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Cool GK experience and a question

gustobassman

gustobassman

I'm only here for the after party..
Supporting Member
Mar 31, 2011
4,874
15,605
Sandy Eggo
Disclosures
Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
#1
I've owned a GK 800RB since about 2000 and it was my main amp for a long time. About a year ago i switched to a Streamliner 900 and the GK has sat in its rack doing nothing.

I had a gig at the Viper Room in Hollywood this past monday and they have a backline with a GK 700RBII and a GK NEO 810. I actually downloaded the manual before the gig since i was unfamiliar with that head. I was floored by the sound! The 700RBII really had a sweet tone! I never experienced that "sound" with my 800RB. It sounded fantastic through the Neo 810.

So my question is... do the new GK micro's have "that" tone? Or was it just a fantastic combination of the Neo 810 and the 700RBII? I've been intrigued by the GK micros since they've come out (the MBFusion 800 has caught my eye now) but i haven't gone down that road because i've pretty much grown bored of the sound of the 800RB. Do the sound of the micros resemble the 700/1001RBII or is it closer to the 800RB?
 
#3
B-string said:
The 800RB is unique in the G-K line with it's low end roll off.
Click to expand...

So it is tonally different from the 700/1001RB series? I play 5 string and i really noticed a great low end extension engaging the "4/5 string button" on the 700RBII. Do the micros have this same sonic character?
 
#6
Unrepresented said:
You can pick up a 700rb fairly cheap. Any reason you're overlooking the obvious?
Click to expand...

No, not really. I'm very happy with my Streamliner, i'm kinda on the micro kick these days so i was trying to grasp what the GK micros sound like. I guess compared to the what the standard GK "lead sleds" ;) sound like.
 
#9
The MB series gets pretty deep if you want, with the fusion's having the lowest extension. The "String" switch is a speaker "killing" (care needed) low end boost that only the RB series have though.
The MB definetly sound deeper than the 800RB, MB 800 slays cabs if you are not careful ;).
 
#11
I have a 700RB-II and an MB-500, which I run through G-K Neo112 cabs. The RB sounds warmer and heavier, and IMO the difference is readily apparent if you A/B them with everything set flat. But the MB-500 can get pretty close to the sound I like from the 700 RB-II when I cut both treble and high mids to about 9:00. In a band mix, it does the G-K thing just fine and I love the portability, so I use it most of the time, but for optimum tone I prefer the RB.
 
#12
I'd had an 1001RB-II as my go-to head for years, which I sold to get an MB800 some time ago. One of the deciding factors for me was for the MB800 to sound like, or very close to the 1001RB-II, otherwise it was a deal breaker. After using both, I can definitely say it shares a very similar sound with the RB-II. The 1001RB-II is more 'tweakable', and has a beefier bottom, but in my opinion, not by that much! You can definitely get 'that' sound with this head. That being said, I've never used any of these heads with that specific cab, so that might be something you'd want to take into account. Also, i had to get used it's weight and dimensions, which feel weird when you think of the RB's tank-like construction. If you want a very comprehensive review of the head check out bass gear magazine's review of it. Link Removed All in all I've been very happy with the switch. Hope this helps.
 

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