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A costly night... GK went boom!

#21
Get a new amp, if it blew your speakers there's a serious problem with it. Several people in this thread chiming in with failing GKs... yikes! Looks like it's time to switch brands for your head.
As for the cab, that's an easy fix. Replace the fuse and drivers with OEM speakers and you're done. Looks like about a $150 fix, much cheaper and easier than buying a whole new cab.
 
#22
I've owned several GK setups, and decided I'm not a fan. At all. For a bunch of reasons. I'd go with something else. I'd also not go so much by what anybody (including myself) says here. We all have our favorites. Some people love GK :). That being said, after being through lots of various amps and cabs of all different sizes and prices, I'm happy with a Carvin BX700 and 2 Carvin 1X15s. It was incredibly inexpensive, it's small, light, louder than anything I ever need, and the most versatile setup I ever had.
 
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#26
Get what you need to reproduce the sound you hear in your head. You can spend a ton of your time and money on half-way solutions. At the end of it all you'll be able to say "yeah, I endured twenty years of unsatisfying sound, but look at the money I saved!"

Unless you don't care about how your gear sounds. Then it's moot.
 
#27
That's a rough gig.

The internal fuse is for the horn, so something isn't adding up.
The nice thing about GKs speakers is that they are readily available and fairly inexpensive. You can buy their drivers on their website. If you contact their technical support and supply them with the serial number of the cab and the model of the speaker (its usually a white sticker on the magnet,) they might help you out.

As for the head, that is a tougher call. The cost of repair might be close to buying another used one. GK might be able to help you out, even if its out of warranty. If you are going to email them about the speaker, ask them about that too.
 
#28
Anemic_SluG said:
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
Click to expand...

While I had this same head, and even though it lasted for around 6-7 years, when the head started having problems, it was one repair after another. It got to the point where I got sick of taking it to the shop, because different parts kept breaking. So, I gave up on traditional heads/cabs, and went with an in-ear system with a good di and maybe some effects (IF you frequently can utilize in-ears, which are a godsend, imo). Now, just for added on-stage boom, as well as actual amp/head simplicity, I bought a Hartke KB12. I also use that for the occasional little show that doesn't offer the in-ear option. Maybe you can get a bigger combo for bigger shows, if you go that route? The DI in my Hartke, btw, is pretty damn good, seeing as how our soundguy RAVED about it from the first time I used it, compared to my Radial ProDI (backup).
 
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#30
socialleper said:
That's a rough gig.

The internal fuse is for the horn, so something isn't adding up.
The nice thing about GKs speakers is that they are readily available and fairly inexpensive. You can buy their drivers on their website. If you contact their technical support and supply them with the serial number of the cab and the model of the speaker (its usually a white sticker on the magnet,) they might help you out.

As for the head, that is a tougher call. The cost of repair might be close to buying another used one. GK might be able to help you out, even if its out of warranty. If you are going to email them about the speaker, ask them about that too.
Click to expand...

I also switched the fuse with a good one from the other cab and no sound out of the speaker, just some garbled mess from the horn. The speaker may be good , but I didn't get into switching the whole crossover. Just put it aside and moved on.
 
#31
Anemic_SluG said:
ok so last nights gig was a fire extinguisher away from being the trifecta of doom!
Click to expand...
ouch! i don't have any particular advice (the other posters have covered that nicely, IMO), but just wanted to post some support. hope things get worked out --- and i'm glad you have alternatives in the meantime.

i have some GK gear (class D) and sometimes wonder when it might rain on my parade.....really don't want to worry about it, but your post is a reminder that things can go wrong in a hurry sometimes. good luck! :thumbsup:
 
#35
Anemic_SluG said:
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.
Click to expand...

I used to rotate out gear on a regular basis, but stopped at Mesa. Apparently it has whatever I was searching for, whatever that was. It doesn't sound like an SVT but it does sound amazing.
 
#36
I'm A GK guy and if it was me, I would either repair it, or get another one.
if you are not crazy about it, then just sell it and get something else.
out of curiosity, did you plug the cabinets with speaker cables or regular, I honestly had no idea that you are not supposed to use instrument cables until I joined TB.
 
#37
Anemic_SluG said:
I also switched the fuse with a good one from the other cab and no sound out of the speaker, just some garbled mess from the horn. The speaker may be good , but I didn't get into switching the whole crossover. Just put it aside and moved on.
Click to expand...
As a guy that has blown two of these 12" I'll give you a tip of something to try.
There are two braided leads the go from the speaker terminals to the voice coil. Pull the speaker out, but leave it connected, then at a low volume, pluck a note on your bass and gently move the leads. If the sound crackles in and out, the problem is a design defect that causes these to get damaged when the cone moves too much. GK should be willing to replace them at a lower cost if this is what happened.

It's pretty rare for a crossover board to go out unless something got on the board, it took a really bad fall (I mean like almost crack the wood hard,) or it was subjected to some outrageous temperatures.
 
#38
Anemic_SluG said:
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.
Click to expand...
The Megabass is my backup.....!!!!! Rock on
 
#39
bikeplate said:
Time to step up and get some reliable gear.
Click to expand...

What's funny is GK does have great gear, but apparently it doesn't last forever. Haha. That being said, for the price, it's damn good and can be easily replaced.

Now who do I send my GK to so I can get it fixed?

My Mesa is in the shop too!

I had to buy a THIRD back up amp. It's an Orange CR120H. Yea I know it's a guitar amp. It sounds great with my bass bros.
 
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#40
bassike said:
I'm A GK guy and if it was me, I would either repair it, or get another one.
if you are not crazy about it, then just sell it and get something else.
out of curiosity, did you plug the cabinets with speaker cables or regular, I honestly had no idea that you are not supposed to use instrument cables until I joined TB.
Click to expand...
Yeah using the GK speakon cables. All good there.
 

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