My GK 1001RB-II: Is it defective?

Planet Boulder · #1 02-02-2012, 08:15 PM

So my GK head has now suffered from "blown" J-FETs three times in the last year (since Feb 2011), the latest being tonight, less than a month after it was last fixed. It's out of warranty and it's about 4 or 5 years old and the guys at the G-K certified shop in Denver said that, due to the dryness out here, the static electricity often causes the J-Fets to go bad in amps. I've lived here for 20 years, owned a number of amps (you can check my profile), including two other GK heads (a 700RB-II and an 800RB) and I've never once experienced this issue.

As you can imagine, I'm kind of sick of having to take this head to the shop to have it fixed and I'm wondering if it's actually a defective head. If the J-FETs have gone bad three times now, I'm really not too keen on having to continue to roll the dice with a head that I would now never gig with for fear of failure.

I had exchanged emails with Bob from GK about this about 6 months ago after the problem occurred for the second time (I waited several months before taking it back in this past December) to see what his thoughts were, but I don't think there was much he felt he could do since it was no longer in warranty.

So what do you guys think? Am I stuck with a friggin' paperweight/boat anchor or is this issue endemic of this particular model or vintage of GK heads? What would you do or suggest at this point, if anything?

countrybass007 · #2 02-02-2012, 08:33 PM

Used the same amp for about two years, in outdoor and indoor venues, without one problem. I'd lean on GK, under warranty or not the same item repaired three times should concern them. If it is static electricity, there should be some way to discharge it before it does damage.

John Bigboote · #3 02-02-2012, 08:38 PM

I would contact GK with a detailed timeline of what's happened, where it's been repaired, how many times, and how much it's cost you. Then I would ask, all nice-like, if it's possible to send them the amp for some kind of core-exchange. Sounds like you got a lemon, buddy, but I'm thinking they'll help you if they can. It might cost you a couple hunnert, but you'd have a basically new amp.

BTW, I might try calling first. They got nice folks answering the phone there.

-jb

**B-string** · #4 02-02-2012, 08:52 PM

So it was fine for at least three years, then a repair shop has done the same repair three times in the last year? Sounds like they missed something on the first repair and repeated the mistake twice since. Static electricity, really they said that? You haven't added a speaker cab you didn't use the first three or so years have you? That or a bad speaker cable, but the protect circuit should have avoided the damage.

G-K contacts:
Artist Relations:
Brian Clark
brian@gallien.com

Tech
daniel@gallien.com

jason@gallien.com

Phone:
(209) 234-7300 9am to 4pm PST USA

Maybe the shop needs a going over?

4Mal · #5 02-02-2012, 08:56 PM

Agreed. Me thinks the shop is missing something. I would have GK do the repair and be comfortable with it.

craig.p · #6 02-03-2012, 06:25 AM

When you say JFET, you mean the first active device the instrument sees in the signal path, correct?

Is it just one blowing out, or more than one?

Does it always happen at the same physical location?

Planet Boulder · #7 02-03-2012, 06:26 AM

Thanks for the good posts and ideas, folks. I will contact GK and see what can be done at this point.

Planet Boulder · #8 02-03-2012, 06:27 AM

As I understand from the shop, it is more than one which is blowing out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by craig.p

When you say JFET, you mean the first active device the instrument sees in the signal path, correct?

Is it just one blowing out, or more than one?

Does it always happen at the same physical location?