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are three heads better than one ?

chaak

chaak

Apr 25, 2013
709
722
now here
#1
Hey all,

I am considering purchasing a Gallien-Krueger 700RB-II . I already own an Epifani Ul 501 which is an extremely Hi Fi head that does not color my bass signal.

I have an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 which leans more towards the midrange (providing a lot of growl) .

I know that Gallien Kruegers are usually known for their scooped voicing. the polar opposite of the Aguilar.

I play in a Rock Fusion band. the purchase is not out of need (sort of, it can always be justified) but I just like to have different amp heads that are voiced differently.

Basses i use:

5 strings Spector (very growly) even with mids cut out
4 strings Fender Precision AVRI (pairs extremely well with the Aguilar TH 500)


the money can go to fund a bass i have been GASing for years a G&L L-2000 (american made)
and would the G&L provide this scooped sound that my other two basses dont almost do that well ?


your opinions are appreciated.

Thanks
 
#2
If you're interested, I'd say go for it. Even more so if you find one decently priced on the used market in which case you can flip it without losing anything. You probably won't want to though.

I picked up a 700RB as something of an impulse buy at one point years ago. That was actually my second 700RB after selling the first years earlier. Looking back it was a great decision.
 
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#3
Are you playing these amps together and trying to achieve some kind of balance between the amps you have now by adding a third amp?
If so I would suggest you find a single amp that sounds they way you like it to sound.

OTOH, if you play these amps separately and are just looking for amp #3 that has a different voicing than what you currently have, then I say go for it.
 
#4
Old Garage-Bander said:
Are you playing these amps together and trying to achieve some kind of balance between the amps you have now by adding a third amp?
If so I would suggest you find a single amp that sounds they way you like it to sound.

OTOH, if you play these amps separately and are just looking for amp #3 that has a different voicing than what you currently have, then I say go for it.
Click to expand...
hello and thanks for the reply it is actually the latter, i play these amps separately and i am just looking for amp #3
 
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#6
chaak said:
Hey all,

I am considering purchasing a Gallien-Krueger 700RB-II . I already own an Epifani Ul 501 which is an extremely Hi Fi head that does not color my bass signal.

I have an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 which leans more towards the midrange (providing a lot of growl) .

I know that Gallien Kruegers are usually known for their scooped voicing. the polar opposite of the Aguilar.

I play in a Rock Fusion band. the purchase is not out of need (sort of, it can always be justified) but I just like to have different amp heads that are voiced differently.

Basses i use:

5 strings Spector (very growly) even with mids cut out
4 strings Fender Precision AVRI (pairs extremely well with the Aguilar TH 500)


the money can go to fund a bass i have been GASing for years a G&L L-2000 (american made)
and would the G&L provide this scooped sound that my other two basses dont almost do that well ?


your opinions are appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...


If you like variety instead of a specific "tone", I say go for it. However, a bit of a warning: Collecting can be an addictive and extremely expensive hobby; so you may be entering the danger zone.

IMHO the three amps you list each have a unique and desirable voice. To my ears the RB series amps excel at growly/grindy rock tones. FYI, the mid scoop only occurs if you crank the Contour control. I rarely set this control higher than 9 o'clock and usually run it fully CCW (off) on my series I 700RB.

An observation...all of these heads are pure solid state. Perhaps you should consider a hybrid or all-tube design.
 
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#8
There's a thread going about GK heads.
Believe it or not the old rb series heads are the faves, they were made in the scoopy metal/rock era.
Later heads balance their mids in a way that dulls the "teeth and grind" GK heads are known for.
Others believe it's the transformers and power sections of the old heads that contribute to the "nang".

Go play a bunch of heads side by side and decide for yourself.
 
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#9
somebrains said:
There's a thread going about GK heads.
Believe it or not the old rb series heads are the faves, they were made in the scoopy metal/rock era.
Later heads balance their mids in a way that dulls the "teeth and grind" GK heads are known for.
Others believe it's the transformers and power sections of the old heads that contribute to the "nang".

Go play a bunch of heads side by side and decide for yourself.
Click to expand...

I own a MK1 400RB and owned a MK3. Some minor stuff and power capabilites aside they sound very similar. With everything except the Contour-Control at 12 o' clock both are relatively flat with a slight mid boost. The newer one goes lower, which is nice with lower tuned basses, and has slightly more top end.
A big advantage on the newer GK RB heads is the Contour-Control as opposed to the Switch which is unusable imo, as it only has full on scoop or no scoop at all.
 

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