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Gallien Krueger Amps - Talk To Me


WHUFC BASS
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Been reading  a lot about Gallien Krueger Amps lately and hearing only good things. I'm currently using an Ampeg SVT3 through an Ashdown 6x10 and it's great. I've got a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0 as a backup which sound great but my Spectors cause some severe clipping due to the super hot Tone Pump (I have to have it almost turned off to prevent clipping). Does anybody have good things to say about Gallien Krueger Amps ? Specifically the class D stuff like the Fusion or the MB range.

Edited by WHUFC BASS
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They are SERIOUSLY loud. 

My MB500, plus Barefaced Compact, would empty the bowels of a room full of people if I turned it up full.

I also have the MB800 which takes 'silly loud' to another extreme (bought that to power my BC Super Compact, which needs a bit more grunt).

Very clean amp and very small.

They go stupidly cheap secondhand. Never figured out why?

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I’ve used various GK amps for a long time now. Started with the classic 800RB  (which I still have and love), then moved onto the later 700 and 1000 RB series of heads. Currently still use the 1000RB into a GK 410 Neo cab for my main gig, and very happy with the sound and reliability. I use a fairly clean sound, and to me it sounds punchy and full. 

For small gigs I run an MB 800 into a Barefaced Compact cab. The MB sounds great, and as gjones says above, very powerful! In fact I took my little MB200 to a gig in error last year, and it coped very well in a full band set up. For me I prefer the RB range, but the MBs are still fine amps. I’ve had a Mark Bass LM2 , and find the GK MB stuff more ‘musical’ somehow for a class D design.

Prior to using GK stuff I had an SVT3 Pro, and whilst I liked the sound I always felt it ran out of steam a bit. Am sure few GK users will ever say that 😊

Edited by casapete
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I use a GK MB500 Fusion through two Berg 12s and like it a lot - easily copes average pub gigs without PA support and larger stages. Don't use the two channel thing on it but I use an effects board - might be handy if I didn't.

EQ is simple and effective - though for me it doesn't follow the usual advice of favouring the low mids, I usually play flat but with a little cut on the low mids to get the sound I like - I know, I keep thinking that it can't be right but it works!

Tubes started going a while back and I swapped three spare Marshall ones in that my guitarist had kicking about - think they improved it a bit more 🙂

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I had Trace Elliott, Ampeg, TC etc and finally found the sound in my head with my Spectors and GK. In my case it was specifically the old 400RB and 800RB heads. Supremely reliable, hella loud and can punch through any band/mix with ease. I'm very interested in the new Legacy class D heads..... if they can reproduce my classic RB heads in a small class D package that I can chuck in a bag then I'm sold!

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Thanks for all the comments fellas. I think I'll have to get a GK just to see how good they are in the flesh. Very impressed with the demo of the Legacy heads although it might just be out of my budget at the moment.

52 minutes ago, cetera said:

I had Trace Elliott, Ampeg, TC etc and finally found the sound in my head with my Spectors and GK. In my case it was specifically the old 400RB and 800RB heads. Supremely reliable, hella loud and can punch through any band/mix with ease. I'm very interested in the new Legacy class D heads..... if they can reproduce my classic RB heads in a small class D package that I can chuck in a bag then I'm sold! 

That's pretty much the route I've trod.

What's your opinion on the GK 1001RB Mk II ?

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6 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

What's your opinion on the GK 1001RB Mk II ?

 

Never tried one as I've been more than happy with my original 400/800RB's. I have heard that the 700RB-II gets closer in sound to the originals though (if that's your thing..... which it is for me).

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1 hour ago, cetera said:

 

Never tried one as I've been more than happy with my original 400/800RB's. I have heard that the 700RB-II gets closer in sound to the originals though (if that's your thing..... which it is for me).

My 1001RB11 sounds very similar to it's predecessor, the 700RB11, just more of it! Both not a million miles away from my 800RB either.

 

17 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Just made an offer on a GK 1001RB Mk II. I'll let you know how it goes.

Nice one, am sure you won't regret it.

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Well, offer was accepted - £350 + postage which seems reasonable.

I'll let you know my findings. I'll be using it was an Ashdown ABM 6x10.

1 hour ago, casapete said:

My 1001RB11 sounds very similar to it's predecessor, the 700RB11, just more of it! Both not a million miles away from my 800RB either.

Nice one, am sure you won't regret it.

Thanks!

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47 minutes ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Well, offer was accepted - £350 + postage which seems reasonable.

I'll let you know my findings. I'll be using it was an Ashdown ABM 6x10.

Thanks!

If it has a capital 'J' on the back in black sharpie then I'd like it back please. :)

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1 hour ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Well, offer was accepted - £350 + postage which seems reasonable.

I'll let you know my findings. I'll be using it was an Ashdown ABM 6x10.

Thanks!

Should be awesome with the 6x10 cab. Guessing it's a 4 ohm job, so you'll be getting all of the 700 watts of loveliness. Let us know how you get on.☺️

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5 hours ago, Jack said:

If it has a capital 'J' on the back in black sharpie then I'd like it back please. :)

Gawd .. have you had one nicked ?

 

4 hours ago, casapete said:

Should be awesome with the 6x10 cab. Guessing it's a 4 ohm job, so you'll be getting all of the 700 watts of loveliness. Let us know how you get on.☺️

Yeah, 4ohm 900watt job. I will destroy the venue on Saturday if it turns up on time. Otherwise I'll be using the SVT3

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2 hours ago, WHUFC BASS said:

Gawd .. have you had one nicked ?

Hah! No, sorry, didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm a serial gear flipper but a (my) 1001ii is  one of the very few things I regret selling and I wish I'd held onto it. There's enough out there that I'll just wait until I need an amp again before buying another one, but if I ever do see mine for sale I'm buying it back whether I need it or not.

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