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Burman Pro 502
Price: £418
Reviewed by Brian Robertson
Beat Instrumental August 1979
To carry out this review I used a Telecaster and a Strat, picked for their
clean sound. As soon as I plugged in I could feel the amps incredible power.
I think it's been under-rated at 50 watts. It feels more like 70 or 80
watts.
Basically the amp is a two channel job. Channel One consists of a gain, bass and treble control, with an HF cut switch. I found the treble response a bit shallow on this channel, only coming in at about 6, but the bass was variable from 2 upwards. Apart from the power, all pretty average.
But Channel 2 is something else. It consists of 3 Gain controls, bass, mid, treble, and HF cut switch and an Accutronics reverb unit. (Before carrying on I should say that the 2 KT77, 6 ECC83 and l ECC81 - valves are driving two 12" burman XP5012speakers.)
On this channel, with gains 2 and 3 full up, channel one is very sensitive in operation. The 3 gain gives a very wide range of sounds but takes a little getting used to. After just playing about on the amp for a very short while I sussed its great potential in terms of variability of sound.
If you use gains 2 and 3 full up and 1 as the master you get a very clean form of distortion. This way the chords remain clear, but all the balls are there. The reverb could do with a little cleaning up though. It sways a bit.
A great point about this amp is the fact that it performs well at all levels. Turned way down you can still hear the power you normally get only at higher levels. Another incredible feature is its construction. It's a very solid build and very sturdy, right down to the knobs. The top of the amp is extended over the controls so there's no chance of knocking them off. Plastic pads protect the corners and the fabric grill over the front feels very strong. The back panel is open backed.
Clive, my roadie, agrees that it looks like it's built to last. He particularly likes the flight case handles on the side of it which make for easy manoeuvrability. Its certainly one of the strongest amps I've ever seen.
Round the back, there's an output for a foot control to be attached to the reverb, which is a must in a live situation. Another fantastic feature is it's direct inject output, so you can plug it straight into the PA. I'd like to experiment with this by direct injecting and miking up and feeding it through two separate channels in the mixer. You could put an effect on one channel and leave the other free which would be kind of like having two amps. Also round the back is a speaker extension output so you can use some extra cabs if you want to.
I’d use this amp with my Tele, but not with the Les Paul, because the Les Paul is just too powerful, and this is no weak amp. Like it says, it's a pro-amp, and not for the beginner. A beginner may find it a bit too complicated to use.
I've tried a couple of Burman's before, and I would say that this is the best. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that It's one of the best combos I have ever tried, and l'd like to be able to use it in the studio.
For the price, you're getting a hell of
a lot. the sounds available at your fingertips are extensive and the construction
around them is solid.
A great amp.