Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0

[NeonMig]

So I got me a tiny little amp day afore yesterday.

I hooked it up to my Ashdown ABM 4x10, and plugged my Warwick Thumb 6 into it. All of the following are based on mucking about alone in my room. I'll take it along to practise on Sunday and hook it up to the 1x15 they have there, then I'll give my final review on a big outdoor gig I'm playing on 5/09.

Ok here we go.

I picked up the box which had been delivered to my door from bassdirect.co.uk. It was way too light. I open up the box to assure myself that indeed, they did send me an amp. I wrenched it out of the packaging, and put it on top of my cabinet. Ok, this thing is tiny, and light. No way, you find yourself thinking, no way could this possibly be for real. 600 watts? I told my mates about this amp when I ordered it and they still refuse to believe me. It's a solid little piece, my only gripe is the mute buttons and eq shape buttons seem a bit... I don't know, not up to the rest of the amp. Not cheap, but not as solid as the rest of the do. The control knobs are really solid feeling and overall the build quality is brilliant.

Another minor gripe is that this thing just looks a bit silly perched on top of a full-sized cab but I guess that can't be helped.

So anyway, I turned it on.

Wow.

First of all, this amp has BALLS. I mean, it's just rock & roll man. You can get a really thick, gooey sound out of it, but it also allows the high-end sparkle come out. For midrangey stuff, it excels. Very strong low mids, and the sweepable parametric helps narrow down your tone. And if you play metal, then the mids are your friend. It wasn't as hi-fi as a Trace or GK, but I could still bring up a delicate, crystal clear sound that would be great for fusion/jazz soloing stuff.. the high C string sounded wonderful. Considering I've had a set of Rotosounds on my bass since about March (and I play a LOT, gigs and practising all the time) it sounded fantastic... I wonder how great a new set of strings would sound through this. But this amp's strengths lie in the low end, and low mids. It's not as transparent as many other brands such as MarkBass, this amp definately has its own sound but it doesn't cover up the bass' own qualities, it helps enchance them. I'm going to give my double bass a spin through it today so I'll report back.

The controls are really simple (given the size of this thing, not much space for many!). The tube pre warms things up nicely, but don't expect overdrive/distortion, that's not what it's for. The eq shape buttons are a nice touch, I can see them being really useful during live situations (I have to get me hands on the footswitch though...) You've got a low boost, a mid cut, and a high boost. They're definately not subtle, but I don't think the point of them is to be. The mid cut is obviously great for slapping, high boost would be ideal for soloing, and I think the low boost is designed simply to scare people, or if you're playing a single note accompanying something it would be awsome. Great stuff all around. Handy little mute switch (really should be standard on all amps today) and the amount of line out stuff is great.

So, all in all, a pretty promising bit of kit, especially for metal, and I'll be sure to give more details when I run my double bass through it (with a cheap-o Shadow pickup), practise and from the gig.

I'll post some pics later.

Edit: having just seen the reviews format thing, I'll go with this:

Sound: 9/10
Build quality: 8.5/10
Features: 9/10
Customer Service: N/A (although, I frequent the Harmony Central forums and 2 of the designers also haunt the place, and it seems Genz Benz really value their customers and go to great lengths to look after them)
Overall: 9/10

Edited August 23, 2008 by NeonMig

[Kiwi]

Nice review and I agree completely about the mids.

I'm not sure I would agree about the transparency though. I A/B'd the GB NeoPak against the F1 and LMk and there wasn't a lot in it. The Markbass stuff was slightly warmer but I wasn't looking for that. Definitely a question of taste in deciding between the two.

I think I'll shift this to the reviews section though, if you don't mind.

[NeonMig]

I was looking for this thread and I couldn't find it anyway! Probably better in this subforum anyhow.

Here we go, pics:

[url="http://imageshack.us"][/url]
[url="http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=244&i=dsc00050ms8.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://imageshack.us"][/url]
[url="http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=183&i=dsc00052nq3.jpg"][/url]

Right, so this thing is very small as you can see...

I ran my double bass through it today, here are my thoughts:

Crazykiwi, I felt the transparecy issue really showed with the double bass. Since the Warwick has a strong midrange in any case, I figured I needed to use the total opposite to really see this amp's properties. You got the good low thumping from pizzicato, but the strong low midrange was still there, a midrange which doesn't really exist when you play it acoustically So if I was playing jazz, probably not the amp of choice for double bass, but again I don't think it was intended to be! Also I've got a cheap Shadow pickup on there which doesn't really do my bass justice, so there you go. Anyhow, it's a cool sound. Of course, we've yet to see what effect the cabinet has on the sound...

From all evidence seen and heard until now, this amp will be a little monster for rock and metal. I'm taking it along to practise tomorrow through a Trace Elliot 1x15, so I'll let you all know how it holds up.

[Dubs]

I definitely agree with you about the feel of the Shuttle 6.0 being a bit ‘cheap’. That was my first impression when I picked mine up, but the sound of the thing is IMMENSE for the weight – I’ve had t-shirts that have weighed more!

It’s bloody fantastic, and I love being able to dial in a bit of dirt from the pre-amp.

[NeonMig]

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='269539' date='Aug 25 2008, 05:26 PM']I definitely agree with you about the feel of the Shuttle 6.0 being a bit ‘cheap’. That was my first impression when I picked mine up, but the sound of the thing is IMMENSE for the weight – I’ve had t-shirts that have weighed more!

It’s bloody fantastic, and I love being able to dial in a bit of dirt from the pre-amp.[/quote]

Well the only thing that felt a bit cheap were the mute/eq shape buttons. Other than that, it's just a psychological issue about an amp weighing that little :| I'm actually scared that during any outdoor gigs it might get blown away by the wind.

Anyway, turns out I couldn't connect it to the Trace at practise (it's a combo) so I guess the real test will be at the gig on 5th September.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Edited August 26, 2008 by NeonMig

[Kiwi]

I'll be using one on top of an Ashdown ABM810 at our New Years gig!

[NeonMig]

Well, I had a gig on Friday with this little thing.

The sound guy thought I was taking the piss when I told him it was a 600w amp that could get blown away by the wind

I ran it through my Ashdown ABM 4x10 and an SWR Son of Bertha 1x15. I had the master volume at about 10 o'clock, and the preamp at about 12 o'clock with a fair bit of tube gain (I like a touch of grit). The tone was deep, rich and complex, but cut through the mix well (as Warwicks tend to do). It really let my bass shine at high volumes, and sounded quite clear and less 'coloured' than it did in the quiteness of my home when I was testing it.

One minor drawback but something to seriously keep in mind, the head is actually so light that there's a considerable danger of it being yanked off the top of your cab by the input cable if you get carried away and move too far from it. I use a wireless so that wasn't an issue for me (as I run around like a maniac live), but I can see how it could potentially be hazardous, so maybe a good idea to twirl the input cable around the cabinet handle or something to prevent damage.

Overall, a fantastic bit of kit and more than proved itself live on a big stage.

I can highly recommend it.

Edited September 8, 2008 by NeonMig

[sk8]

Well i fianlly used my Shuttle 6 and Neox 112 in anger on sunday and all i can say is wow. It sounded great at home but the tone this thing puts out is fantastic. I ran the master at about 11 o'clock and everything else set at noon for now. I could feel it through the floor. I was palying in a church band and found the footswitch really useful to mute between hymns. Going to give it a go with effects and tweak the eq next time.

Everytime i cranked the master i kept epxpecting it to fart out as my previous experience has seen this but this is clear as a bell and for my ears transparent.

The Neox cab is evil and full sounding and gives my P some great thump.

Will post a better review after a bit more use. Really glad i got the footswitch.

[NeonMig]

Yeah, I haven't played around with the toneshape switches much, I'm definately going to get me the footswitch though - I see myself using those features a fair bit.

[sk8]

i've used the bass one but no the others yet

[NeonMig]

The mid scoop seems really good for slapping, I think that would be great. The high boost works good for solo bits, or melody lines.

[tremblap]

OK, sorry to be the party pooper, but...

yes, it sounds great, dirty and filty when needed, almost clean with tube warmth when needed... but here are the downsides for me:

- the fan is noisy. I am used to Acoustic Image silence (I replaced a Focus by this, and my only regret is that fan noise. I prefer the semi-para EQ and the tube warmth) and even my Eden WT-400 is more silent (except when the thermo-static fan kicks in but it mean I have played loud for long so it does not mater that much)

- I find the highs a little brittle. You can tune it down, usually by choking the horn on the cab, but still, I wonder why it is not flat...

Anyway, I love it to bits, and it would be perfect if these two issues were sorted.

pa

[Kiwi]

If your fan is noisy then its probably a fault with your amp. I didn't know they came with fans until you mentioned it because I've never heard mine.

One criticism I would make of the amp however is the poor visibility of knob positions when the amp is on a dark stage. Often I've looked to the amp for visual confirmation of where the mids are set and couldn't tell. Even during the break I had to get a torch and shine it on the amp to tell where the knobs were set. FWIW, my GK was more brittle than this amp.

[AMPEG]

Gigged my new shuttle 6 last weekend with an Orange sp212 isobaric cab, loved the sound of the amp, one thing tho, i really had to have the master volume up to 3 o'clock and the gain/ volume on the pre-amp....am i doing something wrong? For a 600 watt head i don't appear to have a lot of headroom wattage wise...(I use an Overwater active bass)

[gary mac]

Never been able to turn mine up that high, normally more like 9/10 o'clock and the pre amp controls around 11/12 o'clock.

[AMPEG]

[quote name='AMPEG' timestamp='1333375339' post='1600742']
Gigged my new shuttle 6 last weekend with an Orange sp212 isobaric cab, loved the sound of the amp, one thing tho, i really had to have the master volume up to 3 o'clock and the gain/ volume on the pre-amp....am i doing something wrong? For a 600 watt head i don't appear to have a lot of headroom wattage wise...(I use an Overwater active bass)
[/quote]I was using a speakon to jack lead...perhaps i would have more headroom if i used speakon to speakon. Also there are two speakon connections at the back of both the GB and the Orange cab..think this makes a difference?

[gary mac]

Can't see that having any impact really, so long as it's a decent bit of cable.

Meant to say in the last post both of my cabs are 8 ohms.

[brensabre79]

I had this on my first Shuttle 6. Is it also really noisy? hisssss...
I gave it a bang on top where the valve is, (mid gig) it crackled and the amp was suddenly incredibly loud.
I think where the valve is connected is a weak point that can shake loose in transit. I sent it back as it was only a month old but basically it was the right angled connector that holds the valve onto the board, make sure its seated properly.

[observer]

I've had Shuttle 6.0 for a couple months. Last week traded it back for my old trusty trace gp12 smx. Have to say, that I loved genz, but 600 watts from it were nowhere near 350 watts from trace. Sorry to say but I was really struggling to get proper volume playing live, constantly turning back and checking if I don't overload the amp. Maybe that's the problem with speaker cab that doesn't match very well (using trace 1x15), but again same speaker with trace head sounds great with plenty headroom.
Saying all that have to say also if I'd have some spare money to spend I'd probably buy another GB, maybe small combo, for home practicing

[brensabre79]

If your 1x15 is 8 ohms though you will not be getting 600w, more like 300...
I don't think the GB volume control is like a lot of amps I've owned though where 12 o'clock is about full and anything past there is just distortion. The GB can still be quite clean most of the way around.

[observer]

you right, but impedance works exactly same way for both amps

[AMPEG]

[quote name='observer' timestamp='1333449668' post='1601744']
I've had Shuttle 6.0 for a couple months. Last week traded it back for my old trusty trace gp12 smx. Have to say, that I loved genz, but 600 watts from it were nowhere near 350 watts from trace. Sorry to say but I was really struggling to get proper volume playing live, constantly turning back and checking if I don't overload the amp. Maybe that's the problem with speaker cab that doesn't match very well (using trace 1x15), but again same speaker with trace head sounds great with plenty headroom.
Saying all that have to say also if I'd have some spare money to spend I'd probably buy another GB, maybe small combo, for home practicing
[/quote] My Orange cab is 600 watt 8 Ohm cab surely the amp should put out the full 600 watts but the red clip light was on virtually throughout the gig

[brensabre79]

[quote name='AMPEG' timestamp='1333547077' post='1603314']
My Orange cab is 600 watt 8 Ohm cab surely the amp should put out the full 600 watts but the red clip light was on virtually throughout the gig
[/quote]
Yes but the shuttle is 4 ohm not 8 so you're already getting significantly less power. Your Orange cab may not be terribly efficient either - i.e. needing more power to drive it. The watts on a Cab are just there to say how much power they can ideally take from an amp.
So your Shuttle 6 will be giving your cab about 300 - 400w MAX with the clip light coming on. The clip light is OK if it just flashes occasionally, but if its constantly on you're probably going to damage something (Amp, Speaker, Ears!) If its on constantly you're also not getting any louder - its limiting.

Have a look at [url="http://barefacedbass.com/technical-information/understanding-power-handling.htm"]barefaced[/url] - there are some articles in there that explain all this far better than i could!

[Chewie]

On 8/22/2008 at 09:45, NeonMig said:

So I got me a tiny little amp day afore yesterday.

I hooked it up to my Ashdown ABM 4x10, and plugged my Warwick Thumb 6 into it. All of the following are based on mucking about alone in my room. I'll take it along to practise on Sunday and hook it up to the 1x15 they have there, then I'll give my final review on a big outdoor gig I'm playing on 5/09.

Ok here we go.

I picked up the box which had been delivered to my door from bassdirect.co.uk. It was way too light. I open up the box to assure myself that indeed, they did send me an amp. I wrenched it out of the packaging, and put it on top of my cabinet. Ok, this thing is tiny, and light. No way, you find yourself thinking, no way could this possibly be for real. 600 watts? I told my mates about this amp when I ordered it and they still refuse to believe me. It's a solid little piece, my only gripe is the mute buttons and eq shape buttons seem a bit... I don't know, not up to the rest of the amp. Not cheap, but not as solid as the rest of the do. The control knobs are really solid feeling and overall the build quality is brilliant.

Another minor gripe is that this thing just looks a bit silly perched on top of a full-sized cab but I guess that can't be helped.

So anyway, I turned it on.

Wow.

First of all, this amp has BALLS. I mean, it's just rock & roll man. You can get a really thick, gooey sound out of it, but it also allows the high-end sparkle come out. For midrangey stuff, it excels. Very strong low mids, and the sweepable parametric helps narrow down your tone. And if you play metal, then the mids are your friend. It wasn't as hi-fi as a Trace or GK, but I could still bring up a delicate, crystal clear sound that would be great for fusion/jazz soloing stuff.. the high C string sounded wonderful. Considering I've had a set of Rotosounds on my bass since about March (and I play a LOT, gigs and practising all the time) it sounded fantastic... I wonder how great a new set of strings would sound through this. But this amp's strengths lie in the low end, and low mids. It's not as transparent as many other brands such as MarkBass, this amp definately has its own sound but it doesn't cover up the bass' own qualities, it helps enchance them. I'm going to give my double bass a spin through it today so I'll report back.

The controls are really simple (given the size of this thing, not much space for many!). The tube pre warms things up nicely, but don't expect overdrive/distortion, that's not what it's for. The eq shape buttons are a nice touch, I can see them being really useful during live situations (I have to get me hands on the footswitch though...) You've got a low boost, a mid cut, and a high boost. They're definately not subtle, but I don't think the point of them is to be. The mid cut is obviously great for slapping, high boost would be ideal for soloing, and I think the low boost is designed simply to scare people, or if you're playing a single note accompanying something it would be awsome. Great stuff all around. Handy little mute switch (really should be standard on all amps today) and the amount of line out stuff is great.

So, all in all, a pretty promising bit of kit, especially for metal, and I'll be sure to give more details when I run my double bass through it (with a cheap-o Shadow pickup), practise and from the gig.

I'll post some pics later.

Edit: having just seen the reviews format thing, I'll go with this:

Sound: 9/10
Build quality: 8.5/10
Features: 9/10
Customer Service: N/A (although, I frequent the Harmony Central forums and 2 of the designers also haunt the place, and it seems Genz Benz really value their customers and go to great lengths to look after them)
Overall: 9/10

Hey man,

How are getting the gooey sound out of it?  I've got the 6.2 and love the sound of that.