Behringer AC-112 Review

History:

Purchase: I've been using different amps over the years, had been using a Peavey Bandit 75 for a few years because you can hurl them out of an airplane and they'll still work. Mine finally croaked. Tired of fixing it, so I checked out a bunch of amps. Been really intrigued with Behringer stuff because of the price, but also some pretty amazing features. I have one of their compressors that I use for my studio and it's great, and also a headphone amp. So, I checked into several of their amps, and overall, I decided the AC-112 with a vintage tube sound along with a lot of digital effects would be good. I'm trying it in my studio now, and so far, it's great. I paid $299 for it. Free shipping.

Pros: The clean and distorted tones sound great, I'll know more when I use it at a gig, but I don't see that there'll be any problem. Actually, I think this is just the punchy little number I've been looking for, and it's quite tweakable, so it should work great. The amp is larger than I had thought, but not in a bad way, and it's not really THAT heavy, unless you're a wuss. I like that you can use a midi foot controller with it to access the parameters, since I already have a big old Boss controller just sitting around. I may end up getting a Behringer controller with the 2 expression pedals, since I use a volume pedal and Wah. Another thing I like is that I may not have to use much or any compression with this amp. Most amps or pedals with digital FX include compression, but it's always crappy and grainy sounding, I can't stand it, so I always use an outboard compressor pedal with anything I use. May not be a problem now.The controls being on top like an old Vox or Ampeg might be a drag, but I knew that when I bought it, and I think the pedals will eliminate that from being a problem. I like the tone. The distortion is great, I think it's exactly what I've been looking for



Cons: So far, I've liked everything. It seems like a slight hassle figuring out how to set up the presets, but hey, I'm lazy.

AC-112 Quality: This thing is BUILT. Very solid, and it looks much better than the photos lead one to believe. It's a great combo of vintage and modern. The controls on top are laid out logically. I may build a padded half box to slip over the top before I put it in my road case, as the knobs, though flush to the top of the amp, are in a bit of a vulnerable position.

Behringer Summary: I'm aware that there may be some slight problems with this amp as I use it at gigs, but I've read a lot about it online, and for instance, the buzz of the cabinet that is the main gripe I've heard, I also read it can be fixed but putting electricians tape around the 2 sections of the amp. That would require taking it apart, but this amp has enough features that it appears to be worth the little extra effort. I doubt there will ever be one amp that covers all bases, but this may come close. I'm surprised at how much I like it already.

Rating of this product: 5

This Behringer Guitar Amplifiers Review Submitted By: Don Coyer

Date: 2004-08-19

Usefulness Rating: 4.35714 out of 5. 14 reader(s) voted.