|
Gonna do separate posts for each piece of gear that I can remember owning. First up is my favorite piece of gear... Gallien-Krueger 800RB Solid state bass amplifier New/paid: $800/300 DOB: Mid-1990's Amp specs:
Features: 5/5 The only thing I wish this amp had was a mute switch, but since one is built into my pedal tuner, it's not a big deal. Switching out basses could be a problem, but I only own one bass. No graphic EQ, but I don't like them. The bi-amp feature is a lot of fun to play around with. The weight of the amp is totally reasonable and portability has never been an issue for me. The 800RB that I own was built in the mid-1990s, which is before GK switched over to using the torodial(sp?) transformers and was still using the block/laminated transformers. Having owned one of each, I can say with full confidence that there is no difference in sound whatsoever. They switched to the torodial transformers to cut down on costs and weight. Inside, the amp is clean and rugged; this amp is bullet-proof and there are ~20 years' worth of touring musicians that can vouch for this. Sound: 4.5/5 300/400w might not sound like a lot, but in this amp's case, it's plenty. I owned an SVT-3 Pro for a few months between 800RBs and the SVT-3 Pro's 450w sounded so much quieter compared to the 800RB's 300w. This amp's EQ was designed to be very musical, so much so that it's very hard to get a sound I don't like out of this amplifier. There may be sounds I don't need or that don't fit the music I'm playing, but not one of them sounds unusable. Gallien-Krueger amps have their own sort of tone so there will be a measurable amount of coloring to the sound of your instrument, but I absolutely love it. The high-mid frequencies (where the "growl" comes from) are always there. The term (coined by GK's Robert Gallien) "hitting the rails" is not unlike driving a tube amp to the point of break-up and is a hot topic among GK amp owners, and like a tube amp, provides a pleasant amount of ear-pleasing overdrive. It's done by diming the initial gain stage and tweaking the boost knob while having the master knob around 1 o'clock or so. The boost knob is where the crunch comes from and I have mine around 9 o'clock and no higher (unless I'm doing some sludge/doomy stuff). The .5 detraction is because I haven't had this thing plugged into anything larger than a 2x12, and can really tell that it likes bigger cabs/more speakers. I can't wait to hook it up to a 6x10 or 4x12. Overall value: 5/5 Bought one, sold it for an SVT-3 Pro, and cried about it until I got my 800RB back. This is an amplifier that has been around since solid state was popularized and will be around forever and ever, and nearly any cab will sound good with this head. This is probably the last amp I will ever own, and if I need more power, I'll just buy another one. scuz fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Nov 27, 2009 |
#
¿
Nov 27, 2009 16:10
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ May 4, 2024 11:26 |
|
|
Avatar B212N 2x12" ported bass cabinet New/paid: $437/$300 DOB: ~2008 Specs:
Construction: 4/5 Not bad, but there are some nitpicky things. There are some rattling noises coming from the cabinet that I was unable to isolate until I took the grill completely off, which isn't the safest way to transport it. After taking the grill off, I decided to tighten all of the screws that were holding the speakers and horn in place. Another thing is that the 1/4" jacks blow out air when you're playing, acting as tiny little ports. I plugged the one I wasn't using with a foam earplug and haven't had any issues. The grill itself is kinda flimsy, but I'm not sitting on it or stacking anything on it so I'm not worried. Sound: 4/5 Considering how little I paid for it, it sounds amazing. It's rated to handle 500 watts, but when I've got my 300w 800RB cranked to about 3/4 full-power it tends to lose a bit of definition. My solution however is to buy another B212N and have a full 4x12 stack which I believe will handle things much nicer. There's plenty of punch and grit here when you need it, along with a smooth low-end. The horn can be a little harsh at times, but I leave it off and do not miss it one bit. Overall value: 5/5 Seriously, this thing sounds amazing for $300. I have every intention of buying another one for my 4x12 stack.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 27, 2009 20:28
|
|