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Ampeg rig to a GK rig: What can I expect?

Yes, but what's this thread about? Opinion. He wasn't stating a fact.



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.


Re-read YOUR post!!!

Wait- I kinda think it's you looking foolish, er sounding, that is...!:D

Original stoopid quote:

"useable tone instaed (sic) of mush"

Post crap-ola like that, and you're just sticking your chin out, ASKING for a whuppin'.
And then...you gets your smack-down and..... whine????!!!:crying:
Like a bay-bee while saying you're "all grown-up"???!!

NAAAAH.....


Here, digest:
OPINION: "I THINK that (xxxxxxx) sounds a bit (xxxxxx) for my style and approach; I prefer (xxxxxxx)".
Not bad.

STOOPIDITY: "Duh, All (xxxxxxx) sounds like (xxxxxxx)!"
Stoopid.

See the difference?
Now that it's been made clear to you and your "soft spot",
I hope the uncalled for anger you experienced is quelled in your, um...opinion.:hyper:
 
As the OP of this thread, I have noticed the trend that players believe Ampeg amps are warm, angry, aggressive, and classic sounding. Players also believe that GK amps are modern, hi-fi, punchy, and loud sounding. Is this an accurate depiction?

I'd like to hear more from people who do not have a bias toward one company or the other, and people who have experience with both companies.

Wow this thread got long quickly!

My main amp is the SVP-PRO, but I've been using the little 400RB more and more. Mostly for low volume practice, but also for blues jams - where I would expect to prefer the tube amp.

What I've found is some basses sound better with each amp, depending on the wood. I like the Ampeg with harder/punchier woods like maple, ash, and basswood. The GK adds a lot more punch and clarity to softer woods like mahogany and poplar. Think Dave Ellefson with his mahogany BCR's or poplar Jackson thru the GK rig.

The GK boost control sounds really really good. Without the hassle of matching gain levels to get the tube threshold just right. If I really want to warm it up for a tubier tone (and don't want to carry the lead sled), I'll use the tubesim mode on the EBS Multicomp running into the GK.

For all-out distortion there's no subsitute for Ampeg. Except maybe a Marshall. :bassist:

Which god are we talking about here? :p

Obviously it's a fact that anyone can tell we're talking about the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

:D
 
See the difference?
Now that it's been made clear to you and your "soft spot",
I hope the uncalled for anger you experienced is quelled in your, um...opinion.:hyper:

Yeah, I had a burrito. I'm in a pretty good mood now. :D

Anyhow... they're both opinions. One's just more PC. :p

The question is whether or not you will take offense to that. If you always remember that such overgeneralized claims are opinions, then there isn't much to get mad about. The "reading it with a grain of salt" rule applies.

Personally, I typically take offense to one of three things:

1) Insulting someone else because of their opinion on gear.
2) Unabashed arrogance (going well beyond the "xxx gear is superior to all other gear" maniacs on TB).
3) Typos.

You owe me two alopogies. :smug:

...wait... uh...

Damn. Nevermind. :D
 
did anyone else see this thread going this direction? it's like a j vs. p, or active vs. passive, or 4 vs. 5, or beer vs. whiskey. i can't imagine being so ignorant to good sound to argue which particular piece of equipment sounds 'better' than another then insult someone through the internet because his view is different than what i believe to be fact. it's all good people, just a bit different. heck, i even like the sound of the drums, not just the beat, now don't get me started on that stoopid clarinet.
 
Yeah, I had a burrito. I'm in a pretty good mood now. :D

Anyhow... they're both opinions. One's just more PC. :p

The question is whether or not you will take offense to that. If you always remember that such overgeneralized claims are opinions, then there isn't much to get mad about. The "reading it with a grain of salt" rule applies.

Personally, I typically take offense to one of three things:

1) Insulting someone else because of their opinion on gear.
2) Unabashed arrogance (going well beyond the "xxx gear is superior to all other gear" maniacs on TB).
3) Typos.

You owe me two alopogies. :smug:

...wait... uh...

Damn. Nevermind. :D

Glad you enjoyed your burrito, you didn't need to flatulate that response however.

You don't get it. So understand this:

I owe you nothing.

:spit:
 
I went to GC tonight just out of boredom, and tried both a GK 1001 (through unknown cab), an SVT VR (through the 810) and a couple markbasses, all with a fender Marcus Miller. The SVT surprised me because it wasn't mushy at all as the stereotype goes, but could actually be set up to be quite snappy. Problem was, I couldn't really get a tone that I liked out of it (granted, I was slapping). It had a rocker switch for ultra high or something like that, and with it off, it sounded kind of dead, and with it on, it was kind of harsh. Maybe with a different bass, different style, etc.

Was really impressed with the markbass (not sure of the model, it was 500w with a tube compressor) and the GK is always a reliable one for me. I'm looking to replace my current head, and one of these two will probably be the one.

Of course, this all depends what you are looking for. I like a kind of hifi tone.
 
You know, I've been thinking about an important distinction between the two brands that no one has really touched upon... complexity/simplicity of controls.

TBH, I don't really jump into many Ampeg threads. But I do read a few from time to time. I never see any threads about being confused by the controls on an SVT-CL. Sometimes the SVT Pro series heads, but still uncommon.

Meanwhile, I see threads all the time about people getting confused by GK tone controls. The biggest issue tends to be with people who misunderstand how the Boost circuit works, and don't use the Boost knob at all - a total mistake if you're trying to dial in what makes GK amps great. A lot of people who are fairly new to GK mistake it for an overdrive knob. It can do that, of course, but it's not what it was specifically designed for.

Anyhow... Warpeg, you're used to the complexity of an SVT-4 PRO, so I don't think you'll struggle much with a 1001RB-II. But there's still a learning curve - it's not going to be what you're used to in terms of controls.

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So if you're going to go for that trade, be sure to read up on a few GK threads just to get a feel for how to approach the setup of your tone. GK amps are designed to push their poweramps in order to get the "GK sound", unlike the SVT-4 PRO where pushing the poweramp isn't a good idea.

Think of it as like your SVT-2 PRO instead, except the Master on the GK provides some clean volume, while cranking the Boost gives you most of your volume, and will get you that "pushed poweramp" feel. Setting the Boost at 12:00 and adjusting it from there is a good place to start.