Yep. All the heads and cabs (except Backline, and I believe Goldline, too) are made in California at their Stockton, CA headquarters.
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Ampeg rig to a GK rig: What can I expect?
- Thread starter Warpeg
- Start date
Yep. All the heads and cabs (except Backline, and I believe Goldline, too) are made in California at their Stockton, CA headquarters.
Anyone that can only get mush out of an Ampeg either has only played one for three minutes in a music store or does not know how to get a good sound out of an amp period. Ampeg SVT's were a revolution when they first came out, they were the first modern bass amps. They started making 8 x 10's in 1969, about 20 years or more ahead of anyone else except for Marshall and those were guitar cabs. All sealed 2 x 10's, 4 x 10's etc. got their idea from SVT's 4 separate sealed chambers design in their SVT cabs. They were also the first to have switched tone centers for the tone controls.
All Ampeg since 1976 but have enough experience with GK to know they can sound good also, in fact sterile is not a word that comes to mind when I think of them, they can be pretty warm too especially for a SS amp..
I totally agree. I run a 1001rbII into a GK neo 212 and I can get just about any tone - from super clear treble/mids grind style to super fat/warm and everything in between. Now I'm not a GK fan boy by any means, just about all of my favorite bands use the classic SVT+fridge setup and I love the tone....just can't really afford it or navigate it up two flights of stairs to my apartment everytime I take it out somewhere. I wound up buying GK b/c it was professional gear that I could actually afford and dial in a tone thats good for me pretty quickly - even these days I'll go "tone hunting" on my amps EQ and just about anywhere you place the knobs you can get a good tone (besides of course too much treble which can be a problem for any amp).
When I was still shopping around I also kinda felt like no matter what bass I plugged into the Ampeg they all kinda sounded the same - not hating by any means, it just seems like there is more variety to be dialed in with a GK.
To the OP: Before you settle on another 810 you should really check out the GK neo 412 (or two 212's). They are pretty great at covering the 10inch and 15inch realm with ease. This is the first 12inch cabinet I've ever used and I don't think I'll be going back to 10's anytime soon.
Edit: I think when people call GK's sterile is when they play it/hear it with the boost knob off or close to it - I don't like the sound of my amp at all when its set that low either. It really needs to be (for my taste) set to 12 o' clock at least - if you crank it all the way up you can get a super warm/round/fat sound.
I completely agree with this. I just discovered how good 12"s are. Two 2-12" cabs stacked vertically would kill every bit as well as an 8-10".
In response to y'all saying Gk dont use Eminence speakers. Tbh you may be right, but when I was listing companies that use OEM eminence drivers I got stuck quickly and went here.
That picutre seems to say GK use Eminence bit it could be out of date, only apply to some lines, who knows?
Noone sue me for libel.
That picutre seems to say GK use Eminence bit it could be out of date, only apply to some lines, who knows?
Noone sue me for libel.
EDIT: My original post here was rather harsh, so here's my attempt to make up for it.
To clarify for those who don't know what makes OEM speakers unique: They're custom-built speakers built en-masse according to the specific design provided by the manufacturer. In other words, it's contracted work: Eminence builds them for GK.
Here's a post from an old thread about GK's Neo speakers, back when Daniel Elliott was on their staff:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3578683&postcount=3
So yeah, GK uses Eminence. But not their usual speakers - rather, custom-built ones that are not like the usual Eminence lines at all. That's why you'll see GK's speakers listed as Paragons - they're technically GK's design, but they didn't physically manufacture the speakers themselves. That sort of work is left to a manufacturer with the proper facilities to build them.
It's a lot like the instrument strings industry; there are plenty of brands of strings, but fewer manufactuers that make them. Some, like DR, run their own manufacturing operations. Others contract the work.
Jimmy.... PEEK-A-BOO....
How you be?
I've been using 12's for my rig since about 1980. Will never use anything else. My first cab with 12's was a 4x12 cab I made (I'm a cabinet maker by trade...don't do that work anymore though) using Electro-Voice plans. It housed 4 Series II 200 watt 12 L's and when it was finished, I did a side-by-side comparison with an Ampeg 8x10 SVT cab and my cab blew the SVT cab away for gain and tone. Now I use 2 Aguilar GS-112's and they are truly awesome.
Sorry about the de-railment... )-(
I own and use 2 older 540 watt GK 1001 RB's and after 6 years, that amp still amazes me every night that I gig.
I use 2 Aquilar 1x12 cabs so I don't know how the GK cabs sound, but I would highly recommend the GK amps. I owned an early 70's Ampeg SVT complete rig (head & cab) so I'd like to think that I know what good bass tone is. And that amp had excellent bass tone. And I owned an Ampeg SVT 3-Pro when they first came out and I liked that, too. Although there is no comparison between those 2 Ampegs, I don't care what Ampeg said about the 3-Pro having a "tube pre-amp section".
But I would put my GK's up against any amp. I've never had any problems with lack of power on outdoor gigs even without going thru the PA. And the "tweakability" of the tone section is infinite. If you can't get a righteous tone anytime with a GK 1001 RB, you can't get a tone with anything. And I will agree with a former poster's reply that the secret to the GK amps is that Boost Control. It not only gives you a little more gain, but it can really open up the midrange. IMHO, you can't go wrong with a GK. )-(
I use 2 Aquilar 1x12 cabs so I don't know how the GK cabs sound, but I would highly recommend the GK amps. I owned an early 70's Ampeg SVT complete rig (head & cab) so I'd like to think that I know what good bass tone is. And that amp had excellent bass tone. And I owned an Ampeg SVT 3-Pro when they first came out and I liked that, too. Although there is no comparison between those 2 Ampegs, I don't care what Ampeg said about the 3-Pro having a "tube pre-amp section".
But I would put my GK's up against any amp. I've never had any problems with lack of power on outdoor gigs even without going thru the PA. And the "tweakability" of the tone section is infinite. If you can't get a righteous tone anytime with a GK 1001 RB, you can't get a tone with anything. And I will agree with a former poster's reply that the secret to the GK amps is that Boost Control. It not only gives you a little more gain, but it can really open up the midrange. IMHO, you can't go wrong with a GK. )-(
I wonder if some really undertand how versatile a GK amp can be. I know I speak as a GK fan but the active EQ sections are just so responsive in these amps I find it a little curious when some pigeonhole the line as being "modern" sounding.
I am still discovering combinations and nuances between the pre, boost, and master levels.
JKT
Sorry to hear you have chops/technique that make Ampegs sound like...
"mush"
You're entitled to your tastes, but-
Those kind of incendiary comments are what makes TB seem stoopid sometimes...
I see you use a Neo-Pak...so do I! For rehearsals, small rooms. Sounds great. Luv it. But for bigger rooms, my 3-PRO does the trick FOR WHAT I DO...And it doesn't sound mushy to me, or a few other Ampeg users I know of...Say George Porter, e.g. Yeah, his tone, pure "mush"...
Grow up, dude.
Dude, I am plenty grown. I have used a lot of gear. I simply commented that in my experience, Ampeg stuff has not sounded good. I don't think it was an incendiary remark. It wasn't intended to be. It was my opinion about the much loved and worshiped Ampeg. I don't think it sounds good and I can have that opinion. You can have yours. Way to take the low road though, and insult my playing ability without ever hearing me play. Keep TB stoopid.
Yes, but what's this thread about? Opinion. He wasn't stating a fact.
No one cares about your playing ability either.
YOU don't sound good playing Ampeg- wow. Alert the media.
Ummm...I do, and apparently so do a lot of other players who choose to use it "dude"!
Re-read your post. If anyone's looking foolish right now, it'd be you.
Even I, a die-hard GK fan, will always have a soft spot for Ampeg. Some of their heads do sound great. But the sort of attitude and opinions you're expressing as an Ampeg fan are going to make a lot of people angry.
I'm not saying this because I love GK - I'm saying this because your attitude is uncalled for and has a poor justification.
Emmmmm, yes. Thats actually how I knew what to look for.
Not that that was ever in debate, we were talking about rigs with a little side tangent about speaker manufacturers.
Boo, you seem a little tighly wound with some of these posts and youre coming across as plain mean, I guess some people in here are getting a bit riled up on both sides. hell, we have almost the same rig and tonal preferences so what difference does it really make about speakers?
I used both very regularly (GK 1001 RB II and Neo 212) and I still use an SVT 4 Pro and SVT810. As far as warmth I honestly think they're pretty similar. GK has an overdrive/tube emulation circuit that is very nice. Both have pretty good track records as far as reliability (but the Ampeg gear was pre LOUD and pre-exported manufacturing). GK is definitely more modern and more high-fidelity. With the EQ set flat you will get an accurate amplified signal of your bass. My complaint with the GK cabinets were that the tweeters were very harsh and brittle. Even with a little tweeter turned on, I could hear a lot of fret.
The Ampeg stuff is more traditional and bassy. With both EQ's set flat the biggest difference between the two is the attack and responsiveness. The Ampeg is kind of slow where the GK is very snappy. The Ampeg has some good qualities (i.e. vintage bassy tone) but they stink for slap play (Victor doesn't use the classic series cabinets).
Overall, both are great rigs and IMO you can't go wrong with either. GK will be more portable and easier to transport though. I also think GK is more versatile. You can dial in a lot more varieties of sound with them where Ampeg is kind of a one trick pony. If you are a rocker and will always be a rocker.. go Ampeg. If you think you might branch out into other types of gigs and bass sounds, go GK. It's all up to you and your preference, this has just been my experience with both.
I thought I should add that for the majority of my gigs I am now using a MarkBass LMII and a Schroeder 1212 cabinet. Lightweight, portable and good sounding. I'm not bashing GK though.
The Ampeg stuff is more traditional and bassy. With both EQ's set flat the biggest difference between the two is the attack and responsiveness. The Ampeg is kind of slow where the GK is very snappy. The Ampeg has some good qualities (i.e. vintage bassy tone) but they stink for slap play (Victor doesn't use the classic series cabinets).
Overall, both are great rigs and IMO you can't go wrong with either. GK will be more portable and easier to transport though. I also think GK is more versatile. You can dial in a lot more varieties of sound with them where Ampeg is kind of a one trick pony. If you are a rocker and will always be a rocker.. go Ampeg. If you think you might branch out into other types of gigs and bass sounds, go GK. It's all up to you and your preference, this has just been my experience with both.
I thought I should add that for the majority of my gigs I am now using a MarkBass LMII and a Schroeder 1212 cabinet. Lightweight, portable and good sounding. I'm not bashing GK though.
Sorry about that, Jack... I didn't mean to include you in that rhetorical question.
But yeah, I guess I did get a little too edgy in this thread.
I think I need a lunch break.
I don't know why people bash Eminence? They are a good solid, American made speaker that is widely used in a variety of bass cabinets. Chances are 85% of the TBers have Emminence speakers in their cabinets and don't know it.... 
No, YOU were "stoopid" because you posted as an absolute that Ampeg is mush.
Your opinion, NOT fact.
No one cares about your playing ability either.
YOU don't sound good playing Ampeg- wow. Alert the media.
Ummm...I do, and apparently so do a lot of other players who choose to use it "dude"!
I did not post an absolute. It was opinion. Apparently the poster cared enough about my ability - whatever that is or isn't - to attack it without hearing it. The rest is...whatever.
Here... re-read your own nonsense, then spout off.....
I don't believe I was "spouting off" in any post.
I am done. I don't usually get into it online like this with people but this one had to be cleared up a bit. Sorry to de-rail the thread.
Carry on...
Well look, that's the guy's opinion, that's the guy's opinion. He shouldn't have to put "WARNING: OPINION COMING" when he states his opinion. Anyone can tell the difference between an opinion and fact. It just so happens his opinion is wrong and the fact is that Ampeg tube amps sound like God Himself playing bass, but that's OK...even God couldn't please everyone 
Is that a fact?
It just so happens his opinion is wrong and the fact is that Ampeg tube amps sound like God Himself playing bass, but that's OK...even God couldn't please everyone
Yahweh?
Allah?
The Lord?
Jesus?
Huitzilopochtli?
L. Ron Hubbard?
Which god are we talking about here?
