Bugera ULTRABASS Bxd12 1000W 12" Bass Combo

Excellent amp, excellent value

21 January 2020

I came across this amp when I was looking for something smaller/lighter than my current Hartke HD150 — a great amp, to be sure, but its size and 30kg weight were putting my back out! I didn’t need bells and whistles (amp modelling etc.), but rather some good honest bottom end. In short, this Bugera does the job in a surprising way. Okay, the claimed 1,000W rating is in the “yeah, right!” class, and I can only assume that Bugera uses this puffery to stand out from the crowd — no matter, because the BXD12 has one incredible kick and, to my ear, matches my HD150 in volume, and outperforms it in tone options. The controls are exactly what the average bassist needs — Mute button for tuning, -15db setting for active pickups (although I own two active 6-stringers, and found I didn’t need to use this anyway), Compressor, an “Ultra Low” button that really brings out the bottom end (I absolutely LOVE this one!), three-band EQ (with selectable Mids), and an “Ultra High” button (the high-frequency partner to that Ultra-Low). And, of course, there’s a Power switch, a Gain control, and a nicely-lit-up (and large!) Master volume. At the back, there’s a DI Out, Tuner Out, an FX Loop, Aux In, a cooling fan, and a Footswitch socket for controlling the Mute function and the FX Loop. (Footswitch not supplied.) The build of the unit is very solid, and weight is 20Kg. The wedge shape means you can easily tilt back if that’s your thing. The grille is metal, and there are heavy-duty corner protectors on the front. …… While some might assume that an amp of these dimensions (roughly H48cm x W40cm x D40cm) is in the “practice/rehearsal” category, I’d say it goes way beyond that, and it’s definitely gig-ready, particularly given the DI Out capability for larger venues. Bang for buck, the BXD12 has to be one of the better-value bass amps out there. Quite simply, this thing has so much kick and character that it’s become my primary unit. .......... I will close this long-winded review with a comment about Riffs & Licks Music, because this was my first-ever buying experience with R&L. I in fact initially purchased (online) a different amp from them, but wasn’t happy with the bottom end (didn’t handle the low “B” well). Noting that Riffs & Licks have a 14-Day Return Policy, I took advantage of that to swap up to this Bugera. The guys there were very helpful (in particular, Eric), and I’d have no hesitation in dealing with them again.