* * * G A L L I E N K R U E G E R * * *

moeroncuban · #1 12-15-2011, 08:15 PM

Hey all just wanted to share a neat experience I had today with GK.
Lately I have been thinking of buying a GK micro amp but was torn between two... The MB Fusion and the MB 800.
I have done my share of amplifier hopping from my first cheesy Peavey combo to a Fender to Ampeg and finally GK. I currently own a GK 1001 RB-II and want to upgrade to a lighter amp.

So in my quest for the right micro, I had read many threads and reviews online as well as here in TB on both of the GK's I'm looking at. One specific topic was on the fact that the new MB 800 micro DOES NOT have a ground lift switch with the DI.... That kinda turned me off from the MB 800 which was the way I was leaning. So this morning I called GK to ask about that.

I called... got the automated prompts and was directed to the technical dept. It was there where I asked about the issue online about the 800 not having a ground lift switch. The tech politely ask if he could put me on hold while he went to the assembly line and actually pick up a MB 800. Came back to the phone and profusely apologized for making me wait...(which BTW was only a minute no biggie) anyways, he said, "I'm holding the amp in my hands and yes it's true, there is NO ground lift switch that I can visibly see". However, he said, "I can transfer you to a design engineer and he can most certainly tell you everything you need to know better than I would be able to, his name is Nolly so please hold on."
I held on again for another minute. Mr. Nolly got on the phone apologized for making me wait ... ( I grinned... once again, no biggie! ) I asked about the "ground lift switch issue" or lack thereof, and he BROKE IT DOWN BIG TIME for me. He explained that there is no need for a ground lift switch because there is a built in circuit that detects any humming, dirty power and ground faults and AUTOMATICALLY adjusts itself.

We spoke more about the differences between the two amps I'm considering and also said that by next summer GK will be introducing a MB Fusion 800 with a tube driven preamp and in addition to having 2 cooling fans, the entire chassis of the amplifier will be a heat sink. He went on to explain that for folks using the amp, let's say in the Philippines for example, the days of "over heating" especially of the said amp, will be a thing if the past !

So needless to say, I was very impressed as well as schooled big time by GK today.
I actually felt like a rockstar chatting about their amps. Very proper, helpful and super PROFESSIONAL ! ! !

So as far as I'm concerned GK IS MY amplifier of choice until my family buries me !!!

KUDOS TO GALLIEN KRUEGER ! ! !

blessings !

domestique · #2 12-15-2011, 09:10 PM

I’m glad they treated you right. I was between Genz Benz and GK and ended up going with GB (also great customer service by the way) as I like their sound a tad more. It is amazing how some company’s customer service departments are soo terrible and others so great. Kudos to GK and GB.
I just had to email Dunlop yesterday as my “dual straplock kit” was missing one of the retainer clips…. I received an email today that they were sending the missing part out first thing tomorrow morning.

OFFTOPIC: I’m jealous of your profile pic and playing Norm Stockton’s MTD. I just bought his DVD's and his 2 CDs (he has them on sale right now off of his website for 30% off and if you buy the DVD set it is an additional 15% off!)

5StringPocket · #3 12-15-2011, 09:13 PM

Very cool. I haven't heard of an auto ground lift being used before although I'm sure the sensing circuitry could pick it up. Interesting about the MB Fusion 800 heat sink design. If it has that nice small form factor I'll need to check that one out. With all the Mesa M9 reliability issues the MB Fusion 800 might be the next best thing.

bassthumpersf · #4 12-15-2011, 09:35 PM

This is why I've been using GK for over 30 years.

Baron Von Vik · #5 12-15-2011, 09:53 PM

GK- Me likey. The only amps that replicate the sound that I hear in my head. The Fusion WILL be mine. Oh yes. Soon.

mikecd1 · #6 12-15-2011, 10:15 PM

Consistent, professional, caring, courteous and responsive are four things I have always liked about GK. Their service and customer service folks listen to the customer and find ways to build bridges and solve problems. I own several GK amps and cabinets although I also use other stuff (what tone quest doesn't?), but when the gig is right I love to use it cause I know the sound I'll get. Very curious about the new MB800 amp myself and love the direction GK is taking with it. Took me quite a while to get the hang of the tone controls on my Markbass Little Mark 800 (great for driving multiple cabs) and what I like about my GK amps is how easy it is to get a good sound. Although I like the LM800 very much, I'm keeping tabs on this new amp and can't wait to try one out myself. If you get one or try one, let us know what it's like!

moeroncuban · #7 12-15-2011, 10:39 PM

Hey fellow TBer's,

Will most certainly let you all know where I finally land. One thing I forgot to mention was that when I was on the phone with the first tech, that went and got the amp, while talking with him I actually heard workers in the background assembling the amps... I thought how cool was that !
One other thing Mr. Nolly ( one of the design engineers) he mentioned that the MB800 has a closer tone coloring to the GK 1001 RB-II than the MB Fusion but is much warmer sounding due to the tube emulation circuits in the unit and also being a solid state amp it is ultra "cool" .... cool in temperature that is. I kinda think it "looks" cool as well. Not to mention that it's also a 2 channel amplifier.

I was throughly impressed ! ! !

bongomania · #8 12-15-2011, 10:55 PM

Good to know. There are so many stories out there about bad customer service, and lord knows I tell them loudly enough, it's a genuine pleasure to read about really GOOD service!

Also good to know about the upcoming amp... I have an MB500 and I use an external tube preamp with it; it'll be interesting to compare them.

rag · #9 12-16-2011, 02:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moeroncuban

Hey all just wanted to share a neat experience I had today with GK.
Lately I have been thinking of buying a GK micro amp but was torn between two... The MB Fusion and the MB 800.
I have done my share of amplifier hopping from my first cheesy Peavey combo to a Fender to Ampeg and finally GK. I currently own a GK 1001 RB-II and want to upgrade to a lighter amp.

So in my quest for the right micro, I had read many threads and reviews online as well as here in TB on both of the GK's I'm looking at. One specific topic was on the fact that the new MB 800 micro DOES NOT have a ground lift switch with the DI.... That kinda turned me off from the MB 800 which was the way I was leaning. So this morning I called GK to ask about that.

I called... got the automated prompts and was directed to the technical dept. It was there where I asked about the issue online about the 800 not having a ground lift switch. The tech politely ask if he could put me on hold while he went to the assembly line and actually pick up a MB 800. Came back to the phone and profusely apologized for making me wait...(which BTW was only a minute no biggie) anyways, he said, "I'm holding the amp in my hands and yes it's true, there is NO ground lift switch that I can visibly see". However, he said, "I can transfer you to a design engineer and he can most certainly tell you everything you need to know better than I would be able to, his name is Nolly so please hold on."
I held on again for another minute. Mr. Nolly got on the phone apologized for making me wait ... ( I grinned... once again, no biggie! ) I asked about the "ground lift switch issue" or lack thereof, and he BROKE IT DOWN BIG TIME for me. He explained that there is no need for a ground lift switch because there is a built in circuit that detects any humming, dirty power and ground faults and AUTOMATICALLY adjusts itself.

We spoke more about the differences between the two amps I'm considering and also said that by next summer GK will be introducing a MB Fusion 800 with a tube driven preamp and in addition to having 2 cooling fans, the entire chassis of the amplifier will be a heat sink. He went on to explain that for folks using the amp, let's say in the Philippines for example, the days of "over heating" especially of the said amp, will be a thing if the past !

So needless to say, I was very impressed as well as schooled big time by GK today.
I actually felt like a rockstar chatting about their amps. Very proper, helpful and super PROFESSIONAL ! ! !

So as far as I'm concerned GK IS MY amplifier of choice until my family buries me !!!

KUDOS TO GALLIEN KRUEGER ! ! !

blessings !

I want to correct a misunderstanding about the ground lift switch in the MB800. It does not actually have a circuit that automatically detects humming. The DI ground is always lifted except for a small cap to ground that eliminates RF issues. The fact is in these applications the DI should always be grounded at the mixer, never at the amplifier. So every time you think you are correcting a hum problem in the DI by lifting the ground you are actually correcting a problem that should never have occurred in the first place. By eliminating the ground switch we are simply making the amplifier easier to use. The ground is always lifted so it will never cause a hum problem with a properly grounded mixer input.
Bob

jelwood · #10 12-16-2011, 03:08 AM

^ Ladies and gentleman, the wisdom of Bob Gallien.

moeroncuban · #11 12-16-2011, 05:05 AM

And the KUDOS continues ! ! !
Thanks Bob ! :^) I appreciate the correction!

So as I mentioned in my original post,

*****G A L L I E N K R U E G E R *****
IS MY AMP OF CHOICE until my family buries me ! ! !

(and even then I JUST might take it with me !)

Have a Super Merry Christmas and a healthy and blessed New Year!

Blessings!

moe.

LAG · #12 12-16-2011, 08:03 AM

I used to use GK exclusively up until they invested so heavily in China and proceeded to produce most of their stuff for sale in the US, over there. It's a shame, imo.

ghiadub · #13 12-16-2011, 08:13 AM

Um, I live near the Stocton GK plant. I have been there, and let me assure you, they do make a lot of stuff there. Huge long production line and a lot of workers. They fixed my 25 year old amp for free.

Stockton is in the USA, yes.

I think the backline stuff is made in china.

harmendebresser · #14 12-16-2011, 08:48 AM

This is a very logical solution to the problem (indeed, ground should be lifted at the board).
Once I had my trusty Hartke 5500's DI circuit blown by a D.I.Y. mixing board somewhere on the road... It hummed like crazy, so I lifted the ground & out it went. Turned out the board was wired the other way around, and fired up 48 volts the wrong way so it basicly shorted the circuit! Anyway, since that day I've always been very cautious asking every sound engineer PLEASE no phantom power on the XLR, or if that's not possible I'll use my own DI.
My MB-150 once had phantom power into the DI circuit, so first I got pretty angry (when I had asked specificly NOT to...) and then got really nervous about it (thinking, where on earth am I gonna get it fixed) but I checked it the next day & it was fine.
Mind you, the minus & the plus from that board were certainly wired correctly. But what if, right?!

LAG · #15 12-16-2011, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghiadub

Um, I live near the Stocton GK plant. I have been there, and let me assure you, they do make a lot of stuff there. Huge long production line and a lot of workers. They fixed my 25 year old amp for free.

Stockton is in the USA, yes.

That is good to hear. Thanks

bassdog · #16 12-16-2011, 11:06 AM

I love my gk head and cab. I'd give serious thought to becoming a gk endorser if they asked me to be.

Bob

moeroncuban · #17 12-16-2011, 01:13 PM

Like I said.........

*** G A L L I E N K R U E G E R ***

It IS MY AMP of choice ! ! !

I mean, if I had another "chile" (tee hee)
I'd name him Gallien..... even if it was a girl !

HA ! :^)

3upFront · #18 12-16-2011, 06:02 PM

I got the mb800 and I love it!! I have a little mark 800, very comparable in sound and power and weight. My markbass blew up and I had to send it back and I decided to try a GK MB800 and IM stoked!! The tone is perfect, it pushes my old marshall 2x15 hard!! a little more punch than the markbass, though the markbass had a di level knob that you could adjust so the picky soundguys that allways tell you to turn it down ,now cant say anything because the di out is quieter then the speaker so you have some BALLS on stage!! I think the MB800 has this feature "built in" with the pre/post option. THe secondary channel will definetly give you growl, and Its not quite the same as a "bass distortion" but its very nice for certain applications. a little boost or gravel in the speakers. the mute switch is nice. the only thing is that I noticed a little buzz from the speakers when i adjusted it , the way i play is master at 3 oclock(3/4 full volume) and gain at 9 oclock(1/4 full volume) for a super clean punchy sound, on the markbass there was no hum at all, on the GK there is a little hum, but I use a shure wireless and play a Gibson THunderbird, also have a furman powerconditioner after the markbass blow up. I havent played a show yet with the GK but on the 6th of Jan is our next gig.
FIsh-3upFront

moeroncuban · #19 12-16-2011, 06:08 PM

Hey CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep us posted will ya please... I'm getting ready to pull that exact same trigger once I finalize the sale of my 1001 RB-II here locally... then I'll be off to the races with the MB800....

ENJOY!!!!!!!

Have a very Merry Christmas !!!!

:^)

PS..... I just noticed you're in Santa Cruz ! That's AWESOME ! I LOVE SC !!! my daughter and I were there last year and it was a treat for me cause I used to go out there in the 80's when I was younger and swore that if I ever had a child I'd share that with them and thank GOD I did.... She just fell in love with the boardwalk... she said,''dad you were SO right, it is like MAGIC being here"........

"WOW"..... a new GK MB800 AND Santa Cruz..... now that's living! I guess that's what heaven must be like huh !

peace ~

ialma · #20 02-03-2012, 04:48 PM

I'm a long time fan of GK amps (couple of MB150 combos, an old RB for some times and now a MB500 and a MB200) and I really love them.
I have some complaints about my MBE212 cabinet.
One of the speakers started distorting (never played at high volume, never clipped, nothing "dangerous" for the cabinet)
It seems the coil under the yellow spider has issues.
Speakers are not covered by warranty (I wonder why since I could have never damaged the inner coil intentionally), no answers from the tech and info guys at GK, no replacement available.
I'm kinda unhappy, 400€ spent on a speaker I used three months and that I have to throw away now.