Are Bugera Amps Any Good?

When looking for an affordable tube amp you might have likely stumbled upon the Bugera lineup.

These are great amps capable of producing amazing tones, and a great step up from entry-level gear.

Having this said, and when taking their price into consideration:

Are Bugera amps good? Here is a short answer:

Bugera amps are great amps for their price and a very nice step up for beginner to intermediate players from solid-state to full tube amps. The company offers a variety of models catered to different kinds of players and genres. The built quality is standard, and they have pretty decent tones for the money.

For those who want to dive a bit deeper into the brand’s offerings, in this article I will try to answer the most common questions players have about these amps.

After reading this post you will have a clearer idea of what makes these amps a great choice for intermediate players, or just any player on a budget.

Are you ready to get started?

Let’s go!

How good are Bugera amps quality-wise?

Bugera amps are built with amazing quality for their price. They sound great and are a pretty solid option for any intermediate player looking for a step up from their beginner’s gear. Most of the Bugera lineup is heavily inspired by classic amps, and they come really close to the original sounds.

I will personally recommend checking out a Bugera next time you see one in your music store.

Are Bugera amps tube or solid-state?

All Bugera guitar amps are tube amps. Being valve amps allows them to provide very warm rich sounds that have a unique ring, unlike any solid-state alternative. These amps are inspired by classic models from other brands and they retain their original specs and tube configurations.

If you are planning on moving from solid-state to tube, Bugera is a great option.

Are Bugera amps handwired?

Bugera amps are built by combining circuit boards and hand-wiring. This allows the company to maintain competitive prices since handwriting the whole amp would be extremely costly and require very qualified labor. The company also claims that circuit boards help to reduce noise and maximize durability.

What speakers do Bugera amps use?

Bugera uses Turbosound speakers for their combo amps and cabinets. Turbosound speakers are British-designed and have been in the business for over 30 years. This, however, is not a very well-known brand and is probably one of the things that make Bugera a cheaper alternative.

Nonetheless, you should give them a try and not turn them down immediately. If they just don’t work for you, you could get them replaced for some Celestion speakers down the road.

What does Bugera mean with Infinium?

Infinium is a technology that Bugera incorporates into their amps which claims to extend the usable lifespan of the amp’s power tubes by up to 20 times. This is an amazing feature since valves for amps are pretty expensive and have a very short usable life.

You can learn more about how long do amp tubes last in this article.

Are Bugera amps made by Behringer?

Bugera amps is a subsidiary company of Music Tribe Global Brands Ltd. a holding that also owns other brands such as Behringer, TC Electronic, TC Helicon, Turbosound, Midas, among many others. So Bugera and Behringer are actually closely related and actually under the same management.

Where are Bugera amps made?

Bugera amps are manufactured in China leveraging the country’s cheap cost labor and availability of components. This allows the company to offer affordable alternatives to the tube amp market. The parts used in their amps are, of course, not as high quality as the ones American or British companies use.

Are Bugera amps affordable?

Bugera amps are pretty affordable if you take into consideration that all their guitar amp lineup is tube amps. These are not exactly entry-level alternatives so you should compare them with the intermediate-range that other companies offer. For this segment of the market, Bugera has very competitive prices.

Are Bugera amps good for beginners?

Bugera amps are geared towards intermediate players or beginners with some experience. This doesn’t mean that a beginner couldn’t enjoy any of their amps, but they are a bit over the entry-level budget, and their being tube amps might be a bit jarring for novice guitarists.

If you are a beginner, however, and you really like what you see or hear from Bugera amps, give them a try. It might take a few weeks to get used to a tube amp, but it will be a great leap in tone quality if you come from a solid-state practice one.

Are Bugera amps good for metal?

Bugera amps are excellent for metal. Their 6262 head is inspired by the legendary Peavey 5150 which is a metal machine. Their 333XL model is pretty much a clone of the Peavey JSX, the signature model of Joe Satriani, a rock guitar master. They also had a Mesa Boogie Rectifier clone that you can find used.

If you pick the right model, a Bugera amp could be your next shred machine on a budget.

List of most popular Bugera amp models and their inspiration

As I mentioned earlier, Bugera amps are inspired by classic amps. This is something great since, they position their gear as an affordable alternative for those who can’t afford the real deal, and there’s no shame in that.

Here is a list of Bugera amps and their most likely inspiration:

Bugera Model	Likely inspired by
1960 Infinium	Marshall Plexi
1990 Infinium	Marshall JCM 900
333XL Infinium	Peavey JSX
6262 Infinium	Peavey 6505+ / 5150 II
BC15	Hybrid amp
G20 Infinium	Blackstar HT20
G5 Infinium	Blackstar HT5
T5 Infinium	Lil’ Night Train
T50 Infinium	Vox Night Train
Tri-Rec	Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier
V22 Infinium	Between Fender and Vox
V55 Infinium	Between Fender and Vox
V5 Infinium	Between Fender and Vox