Enough Tubes. Let's Talk Solid State! Name Your Favorites and Why?

[hintz]

GMT 300B - Predecessor to the GK 400B, 400RB and 800RB. Never been happier with my sound.

That's one sexy looking amp, bet it sounds the same

Ill go with my go to if its not my Electric, the GK 1001rb II. Love that amp. Id still like to get an 800 too. I was thinking about selling the 1001 when I got the Electric. But it was worth a lot more to me than what I could get for it used. Plus, its a great backup. I also love my Ampeg B50R. Its just not loud enough for most gigs. Great for at home practice and fiddling.

If you ever get the chance to try the 800RB I think you'd love it with your taste in tone..... It's capable of plenty of clanky high end if needed, massive lows and super easy to dial in, the midrange isn't "quacky" sounding(ala jaco) which is a big plus for me, but nice and smooth there instead.... With my dirt pedals I actually let off the tone/treble on them and let the 800 do the work and though I've never tried the "Electric" amp I'm gonna sell my fender PS300 now that I got my 800RB as its that good.... Just my taste, but I wrote off GK because of the 1001, not the case with the 800 or even 400RB(plenty loud as well and does the "GK grind" much quicker)..... Both can be had for cheap on music go round and GC used sites(not so cheap on EBay) or classifieds here!!! Highly recommended

 

[Munjibunga]

The Aguilar DB751 and Eden WT-800 are hybrids, hence I didn't list them with my favorite SS heads.

 

[10cc]

These I own:
69 Kustom 200
69 Acoustic 360/361
Acoustic 320,370
GK 800rb

I wish I had an old Peavey Super Festival

 

[sevdog]

8 pages and no mention of my Tech21 Landmark 600. You guys don't know what you're missing. It will kick the crap out of your SS amp AND your tube amp.

 

[hintz]

GMT 300B - Predecessor to the GK 400B, 400RB and 800RB. Never been happier with my sound.

Is there any difference between the RB's and this sound-wise??

 

[bluesblaster]

I saw one of those in the 70's

 

[Big Hoss]

I'm a combo kind of guy, so my vote has to go to the V3 Fender Rumbles as my first choice. Fantastic flexible tone, scary loud with a ton of headroom left over on the Rumble 500 at last, great construction, the built in pre defined voicings are a great starting place and even sometimes just set everything flat and push a button or two and go for it, everything sounds great... And a big deal for those middle age and older farts like me, nice and light weight, so it's not too taxing on the back.

 

[John D Harris]

I really like the tone of my EA iAmp-600 & the Yamaha PB-1 Preamp (which I just sold - downsizing) + any good SS poweramp!
My Genz Benz Contour combo is all SS and I'm really liking the tone so far, but I've only had it for a relatively short time.
I'd feel better about making more comments after I've gigged it a bit more.
Most of the other stuff I have experience with is hybrid (tubes in preamp with SS power section).
Markbass LM II & III are OK, but I liked the F1 & F500 better than the LM's.

 

[funkytoe]

Is there any difference between the RB's and this sound-wise??

Both tonewise and in output, my 300B is very similar to the first series 400RB. But, the 300B has a footswitchable distortion that I tend to leave on at all times. Just adds a little hair to the notes when you dig in. I think that's why I prefer it to the smaller 400RB.

 

[hintz]

Both tonewise and in output, my 300B is very similar to the first series 400RB. But, the 300B has a footswitchable distortion that I tend to leave on at all times. Just adds a little hair to the notes when you dig in. I think that's why I prefer it to the smaller 400RB.

Damn, you shouldn't have told me that, now I'm gassing for this...thanks

 

[hintz]

Both tonewise and in output, my 300B is very similar to the first series 400RB. But, the 300B has a footswitchable distortion that I tend to leave on at all times. Just adds a little hair to the notes when you dig in. I think that's why I prefer it to the smaller 400RB.

Does that distortion sound like the GK growl by chance?? I looked on eBay and the last one went for $275!!! Now I know what my "backup" amp will be(if I can find another)....

 

[thmsjordan]

Love my Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0. If there is a better sounding amp for upright, I haven't heard it yet. Solid state FET preamp makes a lot of magic.

 

[Jim Carr]

For pure SS, GK MB800 has my vote. Easy to dial in for reggae and R&B—though I usually put a VTbass pedal in front of it, except for upright, where I put a Tech21 ParaDriverDI pre in front of it. Tons of power. Light. Cheap. A classic already.

The technically hybrid Mesa Carbine M9 is the most gorgeous, sculpt-able, clean, perfect sounding, slamming amp I have. I use it for Reggae, Soul, or anything. The tube has, IMHO, no significant impact on the tone, especially when the gain is run low, which I always do.

Ok. My second favorite hybrid is my SS Crest CA6 power amp with an ART pre—which is a 2 x 12ax7 pre—so I guess that is hybrid.

IMHO, the pre-amp tubes in the ART can do some nice things, but the compressor and the EQ defeat are actually my two favorite features—and the band switchable EQ is very cool, so the pre is really usable for a Microphone or any input.

Fine. My point is that the M9 is one of the great amps, even though the tube in the pre-amp is not what makes it great.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Damn, that's a killer deal!! I lucked out and got my 800RB for $400 shipped off the classifieds here, I know they sell for cheaper, but mine is a later one that's in excellent condition, probably the cleanest I've seen for used ones, the former owner must've taken exceptional care of it!!!

After reading through so far, I'm not surprised about the love GK gets, I never gave them a chance because I played through a GK 1001 for 6 months and never bonded with it, I just found it too clean/sterile for my tastes....

About 3/4 months ago I finally tried out an old beat up 800 and I was in love within minutes!!


This last March I had an audition with a power metal band and played through the 400RB that is the backline at this local rehearsal place.... No wonder Duff used a 400 for "Appetite..."!! Through 1 Genz Benz 4/10 it kept up with 2 guitarist and a loud drummer with minimal effort or volume and sounded amazing unlike certain other SS amps I had in the past, though I will point out I've only owned 2 tube amps(SVTII non-pro and still have a Fender PS300)but the 800 truly has the same"liveliness/character" that reminds me of tubes!!;

The only difference I could hear between the 400 versus 800 was the increased treble and headroom with the 800, where the 400 is warmer and the 400 gets grindy much easier....


Both sound lively and have a nice juicy tone, I really dig the mid contour and "hi boost" on it, it remind me of the ultra hi/low switches on an Ampeg..... also seem the compress heavy handed fingerstyle much like the Ampeg I once had!!

So in the next few years I might get possibly a 400 as well or another 800 as a backup(not that id need another, but just in case)

The RB series made me a believer!!

I own a 400RBIII and just put an 800RB on layaway!

I own a 1997 2x10 Eden Metro which I really like but use for lower volume stuff....I modded a recent Acoustic 8x10 (internal bracing) so I am excited about driving the GK 800RB thru it as the 400 RBIII sounds excellent thru the Acoustic 8x10 but a bit short powered for that cabinet.

 

[hintz]

I own a 400RBIII and just put an 800RB on layaway!

I own a 1997 2x10 Eden Metro which I really like but use for lower volume stuff....I modded a recent Acoustic 8x10 (internal bracing) so I am excited about driving the GK 800RB thru it as the 400 RBIII sounds excellent thru the Acoustic 8x10 but a bit short powered for that cabinet.

I'm sure the 800 will sound amazing through your 8/10..... I was just on the local Craigslist here and found a Hartke 2/10 and 1/15 for $300!! I emailed the guy and awaiting a response right now....i was gonna put some replacement speakers in an empty hartke 4/10 I got for $40, but this will probably be a better idea.....

I've owned mostly SS amps....Trace Elliot, a few peaveys', hartke just off the top of my head, tried many others, and owned a few tube amps, but none compare to my 800RB, its just perfect!!

 

[Driven Crane]

Dunno much bout tubes. But my old Trace Elliott 715 is good enough.

 

[RaniBrandt]

You can use the xlr out for head phones. Just make an adapter

Thanks, I'll try that. Don't know why I didn't think of it!

 

[StereoPlayer]

I love my MoMark heads and MarkBass cabs. Clean, tight, tone for days.




NBD rare 1980 Clarke Spellbinder...pic heavy. | TalkBass.com




.

 

[DwaynieAD]

75 BUCKS?!

Did it turn on?

Yep, been using it for a year now. Figured even if it needed repaired id still come out ahead.

 

[Mattsochistic]

I've been a solid state guy since I started playing in 1986. In my 29 years of foolish and costly experimentation, I've owned just about every make and model of every SS amp out there.

My top 3 all time favorites have been:

3. GK 1001 RB-II; this was my first step up to a seriously high powered amp and boy did this baby deliver! Killer dynamics, wicked punch and volume galore. I still wonder from time to time why I ever moved on from it. It did have that "GK signature tone" but it was a great amp. Not really a "mini" amp either but it was plenty easy to get around.

2. Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2; small, clean, plenty loud and incredibly easy to dial in a great tone. The tube front end added a little "something" but I always loved it for its easy of use, portability and reliability. It really is a shame that GB was assimilated.

1. Tecamp Puma 900; after a lot of research and talking to other TBers, I bought this blind about 6 months ago and I'm so happy that I did. This amp combines all the best attributes of the amps I have owned in the past in one teeny, tiny powerhouse. It is hard to describe but it has taken away the consideration of my amplifier from my signal chain, if that makes sense. I call it my "invisible amp". I set it on top of my cabs, plug it in, turn it on and forget about it. It sounds absolutely fantastic, is painfully loud and I simply never have to think about it... ever. I have everything set at noon with the exception of the low midrange that I set at about 1 o'clock and I roll the Taste knob towards "Dry" ever so slightly. Every time I play, wherever I play, regardless of which instrument or effects I'm using it simply sounds superb and I have yet to adjust anything while playing in any situation other than the volume knob. All this in a 3 lb package that fits in just about anything (gig bag, back pack, wife's purse) has been really fantastic.

Just my opinions and experience, of course.