Gallien-Krueger amps

[ozzy85]

I've been checking out the set of lightweight amps by these guys. Anyone know if giving up heavyweight bass amps is giving up durabilty or tone quality? I'm 45 and have a bad back... so a 35 pound 200w amp seems like a revalation here. The 500w amp would seem unreal.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

I have a friend who has 4 GKs (two pairs, heads and combos) and I have had one myself as well as played with others who have used them. They can be ok, but are tough to dial in without experience. Because they are solid state they can be a little scratchy when distorted or brittle when clean. They can also be pretty versatile in the right hands.

 

I would ask what situations you tend to play in.

[micgtr71]

Back in the late 80s I encountered a couple of 800rbs that sounded great for the metal of the day but were not very reliable. One of them got so hot that I couldn't touch it and it fried as a result of a faulty heat sink (?). My friend was convinced they were the best sounding amps and bought the big one they made in the 90s (2000rb, i think). It used to go into thermal shutdown in the middle of gigs. Based on those experiences, I stay away from them.

 

There are a number of companies that make the light heads and light cabinets and this is the way that I would go if I were to start gigging again. TC Electronics and SWR make small high powered heads that are in the same range as the GK stuff. Tone-wise, I can tell you that the Genz Benz lightweight stuff sounds fantastic. Unfortunately, they are a bit pricier than the others.

 

The way I look at it, sound is always compromised on the stage. I used to run an SWR SM400 into a Goliath 2 cab and when all of the other instruments were pounding, the sound was compromised. At my age (41), I would rather get some stuff I could carry easy and still fill the stage with what I needed. I would go with a light amp, but do some research on GK. Maybe things have changed, but for a while they were not the most reliable.

 

Sorry to have rambled so much. Hope this helps.

[Ya_Big_Tree]

They're great bass amps. I used to have one. Small sized amp with BIG sound.

[launchpad67a]

The wood in speaker cabinets "IS" the sound. That's the reason why quality cabinets are heavy.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

Yeah, GK bass amps are pretty awesome. Wasn't even thinking about them. I used an RB model in Trilogy. Also the stereo 2x or 4x 12 GK cabs are also very good. But their guitar amps leave a bit to be desired. Was listening to my buddy's today and it was a bit nasally and honky around 500 Hz.

 

I disagree about the cab construction being the tone. I have one amp that is well built as far as the cabinet, but the amp itself sounds like dirt on crap. The speaker in that one doesn't help either. I also have an old Harmony tube amp from the late 50's/early 60's with a cardboard cab that sounds amazing. It's the tubes, electronics, circuit design and the speaker. Cab construction means more for a ported cab or closed back more so than an open back. Most of my amps are open back.

 

I recently got a Marshall Class 5 combo. Though it's only 5 watts it is plenty loud and sounds like a low volume stack. It's a bit of a one-trick-pony but what it does it does well. It does have a nice cab, typical Marshall, but it is fairly light in weight.

 

I am also not inclined to large 4x cabs either. Unless you are playing coliseums a 2 x 12 with less than 100 watts driving it is more than plenty to prove your point.

 

Also a guitar player and another bass player I play with a lot have cool folding carts to tote their amps around. Very handy and light weight. Much easier than lugging heavy boxes around.

 

Again, I ask what situations you play in to determine what a good amp fit would be.

[ozzy85]

Appreciating the input, people.

 

I guess I should tell you what its gonna be used for... I'm playing in a rock-folk-funk band. Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Superstitious by Stevie Wonder. We're gonna play smaller venues... think of a college town w/ 80,000 people. I'm not playing metal and I use a Fender Jazz strung w/ Super Slinkys, so I'm not real heavy handed on my bass.

 

I never knew about any lightweight amps, because I haven't looked for an amp in a long time. I just want to find one that is a quality unit and has enough juice to stand up to a drummer. As long as the price isn't unreal, I'll check it out. I want something I can keep for a long time.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

I have only used a GK head for bass through a couple smaller cabs, an SWR 2 x 10 and a Trace Elliot 1 x 15. A former roommate of mine had a nice SWR combo that was very nice. Right now I am using a borrowed Ampeg BA-115 which is a 1 x 15 100 watt combo. It has nice casters that roll smoothly and isn't too heavy but it does have some heft. I really like the sound of it, but the GK with the 2 cabs definitely sounded fuller and more suited to the music you'll be playing than the Ampeg. GK's definitely cut. At least the RB I used did. Not sure how the GK MicroBass or MB combos sound.

 

The only issue we had with the RB was that the power section went down after about 8 years of use. Had to spend about half what a new one cost to fix it.

 

Not sure if this helps.

[micgtr71]

With the type of music you are going to play, I would not use GK. The lightweight cabs should be ok, but not the head...IMO, of course. There are other heads in that price range.