NRD - kinda...Magellan and Berg content...

[Muzz]

After a birthday visit down to Bass Direct a couple of weeks ago, the inevitable has happened...I just accidentally had the credit card with me, and...new amp.

I'd been after some serious modularity in my rig for a wee while, and the prospect of another, louder band to supplement the shortfall in function gigs this year meant I'd been looking at the Magellan and its 2.67 ohm potential for a while.

Sooo...a third Berg AE112, thanks to Nick Harrison on here (cheers fella!), and a Magellan means I can take up to three cabs to gigs and really cover any eventuality.

I've gigged the rig in both 2 cab and 3 cab incarnations, and man, it works. I haven't needed PA support anywhere yet, though I'd take it if needed.

The Magellan is a fantastic amp, the chaps at Genzler have got it absolutely right on the money, and it has an awful lot going for it. The two channels mean I can have real flexibility of tone at a button push (or stomp, if I add a pedal) to switch between them, and the volumes can compensate for bass changes - for example if I wanted, I could run an active bass into the Clean channel, say one of my Shukers, and have a really modern tone, and run a P into the drive channel without having to adjust volumes when switching. It's been described as a combination of the Shuttle and Streamliner, but it's better than that - IME it takes the best of both and does away with the downsides of either (I found the Shuttles a little too clinical and possibly 'brittle', and the biiiig bloom of the Streamliner always need reigning in).

Those Contour options are very 'musical', for want of a better word - they're a cousin of the Markbass VLE and VPF (which I never really got on with), but much, much more useable in the real world, and they are really interesting if used in combinations with the channels - one's a modern scoop, which you'd think would be best with the Clean channel, the other's a mid-bump and top-end rolloff which you'd think was Drive channel-tastic, but they also work really well with the opposite channels, too, so there's some really interesting things to play with. The Drive channel's drive (dur) is the first non-actual-valve tone which has made me forget there aren't valves in there - it's warm and organic and then some.

The EQ is also very real-world practical and useable - a single parametric mid is plenty for me, but I'm using it sparingly at the moment. A little goes a long way. Again, the word I'd use is 'musical' - it's the word that sums up the East preamps for me, too, and it was what struck me first.

The amp also works very well with playing dynamics (especially the Drive channel), and responds to your input better than anything I've used before. Very satisfying.

And now to the controversial bit - it's no secret where I stand on the 'heft' debate - I've played Class Ds that have had plenty of it, and Class A/Bs that haven't (and vice versa), and the Streamliner I had outlasted all sorts of other amps (11, by my count), but this amp brings a weight to notes that I haven't heard before. Whether it's the new power module, or the Genzler implementation of it, or both (I haven't played any other of the new Class D stuff) I don't know, but it's there. It's not just volume (and with the three cabs there's a play-any-gig amount of that), it's an authority. It's a very long time since I've played through a big all-valve head and an 810 fridge, so I might have rose-tinted specs on here, but if I'm remembering right, that's the impression.

It's immaculately made, reeks quality and is very quiet. On both the three-cab gigs I've played it hasn't even warmed up. Given the longevity with me of the Streamliner, this is gonna be a keeper.

Do I sound happy with it? Yep, I am.

Anyway, I'm fully aware that none of this means jack without at least a pic, sooooo....here you go:

[attachment=219208:Triple Bergs.JPG]

Edit: oh, fer crying out loud...how do you get the damn picture the right way up with this damn uploader?

Edited May 13, 2016 by Muzz

[Merton]

Sounds like a cracker of an amp

[JohnR]

Thanks so much for this. I am in the market for a new head and agonising whether just to go for the Genzler, wait for the Mesa Subway D-800 to come back into stock or hang on to see what the Darkglass head does.

So tempted just to go for the Genzler as I took delivery of a new Vanderkley 210MNT and have no head at the moment.

[moooper]

I have the Genzler. It really is stunning little thing I can't rate it enough. Gotta be my favourite amp I've ever had and I've had a fair few over the years.

[Kev]

Id love to here how this head compares to the GK MB Fusion 500. Other than a valve preamp they seem to have a lot in common, with the Genz working out cheaper due to higher wattage.

[chris_b]

Good call. 3 AE112's sound fantastic.

I used mine with a Thunderfunk amp.

[Muzz]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1463094772' post='3048650']
Id love to here how this head compares to the GK MB Fusion 500. Other than a valve preamp they seem to have a lot in common, with the Genz working out cheaper due to higher wattage.
[/quote]

I had a Fusion 500 for a while - I swapped it for my Streamliner, regretted it, and swapped it back - and it's got a distinct voicing, which I've seen described as 'growly', but was a little harsh for me: I'd put it more into 'barky'. If that's your tone goal, then fantastic, it just wan't mine. Obviously, it can be EQ'd away from that, but the core tone wasn't for me. I'd say the Magellan is a much more versatile amp, and of course will go to 800w at 2.67 ohms. IMHO, YMMV, etc.

I'd recommend trying one out - Bass Direct have them in stock...

If you want a more apples vs apples comparison money-wise, you'd need to look at the Fusion 800, which is pretty much the same money. Mind you, if you're using a single 112, the power uplift between 500 and 800 isn't really an issue...

[karlfer]

Thanks for that Muzz, great review , very tempting.

And I still have your Streamliner