I've recently been thinking of moving from trace Elliot and Vox amps to Eden. I usually like Graphic EQ on my amps, but after hearing a demo of an Eden It got me thinking. So what's Talkbass's general opinion on Eden Amps?
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Eden Amps
- Thread starter Swicked
- Start date
I have an Eden Nemesis RS115 combo and 15 ext cab. I play rock and in a cover band and like the way it voiced over the "traditional" Eden amps. In fact I prefer the Eden Nemesis line over the Eden amps. Very usable amps.
I have owned just about every type of amp made at some point. Other than the location of the handles that hurt my back a bit, I like the way these sound over most of what I have played.
I have owned just about every type of amp made at some point. Other than the location of the handles that hurt my back a bit, I like the way these sound over most of what I have played.
Hmmm interesting. So you say you like the cabs more than the actual amps? I liked how they had a 6"10 I'm a big fan of them. But I was thinking about using Acme cabs, but I don't know I've only been playing for 6 years, so what's your advice?
No no. Eden cabs are fine. I just like the Nemesis line of amps better than the more expensive Eden line.
I have owned several Eden amps and cabs. They sounded great but after being a 1205 crash test dummy and dealing with lousy customer service I switched to Genz Benz.
I will say however the one of two names that always come up as having a high failure rate among my bass player friends is Eden, not the cheaper Nemesis stuff, but Eden World Tour amps. The other was the older Hartke amps.
This is good to know. I'd hate to buy a brand of amp that is prone to having problems, I'll look more into this.
I would not say Eden amps have a high failure rate. In my experience and in common lore they are very reliable. There are several acounts on TB of bad customer service though. But it's not very likely you'll need them.
There are lots of threads on Eden in TB: do a search. If you did like the Eden sound, find out what Eden sound it was. The Eden World Tour amps are something completely different from the Nemesis stuff
There are lots of threads on Eden in TB: do a search. If you did like the Eden sound, find out what Eden sound it was. The Eden World Tour amps are something completely different from the Nemesis stuff
I have loved my WT-400 since Novemeber, 1997. 13 years and the luster hasn't worn off. It sounds great to me with the EQ set essentially flat. The extensive EQ allows me to easily get that sound I like no matter the room. The 3-band semi-parametric on the mids is more surgical than a graphic EQ- sorta like the difference between a scalpel and a butcher knife for sculpting the sound. A large part of what I liked WAS my D410XLT too, but I loved the amp a good six months before I got my first Eden cabinet. And now that I don't have any Eden cabinets, I still love my WT-400. And, this was after I'd been gigging for 20 years, during 11 of which I managed a guitar store. I eventually (while still gigging regularly and pre-divorce) had two WT-400, a WT-600, a D410XLT and D212XLT. If I were still gigging a lot of big gigs, I'd have it all still.
But, would I buy a new Eden head? I don't know. First, the company's changed ownership at least twice since I got my stuff. And they've also moved production facilities twice. And David Nordschow, the founder of Eden, has been gone for a long time. Not that any of that matters in themselves. But, there have been some relatively fatal customer service failures, and there's no apparent activity with them coming up with either new products, nor getting the staples out to people. There's been a lot happening in the world of bass equipment in the last 15 years so if I had to start over from scratch, I'd be hitting the road to try out some new things. A lot of Eden users went to Genz Benz, and not just the "flavor of the month" guys. Some serious long-time Eden fans moved to GB due to CS issues, reliability, and responsiveness to players' input on sound.
John
But, would I buy a new Eden head? I don't know. First, the company's changed ownership at least twice since I got my stuff. And they've also moved production facilities twice. And David Nordschow, the founder of Eden, has been gone for a long time. Not that any of that matters in themselves. But, there have been some relatively fatal customer service failures, and there's no apparent activity with them coming up with either new products, nor getting the staples out to people. There's been a lot happening in the world of bass equipment in the last 15 years so if I had to start over from scratch, I'd be hitting the road to try out some new things. A lot of Eden users went to Genz Benz, and not just the "flavor of the month" guys. Some serious long-time Eden fans moved to GB due to CS issues, reliability, and responsiveness to players' input on sound.
John
I don't know. I've not been interested in bass amps for years, and there's no dealers close enough to where I live for me to try out anything other than the Fenders and Peaveys that the local stores carry. See, I used to manage a guitar store, and I don't go hang out unless I'm interested in something new. The combination of the "Wal-Mart" customer service mentality, the down economy, and my lack of patience with idiots who either can't play and take 20 minutes to prove it, or the sales dolt who doesn't know anything about the product causes me to avoid hanging out in music stores now.
All I can suggest is to invest some time and energy into trying stuff out with YOUR bass and YOUR ears. I think in the long run it's better to spend time and effort driving to stores and trying stuff out than it is to buy it without hearing it, then the hassle of either returning it or trying to flip it and try something else.
John
gregbackstrom
These aren't stock curves--things move around!
I would have to second this. I just bought a new WT-405 from an Eden dealer for a great price. I thought it would make a great backup amp! (WT-405's have been discontinued, but lots of folks have had great things to say about them over the years, and this was a new unit from an authorized dealer.)
During my second rehearsal with it, the volume suddenly dropped considerably. When I checked the amp out, it was hot enough to cook eggs on and the fan wasn't working (two 110's, 4 ohm load, living room volume).
It'll be repaired under warranty, but Eden doesn't cover shipping. So my great price just went up by $24.00 plus "handling."
I love the sound of the amp, but I HATE unreliable gear. (... and I won't go into my WT-1205 experiences here -- I don't want to get our resident Eden-hater all lathered up.)
Genz Benz, on the other hand, has great sounding gear and the world's best customer service! If anyone "deserves" your consideration, it's them!!
Good luck!
- Greg
I was an eden user for quite some time. If you look at the gear I owned in my profile, you will see that. Eden (Read: David Nordschow Era) made the best sounding bass amps and cabs ever, IMHO. I never had a problem with the older eden stuff and still wish I had my Navigator and WT1000. When I moved to the newer gear, I started having quality problems and the customer service was pretty rough. I would not hesitate to pick up a an older piece of eden gear...but I would think twice and research any new purchases. I am happily using Genz now and probably will for quite some time.
okcrum
in your chest
I have had no failures on my David Nordschow era WT-300 or
Wt-400.
The plastic DI jack on the back of the WT-40 had an ear
break off, I had it replaced with a metal jack. That was the only
issue I have ever had to deal with.
The have been many opinions here that after they were bought
by US Music Corp that the CS levels slipped. The older
DN era ones are long out of warranty. I would use a local reputable
amp tech anyway, if needed. The DN era gear is a
very good used value in gear.
Like others, I would be looking closely at the GB gear if I was
considering new gear, which I am presently not.
Wt-400.
The plastic DI jack on the back of the WT-40 had an ear
break off, I had it replaced with a metal jack. That was the only
issue I have ever had to deal with.
The have been many opinions here that after they were bought
by US Music Corp that the CS levels slipped. The older
DN era ones are long out of warranty. I would use a local reputable
amp tech anyway, if needed. The DN era gear is a
very good used value in gear.
Like others, I would be looking closely at the GB gear if I was
considering new gear, which I am presently not.
I love my eden Nemesis 650 head. The world tour heads also sound great. I havent used any of their newer stuff since they moved production elsewhere. I have used many different types of Eden cabinets and they are all great. Currently the 2 -15 is giving me the sound i prefer (sadly it is discontinued).
Also if you want an amp direct from David Nordschow (of Eden fame) check out
http://dnaamps.com/
Also if you want an amp direct from David Nordschow (of Eden fame) check out
http://dnaamps.com/
not even close... GB sounds nothing like Eden WT. I base that on having had a 400, Navigator pre and now an 800A.
Based on what I've read here, I would probably not purchase a new Eden. Happily there is enough good used WT floating used that I don't have to. The 800A is a monster and tonally, it has something that few other amps do.
That said, I don't drag it out that often. Mostly I use a Gk MB2-500. If everyting I had cratered... the Gk is the first thing I would re-purchase.
