Burman making amps and cabs from 1977-84 which was almost the full production period for the pro series and also GX3 pre amp.

Tryng to locate any Burman Amps !!!
Will try to answer any queries regarding Pro sries

Gx3 PreAmp, This was the same 3Gain PreAmp that was used in the Pro Series amplifiers self contained in a 5mm solid aluminiun case. Anyone have one of these ?

The amp was amde about 1977/78 - I bought mine s/h in 1979 for #275. Features virtually the same as the Pro 502 just lower wattage (50w, though nearer 75) It is one of the loudest amps for it's size I've encountered, as an example, back in '79 playing with a local punk band, we linked it to a 4x12 H&H cab and took the slates off the roof of the place we were playing. I revalved it with Boogie preamp valves and a pair of GEC Gold Lion KT77's - these were the valves it was designed to use - I would be surprised if you could find them these days. You can rebias it to run on EL 34's. It is a basic amp by modern standards, but then again you don't get the option anxiety you get from a Boogie Mk III (I have one of these as well).

I've used it with everything you can think of and it's found a niche that sounded great each time, even using a hollow bodied D'Aquisito.
It's not a metal amp, however you can get fantastic almost processed metal sounds by using something like a Boss DS 1.

Utterly reliable - it's been hauled everywhere I've lived and gigs as well and has worked perfectly every time - the only critisicsm is a lack of a fan for cooling. Greg Burman built these things to military spec and it shows.

The company vanished in the early '80's, but everything is so well laid out, that servicing shouldn't be a problem.

I've bee playing for nearly 30 yearws and I wouldn't sell it. If you see one, buy it, even if it isn't working, it could easily be coaxed back. Everyone wants Orange from that era, but I would say that Burmans are a great unknown.