TC Electronic BQ250 UNBOXING and REVIEW! - Bass Amp Review

[@jorge.im.linares]

Hi, sound engineer here. I don't work for TC Electronics but I'm pretty sure that Passive /Active is the Pre-Amp mode. We usually match active instrument pre-amps with passive instruments and vice-versa. It matches signal level and impedance to optimize the tone that the pick-ups are picking (...) up haha. Same concept of active and passive DIs 🙂

[@chrisg0001]

This. the option for active and passive is for the amp itself. So if your bass is active you'll want to put the AMP in passive mode to compensate. It's a fantastic amp

[@stynkychrist]

@@chrisg0001 hey just I want know that because I have the same amp I bought 4 months ago, and was my couriouse abaout my bass is active and for it I put in active mod but the peak turns all the time :s

[@jordansankar2786]

Wouldn’t be passive mode for passive bass as it would be a higher input impedance as well as more gain? Active mode on all my bass preamps and heads gk. And Aguilar are -10db or whatever it maybe and less hot I assumed for an active instrument as it has more output and with boosting eq that increase level as well so that makes sense to me

[@yeesenchai]

For a bass noob like me, this review is very good at teaching me about EQ, gain, etc.

[@fuglbird]

This is how to review a bass amplifier. Well done! Thank you.

[@topcat2069]

I appreciate the different styles of playing. Some of these videos, the playing is what I call G8itar C*nter riffs. Nothing like I would play in a band situation. This one helps instead of just showing off the players chops.

[@Andyanddiana467]

The gain is actually supposed to be to set proper gain structure and improve signal-to-noise ratio. If you turn the gain really low and the master all the up, for example, you'll generally get weak tone and lots of noise. Like wise, if you set the gain too high, and the master low, you'll get distortion and low volume. It's a balancing act, based on (yes to some extent) the amount of color you want from the preamp, but more so the properties of the instrument and volume desired.

[@UBRLND-X]

really nice, actually informative bass amp review. It covers all the bases that you really want covered, as a player instead of just watching someone noodle for 5min. thanks for the professionalism!

[@danyellcharles]

I’m learning more from this guy’s content than all the tutors I’ve had. Awesome.

[@liiliiliiliil]

have they responded to you regarding the reverse active/passive switch error? awesome demo

[@bobamato1]

Just bought this head. I have the same exact cab! Can't wait to get the TC.

[@YakkTastic]

You’ve convinced me!! I’m buying the BQ500! The $ from my next gig will pay for it! No more lugging my Behringer head...that’s 6x the weight!! Thank you!!

[@joshbeer414]

This guys playing is great. Chill stuff

[@veintiocho.28]

The sound is 100% real. Great Job. I buy the BQ250 and it works with Peavey Headliner 210 and is the same sound. Have amazing punch!!!! I try de BQ 250 and the BH 250 at the same time with the Peavey Cabinet, and the BQ have more punch than the BH. More powerful in low level too, it is a big difference between BQ and BH. For me it is incredible punchy sound the BQ plus the Peavey210 for a small price. Thank you Mark to show me this great preamp for this price range.

[@ericasw28]

This was a very cool review ! It's cool to see you taking all the comments in and trying to do your best for your audience, and I think it's a success ! I'm looking for a practice amp at the moment, as carrying a Mesa Big Block 750 around is painful, and this review, it's a big help, man ! Thank you :)

[@PedroBassMode]

Would you generally recommend this amplifier? I say this because of the error in the passive / active switch, or will it be fixed already? the other question, with which cabinet would this amplifier go well? a 2x10? or a 2x12? Which one would you recommend? and with what resistance? 4 ohms? Greetings and thanks

[@funkybasstrix]

Great review, I really appreciate what you've done in the demo... can't wait to see the other stuff that came in the mail.

[@SB-kk3wi]

I agree. This is the way to do a review video. Excellent demo, sound, and explanation of all the features. Thank you !!

[@robertcurrie8510]

Just got a BQ500 and I love it!

[@grzegorzbarniak4852]

Probably the best amp review I've ever seen. It's informative, you keep it short and simple, and you take other styles of playing into consideration. Would love to hear that in a mix, tho. Anyway, good job. Keep 'em comin'! Edit: What's the cab?

[@Theladrion]

Thanks man, I was undecided between this and the Little Marcus 250w from Markbass. I might just support the local franchise now (I'm a Dane).

[@diaphanoux]

About the inverted Pass/Act switch, it's all over the forums about it, it is in fact a manufacturer fault. I;m still gonna buy the 500, that bass head has nothing but good reviews everywhere and for that price!!!...I am ordering it now!

[@razorgod65]

i am buying this today. thank u for your info. very comprehensive. just subscribed

[@SixStringControl]

Hi, I have a question: if i just plug this into the interface through the DI out and without connecting it into a cab, will it still play as normal? Thanks

[@NOGODEGALPEACE]

Yes !

[@rossco420]

Hi Marcelo I have this exact bass head I love it, thanks so much for this video, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@zachcarpenter5136]

I just got my BQ500 dropped off on my front porch yesterday. The only thing about it that I'm not in love with is the thrust. But I'm not a huge fan of compressors in general, especially onboards. But the amplification and tone are nice and clean, and very uncolored- exactly what I like and wanted.

[@RodrickLodowica]

Thank you man. I am really looking forward into this head. Thing ain't easy out here for a music student hahha

[@csj9619]

Killer little amp, and very affordable to boot. Really dig the DeeLite you were playin'.

[@philipfragale4235]

Hi Marcelo, I just got my BQ500 yesterday. Love the sound and power. I, too, have the issue with the reverse active/passive switch. Was there ever any comment from TC Electronics about this? Do you know if there are any other negative impacts if we just leave it like this rather than sending it back? I also notice the Thresh LED remains lit all the time when the Thrust is engaged even though the user manual states that it lights when the signal threshold is reached.

[@mahdisharegh7220]

Nice review man, keep up the good work 🎸♥️🤘

[@mayhemresurrection]

Thanks bro you are good at review. Perfect 👍 just what I wanted to know. Specially you played variety smooth Bass lines with fingers and pick and that gave me a real insight of this Amp. Thank you 😀. I am buying this Amp bro. Just a question is the amp really the watts they claim 🤔

[@14219austin]

I have a bass cab that only takes 1/4 inch plugs, but I saw that this head only has MIDI ports. I found some adapters, and I was just wondering if you could potentially lose audio quality using an adapter like that?

[@edwinwise6751]

Forget the review , this guy is Hendrix on the bass .I played it over an over just hear his chops

[@barackmycat9448]

Great review but (I hate to ask) . How did it sound through the cab!

[@dh1474]

Great review!

[@MatthewNash92]

would you recommend this over the bam 200 ?

[@gerarddedios8296]

Does the Master Volume work when used with headphones? Lately I have tried another 300w class D bass head and it's master volume gets bypassed when you connect headphones. How does this TC BQ250 sound with preamp pedals like the Sansamp Bassdriver?

[@kongandbasses8732]

The pad or "minus some dB" - knob is also called "the tonesucker knob". Why do you want to use it when you have a gain knob?

[@bassista2614]

First! :D love your vids man! Nice Review! lets me consider buying one of these ^_^

[@afropeluca]

Hola Marcelo, muy bueno tu video! tenia ganas de comprar el mismo amplificador, pero por el tema de los envios desde el exterior (vivo en argentina), necesitaba saber las medidas de la caja. ¿Serias tan amable de pasarme las medidas de la caja donde viene el amplificador (solo la blanquita del bq-250)? gracias!

[@GeorgeRwm]

Hello, can you connect it to a helix from line6, and use it past the eq, so you can use it only as a power amp and use only the eq from the helix

[@gianlucabassi8853]

Can I plug in a second 6ohms 112 cab ?????? Very good clean tone amp

[@eltigre8978]

I'd love to know if you can set the gain at zero or if it has to be up slightly for the volume knob to work. I'd like to hear it in it's cleanest mode.

[@BigMacksTrains]

Great demo. I was wondering about this head. Have you done any testing if the Trace Elliot Elf or the Hartke 200 watt head? I am looking for a light weight head for practice and smaller venues.

[@anointed01]

Awesome review

[@WDeeGee1]

Very nice video!

[@santoadelardosalubre1358]

Nice review. Can i use that bass amp for any speaker amplifier. You know those speaker amplifier that has built in tone and volume control already. Would they have a good or bad result??

[@aramis844]

Which one sounds better for you guys, this TC amp or the Eden Terranova?

[@vladimirlopez7840]

Just ordered a BQ250 as my first bass amp to start learning. Don’t know what can to pair it with yet.

[@SpectorEuro4]

Did you ever find a good cab to pair it with? I'm about to purchase the amp, but I am on the limbo with what cab I should use

[@perking5617]

But can it gig? I mostly play in my bedroom and in a practice studio, but i sometimes do small to medium gigs.

[@wessills6963]

What did you end up using? I am in the same scenario.

[@eddiequeboard2672]

@@wessills6963 I have used the bg250 combo for the past year and I gig in pubs and concerts quite a lot. If you don't already have a cab to go with the amp in the video i would highly recommend the bg250 combo. Cuts through the mix when played with a 5 man band and is extremely light for its size. A very good buy.

[@heberrodriguez1447]

Hi Marcelo. Greetings from Mexico. Excellent video and review. I have a lot of questions about this amp, Is it similar in power with the BH250 head from TC Electronic as well? What would be your recommendation between these two amps, BH250 and BQ250? One more thing, neither of these amps have an fx loop, is it possible to put some effect pedals between the Bass output and the amp input for both amps? Thanks in advance

[@williammalmberg3030]

Can you do a review of The Trace elliot Elf? 😁

[@TheMusicmak3r]

Good review 👍

[@grishakuritsyn]

Thanks for the review Marcelo! I got this amp in the end of September, but the Passive/Active switch is still reversed. Probably it's the wrong installation of the switch? No idea, let's see what TC can comment about it. Other than that - love it. Very well built and portable. Very simple settings.

[@michaelveach2408]

Great video. Thank you. I just bought this amp as a backup. Ha, Groove is in the Heart. I play that bassline just about every time. Your bass tuned half step down? I thought that was played on 4th not 5th fret?

[@De50lat0r]

Nice review, man :) Shame about the active/passive switch but it seems like a solid amp.

[@gabewilliamsen8789]

Marc! Great review I'm thinking of getting a TC electronic bc208 .have you had any or know anyone who has played them

[@thomasmacken6297]

Regarding the headphone out muting the speaker out, does that mean it can be used without having anything plugged into the speaker out? I know it's generally not a good idea to turn on amp heads without connecting to a speaker but I don't have a speaker yet, and I've been looking to use it in the bedroom for practicing Just to be extra clear, what I've been wanting to do is instrument in the front, power source in the back and headphones in the back with nothing else plugged in

[@JM-qz1yk]

Class D amps do not need a speaker load. Yes, you can use this as a "walkman" style practice amp with just headphones! Try different headphones with different impedance ratings until you get the best sound quality.

[@PoliBoneless]

Would that amp be loud enough to play a metal concert on a bar??

[@stevenblakeakahashburns]

Mark, So, just to clarify, gain on an amp is to engage the preamp, so you can hear the preamp tone? Would you turn it to 12 on all amps? Cheers

[@TheBassWizard]

Yes, the gain knob is driving the preamp, which shapes and colors your sound. The master volume controls the power amp section, so it doesn't affect your tone at all, just gives you more or less volume. What I said in the video is not that I turn it to 12 on all amps, its that I *start* at 12 oclock, but where I go from there depends on a lot of factors. For example if I'm using an amp with a nice tube preamp and I want to add some tube saturation, I might crank the gain to the point of distortion. Every situation is different.

[@stevenblakeakahashburns]

The Bass Wizard excellent thankyou I’ve been playing for many years and never really understood the importance of gain until you described it. It was a light bulb moment akin to when tosin abasi described compression “it make the loud bits quieter and the quiet bits louder” Nice box opening btw Lots of delicious presents Keep up with the excellent work

[@grilledspaghetti]

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone comment "Ask your mom what thrust is" in the comments. I would never say that myself... Nice playing btw, never saw one of your videos before. Think I'll subscribe, peace.

[@mssqlguy]

Groove is in the heart baby :)

[@badassbassist]

Do you need a cab when playing thru a headphone??

[@Rui1982]

No

[@nigellacey559]

my dumb question is why have eq on the bass and the amp. how's that work then?

[@DominiqueHeine]

Just 2 separate tools to shape your sound. Both will give different results and them combined open even more possibilities.

[@mizmor149]

Hi. Could You send me the sizes bass head? Thx

[@riskromer9773]

if it only has one speaker input how can you plug 2 cabs in parallel?

[@ace-rob71]

the cab has two jack connections in parallel. one will connects to the amp and the other to the second cab. two 8 ohm cab will be view by the amp as 4 ohm.

[@jameshaggerty5690]

I like what I am seeing, but technically, this is years beyond anything I have ever known (I'm an old fart). I would simply like to SEE how you connect the amp into the speaker. Everything I have ever owned has 1/4 in. phone plug jacks for input-output, except my Peavey PA cabinets. That's just what I have (and yes, I have a Peavey Mark lll bass head, which I would love to have several more of, but I am liking this amp). I am new to the technology. Straight into the speaker cabinet or into the board, with nothing more than maybe EQ, is how I played back when there were dinosaurs and men lived in caves. (We still had great shows!)

[@Patbanger]

Still waiting for the octaver preview...

[@ChrisJohnsonChannel]

Having a comp on an a head it great one less pedal on the pedal board

[@pshongle4217]

Quality review mate! Think I'm sold on this head, I'd been shopping around for a used fender rumble 100 but may as well just get this new and get a used cab when I can afford it for the power, sound and the fact that a cute lil head is just cool. Also a lot of people seem to be saying the active/passive reverse thing is a genuine factory issue that existed with all of the first batch of these, so hopefully the newer versions have that sorted although I haven't seen this confirmed

[@bassista2614]

That lick at the end

[@ernieD]

Stevie W. "Isn't She Lovely" Great, fun tune to play on bass.

[@josh_donuts5445]

What kind of picks do you use?

[@TheBassWizard]

Dunlop. But I'm not picky and my picks (no pun intended)

[@smittysmitt2076]

Hey man, love the video! Looking to use this for gigging in the near future. Now I’ve just gotta get a cabinet. Any that you recommend for this amp head?

[@terryremaly957]

Cool thanks man

[@AzogDefilerFromMordor]

what a coincidence lol. I am thinking about buying bass combo BG250-210 because you recomended ones with 2 10inch speakers in one of your previous videos. I want to use it mostly at home but friend of my said that its too powerful for home practicing. (250Watts) and that many bass combos sound bad on low volume. what do you think?

[@TheBassWizard]

Combos are great for practicing at home, and that's definitely more than enough power for that. Combos dont sound bad at low volumes at all, it should sound the same as in full volume. Unless you're playing a tube amp and you're trying to overdrive the tubes, there's no reason playing loud would make it sound better.

[@AzogDefilerFromMordor]

Thank you.

[@boosted0079]

It's been 9 months since you made this comment, and I hope that you've found your answer. I thought I'd add my 2 cents just because I have the bg250 2-10 combo at home. Although I believe it's a bit much amp for myself at home, can it doesn't sound bad at low volumes at all. It does however sound really good at higher volumes lol. Enjoy buddy

[@sarahroeder493]

Hey! Nice review, please help me understand what is new about this head in comparison to the BH250, cause it seems to me that it is just the same (without pedal entry, tuner and that crazy toneprint stuff)..and the price difference is only 40€

[@Stratisfied22]

Just received the BQ250 and has all the problems everyone else seems to have. Reversed input toggle which is not an issue for me but the clipping while switched to the passive input with the volume and gain set low is and it's unusable. The active input seems to sound fine with no clipping at all however the volume is very low and not usable for live applications and the unit brand new out of the box seems to have a strong electrical smell. I would pass on the BQ series and stick to the BH series which seem to be very sound product. Forgot to mention the Thrust compressor doesn't do much of anything.

[@whamni]

Stratisfied: Set the gain at 3 o'clock and set the Master at 9 o'clock and turn your bass up .

[@aaronmajchen982]

Very responsive eq? The treble knob did almost nothing.

[@plutosbullettojupiterbuddy40]

Kick ass playing brother! Fuck man! Awesome video too!!!!!!!

[@simeonbrooks5737]

Tc is selling amplifier but the I cannot communicate with them

[@Guitar_Smasher]

Yep, Thrust is a compressor!

[@piercejenkins13]

did you cut that box open with a kitchen knife?

[@stevel2309]

Exactly, and now his vegetables are smothered with sticky residue.

[@ArtbyJoeH]

Yeah testing in an isolated room at a low level with no other band members kicking in is almost totally different vs live setting ( louder, combating other instruments in the mix, venue acoustics etc ) Excellent 'blind' review !

[@aplusimagery5271]

Really uneducated comment

[@RogueCheddar]

Don't feel too bad, my wife says I have no idea what thrust is, as well, but I digress.

[@boki77]

why would anybody make an amp with speakon out to the amp?

[@alanswanson7389]

Totally agree...now it's going to cost $30 to plug in your speaker

[@aurthorthing7403]

I agree, it's a cheap move on amp companies just to save some pennies. I was curious if it had the combo jack? There are combination 1/4 and speakon jacks available if you want to upgrade stuff like this. You can get them from Siesmic Audio. I just bought a few to upgrade some cabinets and an old Peavey head.

[@jimalbruzzess2445]

Great review Marc!!! Keep them coming. You can never have too much info.🤘🤘🤘

[@oriaharoni6704]

Great review!!!