Gallien Krueger rig: change all, change some or keep as is?

[JimBobTTD]

Hello,

I have trawled the site and other sites and I am just as confused as I was before (if not more!).

At present, I have a GK 700RB-II which I have paired up with a GK 115SBX-II and a GK 210SBX and I absolutely [b]love[/b] the sound. I often just play with the 15" and add the 210 when gigging. Our practice space is in a filthy basement and is warm. I worry about condensation and take the amp head with me after every practice. It is very likely that this is unnecessary.

The problem is that things are starting to get heavy. Humping the pieces individually is ok; the problem is when things are added up. Taking the head in its bag on one shoulder and my bass in its bag on my other, I can manage. But going back for the cabs is when things start to get unpleasant. It is ok as a one-off, but the band I have joined is established and, in the not-too-distant future, will be out gigging frequently. One venue that is often played involves a couple of flights of stairs. Can my back manage all this? Does it need to, now that we have other options?

The weight:

700RB-II : 18 lbs / 8.2kg
115SBX-II : 64 lbs / 29kg
210SBX-II : 49 lbs / 22.5kg

Total weight: 131 lbs / 59.7kg. Add the valve preamp pedal and the rack and the compressor…it really starts to add up!

I play in two bands: one that is rock/pop covers and the other that is blues / blues-rock. I used to do a fair bit of metal but that is out. The current rig can manage all three type of music. I play 5-strings.

Part of me says keep it all. Part of me says ditch the cabs. Part of me says ditch it all.

What does BC recommend? I know and trust GK and think I would like to remain using their stuff.

Would a GK Neo 212 handle the lows I churn out? Change the 115 for the Neo 212? Ditch the 210 totally? It never cut the mustard by itself, I admit. Ditch the head and go for a Fusion 500? Keep it all and endure the weight?

Grateful for any responses!

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Well, if your wallet allows, I would suggest getting something more compact. If you do, then make sure you buy heavy covers for your equipment as well.
Gk, are good and some of their stuff is portable. Things to consider ; do you drive ? Would you consider a loud combo?
If you consider separates , I would recommend something like Aguilar head, and a db series cab. You could buy a padded cover for both.
Alternatively, if you really wanna stay with go, I'm sure they must have a range to suit . Just a bit of chopping and changing your present setup ( you may be able to keep the head). Over to others😉

[JimBobTTD]

Thanks. Yes, transport is not a problem. It is just the weight of the stuff when going car to venue and car to home. Parking near my flat is sometimes a challenge, so this is more important than one might think.

No to combos. I want the flexibility that separates allows.

[stoo]

I use a GK MB500 (not the fusion) and a Zoom B3 so the only things that don't fit in the gig bag are the cabs.

I'm currently using BFM cabs - an Omni 10 (2x10) and an Onmi 10.5 (1x10) which are pretty easy one hand lifts. Still a bit cumbersome for one-tripping everything if there are stairs or narrow doorways involved, but very easy to do the gig bag and 1x10 in one trip and come back for the 2x10.

I'm tempted to go smaller still though - I reckon I could get away with a single Greenboy F112 instead of the two BFM cabs. I may need more amp to get the maximum useable volume from the cab though, so I suppose I'm looking at a MB800 or a Tecamp Puma 900. Still saving at the moment though!

[hamfist]

I'd keep the amp but replace your cabs. In fact why not keep the current cabs in situ for rehearsals then just buy a good new 2x12 which on it's own should be ample for gigging, then the only cab-lugging you have to do is on gig nights.
I have owned the GK 212 neo and it was loud, but only OK in as far as tone IMO. Tone is utterly subjective of course but for me the mids were not good for me on that cab, a bit too scooped and a bit harsh in general. You may love it though. Certainly not an awful cab.
There are certainly a lot of great, and relatively light 2 x 12 cabs out there (by light I mean under 25kg (some are significantly less than that). I have found a magnificent cab for me in the Genz NX2, which is unfortunately now out of production.
Barefaced and TKS are both companies to look at for the higher end stuff. As is Aguilar and Bergantino. What is your budget ?

[Lozz196]

[b]Total weight: 131 lbs / 59.7kg. Add the valve preamp pedal and the rack and the compressor…it really starts to add up![/b]

That`s a lot of gear being carried, once your back goes it goes. I agree with the others, it`s carrying 2 heavy cabs that I`d think is the problem. A neutral sounding lightweight cab such as a Barefaced will give the sound of the amp/bass uncoloured, and if you need to tweak eq due to the GK cabs having a specific tonal sound, I`m sure there`s plenty enough eq on the 700RB-II to deal with it.

So lightweight 212 or two lightweight 112s, see if that makes a difference - from there, the GK MB amps would be worth checking out if you still have an issue. Having had the regular MB500 and the MB Fusion 500 I cant see these not being smile-inducing.

[JimBobTTD]

Thanks for the replies, good people of BC.

I think a Neo 115 and a 212 would probably do the full-rig trick. As Lozz mentions above, a lighter amp could then be factored in if weight is still a problem. I think it might, actually, as the amp head is a real chore to carry!

[chris_b]

Get an Aguilar TH500 right now, then start saving for some good cabs (a 212, 2 112's or 2 210's).

[JimBobTTD]

Tempting, chris_b, but I think I shall stick with the 700RB-II for a while and switch the cabs. The GK MB Fusion 500 looks tempting too, as it means I could ditch my valve preamp pedal to get rid of even more stuff.

[JTUK]

Amp is manageable, you need two manageable cabs and it shouldn't be too hard to replace a 115 and 210..especially as
you don't seem entirely convinced by either.
I'd say a typical 115 and 210 would rate 650w combined and 2x112 or a 212 would do 600.
More than enough for most gigs if you do pubs and small venues upto around 150 people.
Beyond that, you are looking for a P.A on the bill anyway.

So.. I'd go 2x112 using relatively efficient 112's as easy to lug around even if you make two trips
which you should always be prepared to do...why kill yourself and strain things carrying 30kgs?
( I do use cabs around this weight, but I don't carry them far...so trolleys or wheeled cabs are
the norm then )
My 112's are around 31lbs or so, iirc...and I use them for the silly load-in gigs and if we don't know the venue,
we make a point of asking about parking and load-in anyway.

Edited October 26, 2014 by JTUK

[Reverend]

I used to have a very similar rig. GK 700RB and NEO115 + 210RBH cabs (used to have the 410RBH - probably the heaviest cab ever!). Loved it, toured with it, huge fan.

Back died badly. Lots of pain. Had to get rid.

I too was well into the GK thing, so I got an MB500 which goes just as loud as the 700RB, and to my ears sounded a little thicker, although the 'Boost' control didn't sound quite as good. That shouldn't be an issue if you're using a valve preamp - I do the same. Sold the 700RB once I was confident the 500MB wouldn't let me down. The Fusion looks cool, although haven't really felt the need to change to be honest.

Researched the lightest possible weight cabs around. Sound was secondary here - I needed to keep playing at decent volume without doing any more damage to myself lugging these things about. Replaced the NEO115 with a Gen 2 Barefaced Compact (other cabs are available), which took a while to come, but it's great. Then got a BF Gen 3 Super Midget to replace the 210RBH. Again, great. The sound of these cabs is a funny one to get used to. Overall, I think they sound better, but you'll find they're much less 'hyped' than others, so you'll find yourself with a bit more presence in the mid range to start with. They'll take a decent amount of low end too. They ain't cheap, but neither is spinal surgery.

Modular rigs are key. Get two small loud cabs. In rehearsals you may only need one! Brilliant.

I've never tried Bergantino or TKS or other similar lightweight brands, but I'm sure that if I'd bought one of those instead I wouldn't be able to shut up about how much better they are judging by people on here, so they MUST be amazing :-)

[JimBobTTD]

Thanks, Reverend, that's a very helpful post. I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

Which valve preamp do you use? Why did you feel the need to use one? What kind of music were you playing at the time?

I ask mainly because, although the RB700 is not heavy-heavy, it is not exactly light and it is the thing that I carry the most. I have it in a shoulder bag which makes it manageable. It is also the thing that I am least keen on changing, having had it for years and finding it key to "my" sound. But your description of the MB500 is that is a thicker version of the 700RB, which is perfect! I bought a valve preamp (Dave Hall DHA-VT EQ) to warm up the sound of the 700RB rather than for any sort of distortion and for the DI; getting an MB Fusion may make this redundant but getting rid of it would leave me without a DI if push came to shove.

[Reverend]

For a long time I put an EBS Valve Drive in front of the 700RB, and it sounded fantastic. Had it on the lowest possible gain setting, just for a tiny bit on thickness and overdrive when I digged in with a pick. I never turned one on without the other. Perfect combo. I feel that the Valve Drive doesn't quite pair up as nicely with the MB500, and relatively often I leave it off now. Have found that a Sansamp VT Bass sits a bit nicer, but I'm a bit happier for the MB500 to go it alone now. Plus I'm generally playing less aggressively these days.

If it's saving your back which is your concern, I'd deffo try out some lightweight amps as well, as the 700RB is still not light. There's loads of options for great Class D amps nowadays, whereas the MB500 was one of the only ones around when I bought it. I'd certainly try some others if I was buying again. The MB500 is a good value amp, but I'm sure there's some better ones about now.

[Reverend]

Here is a link to a little review of the BF cabs I did last year.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/219758-super-midget-1-intense-first-week

[JimBobTTD]

Thanks again, Reverend. Good post and great review of the Barefaced.

Might be time to put my rig up for sale and start changing out bits when they are sold.

[1970]

if your bandmates aren't helping carry stuff then get a new band.

[JimBobTTD]

True! They are very helpful, though.

[hamfist]

I went straight from an MB500 to a 1001RB and I thought the RB sounded way better TBH.
THE MB is loud and light, sure, but it's really quite extended in the low and high freq ranges and always sounded a bit "meh" in the mids, whatever I did with the EQ. The RB is much more flat in it's basic response. I strongly prefer it's base tone.

This thread has also just reminded me that I had a GK neo 115 for a while and really preferred it to their neo 212 (both were gen II cabs). It was lighter and sounded better. I only got rid of it for my current Genz cab, which I bought in the final silly low price end of line blowout. A couple of the neo 115's would be a great rig with your 700RB, and each part should be a reasonable one-handed lift, if you are reasonably fit and well. You would only need one cab for most gigs as well I would guess.

[JimBobTTD]

Thanks for that, hamfist. Two 15"s would look fab and probably sound fab too. It is my favourite cab sim on my Line 6.

Interesting point about the amp. I'm torn. The amp head gets carried every practice, so I am tempted to swap it for something lighter. But, as mentioned earlier, it is a cracking piece of kit and central to what has been my sound for years. I'm leaning towards keeping it.

[bouns]

Hi, I had excatly the same rig, don't change anything! The 700rb is imo the best sounding gallien head, with huge and precise lows, and it won't be as easy to get that growly tone with another gallien head (the 500 mb can get near). The sbx cabs are the perfect match (if you exept the bulky rbh cabs), they can handle the lows better than the neo series, and they sound warmer. The neos are more reactive and precise. I have a fusion 550 but I steel miss my 700rbII.

[JimBobTTD]

Aw bouns...keeping the status quo would be great but it's just too heavy. A cop out it may be, but I have to compromise the sound a little. The key is not to change it too much!

[Truckstop]

Sounds to me like a one cab solution would be best; carrying something fairly heavy once is better than having to make two trips!

Look for a 4x10 with a decent power rating. It'll be more than enough for all gigging situations and you'll only have to make one trip. If you have 2 lightweight cabs, you'll still need to make two trips. Just because they're lighter doesn't make them smaller and less cumbersome!

Truckstop

[chris_b]

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1416060023' post='2606493']
....The key is not to change it too much!....
[/quote]
Unfortunately hanging on to parts of a great sounding rig and replacing others doesn't usually work. If you upgrade just one thing you'll change your sound.

There is so much great sounding gear out there. I'd change the lot and get another, better sounding rig that is also kind to you back.

[bouns]

The mb 500 is a small beast which can get close to the 700 rb tonewise. Warm and precise low end, growlly low mids, cristal clear highs. Concerning the cabs, maybe you should wait for the new cx cabs which according to gallien techs seem to sound warmer than the neos, but I don't know if they are lighter than your cabs.If you want something light The 212 neo is a nice cab, really very punchy, with a great projection, very precise, but it sounds more modern than the sbx series, with less warmth.

[JimBobTTD]

A little update...

I have purchased an MB 500 Fusion. It is very portable, about as powerful as my 700RB-II and sounds, to my ears and those of my bandmates, better than it.

Before, I had the 700RB-II in a wooden flightcase/rack with a power distributor and a compressor. Now, using an ABS rack, the whole thing weighs about as much as the 700RB did on its own. I find the rack easier to carry (with one hand) than the 700RB in its bag (slung over my shoulder).

I have had two rehearsals and one gig with it now. First rehearsal with just my 2x10 (not as impressive) and the gig and other rehearsal with just my 1x15. I think the amp is a keeper. The 2x10 might not be, though! I would like to try it at 4ohms with both cabs before I start making any decisions, though.

All in all, very happy.