I want a Gk head, I know the 2001rb head has the most power outta these heads, and everything ive heard about this head is good. But im not looking for power or volume, im looking for tone. I want punchy'ness with crisp high's and smooth lows. In your guys opinion which outta these three heads delivers that the most, alot of people have the 700, for anyone that has owned this head or has played it, what's the tone like, different than the 2001 or 1001, I have an EBMM Stingray 4H and a Mesa 4x10 Powerhouse cab, tone wise what would sound better the 2001 or the 700, thanks for your help
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Gallien-Krueger, IYO what has the best tone 2001rb, 700rb,1001rb
- Thread starter stones18
- Start date
If you don't need power or volume, get the 700.
I have owned the 700 and the 1001, and returned my 700 within a week or two because of the headroom difference. It's a fine amp but didn't drive an 8x10 quite as well as the 1001 did.
They all sound almost exactly the same at lower volumes.
I have owned the 700 and the 1001, and returned my 700 within a week or two because of the headroom difference. It's a fine amp but didn't drive an 8x10 quite as well as the 1001 did.
They all sound almost exactly the same at lower volumes.
i bought the 700rbll for just the opposite reason,both sounded great but unless you play bigger venues you don,t push the 1001 hard enuff to really get the great tone they are both capable of. i guess it really depends or where you play. any of the bigger places we play i'm miced or use the direct out. i have never played through a 2001. i use the 700 with 2-115s or a 210-115
I've owned the 1001RB-II and the 2001RB. Both will be adequate for most people's power needs, in fact the 2001RB will far exceed most people's needs. That said, I can hear a difference between the 1001 and the 2001. The 2001, to my ears, sounds warmer and has this dry growl to it that I could never seem to recreate with the 1001RB-II.
A lot of folks will say the 700rbII and the 2001rbII sound warmer than the 1001rbII. I'm one of them. The downside to the 2001 is the weight and cost. The upsides are the OD channel, and the power options. You can drive just one of the poweramps and push it so that it warms up beautifully.
The 700rbII is simply awesome. Relatively light, low cost, and exceptionally warm. And because it's less power than the 1001, it's easier to hit the rails, yielding that beautiful GK growl.
Unless you're playing on huge stages with little to no pa support, or you're looking for super clean headroom, then the 700rbII is perfect.
I did the exact opposite of rpsands.... I returned a 1001 after a week. To dry and sterile for what I was doing. I will add however, the thing sounded awesome when you had the vol at 11:00, boost at 3:00, and master at 3:00 ..... through 2 410's..... but that was just too much. Turning those knobs down at all lost the growl. The 1001, to my ear, doesn't sound like the 700 at lower volumes... not at all.
Ljazz
The 700rbII is simply awesome. Relatively light, low cost, and exceptionally warm. And because it's less power than the 1001, it's easier to hit the rails, yielding that beautiful GK growl.
Unless you're playing on huge stages with little to no pa support, or you're looking for super clean headroom, then the 700rbII is perfect.
I did the exact opposite of rpsands.... I returned a 1001 after a week. To dry and sterile for what I was doing. I will add however, the thing sounded awesome when you had the vol at 11:00, boost at 3:00, and master at 3:00 ..... through 2 410's..... but that was just too much. Turning those knobs down at all lost the growl. The 1001, to my ear, doesn't sound like the 700 at lower volumes... not at all.
Ljazz
I've played 1001 and 2001 live in a band and 700 solo in a room, all of them going through Ampeg cabs, all clean tone. They sound exactly the same to my ears in that situation.
- Mar 24, 2003
- 809
- 2,523
- Disclosures
- Robert A. Gallien, President Gallien-Krueger
In doing this for over forty years I have learned that every amplifier has its sweet spot. There are unavoidable differences in the preamp/power interaction from model to model that are discernable to the well trained ear. That said for most people the major difference between my designs is the power level required to get growl. If you play smaller gigs you will never get a 2001 (1000W) to warm up like a 700 (500W) or for that matter an 800 (300W). So the most important thing to identify is the power you really need then choose the amplifier. The big touring bands often use a different head depending on the gig for that very reason. Thanks for choosing GK we will do all we can to make certain your purchase works for you. For more questions contact [email protected].
I've spent a lot of time with the 1001/700, and also a lot with a 2001 RBP. They all sound basically the same to me too. There was none of this "warmth" difference business people are talking about.
Smells like voodoo to me.
Edit: If you want to have lots of backup power, I would suggest getting a 1001 RB II with an 8 ohm cab. That should allow you to crank it as much as people are saying you ought to. Then add another 8 ohmer when you need to.
I thought it was voodoo as well... Until my guitar player and I sat down and did an A/B between the 2001 and the 1001. To both of our ears, the conclusion was that the 2001 had noticeably more warmth and as I stated before, a sort of dry growl (that's the best way I can describe it). Not the typical growl of a GK "hitting the rails" as Bob describes it. Something all together different that the 1001 simply couldn't achieve.
An excellent post right from the horses mouth
I remember years ago using one of the first versions of the 400 RB and it always without exception sounded better once it warmed up.
IMO the 700 I used in a permanent location sounded a bit warmer than the 1001 that I use in the same place now.
But I believe the difference is negligible.
Not to derail the thread or anything, but while we might still have your ear, have you ever spoken to anyone (besides me) who misses the foot-switchable feature of the boost control?
JKT
I agree about this, I don't associate warmth with 'growl' but rather the tonal quality and timbre of the note and I do this when playing clean.
I have an early model 1001RB (not the II) with lower power, 540W.
I play in a LOUD band and I don't feel like I've even come close to hitting the rails of this amp, and I don't think I've heard that GK growl.
I would recommend an 800RB or or 700RB depending on how much clean headroom and power you think you will need.
I play in a LOUD band and I don't feel like I've even come close to hitting the rails of this amp, and I don't think I've heard that GK growl.
I would recommend an 800RB or or 700RB depending on how much clean headroom and power you think you will need.
If you've got one to give, I'd love to review it for you.
I'll return it, I swear!
I have the non-II 1001 as well and at first I was really disappointed with the fact that it had so much more head room than my BL250. I loved the growl that came from my BL.
To the OP, the guy that ran the studio we recorded in had an 800RB that was his BABY. IMO, it was the perfect compromise for volume VS growl between the 700 and the 1001. I have found my perfect spot on my 1001 now (Woofer @12 o'clock and Volume @ 1 o'clock w/ Boost @11) to make it drive just a bit more and give some warmth. Now I use pedals for my dirt, and for on the fly growl I just max the vloume knob on the bass and wank a little harder.
Summation:
The 1001 may be a bit too much headroom for a 4x10 to growl but you can make it growl with some creative knob tweaking. I looked at it as if I ever change cab configurations, the 1001 would always be enough power for me.
I've heard the 700 and the BL600 push 8x10s well, I just decided not to go that route because I needed a 4 ohm rated amp. These amps would be easier to growl for your current rig.
I think a good used 800 would be a great compromise in the power to headroom department.
I've had the 100RB-II for about 4 years now, and I absolutely love it.
Don't get me wrong. I'd prefer an SVT Classic any day of the week, but my GK has held up like a true champ through 4 years of countless gigs and rehearsals, is really versatile soun-wise...which I need since I play multiple styles of music with several bands, and in my opinion is the warmest solid state tone I've heard. As close to tubes as you can get.
Don't get me wrong. I'd prefer an SVT Classic any day of the week, but my GK has held up like a true champ through 4 years of countless gigs and rehearsals, is really versatile soun-wise...which I need since I play multiple styles of music with several bands, and in my opinion is the warmest solid state tone I've heard. As close to tubes as you can get.
+1, obviously
I owned a 2001RB for a number of years and never was able to get it to "hit the rails" the way i wanted. I tried a 700 set at around the volume I usually prefer and it had a much more pleasing grind to it. To me, these amps really warm up once you get them to overdrive a bit. On the 2001RB, I would run it with the boost absolutely cranked, which added a bit of necessary warmth. That said, the second channel on the 2001RB is pretty fantastic if you need it, though you could always just get a 700 or 1001 and add a diesel dawg pedal, which is the same exact circuit.
I now play an ashdown abm 500, which to my ears sounds much more pleasing than any of the GK models, but i still have fond memories of my 2001RB. I still wouldn't mind picking up a 700rb sometime to mess around with.
I used to have a 700RBII and that amp has enough volume for ANY situation. I did both indoor and outdoor gigs and never once had any issues with volume. I'm positive it's even powerful enough to use on the biggest stages in the world with no problem.
1001 with Ashdown 410 (8 ohms) and some boost does it for me. solid and deep with grind when you dig in (awesome dynamics) for more juice in bigger spaces I go to an
Ampeg 810e (St.Louis) and it's really all I could ever want. I have a 400 RBIV 210 combo
for the smaller jobs.
Ampeg 810e (St.Louis) and it's really all I could ever want. I have a 400 RBIV 210 combo
for the smaller jobs.
