Gallien Krueger 400RB question......

[LuckyScott]

I have a 400RB that I bought brand new in the 80's and it has always been a great amp. I also have another 400RB second generation that I bought used about a year ago as a back up. (Sometimes I play in more than one band and its nice to leave one amp in the rehearsal space and have another amp available at home to play with other bands)
It always seemed to be plenty of amp with enough power. But now it seems like I am pushing it to almost max volume and the sound is just not right.
It used to be that I would play clubs and the sound man always liked a small amp at low volume and he would run it though the pa. Now, I play in bands where they want the amp to provide all the bass and they run just the vocals thru the pa.
I think that my 400RB is just to small to provide that much bass.
Am I wrong, do I need a bigger amp with more power?

 

[LuckyScott]

I use two Carvin 8 ohm 4 X 10 cabs. It sounds better with two cabs used, but at lower volume it sounds great with one 4 X 10 cab. Recently a guy gave me a Behringer Ultrabass amp and I think it actually sounds way better in a live situation. Using the same cabs. It could just be that the Behringer has more watts and I don't have to push it so it sounds better.
Im thinking it might be time to upgrade to a GK MB500 with 500 watts of power instead of the 400RB with 200 watts.

 

[Spidey2112]

They pop up from time to time here in the TB Classifieds, at great prices...

... it's where I picked mine up from.

Different bands, different needs... adjust and adapt...

 

[Kro]

I use two Carvin 8 ohm 4 X 10 cabs. It sounds better with two cabs used, but at lower volume it sounds great with one 4 X 10 cab. Recently a guy gave me a Behringer Ultrabass amp and I think it actually sounds way better in a live situation. Using the same cabs. It could just be that the Behringer has more watts and I don't have to push it so it sounds better.
Im thinking it might be time to upgrade to a GK MB500 with 500 watts of power instead of the 400RB with 200 watts.

Yeah, you're probably just itching for more power. Truth be told, you're probably really only running like 125w with your 400RB and a single 8ohm cab.

Back when that 400 was in its prime, it was enough power because it was paired with so much cab. In this day and age, cheap, light, and small power is easy to come by, meaning you can get away with less cab, but with more power on tap.

It's all a balancing act between cab displacement and sensitivity vs. amp power. If you want to get away with just a single 8ohm 410, then an amp upgrade does indeed appear to be the way to go.

 

[Jim C]

If you think the amp did loose volume (as opposed to the band getting louder) you might try a cable between the effects send and return jacks.
My Ashdown ABM500 started getting a quieter and the cable pinpointed the problem to dirty contacts.

 

[disssa]

A good alternative would be the Invalid Link Removed. That amp can sounds similar to the 400, but got more power.
But the best alternative amp with similar sound but more power would be the Invalid Link Removed...

 

[filmtex]

Jump on he effects circuit and see what's up0 last year and was amazed. Lots of power. Sp aker efficiency is everything. But try the jump trick first.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I have a 400RB that I bought brand new in the 80's and it has always been a great amp. I also have another 400RB second generation that I bought used about a year ago as a back up. (Sometimes I play in more than one band and its nice to leave one amp in the rehearsal space and have another amp available at home to play with other bands)
It always seemed to be plenty of amp with enough power. But now it seems like I am pushing it to almost max volume and the sound is just not right.
It used to be that I would play clubs and the sound man always liked a small amp at low volume and he would run it though the pa. Now, I play in bands where they want the amp to provide all the bass and they run just the vocals thru the pa.
I think that my 400RB is just to small to provide that much bass.
Am I wrong, do I need a bigger amp with more power?

It used to be that clubs had real sound engineers with good PA systems. Nowadays, it's just some guy using the cheapest PA the club can get away with.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

I always found that if a 400RB through a 215 cab was not enough, then the band was way too loud.

 

[Jeff Scott]

That, too.

 

[AnthonyW]

I've used one of these heads for 25 years now with a single 15 inch cab and can easily overpower an accoustic drum kit. I figure if the drums need to go through the PA, then so does the bass.

 

[Jim C]

To the OP:
Used 700 RB's and 1001 sell for $300-400 in the classifieds and are as realiable as a brick.
My 400 does sound a little different but the others are pretty close and the 1001 is a beast power wise.

 

[JGbassman]

I love the RB400. It's a great sounding amp when pushed. I have one thst need to get repaired right now, or else it would have gone to a gig with me last night.

I have a MB800 that has a good sound and is super powerful, but I actually prefer the RB400 to it based on how the amps sound. The 400 gets a cool tubey compression when it's pushed, where the 800 (or similar powerful amps) have so much headroom they don't ever get that pushed sound. Very nice for a clean sound though.

 

[hintz]

But the best alternative amp with similar sound but more power would be the Invalid Link Removed...

I was gonna recommend the 800 as well! It is plenty loud (IIRC 300 watts?!)and as close to the 400 as you will get sonically and usually pretty cheap!! I wanna get another down the road

 

[hintz]

The 400 gets a cool tubey compression when it's pushed, where the 800 (or similar powerful amps) have so much headroom they don't ever get that pushed sound. Very nice for a clean sound though.

Are you referring the the MD800 or the 800RB? Because the 800RB can do the same "rails" sound at low volume by running the input gain between noon-max. I can't comment on the "MD" as I've never tried one....

 

[JGbassman]

Are you referring the the MD800 or the 800RB? Because the 800RB can do the same "rails" sound at low volume by running the input gain between noon-max. I can't comment on the "MD" as I've never tried one....

MB800. It's a small D class amp GK put out, bigger brother to the MB500. I don't have any experience with the 800RB, or MD amps.

 

[hintz]

MB800. It's a small D class amp GK put out, bigger brother to the MB500. I don't have any experience with the 800RB.

.

Ok gotcha! GK having two different amps with "800" in the name can cause some confusion for me! LOL

 

[JGbassman]

hmm, if the 800RB can get that 400 sound with more power, I might be interested in trying one of those.

Ugh, like I truly need another amp.

 

[Afc70]

Ive got an old 400rb & I have a Glockenklang Quattro 4ohm cab, & it slams. Way more volume than I'd ever use.. It definitely hits harder at 4ohms - we all have different power requirements tho. I love my Gk, I actually like it better tonally than my Wayne Jones rig.

 

[JMacBass65]

My 1990 400RB into a 4 ohm Ampeg 410 is plenty loud, and I don't play in quiet bands.

Running four ohms might be the trick. Also, there is something to the Fx jumping thing too. Eliminate that possibility first.