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The HandBox Amplification thread


wateroftyne

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[quote name='Hazy Bass' timestamp='1482095897' post='3197645']
I just picked up on this for the first time via another thread, and my interest is distinctly piqued!

I'm in Sussex (so about as far 'darn sarf' as it's possible to get) ... is there anyone around here (or as far afield as London) who has one of these that I could try?
[/quote]

I'm hoping to get another one for road testing soon, will give you a shout when it gets here. I'm in Herts so a bit closer for you :)

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[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1482143858' post='3197905']
That's interesting to hear active basses are pushing the pre a bit hard....
Is there anyone else having this issue? Anyone in the U.K. Using a stingray through the 400???
Their video of the all tube amp and stingray sounded great but it does have a different preamp.
[/quote]

I know we've just chatted about this on FB, but Warwickhunt of this parish as an active Musicman, and he had no problems with headroom when he gigged it. I can't imagine Leszek would design a pre that doesn't work with actives :-)

Also, AFAIK the WB-100 is the same pre.. only the power stage differs.

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[quote name='deepbass5' timestamp='1482269799' post='3199170']
Also interested to try the R-400 if there is one in Berkshire / Thamesvalley
[/quote]

Nancy J has one if you want to contact him:
[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1478079986' post='3166522']
Crowthorne, Berkshire. A few miles east of Reading.
[/quote]

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[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1482318648' post='3199465']
Would it be that simple? Isn't teh GK Fusion just a valve preamp and a class D power amp? I thought this wasn't a class D?

-

oh, seems I was thinking of a different amp. Although that is a lot more expensive than this isn't it?
[/quote]

Yes, over £1000 now!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The big difference is that GK has a "baked-in" sound, the R-400 is a lot more neutral. I went from a MB800 to an R-400 because of two things.
First, I play mostly upright bass and the R-400 gets the sound I want easier, and second, the R-400 is repairable by any decent amp tech, the GK is micro circuitry and would probably need a board replacement in the event of a problem. Oh yeah.... a third! I hate having knobs to twiddle, and the R-400 is minimal in this regard.

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Thanks for the observation Marty
I like the thought of having an amp with the facility to notch out any undesirables, but in practice I tend to use the same settings and leave them. My basses have all the EQ i could need if i was honest, so providing the R-400 is warm enough it would suit my one cab jazz gigs a treat

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I live in New Zealand, so my purchase of the R-400 was totally blind. The only review I could find was wateroftyne's, so it's all his fault! J/k! I have no regrets at all, it suits me just fine. Despite the minimal knobs, it has a very powerful eq, although most of the time I don't need it, flat is fine. I opened it up one day (because I'm a tinkerer) and the build quality is absolutely top notch. Componentry matches any top end head I have ever seen.
I still keep an MB200 but am using it to power my monitor wedges in my PA system.

Edited by Marty Forrer
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[quote name='Marty Forrer' timestamp='1484101138' post='3212725']
I live in New Zealand, so my purchase of the R-400 was totally blind. The only review I could find was wateroftyne's, so it's all his fault! J/k! I have no regrets at all, it suits me just fine. Despite the minimal knobs, it has a very powerful eq, although most of the time I don't need it, flat is fine. I opened it up one day (because I'm a tinkerer) and the build quality is absolutely top notch. Componentry matches any top end head I have ever seen.
I still keep an MB200 but am using it to power my monitor wedges in my PA system.
[/quote]

Sorry about that :)

Yep, running it flat does the job for me, too. It sounds just like a bass should (IMO).

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I don't suppose anyone has one of these anywhere near the Glasgow area do they? I haven't seen one mentioned on the thread, but mentioning just in case there's a lurker.

They sound ideal - I'm currently using an Ashdown tube pre / SS power amp but it's too powerful (and therefore too heavy) for my needs. The master never gets past eight o'clock, so I'm thinking this might be a better fit for me.

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[quote name='magee' timestamp='1484149699' post='3213062']
I don't suppose anyone has one of these anywhere near the Glasgow area do they? I haven't seen one mentioned on the thread, but mentioning just in case there's a lurker.
[/quote]

There's none that I'm aware of - there's a couple in Newcastle, but I think that's the closest... at the moment.

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