Your honest opinion!
 

:help:

For 10 yrs now I've been using an Eden rig - wt800/210 & 410 xlts. Its great, I love it and I'm keeping it. Trouble is I'm getting less happy with the combined weight of the rack case (amp/tuner/compressor) so I've been looking at the latest tech of class D amps.
My first choice is to stay all Eden and go with the wtx500 but there seems to be plently of choice now.
My personal preference is for an amp to be as neutral as poss and let the guitar tone shine. (NS 5, Stingray5, Lakland 5).

So now's the chance for you to cast a personal vote.

With luck a few of you will have used a number of these light-weight beauties and have a clearer opinion of them than me.

I'm trying to base my final choice on reliability (had a brand new G-K rb700II catch fire on me once :scowl:), transparency and features.

My darned short shortlist goes like this:

G-K mb800
Eden wtx500
Mark Bass LMTube800
Genz-Benz Streamliner 600/900

My cabs are a 410 8ohm and 210 4/16ohm switched, played alone or stacked (5.3-ish ohm)

Appreciate these will all sound different, but I play all sorts and styles of music in varied venues anyway and my main concern is sitting in the mix and not tone particularly as I already play great instruments.

So.
Waddaya reckon guys? :hiding::hiding:

If you like Eden, stick with it. Nothing else is going to sound the same.

WTDI stomp box --> rack containing your new (whatever manufacturer) lightweight power amp. The WTDI will supply a DI out, too.

You said reliability was high on your list. Many lightweight power amps today are warranted for 3 years. I think some may run out to 5 but you'll have to check for yourself.

You said you want transparency, too. The WTDI is that if nothing else IMO. But sure, you can go all the way with that attribute and get kit that treats a signal like a mic preamp would, straight wire with gain and all that. On that point, several days ago I saw an ART mic preamp for sale in the classifieds which would probably do what you want *and* fit into your rack so you wouldn't have to carry a stomp box. Great tone-shaping options, too, plus subsonic filtering iirc.

Only nit I have with the WTDI is that flimsy-looking wall wart/cable power supply they give you. I associate that style of external power more with low end Ethernet switches that, once shoved up onto a shelf, stay there. Never had a problem with mine, but still, I'm always a bit nervous about it.

Agreed, but if $ is an issue GK would be my second choice after Eden.

Can't get much more transparent than Markbass, although I'll wager it won't sound like your Eden. Also, the GB Streamliners aren't really known for tonal transparency - more for fat, juicy tube tone. The Shuttle series might be more up your alley with that end in mind.

I know it isn't an answer to your question, but have you tried living without the rack? If size and weight are concerns, I would imagine sticking a micro in a giant rack case would sort of defeat the purpose.

:thumbup:

I was a WT400+ D410XLT user for years and have recently gone through a slew of micro heads. Markbass F500/ LMII, SWR Headlite, Eden WTX260/500, Genz Shuttle 6.0/ Streamliner 900.

I ended up keeping the Eden WTX500 and a Bergantino AE410. I now cary a small light pedalboard with my tuner, Empress compressor, and others.

There really isn't anything that sounds quite like the WT's including the WTX series. If you typically run your WT800 close to flat with a little enhance like many Eden users the WTX can get remarkably close though. Although the WTX500 is rated at 500 WRMS I can say with certainty it is not as loud in a live setting as my WT400 (half of your WT800).

The only other alternative to a lightweight head that sounds like an Eden is to buy a Eden WTDI and use it on your pedalboard into a (insert micro head here).

As far as reliability goes for the new Eden stuff, everything I've read and experienced has been positive. Eden has been bought out by Marshall just over a year ago and it seems like Marshall has been good with customer service. My WTX's have been rock solid and haven't needed any repair. I opened them up to look inside and the build quality looks much like my WT400+. The power module is an ICE by B & O.

If I were you I might entertain getting lighter cabs before the head as there is much more weight savings to be had there. If your really excited about trying a different brand head and you like the WT800 tone I'd recommend the Markbass LMII/III over the others I tried.

Thanks Hobobob.
To clarify your good point, I'm planning to drop the rack case for most small gigs and carry the amp in a shoulder bag and go back to my hand held tuner. Should I feel the need for out-board compression I can still use my Presonus Blue Max as its only a half U.

I've tried many Class D bass amps and have never cared for the sound of them. A 2 space rack bag worked fine for me with my WT800.

Sorry, Foxbass, I thought you wanted to reduce the rack weight, not eliminate the rack altogether. So, I'll say think about a power amp in a rack bag like Low Class uses, and toss a WTDI into your gig bag. The WTDI will get you the Eden sound, while the power amp will get you the reliability you need. If the rack back idea is out, and you want to toss everything into a gig bag, then . . . never mind, lol..........

I would check out the Genz Benz Shuttle Max 9.2. It is a full sized head and takes up two rack spaces or is easily 'bag-able'. It is only about 10 pounds. Amazing EQ that will seem quite familiar to the WT800 user.

It is a bit 'tighter and brighter' out of the box than the WT800 set flat, but the EQ is amazing... dual FET/SS preamps with powerful EQ control, and very useful variable master voicing filters.

Not quite the wump of the WT800, but very impressive performance, and crystal clear voicing with a wonderfully controlled low end that sounds great with most cabs.

The Streamliner is cool, but a VERY different vibe from your Eden (and the Max 9.2)... much more fat and tubey and relaxed in the mids. The Max 9.2 will punch and grind like the WT800, the Streamliner IMO and IME will not.

If you want a modern punchy tone like your WT800 in a micro, I would consider the GK Mb800 (it is a hammer, and seems more reliable than their full weight amps) or the TecAmp Puma900 (which has similar wump, but is less aggressive in the upper mids and treble and a bit more controlled down low).

I've played an Eden Metro with an SWR Goliath II since '97 and was very happy with the flexibility of the amp...I grew VERY tired of the weight of it (200 lbs) and set out to upgrade my rig last year.

After much research, I settled on the Genz Benz ShuttleMax 9.2 through a pair of Baer ML-112's and I have NEVER been happier with the sound, tonal flexibility and weight (80 lbs) of my rig

Good luck with your search

I was thinking something like this, only a WTDI pedal and Streamliner 900 - that way, run the pedal into the power amp section for the Eden sound, or if he wanted to go "old school" tone, go straight into the amp... I'm actually thinking about doing something like that with my Streamliner, and debating between the Eden pedal or the Aguilar pedal...


- georgestrings

Lots of good suggestion, but if you want "transparent", none of those heads really does it (nor does the WT800 IME). I'd go with WTDI pedal and a new fangled light power amp but the WTX will get you close in a smaller package. It does not sound like a Streamliner is anywhere remotely near your desired tone.

I was going to recommend the exact amp, but it's only 4 pounds :)http://www.genzbenz.com/?fa=detail&m...sid=715&cid=95

I was recommending the Shuttle Max 9.2, which is closer to the WT800's front end feature set.

However, I did overstate the weight, which is around 7 pounds. Same power section as the Shuttle 9.2, but MASSIVELY more tone control, dual channel, etc., and still as light as a micro.

I'm an Eden user in the same boat. I've been flirting with getting a GK MB head.
I bought a GK MB200 head as a "doughnut" spare head. It is a powerful little beast, and I actually dig its tone.

Let me know what you end up doing.

That boat seems to be getting crowded, I'm in that same boat also. Out of the micro heads out there, which one is closest to the WT sound? I would like to think it was the SWR amplite but I have not had a chance to try one.

I tried the WTDI and a power amp and that was not the answer for me. I'm thinking of putting my navigator with a Peavey IPR in a rack bag and calling it a day. Maybe not a true micro but lighter than that 6 space rack I have.

Any thoughts for a true World Tour Micro or something close to it?

If the Eden is what you like than I would stick with it. But there are so many bassist who changed and will convince you to go with a class D amp that I am curious as to when you do change over, please give your honest opinion as to what you think the change in sound has brought you.

I'd look at the cabs way way before the amp.