User’s manual
Version 1ꢀ0 April 2004
VINTAGER AC108
VINTAGER
15-Watt Vintage Guitar Amp with Vacuum Tube
s Extremely versatile guitar amplifier with hand-selected 12AX7 vacuum tube
s Authentic vintage design with ULTRATUBE circuitry for classic tube sound
s Powerful 20-Watt, 8" vintage-tuned guitar speaker
s 2-channel tube preamp and wide-range gain control for super-fat sounds with all pickup types
s Dedicated 2-band EQ plus mid-shift button for creative sound-shaping
s CD input allows you to play along to your favorite music
s Dedicated master level control and powerful headphone output
s Rugged construction for years of trouble-free use
s Designed in Germanyꢀ Manufactured under ISO9000 certified management system
3
VINTAGER AC108
FORWORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dear musician,
1ꢀ INTRODUCTIONꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 4
Congratulations and
thank you very much for
purchasing the AC108,
BEHRINGER’s newest
addition to the guitar
amp familyꢀ
1ꢀ1 Before you get started ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 5
1ꢀ1ꢀ1 Shipment ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 5
1ꢀ1ꢀ2 Initial operation ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 5
1ꢀ1ꢀ3 Warranty ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 5
2ꢀ WIRING TIPS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 5
3ꢀ CONTROL ELEMENTS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 6
4ꢀ AUDIO CONNECTIONS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 7
5ꢀ SPECIFICATIONS ꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 7
6ꢀ WARRANTYꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀꢀ 8
The VINTAGER AC108
offers the latest in
vintage-type guitar amps,
and is guaranteed to
cause endless sleep-
less nightsꢀ
Had anybody told you a
few years ago that one
day you‘d be able to buy
a guitar amp with real
tube circuitry at such an
unbeatable price, you
would have probably
called him nutsꢀ But I wanted this amp to become reality, and
now we‘ve actually made it! With our VINTAGER AC108
you can now follow in the footsteps of all the big guitar
legendsꢀ Simply unpack it, plug it in and you’re ready to go! The
VINTAGER AC108 gives you everything your heart desires, from
classic clean sounds to solid heavy metal licksꢀ
1ꢀ INTRODUCTION
What we really wanted was to give you a truly high-quality guitar
ampꢀ Believe me: With all those years of experience under our
belt, we know what an amp needs to put up withꢀ No matter how
often you practice or how many sessions you have with your
friends: when it comes to quality and sound, your
VINTAGER AC108 will give you years and years of pure enjoymentꢀ
Congratulations! The AC108 you have purchased is a guitar
amplifier with tube technology, giving you the authentic sound of
legendary guitar ampsꢀ
The VINTAGER AC108 was specifically designed as a practice
ampꢀ The ULTRATUBE circuit and the carefully selected 12AX7
tube will give your guitar sound that unique vintage characterꢀ
Now, just in case you‘re wondering how we can offer such a
high-quality guitar amp at such an unbelievably low priceꢀꢀꢀ the
answer is totally simple: it‘s thanks to you! Many satisfied customers
means large volumes of units soldꢀ Many units sold means better
purchase prices for components, and so onꢀ So, we just passed
this price advantage on to youꢀ It‘s only fair, isn‘t it?
With the wide range of sounds available you can also play
hard and distorted soundsꢀ From crystal-clear to ultra-distorted,
anything‘s possibleꢀ And there needn‘t be any trouble with the
neighbors: just plug in your headphone and get going! But be
careful:
Enough talk nowꢀ One day, when you‘re one of those legendary
guitarists yourself, we hope you‘ll say that your first real guitar
amp was a BEHRINGERꢀ In that case, you have made a dream
come true for us, tooꢀ
+
High volume levels can damage your hearing or your
headphone! Please turn down the MASTER control
(fully left) before you switch the unit on! Always
make sure you use appropriate volume levels!
Absolute power and tube sound
If you really want to come through strong, your
VINTAGER AC108 will give you the necessary power to truly
impress your friends when rehearsing or even leave your audience
in awe when you‘re on stageꢀ The wiring examples in figꢀ 2ꢀ1 and
2ꢀ2 show you how to connect your guitar amp properlyꢀ
We wish you lots of success!
Thank you very much,
You‘ll always be in control in terms of volume, so you can use
the same great sound for practicing at home and for playing with
your bandꢀ
Jam it up!
With its CD player input, your AC108 is the ultimate practice
amp, because it couldn‘t be easier to play along to your favorite
musicꢀ If you don‘t want anybody listening to what you‘re playing,
or simply wish to avoid disturbing the neighbors, just use your
headphoneꢀ The BEHRINGER HPS3000 is ideal just for thatꢀ
Uli Behringer
A companion for life!
The electronic components in your VINTAGER AC108 have
been built into a robust steel-plate enclosure for maximum
protectionꢀ The cabinet is made of high-grade, environmentally
friendly MDF wood covered with especially durable synthetic
leatherꢀ The AC108 will never let you down, even when the
going gets toughꢀ
+
Please read the manual carefully and keep it around
for future reference!
4
1ꢀ INTRODUCTION
VINTAGER AC108
1ꢀ1 Before you get started
1ꢀ1ꢀ1 Shipment
Your AC108 was carefully packed at the factory, and the
packaging was designed to protect the unit from rough handlingꢀ
Nevertheless, we recommend that you carefully examine the
packaging and its contents for any signs of physical damage
that may have occurred during transitꢀ
+
If the unit is damaged, please do NOT return it to
BEHRINGER! Instead, notify your dealer and the
shipping company immediately! Otherwise, claims
for damage or replacement may not be honored!
+
+
+
Always use the original packing carton to prevent
damage during storage or transport!
Make sure that no children are left unsupervised
with the AC108 or its packaging!
Please ensure proper disposal of all packing
materials!
1ꢀ1ꢀ2 Initial operation
Be sure that there is enough space around the unit for coolingꢀ
To avoid overheating, please do not place the VINTAGER near
radiators and other equipment emanating heatꢀ
Figꢀ 2ꢀ1: Example of a setup using the VINTAGER AC108
1ꢀ1ꢀ3 Warranty
Figꢀ 2ꢀ2 shows a recommended setup for amplifying the vintage
sound of your AC108 using a sound reinforcement system of
any sizeꢀ This way, you can also use your amp for playing live or
for rehearsals with your bandꢀ
The VINTAGER’s serial number is located on the rear panelꢀ
Please take the time to fill out and return the warranty card within
14 days after the date of purchase to benefit from our extended
warrantyꢀ Or register online at wwwꢀbehringerꢀcomꢀ
2ꢀ WIRING TIPS
The illustration on the next page shows you how to connect
your guitar to the amplifierꢀ
If you want to use an effects pedal (for example, the
BEHRINGER X V-AMP) to experiment with some out-of-the-
ordinary sounds, you can connect your guitar directly to the
input of the effects processorꢀ Then, connect a second cable
from the effects output to the input on your guitar ampꢀ
If you have an electronic tuner, please be sure to insert it pre
effects device, so that the tuner only receives a dry signal without
effects componentsꢀ
X V-AMP: no additional tuner requiredꢀ
+
The built-in loudspeaker is disabled automatically
when you plug in the headphone
!
Figꢀ 2ꢀ2: Live setup
5
2ꢀ WIRING TIPS
VINTAGER AC108
3ꢀ CONTROL ELEMENTS
Figꢀ 3ꢀ1: Upper side: Control elements
Connect your guitar to the INST(RUMENT) INPUT jack,
using a standard guitar cable with a 1/4" TS connectorꢀ
The GAIN control determines the volume level and the
amount of distortionꢀ Use GAIN to adjust the amount
of distortion and the MASTER control to set the volume
level
ꢀ
+
If the GAIN switch
control is disabled! In this case, the volume can
only be set with the MASTER control
is not pressed, the GAIN
!
The GAIN switch provides additional boost on the guitar
channelꢀ
Figꢀ 3ꢀ2 Rear view: Serial number
The BASS control allows you to boost or cut the low-
frequency rangeꢀ
SERIAL NUMBERꢀ Please take the time to fill out and return
the warranty card enclosed with your VINTAGER AC108
within 14 days of the date of purchase to benefit from
our extended warrantyꢀ Or register online at
wwwꢀbehringerꢀcomꢀ
Guitar amps are optimally matched to the sound of guitars
by shifting the point at which middle frequencies are
loweredꢀ Pressing the SHIFT button enacts this functionꢀ
No matter which way you adjust the controls on your guitar
amp: the sound of your guitar also has some influence on the
overall soundꢀ We would therefore like to give you a few tips to
get you startedꢀ
The TREBLE control governs the high-frequency range to
give your guitar a more “cutting” soundꢀ
Use the CD INPUT to connect the output of your CD player,
tape deck, CD or MD walkman, for example, to practice and
play along to music or guitar tutorial CDsꢀ
+
Most guitars sound best when their tone and
volume controls are turned up as much as possible!
This connector is a 1/4" TRS jackꢀ If your CD player is
equipped with cinch outputs, you‘ll need an adapter cable,
which you can buy at your local music shopꢀ Illustration 4ꢀ3
in chapter 4ꢀ “AUDIO CONNECTIONS” shows you what
kind of adapter to buyꢀ You can also use a mono cable (figꢀ
4ꢀ4)ꢀ This will not damage your CD player or guitar ampꢀ
Experiment with the controls to find out how you can modify
the sound to your likingꢀ Experienced guitarists write down their
favorite settings or attach stickies underneath the controlsꢀ
The MASTER control determines the overall volume of your
AC108ꢀ Whenever you press the POWER switch or unplug
your guitar, be sure to set the MASTER control to zero firstꢀ
Otherwise, a loud crackling noise may be produced, which
could damage your loudspeaker or even your hearingꢀ
The HEADPHONE jack is for headphoneꢀ When you plug
in your headphone, the built-in loudspeaker is mutedꢀ
+
+
The headphone signal can also be routed to a mixing
console or sound reinforcement system! Connect
the headphone output on your AC108 to the line
input (LINE IN) on the console (for example,
BEHRINGER EURORACK UB1222FX-PRO)! You can also
use mono cables!
Some headphones produce distortion if the volume
level is too high! Please cut back the MASTER control
until the distortion disappears!
Use the POWER switch to switch on your AC108ꢀ The
POWER switch should be set to “Off” before you connect
your guitar amp to the mainsꢀ
+
Please note: The POWER switch does not disconnect
the unit from the mains! Unplug the power cord
when you don’t want to use the unit for some time!
6
3ꢀ CONTROL ELEMENTS
VINTAGER AC108
4ꢀ AUDIO CONNECTIONS
The guitar input of the BEHRINGER VINTAGER AC108 comes
as 1/4" TS connectorꢀ
+
Please keep in mind that all the equipment has to
be grounded at all times! For your own protection,
never change or disable the grounding on your
equipment or on the cables!
Figꢀ 4ꢀ4: Mono adapter cable
5ꢀ SPECIFICATIONS
AUDIO INPUTS
Guitar input
1/4" TS connector
1/4" TRS connector
CD input
AUDIO OUTPUTS
Headphone output
1/4" TRS connector
SYSTEM DATA
Output stage power
Figꢀ 4ꢀ1: 1/4" mono plug for the INSTRUMENT INPUT
15 Watts RMS into 4 Ohms
LOUDSPEAKER
Type
8" vintage design
guitar loudspeaker
4 Ohms
Impedance
Power rating
20 Watts
POWER SUPPLY
Mains voltage
USA/Canada 120 V~, 60 Hz
UꢀKꢀ/Australia 230 V~, 50 Hz
Europe
Japan
230 V~, 50 Hz
100V~, 50-60Hz
DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT
Dimmensions
(H x W x D)
approxꢀ 322 mm (13 1/8")
x 357 mm (14 1/16")
x 162 mm (6 3/8")
Figꢀ 4ꢀ2: 1/4" stereo headphone plug and the 1/4" stereo plug
for the CD INPUT
Weight
approxꢀ 5ꢀ6 kg (11 lbsꢀ 3 ozꢀ)
Figꢀ 4ꢀ3: Stereo adapter cable
BEHRINGER is constantly striving to maintain the highest professional standardsꢀ
As a result of these efforts, modifications may be made from time to time to existing
products without prior noticeꢀ Specifications and appearance may differ from those
listed or shownꢀ
7
5ꢀ SPECIFICATIONS
VINTAGER AC108
6ꢀ WARRANTY
3ꢀ Free inspections and maintenance/repair work are expressly
excluded from this warranty, in particular, if caused by improper
handling of the product by the userꢀ This also applies to defects
caused by normal wear and tear, in particular, of faders,
crossfaders, potentiometers, keys/buttons, tubes, guitar strings,
illuminants and similar partsꢀ
§ 1 WARRANTY CARD/ONLINE REGISTRATION
To be protected by the extended warranty, the buyer must
complete and return the enclosed warranty card within 14 days of
the date of purchase to BEHRINGER Spezielle Studiotechnik
GmbH, in accordance with the conditions stipulated in § 3ꢀ Failure
to return the card in due time (date as per postmark) will void any
extended warranty claimsꢀ Based on the conditions herein, the
buyer may also choose to use the online registration option via
the Internet (wwwꢀbehringerꢀcom or wwwꢀbehringerꢀde)ꢀ
4ꢀ Damages/defects caused by the following conditions are not
covered by this warranty:
s improper handling, neglect or failure to operate the unit in
compliance with the instructions given in BEHRINGER user
or service manualsꢀ
§ 2 WARRANTY
1ꢀ BEHRINGER (BEHRINGER Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbH
including all BEHRINGER subsidiaries listed on the enclosed
page, except BEHRINGER Japan) warrants the mechanical and
electronic components of this product to be free of defects in
material and workmanship for a period of one (1) year* from the
original date of purchase, in accordance with the warranty
regulations described belowꢀ If the product shows any defects
within the specified warranty period that are not excluded from
this warranty as described under § 4, BEHRINGER shall, at its
discretion, either replace or repair the product using suitable new
or reconditioned partsꢀ In the case that other parts are used which
constitute an improvement, BEHRINGER may, at its discretion,
charge the customer for the additional cost of these partsꢀ
s connection or operation of the unit in any way that does not
comply with the technical or safety regulations applicable in
the country where the product is usedꢀ
s damages/defects caused by force majeure or any other
condition that is beyond the control of BEHRINGERꢀ
5ꢀ Any repair or opening of the unit carried out by unauthorized
personnel (user included) will void the warrantyꢀ
6ꢀ If an inspection of the product by BEHRINGER shows that
the defect in question is not covered by the warranty, the inspection
costs are payable by the customerꢀ
7ꢀ Products which do not meet the terms of this warranty will be
repaired exclusively at the buyer’s expenseꢀ BEHRINGER will
inform the buyer of any such circumstanceꢀ If the buyer fails to
submit a written repair order within 6 weeks after notification,
BEHRINGER will return the unit CꢀOꢀDꢀ with a separate invoice
for freight and packingꢀ Such costs will also be invoiced separately
when the buyer has sent in a written repair orderꢀ
2ꢀ If the warranty claim proves to be justified, the product will
be returned to the user freight prepaidꢀ
3ꢀ Warranty claims other than those indicated above are
expressly excludedꢀ
§ 3 RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER
1ꢀ To obtain warranty service, the buyer (or his authorized dealer)
must call BEHRINGER (see enclosed list) during normal business
hours BEFORE returning the productꢀ All inquiries must be
accompanied by a description of the problemꢀ BEHRINGER will
then issue a return authorization numberꢀ
§ 5 WARRANTY TRANSFERABILITY
This warranty is extended exclusively to the original buyer
(customer of retail dealer) and is not transferable to anyone who
may subsequently purchase this productꢀ No other person (retail
dealer, etcꢀ) shall be entitled to give any warranty promise on
behalf of BEHRINGERꢀ
2ꢀ Subsequently, the product must be returned in its original
shipping carton, together with the return authorization number to
the address indicated by BEHRINGERꢀ
§ 6 CLAIM FOR DAMAGES
3ꢀ Shipments without freight prepaid will not be acceptedꢀ
Failure of BEHRINGER to provide proper warranty service shall
not entitle the buyer to claim (consequential) damagesꢀ In no event
shall the liability of BEHRINGER exceed the invoiced value of the
productꢀ
§ 4 WARRANTY REGULATIONS
1ꢀ Warranty services will be furnished only if the product is
accompanied by a copy of the original retail dealer’s invoiceꢀ Any
product deemed eligible for repair or replacement under the terms
of this warranty will be repaired or replacedꢀ
§ 7 OTHER WARRANTY RIGHTS AND NATIONAL LAW
1ꢀ This warranty does not exclude or limit the buyer’s statutory
rights provided by national law, in particular, any such rights
against the seller that arise from a legally effective purchase
contractꢀ
2ꢀ If the product needs to be modified or adapted in order to
comply with applicable technical or safety standards on a national
or local level, in any country which is not the country for which the
product was originally developed and manufactured, this
modification/adaptation shall not be considered a defect in
materials or workmanshipꢀ The warranty does not cover any such
modification/adaptation, irrespective of whether it was carried out
properly or notꢀ Under the terms of this warranty, BEHRINGER
shall not be held responsible for any cost resulting from such a
modification/adaptationꢀ
2ꢀ The warranty regulations mentioned herein are applicable
unless they constitute an infringement of national warranty lawꢀ
* Customers in the European Union please contact
BEHRINGER Germany Support for further detailsꢀ
Technical specifications and appearance subject to change without noticeꢀ The information contained herein is correct at the time of
printingꢀ The names of companies, institutions or publications pictured or mentioned and their respective logos are registered trademarks
of their respective ownersꢀ Their use neither constitutes a claim of the trademarks by BEHRINGER® nor affiliation of the trademark
owners with BEHRINGER®ꢀ BEHRINGER® 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 hereinꢀ Colours and specification may vary slightly from
productꢀ Products are sold through our authorised dealers onlyꢀ Distributors and dealers are not agents of BEHRINGER® and have
absolutely no authority to bind BEHRINGER® by any express or implied undertaking or representationꢀ 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 BEHRINGER Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbHꢀ BEHRINGER® is a registered
trademarkꢀ
ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDꢀ © 2004 BEHRINGER Spezielle Studiotechnik GmbH,
Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Strꢀ 36-38, 47877 Willich-Münchheide II, Germanyꢀ
Telꢀ +49 2154 9206 0, Fax +49 2154 9206 4903
8
6ꢀ WARRANTY
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