TCE BG250-208 MODIFICATION

[grandad]

I was quite content with my amp until I read read this post:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/296736-sold-tc-electronic-bg250-208-with-2-new-fane-sovereign-8-225-and-original-speakers/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url]

So I ordered 2 of these from Bluearan who delivered them the next day.

[url="http://www.fane-international.com/downloads/Fane%20Sovereign%208225%20DS030513.pdf"]http://www.fane-inte...%20DS030513.pdf[/url]

I fitted them last night. Straight forward swop. Litttle bit of a struggle to wiggle the spade connectors off. I gently used pliers to bend 2 tags outwards on the lower speaker to accommodate the thickness of the baffle.

[attachment=234609:100_0298.JPG]

On the upper speaker I disconnected the green and yellow leads to the Speakon extension speaker socket.

[attachment=234610:100_0296.JPG]

Had to pinch the spade connectors with a pair of snipe-nosed pliers to ensure good connections again.

The weights are compared below.

[attachment=234612:100_0295.JPG]

Weight of each original speaker = 1439 gm = 3.173 lb

New speakers = 2879 gm = 6.06 lb

Increase in weight of amp = 1440 x 2 = 2880 gm = 6.4 lb

Edited January 17, 2017 by grandad

[grandad]

Question - Was it worth the £88?

Well first impressions are yes. The increase in weight is noticeable as were the increase in low-end response and loudness. I think it's warmer and fuller on the bass notes. The high-end response seems about the same to me but my ears are old and I dip the mids a bit.

I would equate the loudness now to about the same as my old Roland CB100 which I gigged with for some years.

I was impressed with the build quality of the cab which is sealed, lined with wadding and with evidence of sealant around. The cable form and connectors were well made.

I now have a more powerful, reasonably lightweight amp with a small footprint. It's simple and has a built in tuner. Can't use an extension cab with it now but don't need to as the whole point of the modification is to realise the full power from just the one combo. I don't like to have my master gain much more than 12 o'clock on any amp.

So my verdict is yes It was worth it for me, but I thought is was a good little amp anyway.

Edited January 17, 2017 by grandad

[JPJ]

Thanks for sharing, I saw the same post and thought about doing the mod to mine, but to be honest, it's only used for home practice and the occasional 'acoustic' gig where it has the PA to do the heavy humping. I don't find the OEM speakers to be lacking in bottom end, and generally I find the combo to be a super little simple amp. I previously owned a PJB Briefcase, and whilst that is a great bit of kit, it really couldn't hack it next to a drummer, where as the bigger speakers of the BG208 can cope admirably.

[grandad]

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1482761673' post='3202563']
Thanks for sharing, I saw the same post and thought about doing the mod to mine, but to be honest, it's only used for home practice and the occasional 'acoustic' gig where it has the PA to do the heavy humping. I don't find the OEM speakers to be lacking in bottom end, and generally I find the combo to be a super little simple amp. I previously owned a PJB Briefcase, and whilst that is a great bit of kit, it really couldn't hack it next to a drummer, where as the bigger speakers of the BG208 can cope admirably.
[/quote]

Couldn't agree more.

I found exactly the same with the briefcase. It does have a lovely tone and about the best EQ I've ever come across on any bass amp. But as you say not really loud enough to gig with at volume.

I can't knock the original speakers either, it is a great little package, so convenient to use. I've had mine just over 12 months now and I see the price has increased a fair bit.

Edited December 26, 2016 by grandad

[grandad]

Out of curiosity I tried it today with 1 original speaker and 1 sovereign. It sounded ok. That would be a 5.3 ohm load on the amp. Anyway I changed it back afterwards to the 2 new sovereign.

Edited December 31, 2016 by grandad

[JPJ]

So I've just used mine at a rehearsal for the rock band. Just about kept up with the band with the master at about 3pm on the clock face (I.e. about 80% of its travel). By then it was starting to sound very 'boxy' which you would expect given the size of the drivers but it didn't object to running at this level and the amp didn't even become warm to the touch. Very impressed, now thinking of building a second 2x8 to sit under it and liberate the full output of the amp.

[Twincam]

Just as long as you remember you can't use an extension cab if fitting two 8ohm drivers.

I used a couple of fanes before they are decent drivers. Big magnets on them they seem like a very controlled driver (in the right cab of course).

[grandad]

Upon further reading to the above mod' last week when I fitted the Fane 8-225's:

[url="http://www.fane-international.com/downloads/Fane%20Sovereign%208225%20DS030513.pdf"]http://www.fane-inte...%20DS030513.pdf[/url]

http://www.toutlehautparleur.com/media/catalog/product/datasheet/fane/SOPRO8-225-8.pdf

I've now fitted a pair of Fane 8-125's to compare.

[url="http://www.fane-international.com/downloads/Fane-Sovereign-8125-DS240316.pdf"]http://www.fane-inte...25-DS240316.pdf[/url]

They both reduce the amp load to 4 ohms and allow max power from the amp, (250 class D Watts), but prohibit the use of an extension speaker and they both improve the bottom end and the punch.

To my old ears, the 125 is more polite than the 225. To use a car analogy; the difference between the 3 speakers is rather like changing from normally aspirated to fuel injected then turbo -charged.

If it's a rock band then the 225 is the one. As I play mostly with a Jazz quartet I'll stick with the 125's.

[attachment=236036:100_0299.JPG]

From left to right the OEM, 125 and 225. Weights are 3.17 lb, 3.85 lb and 6.06 lb.

[attachment=236039:100_0300.JPG]

I will admit that weight was a consideration when choosing between the 125's and 225's.

[attachment=236040:100_0302.JPG]

A well sealed cab. When fitting 225's I think about 50% more fill might be about right. The internal volume is about 1.5 cu ft or 42 litres which is near the minimum recommended enclosure volume for the 225's.

[attachment=236041:100_0303.JPG]

2 lower tags carefully bent out at the shoulder using pliers.

[attachment=236042:100_0304.JPG]

Yellow and green wires disconnect the speakon skt.

I hope this post proves useful to those with a TCE BG250-208 although it is a great little amp just as it is.

N.B. I've just found another possible candidate:

[url="http://www.faitalpro.com/en/products/LF_Loudspeakers/product_details/datasheet.php?id=401030100"]http://www.faitalpro...hp?id=401030100[/url]

But no, I'll stick with it as it is now.

Edited May 15, 2017 by grandad

[grandad]

For anyone interested in doing a mod or maybe building an extension cab I now have surplus to requirements:

2 x OEM 8" 16 ohm speakers.

2 x Fane Sovereign 8-225's.

[grandad]

The Fane 8-225's have gone. I'll put the OEM's on a different for sale post.

[JPJ]

So I was the buyer of Grandad's Fane speakers. They arrived safe and sound two weeks ago, but due to working away Mon-Fri I only had a chance to fit them this weekend, and even then late on Sunday.

Firstly, I bought my BG secondhand and I noticed that the front grill badge was 'the wrong way up' on mine (bottom right instead of top left). I'd wondered why this was the case until yesterday when I opened up to fit the Fanes; the previous owner had taken the time to fit proper acoustic wadding.

So the Fanes installed without any fuss, and my immediate impression is of a slightly brighter, more middle biased overall tone, similar to when I reconed my SWR Goliath 4x10 with Deltalites. Absolute scientific testing using a reference Behringer SM58 clone into my X-Air mixing desk showed a like-for-like volume increase of around 4-6db for the same volume & tone control positions.

The Fanes are a much more substantial speaker than the OEM drivers, pushing the overall weight of the combo up slightly, but not that she's gone beyond the one hand lift convenience of the original.

I'll give her a run out in rehearsal next weekend and report back on whether simply reducing the onboard ohmage results in a real terms volume increase or whether this was a fools folly.

[kevin_lindsay]

I've just ordered a pair of the 225s - got them for £82 including delivery from the place mentioned above. If you sign up for their offer scheme (which doesn't cost anything, has no commitment from you either, it simply sends offer emails about their products), then you get the instant discount - result!

I'll receive my package tomorrow or Thursday, and will install the speakers then. I'm looking forward to hearing the new units in place.

[grandad]

Eagerly awaiting your reports. I reckon you'll both be very pleased. I am with the 125's, they punch, and the 225's, they punch harder.

[kevin_lindsay]

I am a numpty!!!!

I received the Fane speakers today and fitted them into my BG250 208.

Plugged in one of my basses and the sound was...... awful!! Really middly with very little low end. I was so unimpressed that I decided to revert to the original speakers.

However, when I unscrewed the top speaker from the cab I saw that I had connected the speaker cables to the opposite terminals!!!! Aaaagh!!! So, I reversed the connectors to the correct format, screwed the new speaker back in place and tried again.

What a difference! Lovely and full sounding. I'm liking what I'm hearing so far.

So, lesson learned - always ensure that you connect the colour coded connected wires to the correct speaker terminals.

Edited February 1, 2017 by kevin_lindsay

[grandad]

Glad you're liking it.

I used a Peavey SS head into an Ampeg B115E for many gigging years. I still have them but they're left for club use at the community centre. I was so used to the sound of that cab. I could stand almost anywhere, front, back, side, sit on it, and hear the sound I wanted. With the smaller speakers I find them very directional and subject to room and placement.

It took me some time to 'like' the sound of more modern amps/cabs. I was just so used to that lovely 15" warmth. I still like it but I think I've sort of trained my hearing/sense of tonal variation. Whereas I was previously rather stuck in a false preference for[u] the[/u] sound of [u]my[/u] bass I now play around with the eq a lot more. I think the secret for me is in taming the mid's till I get that sweet spot, along with the dynamics of how I play of course.

I played my 1st gig with my modified 208 last week at a fairly large church hall and it performed really well. Try and listen to yourself at some distance. It does project well.

[kevin_lindsay]

I tend to use the 208 when I'm on church bass duties myself. I've also used it on a couple of bar gigs and it held up really well. It's great not having to lug my "big rig" to every gig I do now.

[JPJ]

So as promised, I'm reporting back after a full band rehearsal. Generally, the Fanes are a big improvement over the OEM speakers. Volume was definitely louder for equivalent control settings, and the overall sound was fuller and fatter.
Anything below a G on the E string is obviously the limit of these speakers / cabinet size, and the volume noticeably dropped off, but the speakers held up well, no farting out or any other nastiness.
I'm still in awe of this little combo, the speaker upgrade has only enhanced my feelings. An unbelievably simple little amp with a great inherent tone, way superior to any other TC offerings I've tried in the past. True, it's not loud enough on its own to gig with in the main electric band, but for the acoustic band it's perfect. On the whole, I'm very happy with the upgrade.

[grandad]

Glad to hear you're pleased. Yes I feel the same, I'm enjoying the convenience of everything I need in a small lightweight package.

Edited February 8, 2017 by grandad

[Marc S]

Only just spotted this thread. Interesting read - Thanks for sharing
I had a TC 250-208, which I now wish I'd never sold! It was a handy, compact, lightweight little combo
Wish I'd tried this conversion on it now!

[Jamieboy]

Slightly randomly ressurecting this thread years later as I bought the bg208 modified with the Fane speakers and now want to put original ones back in so I can use an extension cab. 

 

Does anyone know Where the yellow and green wires from the extension socket need to be connected to? I can't see the originals pics which were in Grandads post  above (and I've no previous experience of this sort of thing at all). I guess it must be the lower speaker but don't know which way around to connect them. I could do some trial and error but worried it might cause damage (?) if I do it the wrong way around, so thought I'd ask and see....

 

Thanks.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Jamieboy
Added detail

[JPJ]

Just had a look inside mine and yes they are just paralleled off the bottom speaker. Make sure you get the polarity the right way around 😉

[Jamieboy]

Thanks for looking mate. 

 

Just to check... if I did connect them the wrong way around would it just not work? Or would it cause very bad things to happen?

 

If the former I can just give it a whirl and work it out, but just acutely aware of my lack of knowledge in case the latter applies!

 

 

[JPJ]

I’m no expert but my understanding is nothing nasty will happen but one cab will ‘suck’ when the other cab is ‘blowing’ so that they sort of cancel each other out if that makes sense?

[Jamieboy]

OK, suck and blow - got it.

 

Thanks for the advice, will give it a go. 

[Jamieboy]

I seem to have managed to bugger up putting the original speakers back in. They sound fine on higher notes but there sounds like there is a sort of buzz on the lower notes. I thought it might be that I hadn't tightened them enough and the speakers themselves were vibrating but tightened it further and not improved.

 

 

 

Upset with myself as I should have left it alone...