I installed 50 year old tubes and a 50 year old speaker- now it sounds like a 50 year old amp. I have played a noisy bar with it and it performed admirably.
Here in 2022 to say I just got this amplifier for home use and it is absolutely perfect for what I needed. More than enough volume, a great warm sound, versatility, and attenuation. I have a 212 cab but I won’t need it. This thing is awesome! And I have a MkI and a MkII Katana 50 and this one sounds better than both (though I love the Katanas too).
Really well done review. Explains the amp, demos various tones and power settings, gives opinion, compares to other amps. Everything a review should be. Plus phenomenal playing! Thank you, Elmo.
Thanks for the review, it helped me make the decision to get one for myself and I’m super happy with it. My beginner setup rig sounds a lot better than my ability to use it, giving me some motivation to practice more. The icing on the cake is that it all cost me less than $500 and while I’m sure I’ll buy more gear, I don’t believe I’d *need* anything more at any point aside from effects pedals to explore new sounds.
I play a Bugera V5. Got one used. The reverb didn`t work, so I orderd a reverb module. I waited for it for months, due to the brexis. As it came, the reverb didn`t work too. So I got angry and didn`t any replacement. Now the bugera V5 got a small reverb/ delay pedal. I play it mainly in our rehearshal room. A HB Jaguar copy with P90, and it`s real loud. The amp really reacts quickly to my playing. When I turn the main volume of the guitar to the maximum it can be really very loud. Great! Nothing to critizise at all.
This must be the best timed review ever. I literally had this amp in my shopping cart and was hovering over the buy button when your video popped up ;) Luckily you said exactly what I wanted to hear :)
Buy it because It’s rad and cheap. I’ve had mine for three years and it rocks. Replaced the valves and speaker with a celestion g8l35 from an old crate SS amp. Total cost $200. No real need to do anything but replace the valves with some Sovtek tubes. Approximately $20
I had one of these years ago as a first tube amp. I didn’t like it. It sounded very dark and I couldn’t get that bright sparkly tone. I’ve owned a Deville and Blues Jr since, BUT I’ve come full circle. I’ve messed around with it with more knowledge and it sounds awesome! It is LOUD! I’ve dialed it to be very close to my Bjr and I’m very happy with it. I’ve ran my pedals and such and it sounds great. The attenuator is perfect for smaller room and quiet time settings.
I have one of the older models and love it. It was a little dark sounding and always had the tone knob at 10. Replaced the speaker with an Eminence Patriot and replaced the tubes and it now sounds fantastic and not as dark.
@@MrPolevaulter Doesn't swapping the speaker defeat the purpouse of buying this little guy though? If you add the speaker and tube cost on top of it you get to a price range of a v22 or a v55 (if you want to stay into Bugera territory). Mine is more of a question, i'm really struggling on wich to buy. Save money with this one (even though i can hear the limitations of the speaker) or invest in the v22 for a more clean and spacious sound. I would be a home only play and exercise amp.
@@philipbarrett9688 For home use, the lower wattage amp with upgrades is the winner...I have the t5, which is like the head version of this, and with good tubes/speaker it is a whole new creature, one much more to my taste
@@philipbarrett9688 W zupełności wystarczy ten głośnik co jest,brzmi dobrze jak słychać.Zawaze istnieje możliwość podpięcia tego wzmacniacza pod paczkę 2 x 12 lub 4 x 12,,jak chcę lepszy dźwięk to rak robię.
I just ordered one to play in my apartment, the 0.1 watt option is important, and since I already have other modeling amps the versatility is covered. Your opinion and proof has been decisive in my decision. Thanks for your videos and take care of yourself.
You sir saved me LOTS of time! I’m planning on selling my current Marshall solid state amp, thought this or the monoprice 5 watt, and you said 1 watt can still be loud, so this helps a lot, especially when my parents are sleeping and I still want to jam
I have one and it's a good bedroom valve amp . It's a great pedal platform amp . I use it in stereo with my Marshall Class 5 with a Behringer OD pedal . For the price it can't be beaten .
There are two versions of the amp, infinium and the older. Infinium version has a cheaper looking board with lots of smd components on the board, so do not expect a long life for it, older one is more solid and tweakable. Good sounding amp though, simple and will take your pedals good. Turbosound speaker is a woofer installed as a guitar speaker, so people upgrading it to a Celestion or another will get a nice surprise. Bugera tubes are nice, in between dark JJs and Crystal clear Russian tubes, do not upgrade them.
I had to sell my blues junior and fender champion 50XL because they were simply too loud to use at home. This amp should do well to replace them, currently I have only a micro cube. The 0.1 watt option will definitely come in handy, lol.
@@michaelatiernan2371 I bought them as a set from a company that specialise in matching valves. I don't know where I bought them from as it was a couple of years ago.
I´m just seeing this video now. I have a V5 . I did tweak it a bit , new valves and I have a 1x 12 celestial Vintage cab that really shows this amps potential. but all in all these amps are great. They sound good. In my opinion they rival the ir Fender counterparts. (I´ve tried the Blues junior , Hot rod deluxe. ) And honestly I like this amp better. True its sounds way better with a 1 x12 or 2x 12 but the base is there. A gem for peanuts...
I sure hope sooner or later you get your hands on the Bugera Trirec Infinium. You will have a LOT of fun with that one. I have owned several of the Bugera amps from the Infinium series and liked all of them.
I have one, It's so nicer with an 12ay7 instead a 12ax7. The amp lost de drive, but the sound becomes more compressed, amazing with an overdrive pedal.
You can double your fun (and tone quality) by doing a simple mod, the "bright cap" addition of capacitor to both volume pots + swapping out the speaker for a Jensen. Very nice bargain tube amplet that plays very well with pedals and sounds dandy on its own
Owned this for a while and loved it. Headphone out is a nice touch but sounds very bad. Sold it for a very cheap Kustom 212 30watt which sounded way better but is way bigger.
I got the original when it was fairly new in 2010, before the Behringer conglomerate absorbed turbosound or started using them in guitar and bass amps, and before infinium (which is mostly useless in single valve amps). I am sure the turbosound speaker is better than the red basket bugera speaker that they originally came with. My gripe, which they haven't changed, was to have 4/8/16 ohm rather than just 4ohm that was "safe" to use at 8ohm with reduced power. They did get a bit muddy when the gain was cranked past 8 but a tube screamer (I was mostly using an mxr classic overdrive with it) fixed that as they tend to do. It was a $149us amp back then. I really enjoyed this amp and even jammed at band level once plugging it into one side of a stereo boogie 412 which was the only 4 ohm available at the time, and it kept up but didn't have the low end balls of a 30w+ amp. After a couple years or sitting in storage, it was non functional, which I traced to one lead to the speaker coil having broken off. I did some surgery and was able to solder it back to the coil. Luckily the amp was not damaged trying to run with no load. I did end up selling it when I needed money and decided my vox vt40+ did a close enough approximation and also did the low watt thing. I will always appreciate the V5
Put for „4 hours“ more clean headroom, a 12dw7 from jj in it, go for a wgs g8c, a harley benton american truetone to tweak the tone and you are in vintage and blues heaven.
The G5 head into a 1x12 cab is so much better again, the head has a lot more controls, including fx loop, with the same 5W, 1W and 0.1W attenuated outputs
I played one of these at a Guitar Center some years ago, but forgot what the amp was later when I got money to buy one. I have since went all out and got a Carr Super Bee but these are not half bad.
Great review Elmo. Subbed because of this video but have been watching a lot of your videos as i search for a more suitable home amp to replace my katana. Also found your music on spotify and love your stuff! Best reviewer on TH-cam. Thanks "That Guy"
I've paid a new one 140€ in 2016. It's great little amp for home practice. Yesterday I bought a jensen c8r for 35€ so, I'll give it a shot to see the difference.
@@MrPolevaulter it's much more better to my ears. Tone is brighter and more articulate. With stock speaker i had to dial a tone at max when I was using telecaster. Not to mention when I was using humbuckers or P90s... Tone was too muddy. I'm satisfied with the upgrade! :)
I got this Bugera second hand por 150 euros. I might replace the speaker for the Jensen you mention, people seem happy with that little mod. Did you also change the valve?
I don’t know how it sounds to you in the room, but this thing records unbelievably well. You could easily lay down a track with that and I’d believe it was done with a much, much larger amp. Great playing, and sick guitar too!
Great video, I own one of these amps but I truly dislike the tone it puts out. Could never find something suitable for the type of music I like to play. I plan on trading it in and figured I'd watch a video to see if maybe they sound different and maybe mine was off, but nah, the sound in my head is never gonna work with this amp. Definitely gonna trade it in towards something. Not trying to knock the amp, it's quality stuff. Just one of those things.
Fantastic demonstration !. Speechless, in fact ! !. But as an “ Old Fogey “, Jazz Player, how about a nice “ Once Through “ version of Johnny Smiths, “ Moonlight in Vermont “ !. I know you can do it !. It would give us an “ all round idea of the sound capabilities. Best Wishes, Fenn x x .
I agree with you! Agressive Elevator Music’s rendition of Chet Atkins wildflower? I think, sold me on buying a set of pickups. If it can go from Jazz to metal, It’s Atleast good product.
Hello! I'm interested in purchase a little valve amp this small, and I'm mainly in trouble between this and Marshall DSL1CR. What I like in the Marshall is that it has effects loop, but also has an overdrive channel which I don't think I would use a lot, because I always play with pedals and use the overdrive and distortion with them. My intention is to use it at home (an apartment's block haha) with power reduction, but I also want to have the possibility of using it in little concerts, I mean, in small bars or in the street in small events. With this in mind, I believe that Bugera is more powerful (5W vs 1), and the main effect that I use which I don't have in pedals is the reverb, and I like that Bugera's one. In principle, for me, the loop would not be necessary in this situations, so this disadvantage doesn't count here. Also, the Bugera is a little cheaper... The things I would play with it would be Blues, Rock, Punk and Hard Rock (Grunge). Maybe with the pedals some Metal, but I have a Mini Katana for doing this at home too haha How do you see it? Thanks a lot, and great video!
@@MrPolevaulter oh, wow. I've seen your review about HB Tube 15... Didn't know was so good! Same price as Bugera but effects loop and 15w. The decision now is clear! Haha Thanks a lot!
I have a V5 made in 2006 and a new Marshall DSL1CR and a Katana Mini for late night low volume playing. The amp I play the most is the Marshall, I really like the lower gain channel and the way it has a nice mild distortion. It takes about 50 hours the loosen up the speaker cone before the bass sounds right, before that happens it sounds too bright.
Cheers Elmo! IF you had to choose between this and the Harley Benton Tube 5, which one would be best with a strat for a clean pedal platform to record at home?
Hi Elmo! I'm beginning to watch your videos... and I'm just asking: Why don't you use at least one guitar with humbuckers? A cheap Harley-Benton would do the job, don't you think? Or one of the Epiphones, there is a Muse-Les Paul in white, looking great. Distortion or overdrive with Single-coils.....ewwww....for me not really good. I'd love to hear both types of pups. Just my 2 cents, I like SC's but I don't use heavy distortion with them. What do you think?
I sometimes use an Ibanez Universe. The Gibson isn't mine, and I rarely use it. The ones I have on the Strat are stacked humbuckers, so they're not entirely single coils either.
@@MrPolevaulter Thank you Sir :), in another video I watched last night you used a nice Ibanez, sounded good. Your strat is not my cup of tea, just imho. Sorry!
Hi Brother, soy de México quisiera saber en cuestión de sonido cuál se te hace que responde más claro este o el Harley Benton tuve5?, cuál está mejor para alguien como yo que no puedo comprar uno mucho más caro para tocar en casa?. Saludos 🤘🇲🇽
Also it look fabulous. The Marshall DSL1CR can also be attenuated to 0.1 W and has an FX loop. I don't need 5W as I play at home, so at 1W or 0.1W which is the best amp between the Bugera and Marshall?
@@Domn879 Neither of these. I bought a Katana 100 mk 2, as it has power scaling, an FX loop, huge editing ability and previous experience has shown that tubes don't work well at low volume. I was initially underwhelmed (like Elmo, I have the Cube 100), but then learnt that the magic comes from the clean channel and then tweaking in the editor and layering effects onto that. Once you've got the sounds that you want, you can save them and use the manual controls.
@@Domn879 I also suggest trying the Yamaha THR. Whilst pricey, the THR 30ii has a line in and out so can be set up to work like an FX loop (see other TH-cams). Sounds great at low volume and works well with pedals; I use it with a RAT and Bad Monkey.
@@MrPolevaulter The 40CR is, imo, a fantastic amp for the relatively affordable price. It can also dial in a wide range of tones. Worthy of one of your reviews.
Good review, I've been looking a tube practice amp and it seems like for that task this is the best choice for the money. I would like to see a review of the WANGS (MARK 3) MINI5 as it seems to have great tone but by the time you add even a 1X12 cabinet you're at almost triple the price of the Bugera V5 and the wangs doesn't have lower power outputs
@ 16:45.. Damn, I'm probably going to have to order a course of "Troy Grady Cracking The Code/episode on Yngwie Malmsteen picking style so I can pick like you..! A far as the amp, it came on my ad feed and got curious, but I'm still going to go with the Blackstar ID Core V4 40W for $229.99 here in the US because it is more versatile. I may or may not sell the Blackstar Silverline Special 50W with the 12" Celestion V-type Speaker (Not sure yet, as that amp series is apparently hard to find now since they're out of production). The thing with me, I have lots of guitars m amps, but I still play like shit. I'm in the medical field, and don't have that quality time to play as much as I want, but i still have a love for music gear. ;-(
Hi.. E, like the old school cream color, when I watch your videos now I gotta remind myself to where the face mask with a smile on it,thanks for the free guitar lesson,my daughter went to hospital to have a baby, let you know if a boy/ girl guitar
This or Katana 50 for the first amp? I like it but they always sound a bit muddy. I expect the Katana is more versatile for a beginner but I can get this actually cheaper and it's valve..
Leuff the Bugera will have sweet crunch, cleans and reverb. But the Katana will have a bunch of pedal like effects. Guess It depends on what tones you like? I need that sweet valve crunch for blues, but if classic and blues tones aren’t your thing maybe the Katana? The Bugera takes pedals well so if you require variety then...
@@benlogan430 I'll try to try them out in the store. I would rather not invest in pedals at the start. I'm more into blues/classic rock than metal but the Bugeras always sound muddy in the videos, not sure if that's just me. Best way is to try them out either way.
Difficult one, because it depends on how much flexibility you want, but I'd probably go for the Bugera. Something even better is the Tube5 or Tube15 by Harley Benton.
very good tones out from this little amp. i agree better one good sound than a digital modeler and his versatility. i am a frugal guitarist and i tend to sound only with amp and cable, f it's a one channell i put down volume on my guitar for cleanish stuff. however i have to admit that i'm not by miles a good player as you. you have golden hands and i have punk hands 😅
Hi Elmo, I need an help from you: this one or the Harley Benton Tube5? Not considering the little price difference ... wich one sounds better and should I buy? Thanks
@@MrPolevaulter Fortunately you said HB, i received my HB mighty-5TH 3 days ago 😄. I'm not disappointed really good sound, i chosen the head cause i wasn't seduced by the amp style and for polyvalence, i can use different cabs. Thanks!
I used to have this one. I really liked it as a clean tube amp or pedal platform. I changed the speaker to Jensen which helped a lot but even after that I always played tone dimed. Tone remained on the dark side but very good.
I still have it and it's stayed in the closet for ages. Even swapped the speaker for a Jensen c8r and it still is pretty dark. I think it's meant for single coil guitars. I use a monoprice 15w 12" combo instead since it's a lot more versatile with the controls.
anyone who has a glassy ringing from it , it is the Tube guard , It is not all one piece and it will rattle and make this horrible sound at certain frequencies . I removed mine and now it sounds lovely again , its the Guard with 4 little screws protecting the tubes . hope that helps someone . , checked back again , I think its actually the speaker so next test is to route to an external speaker , thought I had it sorry . ringing was still there after guard removal , I had it on low volumes so I thought it was gone, pressing the speaker in certain places the vibration went away , so I dont think its the valve . It wasn't the speaker, next thing I did was get some plumbers tape and worked it around the power tube rolling it into a string , then worked it into where the tube enters the chasis. The noisey ringing gkassy sound is now gone right away
I just received a used Bugera V5 today, my first full tube amp. But I'm not getting any crunch, gain at ten sounds like what I think should sound like at three. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks.
@@TheKingacevedo hey! I just bought the same amp a couple of days ago, I also have a v22 (but wanted something smaller). There is nothing wrong with what you describe, it's the same with mine! They just don't have so much gain! I guess you could change the preamp tube for something better (you would have to do some research on what brand would suit you for more gain) but perhaps its better to use an overdrive pedal or similar. Even on my v22, the "dirty" channel isn't that great, but it's just the style of these vintage-style amps... These are my thoughts anyway, I am just an amateur! Take care!
@@antonakis79ohyes thanks for confirming that! Is yours used or new? I've been messing with an overdrive and am getting closer to what I'm aiming for. I also am waiting for a EH power and preamp tube and a Tung-sol preamp tube. I'm going to try some rolling and see how it changes the sound. Also I read in a forum that preamp tubes can lose gain with age and use, and being that it's a used amp with an attenuator, it may have been pushed hard over the years causing additional strain on the tubes. If I remember, I'll comment back if there is any noticeable change.
@@TheKingacevedo mine is new, yes! If yours is used, then, yes, you will certainly see a difference and in fact you must change the tubes - you would have to sooner or later.. The good thing with this amp is the low maintenance compared to the performance. Just change the two tubes and you re good to go.. My v22 has 3+2..Anyway, I ve heard some good stuff about Tung Sol, you should see some positive difference in any case..!
I really respect your experience and knowledge, but I cannot believe that any sound I have heard in this video couldn't be produced by BOSS Katana 100 (I am not sure about KTN-50). Probably one should do just little tweaking, and BOSS costs same or less then this Bugera. Anyway, your amp choice is very interesting and always makes me to come back and watch again.
Hey there Elmo, just saw this video, did you try this amp with the fender yjm overdrive? I was thinking to buy it as a good valve practice/apartment amp, I bought last year the Roland microcube (old version) and I have to be honest, I don't like it anymore, I'm looking for something better, currently as yjm setup I have my strat loaded with old hs3, a boss noise gate and a fender yjm od, I was wondering if it could be my tag or not. What do you think ?
hello, I need something simple , connect and play kind of thing that has good cleans and crunch ., mostly for blues , funk and jazz.... Between this, the microcube gx, boss katana (mini or which one?) Plus this is valve
Elmo, thoughts on this versus the Vox AC4TV, for sound and or price? I live in America, so I don’t know the difference in price between Euro and US Dollars
@@davideddy2672 My cab is 16, although I don't remember if I tried it with the cab. I seem to remember the Bugeras saying something like "minimum x ohms", although I might be wrong.
@@MrPolevaulter - I confess, I bought the MG412A Marshall and a MG100 HDFX on Friday evening ... at a good price, plugged in, but have decided to pass on the MG100. Have since twinned the MG412A with the Bug as intended and all is good 👍😁👍
No, cos the Marshalls sound great. But remember the DSL5 needs volume to distort enough, if you live in a flat, way too loud! And a pedal isn't the right solution. If you've already own a speaker get the 1W head, it's a bomb! Gonna get one soon, when some money knocks on the door. Then I'm gonna sell my G5 Head, I'm sick of it.
@@chrismurphy128 the marshall dsl5 can be turned down to 0.5w and the dsl1w can be turned to 0.1w..theres a switch at the back...the larger 20 w doesnt work the same..that switch only reduces it by 50% and a 10w marshall would annoy the neighbours
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If this amp said TONE KING on it, people would be like…”This amp is KILLER!”
I installed 50 year old tubes and a 50 year old speaker- now it sounds like a 50 year old amp.
I have played a noisy bar with it and it performed admirably.
Here in 2022 to say I just got this amplifier for home use and it is absolutely perfect for what I needed. More than enough volume, a great warm sound, versatility, and attenuation. I have a 212 cab but I won’t need it. This thing is awesome! And I have a MkI and a MkII Katana 50 and this one sounds better than both (though I love the Katanas too).
Really well done review. Explains the amp, demos various tones and power settings, gives opinion, compares to other amps. Everything a review should be. Plus phenomenal playing! Thank you, Elmo.
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for the review, it helped me make the decision to get one for myself and I’m super happy with it. My beginner setup rig sounds a lot better than my ability to use it, giving me some motivation to practice more. The icing on the cake is that it all cost me less than $500 and while I’m sure I’ll buy more gear, I don’t believe I’d *need* anything more at any point aside from effects pedals to explore new sounds.
I have one. LOVE IT. Telecaster is the best guitar for this, imo.
I play a Bugera V5. Got one used. The reverb didn`t work, so I orderd a reverb module. I waited for it for months, due to the brexis. As it came, the reverb didn`t work too. So I got angry and didn`t any replacement. Now the bugera V5 got a small reverb/ delay pedal.
I play it mainly in our rehearshal room. A HB Jaguar copy with P90, and it`s real loud. The amp really reacts quickly to my playing. When I turn the main volume of the guitar to the maximum it can be really very loud. Great!
Nothing to critizise at all.
This must be the best timed review ever. I literally had this amp in my shopping cart and was hovering over the buy button when your video popped up ;) Luckily you said exactly what I wanted to hear :)
Haha :D Cool stuff :)
Buy it because It’s rad and cheap. I’ve had mine for three years and it rocks. Replaced the valves and speaker with a celestion g8l35 from an old crate SS amp. Total cost $200. No real need to do anything but replace the valves with some Sovtek tubes. Approximately $20
@@benlogan430 It's in the mail ;)
@@benlogan430 It really is nice. And loud. I'm glad for the 0.1W setting at home!
I have this amp. Would recommend. Good volume for room or stage.
I had one of these years ago as a first tube amp. I didn’t like it. It sounded very dark and I couldn’t get that bright sparkly tone. I’ve owned a Deville and Blues Jr since, BUT I’ve come full circle.
I’ve messed around with it with more knowledge and it sounds awesome! It is LOUD! I’ve dialed it to be very close to my Bjr and I’m very happy with it. I’ve ran my pedals and such and it sounds great. The attenuator is perfect for smaller room and quiet time settings.
I have one of the older models
and love it. It was a little dark sounding and always had the tone knob at 10. Replaced the speaker with an Eminence Patriot and replaced the tubes
and it now sounds fantastic and not as dark.
Cool bananas :)
@@MrPolevaulter Doesn't swapping the speaker defeat the purpouse of buying this little guy though? If you add the speaker and tube cost on top of it you get to a price range of a v22 or a v55 (if you want to stay into Bugera territory). Mine is more of a question, i'm really struggling on wich to buy. Save money with this one (even though i can hear the limitations of the speaker) or invest in the v22 for a more clean and spacious sound. I would be a home only play and exercise amp.
@@philipbarrett9688 For home use, the lower wattage amp with upgrades is the winner...I have the t5, which is like the head version of this, and with good tubes/speaker it is a whole new creature, one much more to my taste
@@philipbarrett9688
W zupełności wystarczy ten głośnik co jest,brzmi dobrze jak słychać.Zawaze istnieje możliwość podpięcia tego wzmacniacza pod paczkę 2 x 12 lub 4 x 12,,jak chcę lepszy dźwięk to rak robię.
I just ordered one to play in my apartment, the 0.1 watt option is important, and since I already have other modeling amps the versatility is covered. Your opinion and proof has been decisive in my decision. Thanks for your videos and take care of yourself.
Thanks! You too.
You sir saved me LOTS of time! I’m planning on selling my current Marshall solid state amp, thought this or the monoprice 5 watt, and you said 1 watt can still be loud, so this helps a lot, especially when my parents are sleeping and I still want to jam
I have one and it's a good bedroom valve amp . It's a great pedal platform amp . I use it in stereo with my Marshall Class 5 with a Behringer OD pedal . For the price it can't be beaten .
Cool bananas :)
Thank you for playing the amp & not a bunch of effects. Your luthier friend has a really nice Les Paul.
Yeah, he does :)
There are two versions of the amp, infinium and the older. Infinium version has a cheaper looking board with lots of smd components on the board, so do not expect a long life for it, older one is more solid and tweakable. Good sounding amp though, simple and will take your pedals good. Turbosound speaker is a woofer installed as a guitar speaker, so people upgrading it to a Celestion or another will get a nice surprise. Bugera tubes are nice, in between dark JJs and Crystal clear Russian tubes, do not upgrade them.
Thanks I bought one based on this review and I’m very happy. I know you would say if something is not good so I appreciate you!
Glad I could help.
I had to sell my blues junior and fender champion 50XL because they were simply too loud to use at home. This amp should do well to replace them, currently I have only a micro cube. The 0.1 watt option will definitely come in handy, lol.
I sold my katana and bought one of these little gems changed the speaker to a jenson and put a decent matched pair of valves. Sounds great.
Cool. How did you manage to 'match' the single preamp tube to the single output tube?
@@michaelatiernan2371 I bought them as a set from a company that specialise in matching valves. I don't know where I bought them from as it was a couple of years ago.
Sounds really good with the Strat.
I´m just seeing this video now. I have a V5 . I did tweak it a bit , new valves and I have a 1x 12 celestial Vintage cab that really shows this amps potential. but all in all these amps are great. They sound good. In my opinion they rival the ir Fender counterparts. (I´ve tried the Blues junior , Hot rod deluxe. ) And honestly I like this amp better. True its sounds way better with a 1 x12 or 2x 12 but the base is there. A gem for peanuts...
BTW i have a VOX stomp lab ii which is a modeling amp in pedal so I prefer Tubes all the way!!!
Hahahah man the fridge impedance match is an important thing to be aware of
I actually just bought the V5 this past Saturday lol, I've got PRS Custom 22 and late 90's American Standard Strat with 57/62 pickups in it. 😎
Cool bananas :)
I sure hope sooner or later you get your hands on the Bugera Trirec Infinium. You will have a LOT of fun with that one. I have owned several of the Bugera amps from the Infinium series and liked all of them.
Would be nice to check one out.
Sounds incredible!
Thanks for showing how to use the tone knob when the treble is too much.....too many guitar players seem to not realize you can do this!
I have one, It's so nicer with an 12ay7 instead a 12ax7. The amp lost de drive, but the sound becomes more compressed, amazing with an overdrive pedal.
You can double your fun (and tone quality) by doing a simple mod, the "bright cap" addition of capacitor to both volume pots + swapping out the speaker for a Jensen. Very nice bargain tube amplet that plays very well with pedals and sounds dandy on its own
Yeah, I'd swap the speaker as well.
Owned this for a while and loved it. Headphone out is a nice touch but sounds very bad.
Sold it for a very cheap Kustom 212 30watt which sounded way better but is way bigger.
Size does matter when it comes to amps.
I got the original when it was fairly new in 2010, before the Behringer conglomerate absorbed turbosound or started using them in guitar and bass amps, and before infinium (which is mostly useless in single valve amps). I am sure the turbosound speaker is better than the red basket bugera speaker that they originally came with.
My gripe, which they haven't changed, was to have 4/8/16 ohm rather than just 4ohm that was "safe" to use at 8ohm with reduced power. They did get a bit muddy when the gain was cranked past 8 but a tube screamer (I was mostly using an mxr classic overdrive with it) fixed that as they tend to do.
It was a $149us amp back then.
I really enjoyed this amp and even jammed at band level once plugging it into one side of a stereo boogie 412 which was the only 4 ohm available at the time, and it kept up but didn't have the low end balls of a 30w+ amp.
After a couple years or sitting in storage, it was non functional, which I traced to one lead to the speaker coil having broken off. I did some surgery and was able to solder it back to the coil. Luckily the amp was not damaged trying to run with no load.
I did end up selling it when I needed money and decided my vox vt40+ did a close enough approximation and also did the low watt thing.
I will always appreciate the V5
Yeah, not half bad.
Video is good (as usual). I loved the T-shirt!!!
Thanks!
great video bro appreciate this
Put for „4 hours“ more clean headroom, a 12dw7 from jj in it, go for a wgs g8c, a harley benton american truetone to tweak the tone and you are in vintage and blues heaven.
I watched this before good demo thanks
Nice video, thanks. How do think it stacks up against the Harley Benton Tube5 Celestion?
Quite well, except it's more expensive. Price coming into it, I'd go for the HB.
@@MrPolevaulter thank you :) Orange Micro Dark also an option
How does this guy only have 12k subs?????
Working on it :)
The G5 head into a 1x12 cab is so much better again, the head has a lot more controls, including fx loop, with the same 5W, 1W and 0.1W attenuated outputs
Modeling amps suck. I had 2 . Went back to tube amps marshall's. The tube marshall's 12AX7/EL34 sounds so good.
A lot of them do.
Boss Katana
bugera v5 or HBtube5?
I played one of these at a Guitar Center some years ago, but forgot what the amp was later when I got money to buy one. I have since went all out and got a Carr Super Bee but these are not half bad.
Great review Elmo. Subbed because of this video but have been watching a lot of your videos as i search for a more suitable home amp to replace my katana. Also found your music on spotify and love your stuff! Best reviewer on TH-cam. Thanks "That Guy"
Great review! Ordered on last week.
Cheers!
I've paid a new one 140€ in 2016. It's great little amp for home practice. Yesterday I bought a jensen c8r for 35€ so, I'll give it a shot to see the difference.
Cool! Let me know if it's better.
@@MrPolevaulter it's much more better to my ears. Tone is brighter and more articulate. With stock speaker i had to dial a tone at max when I was using telecaster. Not to mention when I was using humbuckers or P90s... Tone was too muddy. I'm satisfied with the upgrade! :)
@@Zecsson 👍
I got this Bugera second hand por 150 euros. I might replace the speaker for the Jensen you mention, people seem happy with that little mod. Did you also change the valve?
I don’t know how it sounds to you in the room, but this thing records unbelievably well. You could easily lay down a track with that and I’d believe it was done with a much, much larger amp. Great playing, and sick guitar too!
Cheers :)
i agree, for on time i don't hear too much the 8 inch speaker typical sound
Great video, I own one of these amps but I truly dislike the tone it puts out. Could never find something suitable for the type of music I like to play. I plan on trading it in and figured I'd watch a video to see if maybe they sound different and maybe mine was off, but nah, the sound in my head is never gonna work with this amp. Definitely gonna trade it in towards something. Not trying to knock the amp, it's quality stuff. Just one of those things.
Great playing and great review dude!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Could easily be my next amp...cheap and great sound...thanks for useful review 👍
Cheers!
Great review. Thanks!
Fantastic demonstration !. Speechless, in fact ! !. But as an “ Old Fogey “, Jazz Player,
how about a nice “ Once Through “ version of Johnny Smiths, “ Moonlight in Vermont “ !.
I know you can do it !. It would give us an “ all round idea of the sound capabilities.
Best Wishes, Fenn x x .
I agree with you! Agressive Elevator Music’s rendition of Chet Atkins wildflower? I think, sold me on buying a set of pickups. If it can go from Jazz to metal, It’s Atleast good product.
Hello!
I'm interested in purchase a little valve amp this small, and I'm mainly in trouble between this and Marshall DSL1CR. What I like in the Marshall is that it has effects loop, but also has an overdrive channel which I don't think I would use a lot, because I always play with pedals and use the overdrive and distortion with them.
My intention is to use it at home (an apartment's block haha) with power reduction, but I also want to have the possibility of using it in little concerts, I mean, in small bars or in the street in small events. With this in mind, I believe that Bugera is more powerful (5W vs 1), and the main effect that I use which I don't have in pedals is the reverb, and I like that Bugera's one. In principle, for me, the loop would not be necessary in this situations, so this disadvantage doesn't count here. Also, the Bugera is a little cheaper...
The things I would play with it would be Blues, Rock, Punk and Hard Rock (Grunge). Maybe with the pedals some Metal, but I have a Mini Katana for doing this at home too haha
How do you see it? Thanks a lot, and great video!
Thanks! Check out the Harley Benton Tube5 or 15.
@@MrPolevaulter oh, wow. I've seen your review about HB Tube 15... Didn't know was so good! Same price as Bugera but effects loop and 15w. The decision now is clear! Haha Thanks a lot!
I have a V5 made in 2006 and a new Marshall DSL1CR and a Katana Mini for late night low volume playing. The amp I play the most is the Marshall, I really like the lower gain channel and the way it has a nice mild distortion. It takes about 50 hours the loosen up the speaker cone before the bass sounds right, before that happens it sounds too bright.
Great review. Not bad amp. Though...said it before...even though you're partial to the YJMs. You sound Damn good on the Paul's man. ;)
Cheers :)
You could try it with Ibanez RG with active pickups.
Cheers Elmo! IF you had to choose between this and the Harley Benton Tube 5, which one would be best with a strat for a clean pedal platform to record at home?
I'm not sure, but the HB is cheaper, so I'd get that.
Nice demo man, some people review an amp without playing it hard so its true character never has a chance to show.
Cheers!
Hi Elmo! I'm beginning to watch your videos... and I'm just asking: Why don't you use at least one guitar with humbuckers? A cheap Harley-Benton would do the job, don't you think? Or one of the Epiphones, there is a Muse-Les Paul in white, looking great. Distortion or overdrive with Single-coils.....ewwww....for me not really good. I'd love to hear both types of pups. Just my 2 cents, I like SC's but I don't use heavy distortion with them. What do you think?
I sometimes use an Ibanez Universe. The Gibson isn't mine, and I rarely use it. The ones I have on the Strat are stacked humbuckers, so they're not entirely single coils either.
@@MrPolevaulter Thank you Sir :), in another video I watched last night you used a nice Ibanez, sounded good. Your strat is not my cup of tea, just imho. Sorry!
@@chrismurphy128 No worries.
Hi Brother, soy de México quisiera saber en cuestión de sonido cuál se te hace que responde más claro este o el Harley Benton tuve5?, cuál está mejor para alguien como yo que no puedo comprar uno mucho más caro para tocar en casa?. Saludos 🤘🇲🇽
Both good
Thank you for an excellent review. I'm going to buy this amp. You can pick up a used one for under $200 😂
Very funny and well done.
What is your favorite 5 watt amp of the ones you have tried ?? Thank you !
Holy shit! How big are the frets on that Strat?
Now I'd really like to heard your thoughts on the Bugera G20, 333XL or the 1990.
Me too :D
Very Nice bossa nova!!! Cheers from Brazil!!!!!
Obrigado :)
Also it look fabulous. The Marshall DSL1CR can also be attenuated to 0.1 W and has an FX loop. I don't need 5W as I play at home, so at 1W or 0.1W which is the best amp between the Bugera and Marshall?
@@Domn879 Neither of these. I bought a Katana 100 mk 2, as it has power scaling, an FX loop, huge editing ability and previous experience has shown that tubes don't work well at low volume. I was initially underwhelmed (like Elmo, I have the Cube 100), but then learnt that the magic comes from the clean channel and then tweaking in the editor and layering effects onto that. Once you've got the sounds that you want, you can save them and use the manual controls.
@@Domn879 I also suggest trying the Yamaha THR. Whilst pricey, the THR 30ii has a line in and out so can be set up to work like an FX loop (see other TH-cams). Sounds great at low volume and works well with pedals; I use it with a RAT and Bad Monkey.
Its sound super. Have this saturated drive in British style
Sounds better than origin 5c
Elmo, would really love to see you review the Marshall DSL40CR.
Been thinking of reviewing one of the DSL combos.
@@MrPolevaulter The 40CR is, imo, a fantastic amp for the relatively affordable price. It can also dial in a wide range of tones. Worthy of one of your reviews.
Kiitos paljon! 🔥
Sounded excellent. The amp wasn't bad either.
Haha :D Thanks! :)
I think this little one sounded better than the V22.
5:49 - The thought of Santana.
I have this little amp and it is perfect for me. Great tube sound for practice.
Yep :)
Love that shirt
Which one is better in your opinion, the Blackstar HT-1R MKII or this V5 Infinitum?
Good review, I've been looking a tube practice amp and it seems like for that task this is the best choice for the money. I would like to see a review of the WANGS (MARK 3) MINI5 as it seems to have great tone but by the time you add even a 1X12 cabinet you're at almost triple the price of the Bugera V5 and the wangs doesn't have lower power outputs
Cheers! Had a look at the WANGS. Probably not going to review it any time soon. Sorry :(
I can say that my Wang's sounds amazing. And the 5w is on my wishlist. I got the hd15 and it blows my mind everytime I plug into it.
Update I did get the mini 5 annnnd it's also amazing.
@ 16:45..
Damn, I'm probably going to have to order a course of "Troy Grady Cracking The Code/episode on Yngwie Malmsteen picking style so I can pick like you..!
A far as the amp, it came on my ad feed and got curious, but I'm still going to go with the Blackstar ID Core V4 40W for $229.99 here in the US because it is more versatile. I may or may not sell the Blackstar Silverline Special 50W with the 12" Celestion V-type Speaker (Not sure yet, as that amp series is apparently hard to find now since they're out of production).
The thing with me, I have lots of guitars m amps, but I still play like shit. I'm in the medical field, and don't have that quality time to play as much as I want, but i still have a love for music gear.
;-(
Hi.. E, like the old school cream color, when I watch your videos now I gotta remind myself to where the face mask with a smile on it,thanks for the free guitar lesson,my daughter went to hospital to have a baby, let you know if a boy/ girl guitar
Hope the delivery went well.
Boy
This or Katana 50 for the first amp? I like it but they always sound a bit muddy. I expect the Katana is more versatile for a beginner but I can get this actually cheaper and it's valve..
Leuff the Bugera will have sweet crunch, cleans and reverb. But the Katana will have a bunch of pedal like effects. Guess It depends on what tones you like? I need that sweet valve crunch for blues, but if classic and blues tones aren’t your thing maybe the Katana? The Bugera takes pedals well so if you require variety then...
@@benlogan430 I'll try to try them out in the store. I would rather not invest in pedals at the start. I'm more into blues/classic rock than metal but the Bugeras always sound muddy in the videos, not sure if that's just me. Best way is to try them out either way.
Difficult one, because it depends on how much flexibility you want, but I'd probably go for the Bugera. Something even better is the Tube5 or Tube15 by Harley Benton.
very good tones out from this little amp. i agree better one good sound than a digital modeler and his versatility. i am a frugal guitarist and i tend to sound only with amp and cable, f it's a one channell i put down volume on my guitar for cleanish stuff. however i have to admit that i'm not by miles a good player as you. you have golden hands and i have punk hands 😅
Hi Elmo, I need an help from you: this one or the Harley Benton Tube5? Not considering the little price difference ... wich one sounds better and should I buy? Thanks
Tough one. Maybe the Tube5. On the other hand, you can get the Tube15 for the price of the V5.
Good videos! Harley Benton TUBE5 vs this Bugera V5 Infinium?
HB I'd say.
@@MrPolevaulter Fortunately you said HB, i received my HB mighty-5TH 3 days ago 😄.
I'm not disappointed really good sound, i chosen the head cause i wasn't seduced by the amp style and for polyvalence, i can use different cabs.
Thanks!
@@ahautevoix-voixoff-marseil6509 Cool bananas :)
I used to have this one. I really liked it as a clean tube amp or pedal platform. I changed the speaker to Jensen which helped a lot but even after that I always played tone dimed. Tone remained on the dark side but very good.
I still have it and it's stayed in the closet for ages. Even swapped the speaker for a Jensen c8r and it still is pretty dark. I think it's meant for single coil guitars. I use a monoprice 15w 12" combo instead since it's a lot more versatile with the controls.
Might be more of a single coil amp. The Tube15 is great. I have a review coming of that.
Did you put a ceramic or alnico Jensen in? I would be keen to see this with a Jensen P8 vs a C8
I consider, Bugera or Laney cub super 10 on home flat, jazz- blues practicing, what's your opinion?
anyone who has a glassy ringing from it , it is the Tube guard , It is not all one piece and it will rattle and make this horrible sound at certain frequencies . I removed mine and now it sounds lovely again , its the Guard with 4 little screws protecting the tubes . hope that helps someone . , checked back again , I think its actually the speaker so next test is to route to an external speaker , thought I had it sorry . ringing was still there after guard removal , I had it on low volumes so I thought it was gone, pressing the speaker in certain places the vibration went away , so I dont think its the valve . It wasn't the speaker, next thing I did was get some plumbers tape and worked it around the power tube rolling it into a string , then worked it into where the tube enters the chasis. The noisey ringing gkassy sound is now gone right away
What’s your opinion on the Line 6 500HD ?
Haven't tried it.
I just received a used Bugera V5 today, my first full tube amp. But I'm not getting any crunch, gain at ten sounds like what I think should sound like at three. Any ideas what's going on? Thanks.
Sounds like there's something wrong with it.
@@MrPolevaulter TKS. Do you think it'd be worth swapping tubes to see if it helps or not?
@@TheKingacevedo hey! I just bought the same amp a couple of days ago, I also have a v22 (but wanted something smaller). There is nothing wrong with what you describe, it's the same with mine! They just don't have so much gain! I guess you could change the preamp tube for something better (you would have to do some research on what brand would suit you for more gain) but perhaps its better to use an overdrive pedal or similar. Even on my v22, the "dirty" channel isn't that great, but it's just the style of these vintage-style amps... These are my thoughts anyway, I am just an amateur! Take care!
@@antonakis79ohyes thanks for confirming that! Is yours used or new? I've been messing with an overdrive and am getting closer to what I'm aiming for. I also am waiting for a EH power and preamp tube and a Tung-sol preamp tube. I'm going to try some rolling and see how it changes the sound. Also I read in a forum that preamp tubes can lose gain with age and use, and being that it's a used amp with an attenuator, it may have been pushed hard over the years causing additional strain on the tubes. If I remember, I'll comment back if there is any noticeable change.
@@TheKingacevedo mine is new, yes! If yours is used, then, yes, you will certainly see a difference and in fact you must change the tubes - you would have to sooner or later.. The good thing with this amp is the low maintenance compared to the performance. Just change the two tubes and you re good to go.. My v22 has 3+2..Anyway, I ve heard some good stuff about Tung Sol, you should see some positive difference in any case..!
Hmmm, what kind of Les Paul is that?
I forget the model. Borrowed from a friend.
I really respect your experience and knowledge, but I cannot believe that any sound I have heard in this video couldn't be produced by BOSS Katana 100 (I am not sure about KTN-50). Probably one should do just little tweaking, and BOSS costs same or less then this Bugera. Anyway, your amp choice is very interesting and always makes me to come back and watch again.
What can I say? Valves make the difference. It's especially audible when playing.
You just can’t get that valve breakup without valves. The Boss is cool but I need the crunch of the valves pushed. Each there own.
Hey there Elmo, just saw this video, did you try this amp with the fender yjm overdrive? I was thinking to buy it as a good valve practice/apartment amp, I bought last year the Roland microcube (old version) and I have to be honest, I don't like it anymore, I'm looking for something better, currently as yjm setup I have my strat loaded with old hs3, a boss noise gate and a fender yjm od, I was wondering if it could be my tag or not. What do you think ?
I think I tried it with the Strymon Riverside. Can't remember. It should be fairly good.
@@MrPolevaulter good with that, thanks man!
Hay is there any chance you could demo the HIWATT 5 watt amp?
Maybe at some point.
I have problems going from Scalloped to Normal fretboards,how is it for you and have you tried the Blackmore strat which has a different scallop?
Yeah, regular guitars are a bit annoying after scallops. Haven't tried the Blackmore Strat.
@@GDCDGC th-cam.com/video/y_ibCyOQP6U/w-d-xo.html
Have you done a review of the Boss Katana?
Yep. Both the MK I and II. Plus I've compared them to each other, and other amps.
hello,
I need something simple , connect and play kind of thing that has good cleans and crunch ., mostly for blues , funk and jazz....
Between this, the microcube gx, boss katana (mini or which one?)
Plus this is valve
@@incelthirdworld9858 This one is good, but I prefer the Tube5 or 15 by Harley Benton.
Ich glaube das ist ein cooler kleiner Jazz Amp.
...wenn Du meinst!
Sehe ich genau so. Ich habe mir den Versrärker letztes Jahr geholt und bin vollkommen zufrieden.
Very good!
Thank you :)
Elmo, thoughts on this versus the Vox AC4TV, for sound and or price? I live in America, so I don’t know the difference in price between Euro and US Dollars
Not sure actually. Been a while since I reviewed those. But they're both good if memory serves.
Which 5 watter is better , this or the Harley Benton Tube 5?
I'd say there's not much in it, except that the HB is cheaper.
Was looking at pairing my Bug V5 Infinium with the Marshall MG4 12A 120W 8 OHMS - any advice?
Not really. Remember to match the ohms.
@@MrPolevaulter - the Marshall MG is 8 OHMS and the Bug is 4 OHMS ...
@@davideddy2672 My cab is 16, although I don't remember if I tried it with the cab. I seem to remember the Bugeras saying something like "minimum x ohms", although I might be wrong.
@@davideddy2672 It's minimum 4 ohms.
@@MrPolevaulter - I confess, I bought the MG412A Marshall and a MG100 HDFX on Friday evening ... at a good price, plugged in, but have decided to pass on the MG100. Have since twinned the MG412A with the Bug as intended and all is good 👍😁👍
Great review and playing as always ! I gotta tell you though, you just don't look right with a Les Paul.
:D
I was hoping Elmo would use a real Lp, then it was a P90 one.... waaaaaaah.
Would you choose this one over the Harley Benton tube 5?
Probably the HB.
Do you find that it's okay that it lacks a 3band eq?
Yeah, no problem.
Neat little amp.
Yep.
I wonder if the original V5 or V5 infinitum is considered better?
The Infinium from what I've understood.
compared to the Marshall DSL5c - is it a worthy competitor?
Haven't tried the DSL5C.
@@MrPolevaulter Or DSL1C ...
No, cos the Marshalls sound great. But remember the DSL5 needs volume to distort enough, if you live in a flat, way too loud! And a pedal isn't the right solution. If you've already own a speaker get the 1W head, it's a bomb! Gonna get one soon, when some money knocks on the door.
Then I'm gonna sell my G5 Head, I'm sick of it.
@@chrismurphy128 the marshall dsl5 can be turned down to 0.5w and the dsl1w can be turned to 0.1w..theres a switch at the back...the larger 20 w doesnt work the same..that switch only reduces it by 50% and a 10w marshall would annoy the neighbours
@@mattyburrows9059 But sadly there's no DSL5 Head, I could disconnect the internal speaker and use my 12" ... that would work.
Where is the clipping coming from ??
Cheers :)