TC Electronic BH500 Bass Amplifier Head (500 Watts)

Unique features like TubeTone, SpectraComp and integrated tuning technology give this head extensive tone-shaping tool and incredible tone.

Overall User Ratings (based on 12 ratings)
  • Overall:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(12) (see rating details)
Submitted November 3, 2013 by Gregory Williams in San Diego, CA

"TC BH500"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Fantastic, Incredible, Superb, Powerful, can not go wrong with this bass head. I have this matched to a GK 410 Neo Cabinet. The two together make sound like a pro. I am a above average bassist. Many tone variations are able to be achieve. Have not use the tone print feature. I have not had the need to use it yet. Know that it is available, is good enough for me. For sure, you will not be lacking power. This is a great buy. Turner is touchy, but accurate. Just have to get use to it. Easy to use, not complicated. Not being a smart azz, but if you have a junior high level IQ, you will be able to operate this bass head, and be very pleased with the results.

Musical Background:

Have been playing seriously for the past decade, but, overall since the late 80's. Use to play in bands, headache! I play at hom

Musical Style:

All music except country. I prefer play jazz, funk, blues. I enjoy exploring my own creativity of music. Combining jazz and funk
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Submitted July 4, 2014 by brian schuel in chesterfield, MI

"Almost 3 years in and still love it!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Smart tone! no huge heavy stuff to carry! no tone mod pedals to bring along. i use this head, my bass and cabinet! i have it paired with a fender rumble 4-10" and its a perfect match! together under 800 bucks! I see no reason to upgrade or spend more, this amp has what i need! i still havent had to use TC support and probably wont(i rated it a 9 because i havent had to use them)

Musical Background:

25 year bassist, enthusiast, not trying to be pro anymore, just fun

Musical Style:

rock, metal, jazz, blues
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Submitted April 26, 2014 by Malcolm Campbell in Reno, NV

"Great amp but with limitations"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I've had this amp for four months now, so I feel comfortable rating it. This is everything the other reviews say it is...Loud and very clean. The tube emulation can get a little grind going, but I don't see it as very useful. Would be better off with an external overdrive The spectra comp is okay too, but again better off getting an external compressor. That sums up one of the main oversights in the amp's engineering...NO EFFECTS LOOP! I can see TC Electronics leaving out the effects loop on the models with their proprietary smart phone effects gizmo, but this amp doesn't have that. Also, the built in tuner is a good idea, but it only works for standard tuning and does not take drop tunings and the like into consideration. I am using it with The TC BC410 500W 4ohm cab (bought together) and playing both a Fender Deluxe Precision Ash with active electronics, and a Gibson SG short scale, and it sounds amazing. The two mid scoop buttons almost makes it like having three different amps. The "Tweeter Tone" control is very subtle, but useful. They probably should have included a horn Off / On adjust on the cab as well. I understand the need to innovate but some things really do serve a purpose. Another good feature is the three memory slots that save most settings with a push of a button. There are no passive and active inputs or pad buttons, so it allows me to save gain settings for the Gibson passive, the Fender passive and the Fender active. Perfect. Overall, this is a good amp, and it is loud. It seems to be built well and should hold up with time. It looks cool too with the red face. I will likely however replace it eventually because of the limitations I mentioned. Never really thought I would miss an effects loop so much until it wasn't there. I am not rating the customer support for TC Electronics because I have not needed to contact them. Gotta give a shout out to zZounds for letting me afford this over time, and for the absolutely great service they always provide. Cheers

Musical Background:

I have played bass and guitar for 40 years. Proffessional at times

Musical Style:

All styles
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Submitted December 30, 2013 by Jerry W M in Fort Gratiot, MI

"More than Happy"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Bought this as a blemished unit wondered what it would look like when it arrived much to my delight it was perfect wouldn't hesitate to buy from zZounds again

Musical Background:

playing bass 4 yrs

Musical Style:

Classic rock and country
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Submitted September 27, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"i have a great new gigging amp! sweet tone and a solid, well built product!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
the only reason, so far, that i would get another head would be to add more power, but its really not necessary, with the right cabs, this amp is a solid winner!
Sound
i wanna make this clear, im rating this area a 9 because im running this head through an inexpensive 2-15 cabinet! it still sounds great, but i can only imagine how crystal clear and full it will sound through a 4-10!! but this set up will be excellent for gigs! it was cheap, $429 here for the head, and a seismic audio 2-15 cab, very cheap and very portable set up! im tired of lugging around heavy stuff!!!
Features
it included a cable for hooking up a cd player, RCA jacks(stereo) to a 1/8 inch headphone jack, great for rehearsing as this was one of the features, and this cable is easy to find anywhere, its still very cool of TC to include it! also the manual and power cable......a cool sticker on top of the head to describe a few tone you can dial in to get you started, which was a nice added touch!
Ease of Use
very easy to get a great sound!! this head naturally has a good bass tone without the bells and whistles, but when you start moving dials you can really hit the sweet spot of your tone! nothing else needed, no extra compression units or eq pedals, its right here!! great stuff, especially for such a great price! Props to ZZOUNDS for beating Guitar Center by $70 dollars on this price tag!!
Quality
only a 9 because i just got it today, i will update later, but this head seems very solid to me!!! and ive had a bunch!! my head before this was a GK Goldline 500.....What a difference!! i needed major compression before giving the GK a shot, but now i dont need to bother! the GK had my B string booming through the ceiling while my G and D strings could barely be heard!! thats ridiculous!!! not with this head, you hear them all loud and clear!
Value
ive spent plenty more on heads supposedly like this one and didnt get the quality or the value! this is a great head so far, like i said, this is the first day!
Manufacturer Support
i havent dealt with TC support, but this head came to me solid, in a double box type shipment!TC box plus a ZZounds box with plenty of padding! not sure about TC's support yet, but ZZounds is kick ass!! they are my new music store! check out their "play while you pay" option!! musicians on a budget cant beat this deal!!! awesome, with no INTEREST!!!
The Wow Factor
i dont know about any amp having sex appeal, but the red face is pretty damn cool! and the knobs have a smooth quality made feel, but look wise, its great, sexy, i dont know though, lol!! it doesnt have a big rack or anything, so.....

Musical Background:

Actice Musician, Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Rock, Metal, Alternative
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Submitted October 19, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"so many pedals(effects), no longer needed!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
possible another, for added power and versatility but for a regular gig, its not necessary! 500 watts should do anyone fine in a small to big club with a house PA system.
Sound
Sounds fantastic! for real, ive had several amps(heads) over the years. and come to the realization that i dont need a bunch of effects, just a good amp with the essentials! its all right here!! tuner, compression, presets(my own sounds - 3 of them!) i use a 2-15 cab with this and it sounds great!!! the Tweeter tone is a sweet feature, and emulates well!! tube tone is also very nice, no more flimsy sounding distortion pedal, the tubetone knob is very nice to get a great tube emulation!(i did look into buying a TUBE head, no thanks with all the weight and aggravation! awesome product! you dont need anything with it!
Features
a cable was included to hook up a CD player or stereo to rehearse with, not what i need, but is a cool extra, i love the tuner, less storage space needed in my gig bag! tubetone and tweetertone are very cool additives to a great sounding amp already! spectra comp is the biggest part of this amp, i used to use a seperate compression unit with my head, in order to get the full sound i needed(all strings at even volume) if i didnt have the compression, my high strings were so low in the mix, my sound was worthless. TC has a great answer to this!! im a month in, and i love this amp, ive gig with it once so far, and had no problems(except the fact that my post/pre XLR was set to pre, so my amp's sound wasnt being used, just my bass! lol, live and learn! oops!
Ease of Use
simple, you can dial in your sound in half of a minute! remember the compression is special!! its a multi-band compressor, so for bass it will act differently than a simple pedal. and works great! it treats all your strings differently!
Quality
only a 9, because ive only had it a month! but so far, it has the solidity of all my old stuff, just the same! well made, and well priced!
Value
ive paid a few hundred bucks more for heads i thought werent as good, as long as it holds up, which i think it will do great, i will keep this amp head for years!!
Manufacturer Support
im putting 10 for ZZOUNDS TC, i havent needed them, so i cant comment research it, you'll find what ya need to know, somewhere on the web
The Wow Factor
its got a very cool look to it, probably one of the coolest looking amps ive had, the red face sets it off! but, looks, im not too worried about if i was, this amp would still be in a good range!

Musical Background:

hobbyist, 20 years

Musical Style:

Rock, Metal, Alternative
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Submitted January 23, 2013 by brian s in macomb, MI

"This amp plus a Fender 4-10" perfect match for Ohms and Power"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
OK, ive had this amp for about a year and a half, give or take, you can check out my first review "i have a new gigging amp....." lots of good info there!! This amp is considered a mid line, but dont be fooled!!! its amazing!! its rated at 500 watts @ 4 Ohms, i have it paired with a Fender Rumble 4-10" cab also rated at 500 watts @ 4 ohms!!! A PERFECT match!!! it hasnt let me down yet!! i normally practice with this thing at 12 o clock! we jam fairly loud, and this will cut it!! If you are an 8-10 man, you may wanna do more research, but my setup is strictly 4-10" and i dont need anything more with this configuration! In the past i have looked for EQ pedals, and Compression Pedals, and tuner pedals......Its all here!!! you dont need all the extras! unless you really want extra crazy effects! This amp has the working bass player completely taken care of!! Tube tone is Great!!! Tweeter Tone is sweet!!! Dial in what you need and keep experimenting!! This amp should have everything you need! if not, you may want to consider a 2000 dollar boutique amp.....:):):) Every sound you need is here, plug in a decent to great bass and this amp will compliment it!! simple, effective and useful, and YES, im on a budget!! and it costs under 500 bucks?????? Just buy it!!! GK, Peavey crate, ibanez fender bass amps dont come close!!! especially for the money you pay! TC is it!!

Musical Background:

bassist of 25 years....currently writing and performing...

Musical Style:

experimental, alternative, metal, a bit of everything.....
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Submitted January 23, 2013 by brian schuel in macomb, MI

"This amp plus a Fender 4-10" perfect match for Ohms and Power"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
OK, ive had this amp for about a year and a half, give or take, you can check out my first review "i have a new gigging amp....." lots of good info there!! This amp is considered a mid to lower line, but dont be fooled!!! its amazing!! its rated at 500 watts @ 4 Ohms, i have it paired with a Fender Rumble 4-10" cab also rated at 500 watts @ 4 ohms!!! A PERFECT match!!! it hasnt let me down yet!! i normally practice with this thing at 12 o clock! we jam fairly loud, and this will cut it!! If you are an 8-10 man, you may wanna do more research, but my setup is strictly 4-10" and i dont need anything more with this configuration! In the past i have looked for EQ pedals, and Compression Pedals, and tuner pedals......Its all here!!! you dont need all the extras! unless you really want extra crazy effects! This amp has the working bass player completely taken care of!! Tube tone is Great!!! Tweeter Tone is sweet!!! Dial in what you need and keep experimenting!! This amp should have everything you need! if not, you may want to consider a 2000 dollar boutique amp.....:):):) Every sound you need is here, plug in a decent to great bass and this amp will compliment it!! simple and effective!! and under 500 bucks?????? Just buy it!!!

Musical Background:

bassist of 25 years....currently writing and performing...

Musical Style:

experimental, alternative, metal, a bit of everything.....
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Submitted May 3, 2011

"All the goodies, but half the price of the fancy TC heads."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Though I have had great experience with OLD TC electronic stuff, some of which has lasted perfectly since 1980, I have had issues with there digital effects and amplifiers. Since this is a Class-D amp with compression, it has some measure of "idiot-proofing" built in. So long as you use the right load ( speaker ohmage) and don't run full bore all night in a bar with no air-con, it should be OK.
Sound
This has ALL the tonal characteristics of the pretty staccato and higher-priced TC bass heads. It's just slightly less power and in a practical package.
Features
Spectra comp ( multi-band compression) is tuned for bass, specifically thumb & pop funk. Yes it works for other instruments too. It is especially nice for jazz guitar!
Ease of Use
For experienced pros, this is as easy as it gets.
Quality
This is every bit as good as the more expensive TC heads. ( I look inside to check and use bench testing equipment to test output, frequency response and noise.) So, how good is that? Not high-fidelity, but very good. It is the nature of "good" sounding instrument amps to "color" sound. As part of that, frequency response is never "perfectly flat." That's OK... in fact it's a good thing. Noise is a problem. But if you are playing quietly, you won't hear much, and if you play loud as hell in a Loud band, the minor noise will be masked by other sounds. Components are typical Asian stuff, which means: pretty good, not mil-spec, but decent.
Value
This has all the functionality and features of the more expensive amps TC makes, so that makes it a bargain by comparison. The truth is, Class-D amps are very inexpensive to manufacture compared to old-school class A-B amps with massive power-rails. As such, this is like all other "class-D" propaganda... cheaper stuff sold to ignorant consumers as a product enhancement, when in fact it is a manufacturing short-cut for profit. Does that mean it is bad? No. Cheap Class D amps are OK for instrument amps. They will NEVER deliver the fidelity or raw current / power of AB topology, but they are still OK for most payers in most bands.
Manufacturer Support
TC has had problems with support in the past. I think they are making an effort to improve that, but so far, they still mostly rely on web=pages, FAQ's and forums. Good luck getting a knowledgeable human on the phone.
The Wow Factor
The package is not as sexy as the expensive TC amps, but it does everything a professional bass amp should.

Musical Background:

Pro

Musical Style:

All
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