Ultrabass BXL1800A Review

When a stack is too high and a practice amp just doesn’t cut it, then this truly affordable wedge-shaped Bass Workstation with a powerful 12" Hard Attack aluminum-cone speaker is exactly right! With 180 Watts of output horse power, your performance will never run out of breath.

Features:	8.3
Sound:	7.7
Reliability:	8.7
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.2
Users rating:	4.9
Comments:	8

overall: 7.3

Featured review by: fleaflicker182, on september 24, 2007

Price paid: $ 258.4

Purchased from: Kosmic Sound

Features: This amp is an interesting little deelio from Behringer, Who have a habit of making things very cheap and trying out weird features on the unsuspecting customer. The BXL 1800A has an aluminium cone speaker, which is supposed to be brighter, and have a faster response. I haven't been able to test it with the regular speaker to find the differences, but it seems to do the job alright. It also has a built in distortion channel and a sub-bass knob, which works much like an octaver. Both of these are controllable from a footswitch supplied with purchase. The distortion is quite good, actually, but the 'ultrabass' function leaves a little to be desired. It sounds OK, but it has problems recognising higher register notes. Not to mention that the footswitch was wired the wrong way out of the box, i.e.: the distortion Switch turned on the ultrabass and vice-versa. This amp also has a 7 band EQ with a fancy little feature which analyses the notes being played and flashes a red light on the EQ notch it mainly falls into. This, in theory, helps in picking out what frequencies to turn up or down. The feature doesn't really help alot, and with a decent knowledge of EQ, you can find the right kind of tone for you. Along with all of this is a fairly standard array of line outs, DI, effects sends/returns, a one knob compression effect, and a headphone out. I use this amp at home for jamming, and at small gigs, and the 180 watts it supplies fit my needs perfectly. // 7

Sound: I use this amp with an Ibanez GSR 200 with a PJ set-up. The bass, along with the amp are fairly budget, but I can get a reasonable tone out of it, even with dead strings. I play a lot of styles, even within a short jam or set. Basically, I need to be able to set a master tone that will cover hard punk, funky slap, melodic pop-rock, droning psychadelia, and pseudo-latin styles. With a reasonable low-mid cut, this amp handles them all reasonably well, although it took a while to find my tone. The compressor comes in handy to smooth out my rough-as-guts playing (which usually involves me hitting the strings as hard as I physically can), and it really pumps out the slap tone when I need it. It has some problems with ground hum, but not if you get far enough away from the amp. If you crank it right up it distorts a little, but it can handle itself reasonably well for a small unit. The distortion is a real bonus, because it is built to handle the lower frequencies, and the shape knob ensures you can tweak between a cutting distortion and a muddy, fuzzy mess. I have put that to use in songs originally without distortion to beef some sections up. The ultrabass with distortion creates a cool synth-like sound which I liked a lot when I first got the amp. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I haven't had many problems so far, other than the aforementioned trouble with the footswitch (and one odd day where it decided to randomly Switch the distortion), and I would use it Live without backup, mainly because I'd have no choice. Hell, if worst comes to worst, most places can DI the bass straight to the mixer, which I did before owning the amp anyway. // 8

Impression: I play almost everything, and, although the amp doesn't quite sound brilliant with anything, it will get you through most situations alright. I've been playing for 5 1/2 years, but this is the first amp I've owned. It isn't really that good, but for the price you get a great deal more than what you pay for. I only wish I had noticed the A on the end of the model number. I knew about the aluminium cone, but didn't really want it. If I was able to try the normal speaker, I think it would have been marginally better. I honestly wouldn't get this amp again if I lost it or it was stolen (unless I was dirt poor at that time). It is a decent first amp, but I'm looking at a Nemesis 4x10 combo as my next step up. 7 band EQ in a fairly cheap amp is a plus, and the compressor seems to do it's job, but the ultrabass just doesn't cut it when you can get a pedal to do the job 10 times better. I really only compared it to a Behringer keyboard amp/mixer, because I though having the freedom of extra channels and built in FX would help, but, surprise, the bass amp worked better with the bass tones. // 7

overall: 8

Reviewed by: chris.ms92, on september 23, 2008

Purchased from: Allans Music

Features: If you looking for a cheap bass amp, which can be used as a practice or even gig amp this is the right one for you. The Behringer Ultrabass BXL1800A has 2 channels, which can be changes via with the footswitch provided, one of the channels is clean and the other is distortion, level knobs and shape. The amp also features an EQ with an FBQ button. The main feature about this amp though, is the 'Ultrabass' feature. The Ultrabass feature plays the lower octave of what you are playing. it's an alright feature for a cheap amp but nothing over the top. The amplifier also comes with the standard; Headphone Jack, CD input, Jacks for your Pedals and Output lines. The amplifier is also on a wedge angle, which makes it very easy to access the buttons. // 8

Sound: I usually play my Epiphone Nikki Sixx Blackbird, through the amplifier which sounds very smooth and deep. If I wanted to do slap on the other hand I would use my Cimar Jazz Bass. The EQ feature comes in handy with the genre you decide to play on the amp. Its 180 Watts which means the amp can be used as a gig amp. The distortion channel sounds OK along with the clean channel. The mixture of Distortion and Ultrabass does sound quite cool, like an 80's synth feel but that's only if you're into that sound. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I do depend on the BXL1800A because it is a tough unit without any major 'f--k-ups'. I have used it as a gig amp once but it is mainly my backup amplifier, just in case. So far, the amp has been very good to me without any problems yet. Thought I have only had the amp for 1 year now, it has been through a lot and still stands. // 9

Impression: Overall I think the amp is a great amp for a person not looking to spend to much. The features are good for the price and the sound, not being brilliant, does sound good. If It did get stolen I would buy the amp again because it has given me great service. // 8

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: pippthebritt, on january 15, 2008

Price paid: $ 250

Purchased from: Larry's Music

Features: This amp has just about everything you would want without going overboard on your wallet. Instead of a steel cone this ones an aluminum one, which is supposed to be more responsive but I can't tell the difference. It has 2 channels, which can be change with a supplied footswitch, one clean the other distorted with it's own gain, shape, and level knobs. There is an EQ with an FBQ button which just points out what frequency you're playing at so you can adjust it accordingly which I found very useful. Then there's a headphone jack, a CD input, output lines, places for other pedals and effects, not really anything too fancy, but it's all there. There's also an Ultrabass function, which is lie an octaver and can be turned on with the supplied footswitch. there isn't really I would want to change with it. It's kinda like duct tape-it just works. // 10

Sound: I play with a Peavey Millennium BXP and it works very well, except for the occasional peak when I slap the string to the coil. The 180 watts is surely one of the loudest amps I have played, and I like it that way. I mostly play it for practice but I intend on using it for gigs too in the future. I like to play plenty of styles, mostly rock, punk or jazz and it seems to play them quite well. The Ultrabass feature which is pretty much an octaver works great for getting even lower and deeper sound out of it when you need, but it doesn't really register as well on the higher notes, but it's still fun to wake the whole neighborhood up with. The distortion sounds great and is very adjustable for whatever sound you need it to be. The clean channel is very well clean too. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It's wrapped in carpet and has rubber corners, a steel grate covering the front, and seems to be constructed quite well. It hasn't gone screwey on me yet and it should stay like that for a very long time. It still is fairly new to me though so I can't exactly rate this as hard as the others, but I'm going off how it is so far. // 9

Impression: Overall I think it is an astounding Amp. If you are ever needing a new amp, or just another one, and happen to have about 250 clams to fork over to your town stoner I mean loyal, music store clerk then I suggest you pick this sweet deal up. // 9

Comments

[muzikman 404]

one of my friends let me play it on stage when the othr amp was broke. very loud for its tiny size. tone sounds kinda funny, but its not that noticeable if u stand further away. very affordable amp but does not last long, as expectd from behringer. i considered getn one, but i ended up gettin an ampeg BA-115. the BXL1800A is a great amp for the low price

[Caustic]

This amp is flat out atrocious, regardless of your budget, where you want to use it or what you want to do with it.

I wouldn't even trust it to hold my coffee cup safely.

[musicology]

Behringer = crap. Hands down. Get something better.

[Starkie]

there are no protective covers on the wires inside the amp. any shrt will set the amp on fire, and probably your house

And don't forget, they advertise PEAK wattage, not RMS.

[VALISICUS]

I HATE THIS THING!
I can't believe I wasted my money on it.
It was pretty loud for its size but it can't handle the low ends very well and it makes it sound like you have some sort of chorus effect on.

[jtaylor]

Stay away from the 'Ultrabass' series and behringer in general. I'm sick of my BXL3000a, it made my old bass sound shitty, and it barely handles the low end of my new Warwick Corvette $$, often I get a low end buzz when I attempt playing my B string. I could have got an orange combo for the same price. Fucking behringer.

[Orange Porridge]

yee, not worth the money when you can get an ashdown for the same