GB Streamliner, Carvin B series, Eden WT550

[GCYPbass]

Hello all,

What I know about GB Streamliner, Carvin B series, and Eden WT550 amp heads is that all of them are good quality products and warm sounding heads.
This is not a "vs" topic and I am not asking neither for the winner nor for the loser.
I just would like to ask opinions of those who owned either two or all of these amps. Their pros, cons, sound, reliability, things you like or you don't like etc.

Thanks,

GC

Edited July 24, 2014 by GCYPbass

[Mykesbass]

Sorry, can't give you a comparison, but I absolutely love my Carvin BX500. Been 100% reliable got amazing tone, seems pretty powerful although neither of my bands are particularly loud (I was too loud at an outdoor gig last weekend with gain just over half way and master well under half. Gives me what I want in the way of that immediacy and articulation of a valve amp, and means with a neo 1x12 I can do the get in/out in one trip. Amazing value for money, and Bass Gear are great to deal with!

[GCYPbass]

Thanks Mykesbass. I read many good things about Carvin BX and B series and I am more interested in B series (especially B1000). I just don't get on well with Graphic EQ.

Have you had any chance to try Carvin B series heads?

[brensabre79]

Another BX500 owner here. I got mine after hearing Mykesbass's (well, he let me use it for a gig actually). It replaced my GB. The only one I haven't tried is the Eden. The Carvin has a great pre-amp, so if the B1000 is similar Pre it should sound awesome! Although I've never used my Carvin past 10 o'clock on the master as it is incredibly loud.

Incidentally, the BX graphic EQ is switchable, I don't use it. There's also 4 band EQ (with two parametric Mids) and a 'scoop' so pretty much all angles covered.

[Graham]

I've got a Streamliner 900, not played the other two.

It's natural sound is a deep, thick, valvey tone that's naturally scooped, but if like me you prefer something clearer with prominent mids which that sounds deep and authoritive then it can do that too.

Pros: light, powerfull, great "vintage" tone with an EQ that is far more powerful than you might think from the control layout.

Cons: overall the build quality is very good, but a number of them, including mine had a k own issue whete the LED module often doesn't come on straight away - doesn't affect the sound. I'd also like more control of the mids - if it had a two band mid control which was a proper semi-parametric rather than the 3-position switch for the centre frequency then I'd be a very happy bunny.

I've heard good things about Carvin, and I've never played an Eden, but I'd love to, particularly as the WT550 has a proper analogue power stage

[Graham]

Please forgive the awful spelling in that post, my phone threw a fit and refused to let me proof-read before posting :embarrassed:

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='GCYPbass' timestamp='1406213902' post='2509394']
Thanks Mykesbass. I read many good things about Carvin BX and B series and I am more interested in B series (especially B1000). I just don't get on well with Graphic EQ.

[/quote]
[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1406220059' post='2509483']

Incidentally, the BX graphic EQ is switchable, I don't use it. There's also 4 band EQ (with two parametric Mids) and a 'scoop' so pretty much all angles covered.
[/quote]

Likewise, I think I've used the graphic once when I was in a really difficult room and had to create what would have been an horrendous tone for anywhere else. And sorry, wasn't aware there was a B and a BX series before wading in with an opinion!

[molan]

[quote name='GCYPbass' timestamp='1406213902' post='2509394']
Thanks Mykesbass. I read many good things about Carvin BX and B series and I am more interested in B series (especially B1000). I just don't get on well with Graphic EQ.

Have you had any chance to try Carvin B series heads?
[/quote]

[quote name='GCYPbass' timestamp='1406213902' post='2509394']
Thanks Mykesbass. I read many good things about Carvin BX and B series and I am more interested in B series (especially B1000). I just don't get on well with Graphic EQ.

Have you had any chance to try Carvin B series heads?
[/quote]

The B1000 and 2000 heads are very clean, clear and 'muscular' sounding. They don't have all the flexible graphic eq pre-amp stage but the onboard eq is surprisingly flexible. The six band controls offer a lot of different tones - you have to be a bit careful with the lowest lows and highest highs because there's a fair amount of power available.

Very, very different from a Streamliner which I find a bit muffled and wooly (but I know a lot of people love them and my 'wooly' is their 'warm'). However I'm not a big fan of Genz amps in general so I'm probably not the best person to ask!

I guess the Eden sits somewhere between the two tonally. I haven't tried a WT head to head with a B series Carvin but might be able to have a blast next week.

Edited July 24, 2014 by molan

[GCYPbass]

Thanks for all the replies. They are all helpfull.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1406225161' post='2509572']
Please forgive the awful spelling in that post, my phone threw a fit and refused to let me proof-read before posting :embarrassed:
[/quote]
I am not native so no problem for me at all. I probably made many mistakes too

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1406238385' post='2509760']
The B1000 and 2000 heads are very clean, clear and 'muscular' sounding.

I guess the Eden sits somewhere between the two tonally. I haven't tried a WT head to head with a B series Carvin but might be able to have a blast next week.
[/quote]

I am looking forward to hear your opininon about WT.

What you mean by "muscular"? Thick, warm, deep etc? Can you get vintage tones from B series?
How do you compare the BX to B series soundwise?

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1406225019' post='2509567']

It's natural sound is a deep, thick, valvey tone that's naturally scooped, but if like me you prefer something clearer with prominent mids which that sounds deep and authoritive then it can do that too.

[/quote]

There are very happy Streamliner owners and they describe the sound deep, valvey, vintage etc. like you but I also read some comments here and there which stated that it can sound muddy. Do you agree with that?

[GCYPbass]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1406220059' post='2509483']
Another BX500 owner here. I got mine after hearing Mykesbass's (well, he let me use it for a gig actually). It replaced my GB.
[/quote]

I know it is all depending on personal preference but what made you to prefer Carvin BX over GB? Was it GB streamliner or shuttle?

[BassBunny]

I've played all of the above but only used a WT550 in a gigging situation so can only really comment in depth on that particular model.
First thing you notice about the Eden is that it has instant "tone" when you plug in. With everything set flat it just exudes a certain authority. Loads of trouser flapping low end but hugely articulate in the mids and top end. The tone section is massive, very small changes produce huge differences in the sound. This is probably all to do with the huge toroidal transformer in it. In my opinion it is probably the best engineered amp going. Military standard construction and if you have seen the picture of the one that was "fried" in a studio fire and still worked, you can appreciate the attention to detail. Only downside is the weight and had it not been for that, (and my back issue), I would still have it and it would be going nowhere.
The Carvin BX500 is also a pretty meaty amp but I felt the controls let it down. They feel a bit flimsy to me and if I owned one, it would have to be in a case/rack to protect the front panel. It does everything from "grind" to "Motown thump" and all stops in between. It's very loud but doesn't have the same authority as the Eden.
The Genz was the biggest disappointment as it just didn't seem to cut through at all. This was not my first experience with GB amps and it seems that other Class D amps seem to be able to cut it but the GB doesn't. Sounds great in isolation but as soon as you add the rest of the band it gets lost, a problem i have found with a lot of Class D amps.
Obviously this in only MY opinion and experiences with the various models and appreciate that we are all different and "different strokes etc." Choice of cabs will make some difference as well.

[Musicman20]

The whole 'class' of amps has limited results on the actual end tone. It is the pre amp and the design that makes the tone.

There will be many all tube heavyweight amps that get lost in the mix as they might have an inherent mid scoop. There will be many Class D amps that do exactly the same.

The Streamliner is this:

Extremely well designed, very warm and nicely balanced 'high end tube pre amp into a recording desk' type tone, lightweight, extremely loud, very 'clear' (IME - not at all muddy...the opposite!) but it does have a mid scoop colour at all controls at 12.

All controls at 12 is all controls at 12. That is why you have controls, to move it into non-scooped / flatter / mids boosted territory.

Boost those mids as much as you want...it never becomes an 'ugly' tone.

The treble control is fantastic. You can have sharp pingy highs with lots of clarity if you like that, or drop it for a more subdued 'flats' type tone.

Genz are experts at bass amps, and they will be back in some form. (Apparently one of them is now with Mesa??)

[Graham]

[quote]There are very happy Streamliner owners and they describe the sound deep, valvey, vintage etc. like you but I also read some comments here and there which stated that it can sound muddy. Do you agree with that? [/quote]
Yes, it certainly can be muddy, I use mine with a 1st generation Barefaced Compact and generally have the bass at around 9-10 o'clock, can get muddy if you leave things "flat" as Musicman20 says.

[brensabre79]

[quote name='GCYPbass' timestamp='1406278479' post='2509994']
I know it is all depending on personal preference but what made you to prefer Carvin BX over GB? Was it GB streamliner or shuttle?
[/quote]
having had the chance to A/B at a gig I just thought the Carvin was a way better sound. It was warmer, more powerful sounding (not louder) and seemed to have more features. The main reason though, and the reason Mykesbass let me try his BX500, was that I was actually looking for a lightweight head that could closely replicate the big air 'bounce' and instant articulation you get from an all valve amp. i used a Sound City 200w head in the practice room we used at the time. The Carvin, for me, came closer than anything else I had tried (Solid State).

I had a GB Shuttle before that, after I A/B'd the Shuttle and Streamliner I found I could get what I wanted more from the Shuttle, although it did need a couple of valve pedals to warm it up. The Shuttle was quite brittle, but the Streamliner just sounded a bit dull to me - although I can see how many would love the old school sound of it.

[GCYPbass]

Thanks again to you all for all the inputs.

[quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1406283340' post='2510086']
I've played all of the above but only used a WT550 in a gigging situation so can only really comment in depth on that particular model.
First thing you notice about the Eden is that it has instant "tone" when you plug in. With everything set flat it just exudes a certain authority. Loads of trouser flapping low end but hugely articulate in the mids and top end. The tone section is massive, very small changes produce huge differences in the sound. This is probably all to do with the huge toroidal transformer in it. In my opinion it is probably the best engineered amp going....

The Carvin BX500 is also a pretty meaty amp but I felt the controls let it down. They feel a bit flimsy to me and if I owned one, it would have to be in a case/rack to protect the front panel. It does everything from "grind" to "Motown thump" and all stops in between. It's very loud but doesn't have the same authority as the Eden.
[/quote]

Was it old US made Eden or one of the newer Chinese mades?
Any experience with the B series of Carvin?

[BassBunny]

[quote name='GCYPbass' timestamp='1406294788' post='2510296']
Thanks again to you all for all the inputs.



Was it old US made Eden or one of the newer Chinese mades?
Any experience with the B series of Carvin?
[/quote]
It was a "newer" US one as I believe they have moved WT production back to US.

[GCYPbass]

[quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1406296800' post='2510328']
It was a "newer" US one as I believe they have moved WT production back to US.
[/quote]

Oh ok, I didn't know that.

[Raslee]

Haha, was funny reading this as i thought I can effectively contribute!!! I have past owned a WT550, only a few days ago sold my Genz Streamliner 900 in favour of keeping my Carvin BX1500....not tried the Carvin B series however - i think i remember reading the B2000 was a warmer sounding amp. All three amps mentioned are fantastic amps IMO.

Eden, brilliant amp, warm sounding, goes to 2ohms, probably the heaviest...fantastic tones, paramentric is great,, i mostly played reggae when i owned the Eden...superb amp 9/10. I wouldn't swap my Carvin for an Eden WT550 but i preferred this amp over the Genz.

Genz, agree will Molan about the wooly vibe, i liked it a lot but i could never get a tone i really liked for my soul band, yet it was great in my reggae band. I found i struggled to get the mids right when gigging and was forever fiddling. That said it is a great amp, well built and looks fantastic - i feel i preferred it over the Orange terror bass that i had beforehand but that was mostly due to having more eq flexibility by contrast. 8/10

Carvin BX1500, far from the other two in terms of vintage sounding...i would say super clean, perhaps entertaining this 'hifi' sound people on here mention. But with the eq i find that i can pretty much get a tone I like for anything...it is soooo flexible housing two amps, can mix cabs, 1.5k bridged - loads of headroom, does 2 ohms, parametric eq, bi amping, less than 11lbs weight and 2U for your rack. It doesn't really do the vintage thing but i'd use my Zoom B3 in future to get some warmth. I did use an Ampeg pre into the Carvin which made for a great set up and gave the sound that more vintage vibe. Anyhow, recently I decided to keep the Carvin and easily a 9/10...it'd get 10 if the 12AX7 tube actually did something...maybe i'll change it one day to see if it has any effect.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Raslee

[GCYPbass]

Thanks Raslee. I play reggae mostly, so it was helpful to read your opinions and experiences.

[ShergoldSnickers]

I'd concur with the WT550 'authority' sound. Capable of solid and articulate deep bass output, as well as almost hi-fi clarity, but without being clinical, and pretty much any tone you can think of. The only thing it doesn't do is overdrive. The GB Streamliner excels with this, giving a rich basic undriven tone to a gorgeous, warm and harmonically rich driven sound. On a direct comparison, I preferred the GB Streamliner — both through a Barefaced Super12T.

I still have an Eden WT550, as the GB Streamliner hasn't been enough of an automatic purchase to change.

The Eden scores in massive tone flexibility and the solidity of the sound, the Streamliner scores in the basic richness of the sound. I can't comment on the Carvin as I've unfortunately never heard or used one.

[Merton]

I still miss my old Eden WT550

[ShergoldSnickers]

[quote name='Merton' timestamp='1406661028' post='2513547']
I still miss my old Eden WT550
[/quote]

That's partly why I'm reluctant to replace it. I know I'll miss it.