TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Nah....we're pretty proud of our CS record though. We've actually overnighted gear to players that have had their stuff stolen. It is actually kind of fun to see if you can outdo your last attempt at CS.
by the way- congrats on getting your situation worked out....with the amp and all. And best of luck with your TFunk. Nice amps and Dave is a great guy.
If the Kaman Corporation is your idea of small.
They have destroyed other small previously good companies in the past (Trace, Ovation, etc.), let's hope they have learned from their past mistakes.
I tried the Genz Benz stuff, including the 1200 - it was OK, WAY too heavy for the amount of power it had. Not in the same league as the Aguilar 750, IMHO. Did not sound as good to my ears as the Eden WT800B through my Berg 12's, and I A/B'd them directly. Lots of knobs, nicely made, lots of switches and lights and fancy stuff. I could have done without the million knobs and glitterati and settled for more tone, a higher quality input section and more power.
I did quite like their little digital switching amp, forget the name, very light and extremely powerful. I got a better tone flat out of that than I did out of the 1200.
Cameron
Okay, not trying to argue, really, but I'm very familiar with the items you're talking about. Those are studio quality preamps made for recording. They cost thousands of dollars alone, much more than most heads, and some of the models are several times as expensive as any bass head on the market...just for a preamp. Do you really think that kind of expense would be justified in a bass head?
Too each gtheir own but MAN you sure you got the right amp?
The GBE1200 and DB750 both list their weights as 42lbs. I always thought the DB750 felt heavier and now having the GBE1200 the DB750's weight IS NOT accurate because the GBE1200 is noticibly lighter.
Also, the GB kills the DB in tone and power. I was always impressed with the DB750's power but the tone is loose and wooly. On top of that, the DB750's eq is so incredibly limiting.
The GBE1200 is just the opposite. Warm yet tight. Girth without the sloppy low end of the DB750. And there aren't too many knobs, just two channels. Genz was wise to have indicator lights on the front so you know what is up with the amp. The eq is well thought out and powerful.
Regarding the WT800. This is a great amp or at least use to be. The GBE is MUCH louder by far. It is also clearer and quicker than anything Eden has ever put out. I can easily dial in the Eden 800 tone but with more power and articulation.
Like I said, too each their own but man that is confusing as heck to me. We all definitely hear things differently.
I also wonder why people worry about getting anal on sound colorationand having it spec out to exact in to exact output.. havent you guys done a gig on days that were humid out.. rigs sound different on humid days compared to dry days to me.. I had them side by side in the store, and I did not think the 1200 was substantially louder in any way than the Eden. It was a nice, clean, articulate amp, WAY too many buttons, but into the Berg's, which are not terribly efficient (but sound ****ing great!), you could not tell any noticeable difference in volume, nor did it have the 'really big poweramp' feel (I had an original Bryston 4B back in the 80's when my tri-amped rig weighed close to 400 lbs - the JBL potato masher tweeter in that rig weighed more than my current Berg HT 112 cabs weigh). I had to do a LOT of eqing to get a decent sound. And although I didn't have a 750 to compare it to, it was substantially heavier than an Eden 800 - a LOT heavier. It also didn't have as much of a 'hot tube' preamp sound in the tube section - pretty subtle difference between the tube/ SS section.
Nicely made amp, sure, lots of features/footswitchablilty, twin tube/SS channels, flashy lighting, but after playing some high end preamps lately, I'm not enamoured with any of the bass amps anymore. They are all coloured in some way, lacking in many, and harsh.
I am currently wavering between the Universal Audio, Avalon, and Millenia channel strips with a big freakin' Crown poweramp, and eventually dumping that for the Bergantino IP's. The Universal Audio had this gorgeous high-end retro tube thing going on; sounded amazing flat - thick, rich, crisp and dreamy, especially with a little warm tube compression. And I recently A/B'd the Avalon 737 next to the Millenia SST, but we're talking magnitudes higher bucks (2,000/2500/3400). However, the price of power is WAY down - new Crown digital switching amp weighs 17 pounds and puts out (no joking) 650 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 1200 into 4, and 2400 into 4 ohms bridged mono @ $1200.00 Cdn. And it has a dsp section that allows you to program eq curves, as well as crossover points with programmable slope and 'Q'. I haven't heard the poweramp yet, but I have yet to hear a bad Crown poweramp.
I want to gas this Eden as soon as possible, not because I don't like the sound, but rather because they are such a bunch of bastards down there.
I know you're not a big fan of them, either...
(Hey; I can say 'bastards' in here, but a few days ago I couldn't say 'king'? Wow...)
Anyway, I'm glad you're happy with your new amp, and hope you don't have the troubles you've had with bass amp companies. I know my experience completely soured me on them, as well. I'm just looking for the next logical step, soundwise; I think a GB, good as they are, would be a sideways step for me, whereas the high end pre's...Wow man!
That Millenia was astonishing, but $3400.00... mind you, the high end Aguilar is about that (in Canadian). At this level, it's like choosing between a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or an Aston Martin; they're ALL way nicer than the Ford F150 I'm currently driving.
IMHO.
Happy giggin', man, and no offence, please;
Cameron
