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Brief word on the Genz - Benz "Shuttle"

#21
Unless proven otherwise, the designs, direction, and the players mentioned are all hypothetical at this time
OTOH, it would be amazing for such a great brand to be sold, killed, and brought back to its' original condition!
I can't recall any examples of this other than Fender becoming able to make good instruments after some issues approx. 25 years later.
 
#23
darn fine amp. i'm thinking of selling my 9.0 because i got a new amp that i like a ton, but i keep reconsidering holding onto the 9.0 as a backup. it is so small and light, and sounds darn fine. it seems a shame to unload it for the going street rate.
 
#25
SamJ said:
Awesome!
I had one for a week as a loaner amp while my GK 1001RB-II was coming, and I to say, I'm VERY impressed.... for $350ish street price, it's hard to beat this little head, and that Class D weight!
The tone form this thing was thunderous, punchy and clean as you'd ever want... I honestly had a hard time A/B with the GK until I began to explore some of the GK's added features.
So for anyone looking for a small, inexpensive, and light weight head, I highly recommend this. Only drawback is the styling and build quality felt "ok"... al though it was made in Taiwan and not China which is a huge bonus for me.
4.5 out of 5 stars for the price!
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JxBass said:
The Shuttle 9.0 was my main amp for quite awhile, my personal favorite of the GB line. Jeff's customer service was top notch.
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I love my Max 9.2 and my 900.. Those are the 3rd and 5th GB heads I have owned.. and the only reason I sold the others was to upgrade.. No major issue and what issue I did have with my 900 Andy hooked me up. Great heads and their CS was the absolute best I have seen on any product.. If they do come back I do hope that gthey are able to recreate that same level of quality..
 
#26
I've been cautiously optimistic after the sale of the company to the current owners this might happen. If someone with the credibility JimmyM has believes the companies return is eminent I think i can let myself be "Slightly" less cautious in my optimism"
 
#30
alaskaleftybass said:
One of life's big ironies is that the highly successful Bugera Veyron is a clone of the Genz Benz. There were even threads that showed the numerous similarities.
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I don't know that Behringer tried to clone a GB.
Mackie, Aphex, BBE, dbx, Drawmer, and Peavey did have legal issues with the company regarding trademark and patent infringements.
The FCC also sued and won regarding FCC compliance certifications.
Old news but it would seem easy to infringe on patents held by companies no longer in business.

BTW, their early rack mount compressors and parametric EQ's were excellent in sound quality; I just find that there is too much bad mojo to support their efforts.
 
#31
It just seems that GB has gone through some watering down as far as the brand itself goes with all the swapping and unless the original team was directly involved in the way they originally were from the beginning, I'd be a little wary. I know it's probably been beaten to death, but at the end of the day (and I'm sure someone will be around to set me straight here) the people at GB either couldn't maintain what they had going or decided the dollars on the table were worth more than keeping the ship floating. That doesn't take away from the original design or product by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn't exactly get me excited for a relaunch either. It will be some feat resurrecting any brand that stays out of the hands and off the lips of newer potential customers and old users for any considerable amount of time. There are lots of folks selling their GB's. What is going to make them buy another one? Will they even care after they've moved on and written them off?
 
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#32
Yeah-call me cynical, but my guess is that if the brand name is exhumed, they'll revive some of the lower end combos and cabs, with some further cost saving (and quality diminishing) measures. I hope I am wrong though.
 
#33
lomo said:
Yeah-call me cynical, but my guess is that if the brand name is exhumed, they'll revive some of the lower end combos and cabs, with some further cost saving (and quality diminishing) measures. I hope I am wrong though.
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Do they actually have "lower end combos and cabs?" I wasn't aware. Nothing I have seen them release in their relatively short history is "lower end." YMMV, IMHO, etc.
 
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#34
petrus61 said:
It will be some feat resurrecting any brand that stays out of the hands and off the lips of newer potential customers and old users for any considerable amount of time. There are lots of folks selling their GB's. What is going to make them buy another one? Will they even care after they've moved on and written them off?
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The first part of your post just didn't make even a little sense to me, so I can't address it, although I will say you are entitled to an opinion. But I can address this part, because I remember when people said the same thing about Ampeg when they came out with the PF series. Too little too late, they said. Ampeg missed the boat, they said. Next thing you know, they're the best-selling SS amps on the market. So if there's one thing I've learned while being on TB, it's that 99.99% of people on TB, if given a MI company to run, would bankrupt it within a year.
 
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#36
JimmyM said:
The first part of your post just didn't make even a little sense to me, so I can't address it, although I will say you are entitled to an opinion. But I can address this part, because I remember when people said the same thing about Ampeg when they came out with the PF series. Too little too late, they said. Ampeg missed the boat, they said. Next thing you know, they're the best-selling SS amps on the market. So if there's one thing I've learned while being on TB, it's that 99.99% of people on TB, if given a MI company to run, would bankrupt it within a year.
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Apples to oranges. Ampeg had decades of name recognition behind it and a status among users that was pretty much unrivaled. Even if they completely went away for 5 years, I firmly believe that no matter who owned it at the time of its resurrection, they'd have zero problems selling SVT's and other proven winners, such as the PF series. There will always be people that will buy an Ampeg because it says Ampeg. Not so much with GB whose following depends on the quality and reputation its users have come to depend on.

It's not about specific products, but about market visibility. The longer it takes GB to get back out there, the harder it will be for them to stay relevant, just like any company competing for market share, which obviously isn't anything near what Ampeg has. It's not rocket science, it's basic business 101. Out of sight, out of mind. Closing shop and shuffling around the key players doesn't exactly inspire buyer confidence. Believe it or not, more players are off TB than on and aren't privy to the inner workings at GB and its storied saga. Those are the players GB needs to reach and convince of their greatness. It's reputation is already solid here. I really do hope they return and kick ass.
 
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#37
I think the fact the Genz Benz brand gets as much discussion on here even after being discontinued for years shows there is still some demand for their products and their return to production would most likely be a reasonable business venture. Their products are affordable, Practicle and innovative and make sense for the average gigging player. iMo the bass amplification market is becoming very polarized, you have tons of budget gear that will get the job done that leaves plenty to be desired and more and more boutique or High end gear that 80% of us at least shouldn't be able to afford based on our needs but we buy it anyway. their business model falls bullseye in between and I'm confident if things make sense on the manufacturering and R&D end they could return and be profitable.
 
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#39
seang15 said:
Do they actually have "lower end combos and cabs?" I wasn't aware. Nothing I have seen them release in their relatively short history is "lower end." YMMV, IMHO, etc.
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I only mean "lower end" in comparison to their "high end" offerings. The Contour combos and Focus cabs were the least expensive parts of their lineup, although they were good pieces and not that cheap. However, compared to the Uber/NX2/Neox/Shuttle/Shuttlemax offerings, they were a notch or two less impressive.
 

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