A costly night... GK went boom!

[Anemic_SluG]

ok so last nights gig was a fire extinguisher away from being the trifecta of doom!
Just looking for what you would do in this situation.
First off my GK 1001rb ii started making weird distortion sounds and then phasing sound, then smelled like an electronics fire.
Secondly a 115 iii neo cab only has a working horn left and blew a internal fuse.

I have never been overwhelmed with the sound out of this setup, but like the reliability of solid state and the sure power it delivered.
I now however am faced with some choices.
1. Use it as a boat anchor
2. Get it fixed (out of warranty and you can get a used 1001 for relatively cheap.) and see how long it lasts.
3. Sell everything broken with the second working cabinet to someone who wants a project.

It's so frustrating to have gear go down because it's expensive. So trying to figure out if I cut my losses and move on. Have no idea what the cost for repair is going to be.

Thx

 

[theduke1]

Sell it all and go Genzler Amplification . Jeff's stuff is amazing .
Good luck
Duke

 

[Anemic_SluG]

I think if I go new it will be MESA. But I do like the look of those bass arrays.
I am looking for a 90's rock svt 810 sound but don't want the weight.

 

[rufus.K]

Find the next head of your dreams. used cabs are plentiful and cheap

 

[matti777]

Fix the GK if you like it (assuming its not totaled) and find cabs that suit you better.

 

[BobKos]

There are still lots of Black Friday deals going on. I just got out of Carvin's site a little while ago with a BX500 & foot switch for $300. I thought it was a pretty cool deal. They have a bunch of cool deals going on. Guitar center has 15% off anything with their code. I'm sure other places have similar deals. I would get a new amp at least. Speakers can be fixed if the design is up to the task. Will you ever really trust an amp that went up in smoke and was put back together?

 

[BusyFingers]

Perhaps the cab had issues first that led to load issues with the amp?

 

[two fingers]

Paging
@BassmanPaul
@line6man
@agedhorse
@B String

One of them will be along shortly to ask you some really good questions that may help narrow down what happened. Don't forget to say thank you. Between them there's about 200 years of amp design/repair experience.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I will go out on a limb and suggest that it may have had an output
transistor short, putting DC on the speaker and taking it down with it.
In and of itself, not a huge repair.
The catch is that may not be the whole story.
I'd get it checked out to see just how bad the news really is.
Then you can decide what to do about it.

 

[Wandering Bass]

EDIT: Nevermind, my reading comprehension may still be feeling the excess eggnog from the weekend.

 

[Eric Swaim]

Gear going down is never a good thing. In my 37 years of playing I hAve had a few bass heads and cabs crap out. Unless it's an expensive piece out of warranty I probably would not get it fixed. Usually around $75 hour bench time plus parts.

I personally always like the Peavey bass amps from the 1980's and 1990's. It's always reliable but heavy "more sound per pound". I like SWR gear from the 1990's. It's top notch "pro" gear and I would have it repaired if I ever had an issue.

Bottom line get what you can afford and does the job for your gigs.

Good luck, feel free to call me if you have any questions, I have owned tons of bass amps and cabs through the years.

 

[Anemic_SluG]

Gear going down is never a good thing. In my 37 years of playing I hAve had a few bass heads and cabs crap out. Unless it's an expensive piece out of warranty I probably would not get it fixed. Usually around $75 hour bench time plus parts.



I personally always like the Peavey bass amps from the 1980's and 1990's. It's always reliable but heavy "more sound per pound". I like SWR gear from the 1990's. It's top notch "pro" gear and I would have it repaired if I ever had an issue.

Bottom line get what you can afford and does the job for your gigs.

Good luck, feel free to call me if you have any questions, I have owned tons of bass amps and cabs through the years.

Thanks. This amp is nothing I am in love with. It was very workable and did he job, but not tone utopia for me.

Funny thing is my late 80's peavey megabass and 1516 cab will be put into service, and is still going strong.

Just feeling frustrated like anyone would so even getting it fixed, I don't know if I would keep it around.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

 

[gumtown]

Put out the fire with a bucket of gasoline !!!

 

[Bassquest]

Perhaps the cab had issues first that led to load issues with the amp?

Yes, figure it out before you fix it. See what a tech says.

 

[Spent]

I had a 1001 burn up during a Halloween gig once, real flames and all. I got a degree in electrical engineering a long time age, but immediately went back to school to study math and never used it. I did end up being able to read a schematic and fixed a bunch of gear over the years. When I opened it, it looked pretty fried, but I had another amp so I decided to attempt a repair. I contacted GK and the tech was amazing. We emailed back and forth for over a week as I attempted to determine the problem. This story is getting long, so I'll jump to the end. Not worth the repair even though I only needed to invest in parts; too much work and no guarantee it wouldn't happen again. I ended up buying an MB500 and was happy with that until I discovered the Genz-Benz Shuttle series. I now have two and haven't considered another amp for the past three years.

 

[agedhorse]

You might give the GK factory a call and see what their in-house service guys can do. From what I have seen, they do a pretty good job supporting their older gear.

 

[jwr]

I'm also having issues with my GK 1001 RB II. Odd and annoying. It's humming like a mofo.

 

[Doug Parent]

ok so last nights gig was a fire extinguisher away from being the trifecta of doom!
Just looking for what you would do in this situation.
First off my GK 1001rb ii started making weird distortion sounds and then phasing sound, then smelled like an electronics fire.
Secondly a 115 iii neo cab only has a working horn left and blew a internal fuse.

I have never been overwhelmed with the sound out of this setup, but like the reliability of solid state and the sure power it delivered.
I now however am faced with some choices.
1. Use it as a boat anchor
2. Get it fixed (out of warranty and you can get a used 1001 for relatively cheap.) and see how long it lasts.
3. Sell everything broken with the second working cabinet to someone who wants a project.

It's so frustrating to have gear go down because it's expensive. So trying to figure out if I cut my losses and move on. Have no idea what the cost for repair is going to be.

Thx

Mesa D800+ and two Subway cabs. Call it a day. Mesa Reliability and that head is a beast.

 

[JGbassman]

Thanks. This amp is nothing I am in love with. It was very workable and did he job, but not tone utopia for me.

Funny thing is my late 80's peavey megabass and 1516 cab will be put into service, and is still going strong.

Just feeling frustrated like anyone would so even getting it fixed, I don't know if I would keep it around.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

Ironic.

I had a GK mb800 go down, and have been using an 86 peavey megabass as an amp until I get my amp issues sorted out. It seems (unlike GK) you just can't kill those things.

 

[Solarmist]

My GK BL600 has been failing as of late, (it is 10 years old) so I've taken advantage of the 20% off sale at Carvin ... picked up a BX700 for $359.

It's still going on - you might want to take a peek, and see what they have.