GK tone ???

Mktavish · #1 09-01-2011, 02:43 PM

Im wondering what exactly this means.

Give me some comparisons ... peavy ,Hartke,Fender & the like.

Pls no comparisons to Eden and the like. unless ofcouse they are price compatible.

Notice I didnt mention Ampeg.

tdub0199 · #2 09-01-2011, 02:45 PM

To be a SS amp, it's gets really growly.....

Cristo · #3 09-01-2011, 03:46 PM

GK is generally known for a quick punchy articulate tone. It can be very trebly, but that is easily removed with EQ.

You really have to hear it yourself, but even then so much depends on bass, room fingers, etc. Not to mention knob settings on the amp - and there are many.

I suspect that with enough knob twiddling, most any amp can get to a similar tone as others.

deedub72 · #4 09-01-2011, 03:52 PM

I use a GK 700 RB II through an Orange 4X10, I roll off 75% of the treble and I am usually pretty good to go, may be a minor adjustment here or there.

I have an Eden with an Eden 4X10 as well, I only use it with my active basses..the GK/Orange rig wins hands down when I run my passive basses and even some active.

fdeck · #5 09-01-2011, 04:40 PM

From a functional standpoint, contemporary GK amps have a "scooped" voicing, meaning that the lows and highs are emphasized. The "contour" control augments this effect even further. In addition, GK provides a mild distortion effect that I believe is a mildly overdriven JFET gain stage. Also, in my view the 4-band EQ is a simple, intuitive, and effective tone shaping tool.

Mktavish · #6 09-01-2011, 07:55 PM

So basically GK has a Bomb & Teent tone ?

There is no Baruuump amd bidy bidy bomp?

Reuben · #7 09-01-2011, 07:57 PM

Exactly.

somegeezer · #8 09-01-2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

From a functional standpoint, contemporary GK amps have a "scooped" voicing, meaning that the lows and highs are emphasized. The "contour" control augments this effect even further. In addition, GK provides a mild distortion effect that I believe is a mildly overdriven JFET gain stage. Also, in my view the 4-band EQ is a simple, intuitive, and effective tone shaping tool.

I find my amp to be quite mid heavy at 12 and the bass needing to be turned up to 1 or 2. Maybe just my ears or possibly my cabs, but that's how I feel. Especially when it comes to the growl. The whole reason most people go for a GK is their mid range growl.

jgroh · #9 09-01-2011, 08:26 PM

Him thread read good

zktui · #10 09-02-2011, 12:51 AM

From various sources now including this topic, I get the feeling that the eq on gk's is inconsistent...? Like two models don't have eq's that react exactly the same...?

jelwood · #11 09-02-2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zktui

From various sources now including this topic, I get the feeling that the eq on gk's is inconsistent...? Like two models don't have eq's that react exactly the same...?

Dude, Bob Gallien has been using the exact same EQ on his amps for the past thirty years...perhaps with the exception of the treble being centered differently from model to model. But the low, low mid and high mid has been the exact same for thirty years, since the early 80s.

Daniel Piper · #12 09-02-2011, 01:07 AM

Every subtlety of all GK's contemporary amps have been explored thoroughly and regularly on this board. Sorry, but there is a huge wealth of info waiting. Want to know how the mb500/mb200/mbfusion/700rbII/1001rbII/2001rb sound with this cab or that cab, this bass or that bass, or the differences in how the GK grind can be attained, do some reading.

zktui · #13 09-02-2011, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelwood

Dude, Bob Gallien has been using the exact same EQ on his amps for the past thirty years...perhaps with the exception of the treble being centered differently from model to model. But the low, low mid and high mid has been the exact same for thirty years, since the early 80s.

Sorry, didn't mean like changed the EQ but like each different amp reacts slightly differently...? (ie To get the same bass-eq from the same cab/bass, different individual amps would need differing turns on the knob. This is turning out to be hard to explain sorry)

throbgod13 · #14 09-02-2011, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jelwood

Dude, Bob Gallien has been using the exact same EQ on his amps for the past thirty years...perhaps with the exception of the treble being centered differently from model to model. But the low, low mid and high mid has been the exact same for thirty years, since the early 80s.

apparently, the modern amps EQ has changed.. the 400/800RBs have a different EQ than the newer models.. AFAIK..

Blankandson · #15 09-04-2011, 06:40 PM

I don't go after a GK tone, or an Ampeg tone, or a ____ tone. I like MY tone, and if I can get it with Ampeg, I'll use that. If I can get my tone with Fender, I'll use that. I can get my tone with most GK amps/combos, so I like using them. (I've honestly tried to get it with their microbass, but have never found it there.) What you hear is my tone, not a GK tone. Make any sense?

**B-string** · #16 09-04-2011, 07:01 PM

800RB's preamp is unique (80Hz cutoff point), 400Rb's is very close to the 700,1001,2000,2001RB's. The way Robert Gallien utilizes his tone stack is unlike any other out there, very adjustable to a wide variety of tones. MB series has their own tone shaping, the MB500 did go through a voice change. All in all very adjustable amp heads with little effort and unique in the way they do it.