Bugera V5 Combo
- Bugera Vintage 5 Valve Combo -
The Build Quality of this small 5 Watt Chinese Combo is Superb. Quality Components and Decent Double-Sided PCBs - All Steel Chassis with Good Transformers. The Cabinet (MDF) has a Great 'Retro' Look with Very Solid, Reinforced Construction and a nice Vintage style Carry Handle. The Front Panel Features- Input, Gain, Tone, Volume and Reverb Controls plus A Nice Jewel Pilot Light and Toggle (On/Off) Power Switch. The Rear Panel has a Multi-Impedance Speaker Output, Power (Speaker) Attenuator and Headphone Socket. The Amp is about the same size as the old Epiphone Valve Junior.
The Amps 'Audio Path' is all Valve, Class 'A', Single Ended, Cathode Bias - using a '12AX7' Preamp and 'EL84' Power Valve. The 'Reverb' is Digital and is Held on a small PCB of it's own. The Reverb Circuit runs 'Parallel' to the Valve Amplifier and at NO time is the Main Analogue 'Audio' Signal converted to Digital. The Reverb Sounds Very Good. When you open the Amp up - It actually Looks Like a Valve Amp. So many of the New Breed of 'Chinese' Valve Amps have a PCB that looks like it would be more at home in your Laptop.
There are a Few 'Issues' with the Stock Amp but nothing too Serious - The Amp has a Nasty 'Mains' Hum when you switch it on - The Speaker is not the Best - The Power (Speaker) Attenuator is a Total waste of time and The Headphone Output is useless. The 'Voice' of the Amp is better suited to a 'Strat' or 'Tele' type Guitar, in standard form it is not 'Les Paul' friendly.
With a Few RAT Modifications the Amp becomes Superb, Sounds Good with ANY type of Guitar and is a Great Little Bedroom Amp. Plenty of 'Clean' and Loads of 'Crunch'.
- All Modifications -
1. - The Stock Speaker Attenuator has been Replaced with RAT 'FIXED OPR'. The switch on the Rear Panel of the Amp remains the same but the Internal Circuit is replaced. You can select 3x different Power Outputs - 5 Watts -or- 2 Watts -or- 1 Watt.
2. - The Stock Amp does not have a 'Standby' Switch. I replace the Standard Mains Power Toggle Switch with a 'Carling' 3 position Switch - 'Off-Standby-On'.
3. - The Stock Speaker is replaced with a Celestion 'Super 8'. This is a MUCH Better speaker for the Amp.
4. - RAT 'Bias' and 'Gain' Switches - This gives 9 Combinations of 'Voice' Settings on the Amp. From 'Clean' to Major 'Crunch' - It makes the Amp a lot more Versatile with a High Chance that you can find the Sound you want.
5. - The Stock Amp has an Annoying 'MAINS HUM' which also makes it useless in a Studio. This 'Issue' is corrected and the Amp is now Silent - NO Background Noise.
6. - The Speaker Output Socket is fitted with an Auto-Switching 'Dummy Load'. This will protect the Amp from any damage that may be caused by switching 'On' without a Speaker Connected. It also allows the use of 'Headphones' -or- 'Line Out' (or Both) with-or-without the main Speaker Connected.
7. - The Stock 'Headphone' circuit is replaced and the Headphone Socket now works as it should.
8. - There are several 'Other' Modifications I do that Enhance both Performance and Reliability.
9. - All Amps are supplied with a RAT User Manual detailing all of the Modifications.
10. - All Amps are 'PAT' Approved.
11. - Dedicated 'Line Out' Socket. The 'Line Out' signal is taken from the Output Transformer.
12. - RAT 'Tri-Rectifier' - A three position Switch on the rear panel allows the selection of a - 'Silicon' Rectifier -or- an 'EZ80' Valve Rectifier operating at (V1) Half Power for Maximum SAG -or- (V2) Full Power.
I can Supply Bugera V5 Combo Amps already Modified -or- I can Modify your Amp. Please 'Contact' me for details.
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