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User Manual
BUGERA 1990
Classic 120-Watt Hi-Gain Dual Reverb Valve Amplier Head
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2 BUGERA 1990 User Manual
Thank you
Congratulations! By purchasing the BUGERA 1990, you get a classic 100-Watt
valve amplier which stands out for its raw power, reliability and mind-blowing
“soul tone.” The 2-channel preamplier design including BUGERA ECC83/ECC83A
preamp valves for breathtaking punch and impressive gain. First-grade BUGERA
5881 power valves, comprehensive sound control, 2 integrated reverb eects and
an eect loop with volume control round o the BUGERA 1990.
BUGERA instrument ampliers are handmade under stringent production
guidelines to ensure long life and reliability. Each one includes our classic
valve electronics, hard-wearing switches and potentiometers, high-quality
transformers and, not to forget, our hand-selected, precision-matched BUGERA
valves. And, owing to their careful construction and component assembly,
theyare able to stand up to the toughest demands.
Table of Contents
Thank you .......................................................................2
Legal Disclaimer ............................................................. 3
Limited Warranty ........................................................... 3
Control elements ............................................................ 5
Front panel .................................................................................... 5
Rear panel ..................................................................................... 6
Footswitch .................................................................................... 7
Inside the BUGERA ..................................................................... 7
Wiring the BUGERA .................................................................... 8
Audio connections ..................................................................... 9
Specications ............................................................... 10
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LIMITED WARRANTY
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
Warning
Terminals marked with this symbol carry
electrical current of su cient magnitude
to constitute risk of electric shock. Use only high-quality
professional speaker cables with ¼" TS or twist-locking
plugs pre-installed. All other installation or modi cation
should be performed only by quali ed personnel.
Caution
High voltage! Risk of death! To avoid lethal
electric shock, do not open the casing.
There are no user-serviceable components inside. Referall
maintenance to quali ed service personnel. Remove the
mains cable when the unit is not in use.
Warning
To eliminate the risk of re and electric
shock, do not expose this unit to rain or
moisture and splashing or dripping liquid, which might
enter the device. Do not place any objects lled with
liquid, such as vases, on the unit.
This symbol, wherever it appears,
alertsyou to the presence of uninsulated
dangerous voltage inside the enclosure—
voltage that may be su cient to constitute a risk ofshock.
This symbol, wherever it appears,
alertsyou to important operating and
maintenance instructions in the
accompanying literature. Please read the manual.
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus near water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
(including ampli ers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades
with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide
blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. Ifthe
provided plug does not t into your outlet, consultan
electrician for replacement of the obsoleteoutlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11. Only use attachments/accessories speci ed by
themanufacturer.
12. Use only with the
cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table speci ed by the
manufacturer, orsold with
the apparatus. When a cart
is used, use caution when
moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid
injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods oftime.
14. Refer all servicing to quali ed service personnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug
is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed
to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
beendropped.
15. The apparatus shall be connected to a MAINS socket
outlet with a protective earthing connection.
16. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is
used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall
remain readilyoperable.
17. CAUTION! - These service instructions are for use by
quali ed service personnel only. To reduce the risk of
electric shock do not perform any servicing other than
that contained in the operation instructions unless you are
quali ed to do so.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND APPEARANCES
ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND
ACCURACY IS NOT GUARANTEED. BEHRINGER,
KLARKTEKNIK, MIDAS, BUGERA, AND TURBOSOUND
ARE PART OF THE MUSIC GROUP MUSICGROUP.COM.
ALL TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR
RESPECTIVE OWNERS. MUSICGROUP ACCEPTS NO
LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS WHICH MAY BE SUFFERED
BY ANY PERSON WHO RELIES EITHER WHOLLY OR
IN PART UPON ANY DESCRIPTION, PHOTOGRAPH
OR STATEMENT CONTAINED HEREIN. COLORS AND
SPECIFICATIONS MAY VARY FROM ACTUAL PRODUCT.
MUSIC GROUP PRODUCTS ARE SOLD THROUGH
AUTHORIZED FULLFILLERS AND RESELLERS ONLY.
FULLFILLERSAND RESELLERS ARE NOT AGENTS OF
MUSICGROUP AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY
TO BIND MUSICGROUP BY ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
UNDERTAKING OR REPRESENTATION. THIS MANUAL
IS COPYRIGHTED. NO PART OF THIS MANUAL MAY
BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM
OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL,
INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING AND RECORDING OF ANY
KIND, FOR ANY PURPOSE, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MUSICGROUPIPLTD.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
© 2013 MUSICGroupIPLtd.
Trident Chambers, Wickhams Cay, P.O. Box 146,
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
For the applicable warranty terms and conditions
and additional information regarding MUSIC Group’s
Limited Warranty, please see complete details online at
www.music-group.com/warranty.
Important Safety
Instructions
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4 BUGERA 1990 User Manual
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Failure to observe the following points
may result in damage to the amplier or
loudspeakers. Damage caused in such a
way are not covered by warranty.
• Observe the correct impedance for your loudspeaker
and use the appropriate output socket.
• Always use loudspeaker cables for connection
between the amplier and the loudspeaker. Never
use other types of cable such as instrument cable and
microphone cable.
Before you get started
Your product was carefully packed at the factory
to ensure safe transport. Nevertheless, if the box
is damaged inspect the unit immediately for signs
ofdamage.
• If the unit is damaged please do NOT return it to us,
but notify your dealer and the shipping company
immediately, otherwise, claims for damage or
replacement may not be granted.
• Always use the original box to prevent damage
during storage or transport.
• Make sure that children cannot play unsupervised
with the unit or its packaging.
• Please ensure proper disposal of all
packingmaterials.
• Ensure adequate air supply and to avoid overheating
do not place the unit near radiators etc.
• Please make sure that all devices are properly
grounded. For your own safety, never remove or
disable the ground conductors from the devices
or on the power cords. The unit must always be
connected to the mains outlet with a protective
groundingconnection.
Important notes concerning
installation
• The sound quality may diminish within the range of
powerful broadcasting stations and high-frequency
sources. Increase the distance between the
transmitter and the device and use shielded cables
forallconnections.
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Front panel
(1) The POWER switch is used to turn the power of the BUGERA amplier on
ando.
(2) The STANDBY switch allows you to place the amp in STANDBY mode
(OFFposition). This way the amp is idle, but the operational temperature of
the valves is maintained (POWER switch turned on). When the switch is set
to its ON position the amplier is activated.
ATTENTION!
TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR AMP, NEVER USE THE BUGERA VALVE
AMPLIFIER WITHOUT A LOUDSPEAKER CONNECTED!
(3) The CHANNEL push button switches between the CLEAN and the
LEADchannel.
◊ You can also activate both channels with the supplied footswitch.
Refer to “Footswitch” for details.
(4) This is the VOLUME control that lets you adjust the volume level of the
LEADchannel.
(5) This REVERB rotary knob adjusts the eect level of the built-in REVERB
in the LEAD channel. The provided footswitch activates the REVERB eect
(seeChapter “Footswitch”).
(6) This is the VOLUME control that lets you adjust the volume level of the
CLEAN channel.
(7) This REVERB rotary knob adjusts the eect level of the built-in REVERB in
the CLEAN channel. The provided footswitch activates the REVERB eect
(seeChapter “Footswitch”).
(8) The PRESENCE rotary knob changes the tone of the amplier in the upper
frequencies. This emphasizes the high end and makes the sound crisper.
(9) The passive TREBLE control adjusts the upper frequency range.
(10) The passive MID control adjusts the middle frequency range.
(11) The passive BASS control adjusts the lower frequency range.
(12) This GAIN control species the input level of the LEAD channel. Turn the
control to the right to increase the preamplier’s distortion and sustain.
(13) This GAIN rotary knob adjusts the input level of the CLEAN channel.
Turningthe knob to the right increases the level of the preamplier and,
therefore, the signal’s strength.
(14) The jack labeled INPUT is the ¼" input connector on the BUGERA for hooking
up your guitar. Use a commercially available ¼" mono cable.
Control elements
Front panel of the BUGERA 1990
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14)
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6 BUGERA 1990 User Manual
Rear panel of the BUGERA 1960
(15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25)
(26)
Rear panel
CAUTION!
Hot! Risk of injury! During use, the valves get very hot and high surface
temperatures may be reached at the rear of this unit. Avoid touching
the controls and connectors on the rear panel during use. To avoid
accidental contact with hot surfaces, place the rear panel so that it
faces a wall.
(15) The FOOTSW(itch) jack is used to connect to the provided footswitch.
Pleasemake sure that a cable has been connected before turning on the
amplier. For more information, read Chapter “Footswitch.”
(16) The LEVEL rotary knob adjusts the output level of the signal sent to an
external eects unit or any other signal processor (0 – 10). Turning the knob
to the right increases the signal level, whereas turning it to the left decreases
the signal level. In order to produce sound with the least possible noise,
wesuggest using a high setting without distorting the signal.
(17) The SEND output is used to connect a shielded ¼" mono jack cable to the
input of an external eects unit.
(18) The RETURN input is used to connect a shielded ¼" mono jack cable to the
output of an external eects unit.
(19) The RECORDING output is used to connect directly to a recording device or
a PA system. This signal is specially ltered to provide the optimum signal
quality for this application.
(20) The DIRECT output is used to route the amplier’s unltered preamp signal,
for example, to a second amplier and loudspeaker system by retaining the
original sound.
(21) The IMPEDANCE switch lets you specify the loudspeaker impedance.
Alwaysapply the value that is identical to the impedance of the used
speakercabinet. Please also read “Wiring the BUGERA“.
(22) Both the paralleled LOUDSPEAKER outputs (¼" mono jacks) are used
to connect the speaker cabinet(s). The minimum impedance is 4 Ohms.
TheIMPEDANCE switch should always be set to match the impedance of the
used speaker cabinet.
ATTENTION!
TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR AMP, NEVER USE THE BUGERA VALVE
AMPLIFIER WITHOUT A LOUDSPEAKER CONNECTED!
(23) This POWER switch reduces the output power of the amplier. In 50 W
mode, the amplier switches to triode operation, reducing the output power
by half (from 100 W to approx. 50 W). In 100 W mode, the amplier runs at
full power in pentode operation (100 W).
(24) WARNING: ONLY REPLACE THE FUSE WHEN THE MAINS CABLE HAS BEEN
DISCONNECTED! The FUSE is found in the fuse holder. If the fuse is
blown, itneeds to be replaced with a fuse of the same kind by all means.
Otherwise,the unit could seriously be damaged, in which case the warranty
is void. If the fuse is blown repeatedly, you should take the unit to a qualied
service technician.
(25) The IEC MAINS connector is used to connect the mains cable that has
the appropriate voltage ratings for your country (included). At all times,
makethe connections to the amplier before plugging the cable into a
power outlet.
(26) This is the SERIAL NUMBER of the amplier.
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Footswitch
Footswitch
(27) The CLEAN switch activates the CLEAN channel.
(28) The LEAD switch activates the LEAD channel.
Inside the BUGERA
DANGER!
High voltage! Risk of death!
High voltages of up to 500 V DC may be present inside the casing for
long periods after being disconnected from the mains. To avoid lethal
electric shock, do not open the casing. There are no user-serviceable
components inside. Refer all maintenance to qualied service
personnel. Remove the mains cable when the unit is not in use.
Inside the BUGERA 1990
(27) (28)
(30)(31)(32)
(29)
The parts inside the amplier operate at high voltages and high
temperatures. To avoid damage and injury that results from re or
electric shock, do not drop or spill anything into the unit’scasing.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUALIFIED SERVICE
PERSONNELONLY
Remove the backside of the amplier’s casing to get to the valves and the
controlelements.
(29) These are the sockets for the ECC38/ECC38A preamp valves.
(30) These are the sockets for the 5881 power amp valves.
(31) The BIAS TEST connector lets you connect a voltmeter in order to measure
the power amp valves (bias adjustment). Make sure that the voltmeter is set
to direct current (DC).
(32) The BIAS ADJUST control is used to make the bias-adjustment.
◊ Replacing the power amp valves also requires bias adjustment.
You should always use sets of four matched valves. The valves of the
BUGERA Series are ideal for this purpose.
CAUTION:
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT BIAS ADJUSTMENTS BE CARRIED OUT BY
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL!
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8 BUGERA 1990 User Manual
Wiring the BUGERA
CAUTION!
Hot! Risk of injury! During use, the valves will get very hot and high
surface temperatures may be reached at the rear of this unit. To avoid
burning yourself, make all connections while the unit is still cold.
ATTENTION!
TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR AMP, NEVER USE THE BUGERA VALVE
AMPLIFIER WITHOUT A LOUDSPEAKER CONNECTED!
The BUGERA amplier has two paralleled LOUDSPEAKER outputs which are used
to connect one or two speaker cabinets.
If you only connect one speaker cabinet, be sure that the IMPEDANCE switch is set
to match the impedance of the connected cabinet.
If you want to connect two speaker cabinets, both cabinets should have to the
same impedance. Be sure to have set the IMPEDANCE switch correctly. In this
case, set it to half the value of one of the cabinets. When using two 16-Ohm
cabinets, the switch therefore needs to be set to 8 Ohms; and with two 8-Ohm
cabinets, set it to the minimum impedance of 4 Ohms.
When you use two speaker boxes with diering impedance values, the speaker
with the lower impedance will provide the highest output power. In this case the
IMPEDANCE switch must be set to half the value of the speaker with the lower
impedance value. Example: 16 ohms + 8 ohms -> 4 ohms.
Impedances
Connecting a speaker
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Speaker cabinets
1 x 16 Ω
1 x 8 Ω
1 x 4 Ω
2 x 16 Ω
2 x 8 Ω
16 Ω 8 Ω 4 Ω
IMPEDANCE switch
BUGERA 1990
Speaker cabinet BUGERA 412H-BK
Loudspeaker
output
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The following gure shows a setup with an external eects unit connected via
the FX LOOP. What’s more, the RECORDING output is connected to a mixer’s line
channel to feed the signal to a recording device. The speaker signal of the
connected loudspeaker is picked up by a microphone and is fed to the mixer via a
mic input. This way you get a second guitar signal that is amplied over a
PAsystem or can be recorded additionally or both.
Set-up for live playing
Audio connections
The inputs and outputs of the BUGERA amplier use mono jack connectors.
¼" mono jack connector
PA loudspeaker
Power amplier
Main Out
Multitrack recorder
Eects processor
Instrument input
Microphone
Electric guitar
Recording out
Mixing console
Send Return
strain relief clamp
sleeve
tip
sleeve
(ground/shield)
Unbalanced ¼" TS connector
tip
(signal)
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10 BUGERA 1990 User Manual
Specications
Preamp Section
Valves
Type 2 x ECC83A
1 x ECC83
Instrument Input
Impedance 1 MΩ
Clean Channel
Nominal input level –10 dBV
Minimum input level –50 dBV
Maximum input level 0 dBV
Lead Channel
Nominal input level –80 dBV
Minimum input level –92 dBV
Effects Send
Impedance 15 kΩ
Nominal output level –12 to 0 dBV
Effects Return
Impedance 15 kΩ
Minimum input sensitivity –12 to 0 dBV
Recording Output
Impedance 47 kΩ
Nominal output level +0 dBV
Direct Output
Impedance 10 kΩ
Nominal output level +3 dBV
Power Amplier Section
Valves
Type 4 x 5881
Output Power
Peak power 60 W/120 W switchable / 16, 8, 4 Ω
Loudspeaker Connectors
Type ¼" TS connectors, unbalanced
Load impedance 4 Ω / 8 Ω / 16 Ω switchable
Power Supply
Power Consumption Maximum 350 W
Mains Voltage / Fuse
100 – 120 V~, 50/60 Hz T 3.15 A H 250 V
220 – 230 V~, 50/60 Hz T 1.6 A H 250 V
Mains Connector Standard IEC receptacle
Dimensions/Weight
Dimensions (H x W x D) 12.2 x 27.2 x 9.6"
310 x 690 x 245 mm
Weight 49.6 lbs / 22.5 kg
We are constantly striving to maintain the highest professional standards. As a result of these efforts,
modifications may be made from time to time to existing products without prior notice. Specifications and
appearance may differ from those listed or illustrated.
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION COMPLIANCE
INFORMATION
Responsible Party Name: MUSIC Group Services US Inc.
Address: 18912 North Creek Parkway,
Suite 200 Bothell, WA 98011,
USA
Phone/Fax No.: Phone: +1 425 672 0816
Fax: +1 425 673 7647
BUGERA 1990
complies with the FCC rules as mentioned in the followingparagraph:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a ClassB
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment o and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the followingmeasures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dierent from that to which the
receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician forhelp.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
Important information:
Changes or modications to the equipment not expressly approved by MUSIC Group
can void the user’s authority to use the equipment.
BUGERA 1990
BUGERA
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