• It's loud. Really loud.

  
  As reviewed by John on 2/5/2011

  I am using this for band practice with big Marshall cabinets and acoustic drums, and was worried it wouldn't be loud enough like my last amp. When I hooked it up I decided to turn it up all the way, just for fun. It knocked my friend's stand over, which wasn't even on the same floor. One of my friends said he heard it clearly from over a block away, so no worries about volume. As far as tone goes, it meets up to what I expected for my budget. It's no Ampeg, but it still sounds great and you can't really ask for much more from a 500 dollar combo amp. The XLR out is really useful for home recordings and putting it through mixers and PA's. The pop out side handles and rollers make it really easy to move around as well. It'd be nice if it had more attack, but you can get it pretty decent sounding with the eq, overdrive, and scoop and punch settings. Over all, great amp for practice and if you are strapped for cash it will do gig's just fine.

  11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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• Loud and Strong With Mids That Roar

  
  As reviewed by Dan Paterson on 2/15/2012

  Let's start of with the great: It's loud. It's really loud. Never have I been told that I couldn't be heard. Also, it's next to bombproof. Whether I'm running it on 10 all night or throwing it into my truck after the gig,(I tend to be really demanding of my gear) I've never had anything more than cosmetic damage with this unit. -Small spot of gaff tape, and the audience will never know! If only that Acoustic B200 I blew up last week at practice was this tough! Now for the good: At low volumes, It has a great sound with rich lows and decent articulation that fills small rooms and does justice to my MIM J-Bass. The effects loop is a great feature for driving pedals harder for a bigger sound, and Fender advertises that one could theoretically use the effects loop to connect two of these things together! Listen, it's loud enough I promise. And now some bad: It sounds like an Ampeg...In all the wrong ways. Mids, anyone? Plus, turn it up and the bottoms drop out (keep in mind that it's just a 2x10), and past 5 or 6 the horn being on or off makes no difference. Also, at about 4 it begins to distort. From any recording I've heard of myself, it's pretty smooth in the house but it's still enough to bug me on stage. Did I mention that it sounds bad? Honestly it's a good sound, but it's not my sound. Overall: If I played Punk, and my main objective was to be as loud as possible while I pick 8th notes, I would cherish this like it was my only possession. Alas, I'm a working musician who needs the tonal range to play classic rock, and then turn around and hold town a funk band. ...I'm still looking.

  4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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• The Search Is Over!

  
  As reviewed by Rusty Gibson on 5/8/2013

  I have been on a quest for a good sounding combo amp to use on small gigs where my Eden stack is too much. I tried TC Electronics, GK, Ampeg, Acoustic, & Mark Bass & none of them had the sound I was looking for, which was tight low end punch with good clarity & enough wattage to compete with acoustic drums & 2 guitar players with loud amps. They all had their plusses, but none had it all. I really wanted something I could kick back like a monitor so the soundman didn't have to deal with stage sound from me at all in the smaller venues. Most of the amps I tried had decent bottom end when they were flat on the floor but had poor clarity & sounded muddy. When you tilt them back they have great clarity but lost all the bottom end. I went to 2 different Guitar Centers a half dozen times trying out different amps only to be disappointed. I was down to my last amp I wanted to try which was an Acoustic B450mkII. I had played through the same head into a 6X10 cabinet & it sounded great so I was hopeful the 2X10 combo would have a similar sound, but once again I was disappointed. It had amazing clarity & plenty of power, but lacked the bottom end I wanted even when it was sitting flat on the floor. Before I left, I looked over at a Fender Rumble 350 which I had seen every time, but never tried it because I thought Fender bass amps were for country bands & flatwound basses. Boy, was I wrong!!! This amp sounds amazing! It has the tight, full bottom & incredible clarity too, & that was with the bass knob at about 2:00, so plenty of more low end in reserve! One thing it has that none of the others had was that it has punch & clarity sitting straight up with me standing 4-5' away which is about where I stand at the smaller venues we play. If you have never played on one of these, I highly recommend it! It has removeable casters which make it easy to move around & it doesn't loose any bottom end being raised off the floor on the casters. I ordered a tilt back stand for it so I can set it up like a monitor, but it may be just as effective standing up facing sideways beside the drum kit. It weighs 65 pounds which is much heavier than the TC & GK, but it has handles on each side so you pick it up with both hands, not one like the TC & GK, & the weight feels about the same.

  1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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