Double Bass Eden amp died beyond repair...

[Rebop]

I'm on a tight budget so I was thinking of buying a Behringer BX4500 or a GK Backline 600. I was using an Eden WT-300-B from 1994, it finally died and I don't have a backup amp. The amp I am buying now will be my backup amp until I can replace my main head. Any comments on either amp I'm looking at? I need a decent amount of power for very little money.

 

[fdeck]

Read my geeky review of the BL600 head, for some suggestions about dealing with the EQ on upright bass. While I am now using a Micro300, there was utterly nothing wrong with the BL600. It weighs about half of the BX4500. If you can get a used one, they go for around 200 bucks.

 

[robgrow]

Behringer is the CCB of amplifiers. The GK Backline series is at least supported by a very reputable company.

 

[Gearhead43]

Yes, and GK has been very popular with double bass players for quite a long time.

The Backline 600 is basically just a 400rb in a different box. I remember reading this on the BG amps forum.

 

[LyleRyan]

Read my geeky review of the BL600 head, for some suggestions about dealing with the EQ on upright bass. While I am now using a Micro300, there was utterly nothing wrong with the BL600. It weighs about half of the BX4500. If you can get a used one, they go for around 200 bucks.

Francis, if this is the review, I don't think the link to your site is working.

...Lyle

 

[Gearhead43]

It's right here:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[ToneRanger]

I've had nothing but pain from Behringer products. Power specs of amps are very over-rated. Their DI's are very noisy and unreliable. Their bass speakers have a nasty resonance that I couldn't get rid of. Some of their rack processors (compressors, EQs) are OK, and their cheap little mixers seem reasonable, but I've learnt the hard way that it's a brand to avoid - that's without even considering ethical issues of a company based on copying circuit designs...
Yep, go the GK.

How 'dead' is the old Eden? The WT300 has one of the sweetest preamps around. If the problem is just in the power amp stage, why not add a basic power amp?

 

[CrashClint]

I am not going to mince words here, but IMO the Behringer is garbage in and other situation besides your bedroom. It just doesn't stand up to heavy use. Thought the BL600 is a low end head and will not stand up to the abuse like their regular line it has the same features and gets really good tone. I have a BL250 I pushed to the limit and it still hangs in there.

 

[Rebop]

The WT-300 does have a great preamp, too bad the preamp is fried, and the power section is on its way out as well. Anyways, I was digging around at work and found a Peavey Firebass 700 head. Boss will let me have it for 200 bones. It will be good for a temporary amp, but man, it's heavy (51 lbs) compared to my Traveler.

 

[moles]

How fried is the pre section on the Eden? I always thought they were one amp that was always worth repairing, what with the split-up circuit board designs and all. For the money you'll spend on a cheaper combo (and probably not be that happy with it compared to the Eden) wouldn't that about cover repair costs?

 

[Rebop]

I'm in a jam and need a head quickly and inexpensively. Also, I've resoldered the capacitors twice on the board, (as recommended by Eden gurus) and even let my guitar player (who was a bench tech for samsung) give it a go and it still cuts out. I also tried bypassing the preamp section and the power section is cutting out as well (in a different way than the EQ clip, but still failing. Some other details are some charring near the 5watt capacitors on the preamp board and another leaky cap near them with some charring near it as well, no visible failure from the power section however). I will want to get this Eden fixed as it is the best head I have ever owned. The Peavey Firebass 700 seems ok from the reviews I've read, and it has enough power. The only thing I'm remotely worried about is being able to get my punchy-lowmid-walking-bass-in-a-loud-rock-band thing without feeding back. I guess once you own an Eden, It all comes down to the Preamp. It will be missed for sure as I have not used any other head for over a decade. Ugh, and I know I gotta be killer for that Halloween show on friday .

P.S. I've disliked just about every combo amp I've ever tried so those are out. Also I have little use for anything less than 350-400 watts.

 

[fdeck]

Behringer is the CCB of amplifiers. The GK Backline series is at least supported by a very reputable company.

Let's see, Creedence, Clearwater,

Chevy, Chrysler, Buick?

 

[moles]

I'm in a jam and need a head quickly and inexpensively. Also, I've resoldered the capacitors twice on the board, (as recommended by Eden gurus) and even let my guitar player (who was a bench tech for samsung) give it a go and it still cuts out. I also tried bypassing the preamp section and the power section is cutting out as well (in a different way than the EQ clip, but still failing. Some other details are some charring near the 5watt capacitors on the preamp board and another leaky cap near them with some charring near it as well, no visible failure from the power section however). I will want to get this Eden fixed as it is the best head I have ever owned. The Peavey Firebass 700 seems ok from the reviews I've read, and it has enough power. The only thing I'm remotely worried about is being able to get my punchy-lowmid-walking-bass-in-a-loud-rock-band thing without feeding back. I guess once you own an Eden, It all comes down to the Preamp. It will be missed for sure as I have not used any other head for over a decade. Ugh, and I know I gotta be killer for that Halloween show on friday .

P.S. I've disliked just about every combo amp I've ever tried so those are out. Also I have little use for anything less than 350-400 watts.

Ah, well I hear ya then. At some point it becomes less about "how much is this gonna cost me" than "how much of a PITA is this gonna be...".
Not sure why I started talking about combos. Been that kind of day.

 

[Rebop]

Let's see, Creedence, Clearwater,

Chevy, Chrysler, Buick?

"Cheap Chinese Bass"

Anywho, I just got the Peavey home and have been fiddling with it for about 20 minutes.
Here are my first impressions.
1. What; is this some kind of a joke?!?! [incoherent muttering] ...It's ugly; look-wise, tone-wise and not very user friendly. At least 8 of the 10 jacks and ports should be on the back instead of the faceplate. The power switch should be on the face, not the back. etc etc biamp-yuck etc etc need to get eden fixed asap etc etc
2. DDT button seems to do nothing. I already made my speakers sound like burning when my bass was at that magic uncontrollable feedback angle.
3. Sooooo bright!! Bleh.

All in all not a bad amp, just a useless, colorless EQ (very narrow it seems). Nuthin' a little tube preamp won't cure (I should have one anyways, but never needed one with the Traveler). Also, I'm sure my 4x10 cab would sound better than my 2x10 I'm using with it right now; but since the 4x10 doesn't fit in my car with the bass at the same time, it would be a moot point.

 

[robgrow]

I remember playing an Ampeg Baby Bass and a Kay with a pickup through a Peavey amp back in the early 70's. Both sounded equally bad. I hope you have better luck with your Peavey amp now.

 

[Standalone]

When I put my DB through my TNT 130 for the heck of it, I pretty much just accept that I'm going to roll off the highs and upper mids and low bass and just get an old school thud out of it. I happen to be okay with old school thuddiness, but I'm still at happy-to-have-my-intonation-masked phase of my development as a DB'er.

 

[von buck]

I'm in a jam and need a head quickly and inexpensively. Also, I've resoldered the capacitors twice on the board, (as recommended by Eden gurus) and even let my guitar player (who was a bench tech for samsung) give it a go and it still cuts out. I also tried bypassing the preamp section and the power section is cutting out as well (in a different way than the EQ clip, but still failing. Some other details are some charring near the 5watt capacitors on the preamp board and another leaky cap near them with some charring near it as well, no visible failure from the power section however). I will want to get this Eden fixed as it is the best head I have ever owned. The Peavey Firebass 700 seems ok from the reviews I've read, and it has enough power. The only thing I'm remotely worried about is being able to get my punchy-lowmid-walking-bass-in-a-loud-rock-band thing without feeding back. I guess once you own an Eden, It all comes down to the Preamp. It will be missed for sure as I have not used any other head for over a decade. Ugh, and I know I gotta be killer for that Halloween show on friday .

P.S. I've disliked just about every combo amp I've ever tried so those are out. Also I have little use for anything less than 350-400 watts.

I'm having the same problem with my Eden roughly the same time period as yours.

My repairmen has gone over it time after time and tried all sorts of remedies and it just keeps doing it, not consitantly, but enough to make me worried.

As soon as I get some extra money next month, I'm also just going to buy another amp ( I'm thinking a Shuttle 6.0) and send the Eden home to Edenville and have them check it out.

If they can fix it, great. It'll make a great backup.
Either way, I'll need another amp .
Andy

 

[Gearhead43]

I would have gone for the GK BL600, nothing wrong with those at all (except for the cheesey "backline" graphics on the front ). They are cheap, great tone, loud, and have a 2 year warranty. Lots of DB players use GK amps because the voicing works very well for double bass.

I think it's a very underated little head. They can also be found quit cheap used.

 

[robgrow]

I recently read an interview with Bob Gallien where he said that the GK Backline 600 is basically a GK 400RB that's made in China. As I recall, he also said that it's GK's biggest selling amp.