Well, I got what I’d paid for: BAM200 fail!

Admiral Akbar

Admiral Akbar

Mar 12, 2013
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#1
As the thread title suggests: got my TC Electronics BAM200 from Amazon priced at $99 in the mail yesterday. Fired her up hooked up to Bergantino AE410 4 ohm cabinet… the little amplifier sounded fantastic with my passive P bass for about 4 minutes….. then bam! up went the “magic smoke” and smell of newly burnt electrical component!

I saw the many warnings here on TB and elsewhere of these amps failing, but this was literally in less than 5 minutes. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Back to Amazon she goes!
 
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#5
Admiral Akbar said:
As the thread title suggests: got my TC Electronics BAM200 from Amazon priced at $99 in the mail yesterday. Fired her up hooked up to Bergantino AE410 4 ohm cabinet… the little amplifier sounded fantastic with my passive P bass for about 4 minutes….. then bam! up went the “magic smoke” and smell of newly burnt electrical component!

I saw the many warnings here on TB and elsewhere of these amps failing, but this was literally in less than 5 minutes. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Back to Amazon she goes!
Click to expand...

There’s inexpensive, and then there’s just junk, which is what I’d call that amp.

You are braver than me for trying it out!
 
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#9
That is unhappy news. For a while it seemed TC was doing a lot of things right (BH250, Tone Print, PolyTune). Sorry to know that they are now falling on their face. When it comes to making affordable gear, it is especially important to make it reliable.​
 
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#10
Admiral Akbar said:
As the thread title suggests: got my TC Electronics BAM200 from Amazon priced at $99 in the mail yesterday. Fired her up hooked up to Bergantino AE410 4 ohm cabinet… the little amplifier sounded fantastic with my passive P bass for about 4 minutes….. then bam!
Click to expand...

Yep, you got what you paid for, no false advertising in that name choice! ;)
 
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#12
Admiral Akbar said:
As the thread title suggests: got my TC Electronics BAM200 from Amazon priced at $99 in the mail yesterday. Fired her up hooked up to Bergantino AE410 4 ohm cabinet… the little amplifier sounded fantastic with my passive P bass for about 4 minutes….. then bam! up went the “magic smoke” and smell of newly burnt electrical component!

I saw the many warnings here on TB and elsewhere of these amps failing, but this was literally in less than 5 minutes. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Back to Amazon she goes!
Click to expand...
Sheesh, I guess I'd better try out the one I bought!
 
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#13
No issues with mine so far. Worked fine at practice the other night. I'm not planning on using it as my main head so I don't have to worry too much about it giving up the smoke. For $99 I thought it was a good price for a backup and took a gamble. If I eventually lose, I'm only out $99. I would not have considered the BAM 200 otherwise. The fire sale price sold me. Sorry your BAM live up to the name.
 
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#17
Admiral Akbar said:
As the thread title suggests: got my TC Electronics BAM200 from Amazon priced at $99 in the mail yesterday. Fired her up hooked up to Bergantino AE410 4 ohm cabinet… the little amplifier sounded fantastic with my passive P bass for about 4 minutes….. then bam! up went the “magic smoke” and smell of newly burnt electrical component!

I saw the many warnings here on TB and elsewhere of these amps failing, but this was literally in less than 5 minutes. I guess you really do get what you pay for. Back to Amazon she goes!
Click to expand...

I suppose if something like this is going to fail, then failing early on is the best possible case. You've probably still got the original packaging so you can send it right back to Amazon, and you haven't had a chance to fall in love with it yet so the loss of the amp stings a bit less. Sorry it happened anyway, but I'm glad you won't have to eat the cost.
 
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