Bugera V55HD 55W Tube Guitar Amp Head  

This is my second Bugera and I like it a bit better than the first (Louder and crunchier with higher fiber content).    These are relatively simple amps with limited features.  I use a Red Witch chorus through the effects loop on everything.   Two of my guitars have piezo pickups in the bridge that give a nice acoustic sound that the Bugera makes sound rich and full.  Have played a bit with the triode/pentode switch, but mostly just leave it on pentode.  The triode is a nice change of pace, sounds warm and beautiful with softer numbers.  I have no experienced any tech problems with either amp, but I also tend to play relatively quietly.   I've taken it up to 11 to see how loud it would go and it seems to hold up nicely, but this isn't something I would do regularly.

I think these are a fine value, albeit lacking a lot of built in amp modeling or effects.  They're pretty simple and straightforward, making for a good jumping off point.

This amp has a very standard tube set with 3 - 12AX7's and 2 - 6L6's (all Chinese - they sound great!  More on this later).  It has 2 switchable channels, a normal and high input and digital reverb.  Channel 1 has a clean volume control, channel 2 has gain and volume.  There is a shared (and very effective) tone stack as well as a shared presence knob.  There is also a push button "boost" that increases the midrange. Channel 1 has excellent cleans and channel 2 has very usable overdriven tones.  The "chipboard" (not plywood) cabinet is very nicely finished and has an excellent handle. The rear panel has 2 speaker outputs, effects send and return and a 4, 8, 16 ohm switch. The 2 button (reverb, channel) switch is included.  The amp also has an external bias adjustment.

I've been draging a slightly upgraded (NOS preamp tubes and a Eminence Red White and Blues speaker), combo version of the V55 around for over a year with zero issues.  A birch plywood cabinet would have been nice, but at this price point, it's more than acceptable.  The one issue that I have had with both units is the tube guard rattles at high volumes.  I have remvoed them on both units.  Now about the tubes.  I normally upgrade at least V1 and sometimes the other pre-amp tubes to NOS tubes (which I have done to the combo).  After I received the head, I set everything up in my studio and after a 24 hour burn in, I compared the tone (using the same speakers cabinets), between the NOS loaded combo and the stock Chinese tubes in the head.  There is almost NO difference.  The NOS tubes sounded just a tiny bit warmer, but the tones were so close that I left the stock tubes in the head!  We'll see how they age.

I'm into this for this price!  Try to touch these features and tones for anything less that $600 - $700!  I did invest in a D2F cover (my 2nd one - all of my gear travels alot), and as usual, it was a pefect fit.

Overall, this may be the best value in a 6L6 tube driven head I have ever seen.  The only 2 things that have even crossed my mind have been the cabinet material and the rattling tube cage.  I play out alot, and I'm looking forward to many years with the Bugera V55HD!

First, let me say, I LOVE the sound of this amp.  My friend and I have been playing electric guitar 25 years combined and he loved the sound too (he plays anything from hard rock to alternative and I play classic rock, metal, and alternative).

The clean channel is what is the best about this amp.  I don't even like the gain channel as much as my favorite stomp boxes through the clean channels (3 12AX7's I believe, but dont hold me to it).

The bad thing is that the amp died (no tubes burnt out) after two weeks.  I didn't gig with it, or play it for more than a good 15 or 20 hours and it flat out died  - no output to the speaker cabinet.  I tried with another amp and that amp worked fine.

Nothing fancy about the construction, tolex, cloth, and obviously not overall electrical durability.  Dead after two weeks.

If the next one I get last a year or two and the only issue is the tubes, then I'll say it's a great value.  For now I can't say.

.7

This is like my third review of this amp,but I felt that I should post something about the triode setting on the back of the V55.At first I sort of dismissed this feature,because #1,you lose some clean headroom,and #2,you lose some wattage(power)on this setting.Then I started using some fuzz pedals,and when you use fuzz pedals you find out that they want a signal with a bit of gain/grit in it,and on pentode setting on clean,you just don't get that.It makes a HUGE difference in the way these type of pedals react.So I switch it to triode to see if that helps,and because of the power drop,now I can turn up the master volume to get more tube saturation.It solved the problem completely,and I'm finding that I can live with a little less headroom.There is also IMO quite an improvement in the gain channel on the triode setting,it is definitely "usable" now,and the boost button helps this channel as well.

I've had this amp over a year now,and I should say that I did replace the stock 12AX7 preamp tubes with Tungsols,which made quite a difference in making the amp sound better.That being said,there are definitely better amps to be had out there,but not in this price range.And just try to find a 6L6 based amp,in this price range.There is a definite over-abundance of EL84 amplifiers,and I'm not sure why because they usually use twice the amount of tubes,and they're not really much cheaper than 6L6's.Is it all hand wired?No.Does it to react to pedals like a boutique amp?No.Does it cost 2 or 3 thousand dollars?NO.

I bought another one for a spare.I can't even believe how cheap it was.This amp is an amazing value.Other manufacturers should offer affordable 6L6 models,but they don't.Why is that?

This amp sounds really good,and it LOVES pedals.If you want pure rock power,that pushes lots of air ,get a Marshall head and a 4X12 cab,and have at it.This amp covers a LOT of ground,and it seems very reliable to me,although I've only had it about a year.I use it constantly and haven't had an issue.There were some problems with the early models made at the end of 2009.Datecodes for the problem amps are: 09 10,09 11,and 09 12.My both amps are datecode 10 05,and they work perfectly.

Ordered the 150 Watt Gugera 1960 Classic Head on a Stupid Deal

Great price!  Arrived about a week later via ABF Freight (after they go lost a few times) ...

Plugged her into my Marshall head with my Fender Telle cabelled up ....

he played about 5 minutes and then a loud POP .... then dead silence!  Within an hour it was on it's way back to Musician's Friend via UPS

During the 5 minutes of play I noted that the amp was kinda noisy (perhaps to be expected for a "Vintage" style tube amp.  It is one channel, no gain control, no reverb .... something to be said for simplicity I guess.

Well, any way it was a lot of hastle for am amp that only lived for five minutes.  I'm not replacing it ...

Oh yeah, it's really heavy ... heavier ten my Marshall JCM 2000 TSL .... 55 Pounds

The tech at MF indicated it was probably a tube problem.  All the power tubes continued to be lit up and the fuse was OK.   After reading the other reviews I guess I should not have ordered the amp head in the first place.  

Musician's Friend service department was great.  Sent me a prepaid returb UPS l;abel in minutes and will issue a credit to my card on receipt of the DEAD HEAD (Had to say that!)

Failed after 5 minutes of play!

Diti

Ditto