GK RB1001 II noise that makes me uncomfotable

[topcat2069]

I was testing out my new Lakland 55-01 through my rig (RB 1001 II and two NEO 1X15s). It was sounding cool and then I hit the woofer high cut switch and there began a loud crackling or popping noise when I played on the lower E string or the B. It sounded like a speaker over excursion but it was intermittent so I don't believe it was a speaker.
The amp is 7 years old and has been gigged, averaged, less than once a month.

The Bass was played EQ flat. The amp setting are: Vol 10 O'clock, Treb, HiMid and LowMid 12 O'clock, Bass 2 O'clock, contour & presence off, tweeter level off with tweeter hi cut and woofer level at 10 to 11 O'clock (I don't ever play loud) with woofer hi cut.

I live far from any Music Stores so it's a real hassle testing through other speakers or amps through my speakers. The pots are all scratchy and all the switches are noisy.

Anybody else have this problem or one similar??

[YuppyPunk]

Clean the pots and switches with DeOxit. Hopefully, that fixes the issue.

[wcriley]

I cleaned the pots, switches and jacks in my 1001RB II a couple of weeks ago.
Allow about an hour to do this. There are a LOT of bolts and nuts to remove before you can get at the underside of the preamp board where the parts are located. Lining up all the shafts, switches, LEDs, etc to reassemble is a be-atch.

[YuppyPunk]

Originally Posted by wcriley

I cleaned the pots, switches and jacks in my 1001RB II a couple of weeks ago.
Allow about an hour to do this. There are a LOT of bolts and nuts to remove before you can get at the underside of the preamp board where the parts are located. Lining up all the shafts, switches, LEDs, etc to reassemble is a be-atch.

Also, let everything dry completely before turning the amp back on. The can says 15 or 20 minutes. Since air flow inside the pots is really low I waited hours.

[will33]

After 7 years I'm sure it needs a good cleaning. That should solve a lot of your issues. Make sure you get De-Oxit for cleaning potentiometers. Some stuff simply labeled "contact cleaner" can damage pots.

Also make sure your 4/5 string switch is set to 4 string, even if you play 5 or more. That thing is an 11db boost at 20hz. You don't want to do that to your speakers.

[christw]

I bet the battery is low in the bass... Doesn't necessarily explain it, but it's an answer nonetheless!

[YuppyPunk]

Originally Posted by christw

I bet the battery is low in the bass... Doesn't necessarily explain it, but it's an answer nonetheless!

Either that or his weasel pins are out of alignment or he might new ones if the cloistron screw is maxed

[topcat2069]

Originally Posted by christw

I bet the battery is low in the bass... Doesn't necessarily explain it, but it's an answer nonetheless!

New battery 5 days ago.

Originally Posted by YuppyPunk

Either that or his weasel pins are out of alignment or he might new ones if the cloistron screw is maxed

The cloistron screw is stripped which I understand is the norm for the newer Korean ones...

[topcat2069]

Originally Posted by will33

Also make sure your 4/5 string switch is set to 4 string, even if you play 5 or more. That thing is an 11db boost at 20hz. You don't want to do that to your speakers.

Ah Ha... this may be the culprit.... I have it engaged because... after all ... I'm playing a 5 string... but yup... I don't want to do that to my speakers anymore. (I shudda checked the manual again when I switched to a 5er.....) somehow I came to believe that the 4/5 switch EXTENDED the range not boosted 20hz!!

This may be the correction I needed to become comfortable again, but I will do the very cleaning soon..... scratchy pot make me sound lame.

[singlemalt]

Did it stop when you turned off the woofer high cut switch?

I never use that button anyway, it doesn't do much for me. Same with the tweeter high cut. Cutting 10K and up only makes the dogs happy. For that matter, I don't use many of the amps on/off type filters. The five string button stays on the five string setting. Don't use the contour/presence voicing either, they scoop at 500k, and add to the top, respectively. 500K is right were I want a boost. I want everything she's got, all the time. Set the input to work with your bass, and twist the woofer clockwise for happy land.

EQ sparingly, boost knob around 1 oclock.

That 5 string switch needs cabs that can take it, my fEarfuls will take everything the GK has to offer.

My GK 1001 is about four years old, and it has gotten lots of hours. It stays in the rack which I close when not in use. It spends lots of time in the trunk of the car. Once in a while it gets a wipe down. It gets bumped around, and dropped, and falls over every now and then. Never a glitch and still no noise from any of the controls. These things are pretty bullet proof.

If the only thing that has changed in your set up is the new Lakland, I'd be looking in that direction first.

[topcat2069]

Originally Posted by singlemalt

Did it stop when you turned off the woofer high cut switch?

no

Originally Posted by singlemalt

EQ sparingly, boost knob around 1 oclock.

(I missed this) boost at about 8 O'clock

Originally Posted by singlemalt

That 5 string switch needs cabs that can take it, my fEarfuls will take everything the GK has to offer.

I think the dart has hit the bullseye.

Originally Posted by singlemalt

If the only thing that has changed in your set up is the new Lakland, I'd be looking in that direction first.

It started when I got a Schecter (Diamond P 5 Custom....hmmm another clue it had a solid B string and the scale was 35") and at the time I thought it was the crappy power I was getting from the wall in the dive I was playing.

Very odd, I never had this problem with any of the 34" scale 5 string Basses I played

[will33]

According to the manual, the 5 string switch is "+11db @ 20hz". The fearfuls may "take that" but even they won't reproduce it. There's no content down there aside from subharmonic powersucking rumble. Depending it's Q, that switch may reach into the 40's where they will let you hear it. It may also shift some of the other baked in voicings or eq centers, not sure about that.

[singlemalt]

My opinion on the four/five string switch was formed by trying it both ways with the different cabs, and the five string Dingwalls (37" B string) tuned down a half step. I'm happier with the switch set to five string. All the lowest notes come through clear with full power. That B flat will make your vision blur!

But I don't doubt that the five string switch will make a lot of cabs unhappy.

Some of the GK eq functions leave me scratching my head. I just mess with the thing until I get most of what I want. In all the previous cabs, there were problems at the bottom end. Stock cabs tended to lose power on the notes below G on the E string, and the B response down low was a joke. Even the pair of TL 606/3015's wouldn't get it on the low end. They handled the four string fine, but the five string low notes needed more.

I went the fEarful route after hearing other custom builds I couldn't afford to reproduce. The first test with my first fEarful was like getting a new amp thrown in for free. The GK had more power and range than I'd ever heard before.

My only real gripe with the 1001 rb 2 is that it really wants to be turned up loud before it gets into the happy zone. It is a huge amp. At low volumes it can sound kind of cold, so I use an MXR M-80 di+ ( or some thing like it, sans amp, ect) to get a warmer sound at low volumes.

[AMJBASS]

I have had GK's do this in the past, and it was fixed by cleaning the jacks for the FX loop. They get dirty even when not in use, but a quick swab with contact cleaner does the trick. Hope this is the problem.

[topcat2069]

One of the things I love about the 1001 II is that I hardly have to use the EQ at all. But then I'm completely dependent on my speaker cabs. When I was playing the Fender Am. Dlx. P Bass (4 string) it was so clear, every note could be heard and the pitch recognition was top notch.

Now, playing 5 strings, the NEO 1X15s sound a bit.... um .... anemic...in the lower register. I wonder if the NEO 4X12 would be a better choice or if I should just back away slowly (with no sudden moves) from GK speakers completely?

Originally Posted by AMJBASS

I have had GK's do this in the past, and it was fixed by cleaning the jacks for the FX loop. They get dirty even when not in use, but a quick swab with contact cleaner does the trick. Hope this is the problem.

Wow.... I'll do this too....

[Rebmo]

Originally Posted by topcat2069

Ah Ha... this may be the culprit.... I have it engaged because... after all ... I'm playing a 5 string... but yup... I don't want to do that to my speakers anymore. (I shudda checked the manual again when I switched to a 5er.....) somehow I came to believe that the 4/5 switch EXTENDED the range not boosted 20hz!!

This may be the correction I needed to become comfortable again, but I will do the very cleaning soon..... scratchy pot make me sound lame.

Just as a point of reference, I use the 700rbII 5 string setting and bass at 2 o'clock with a G&L L1K 4banger with bass boost maxed at times and NO issues. The Hartke HyDrive 115 bottom is rated at 500W RMS and the HHD 410 bottom is rated at 1000W RMS so there's lots of room there. The HyDrives tend to be clean mid/high bottoms so I induce the low end and it balances fine. But no distortion or noise issues.

[topcat2069]

Originally Posted by Rebmo

Just as a point of reference, I use the 700rbII 5 string setting and bass at 2 o'clock with a G&L L1K 4banger with bass boost maxed at times and NO issues. The Hartke HyDrive 115 bottom is rated at 500W RMS and the HHD 410 bottom is rated at 1000W RMS so there's lots of room there. The HyDrives tend to be clean mid/high bottoms so I induce the low end and it balances fine. But no distortion or noise issues.

My NEO 1X15s are (I believe) rated at 300 watts each

[Catbuster]

Originally Posted by topcat2069

My NEO 1X15s are (I believe) rated at 300 watts each

Which is still less than the 1001s rated power output.

[topcat2069]

Originally Posted by Catbuster

Which is still less than the 1001s rated power output.

Yeah..... I get that

[B-string]

How old are your NEO115's? G-K makes their own speakers and they are a little stiff at first and need some "break-in" time. My NEO412 really opened up in the bottom end after a few hours.