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Gallien-Krueger 700RB-II vs. Ampeg SVT-7PRO?

robbyray

robbyray

Sep 14, 2008
225
273
Oklahoma
#1
Howdy,

I have an Ampeg SVT-7PRO, which has served me well over the last few years with my Ampeg 6x10. However, I've recently been going down the GK rabbit hole, and after playing through a friend's 1001RB I fell in love with the sound, which is quite different from the 7PRO.

I found a good deal on a 700RB and I'm wondering if anyone has hands-on experience with this one. It says 480 watts, while the Ampeg is rated at 1000 watts at 4 Ohms. Thing is, it doesn't 'feel' like 1000 watts. I guess I'm wondering if the GK 700RB will hold up with the 6x10.

Link to GK Head
Link to Ampeg Head
Link to Ampeg 6x10 Cab

Thanks in advance for any constructive criticism!
 
#3
robbyray said:
Howdy,

I have an Ampeg SVT-7PRO, which has served me well over the last few years with my Ampeg 6x10. However, I've recently been going down the GK rabbit hole, and after playing through a friend's 1001RB I fell in love with the sound, which is quite different from the 7PRO.

I found a good deal on a 700RB and I'm wondering if anyone has hands-on experience with this one. It says 480 watts, while the Ampeg is rated at 1000 watts at 4 Ohms. Thing is, it doesn't 'feel' like 1000 watts. I guess I'm wondering if the GK 700RB will hold up with the 6x10.

Link to GK Head
Link to Ampeg Head
Link to Ampeg 6x10 Cab

Thanks in advance for any constructive criticism!
Click to expand...
Have owned the GK 700RB-II for well over 5 years now. When they say "480w" they're being very conservative compared to the power ratings some other amp manufacturers list. Even their little MB200 was loud AF for a 200w micro head.

The tone on the 700RB-II is amazing and those RB heads were built like a tank. You're essentially getting a 1001RB, just with a smaller power section, thus it's also lighter in weight. If you can get a good deal on the 700RB, I'd grab it, as you're really not leaving much on the table compared to the 1001RB for your needs. Onto volume anecdotes!!

The two cabs I've used the most with it were an Avatar Neo 2x10 (4 ohm) and the Avatar Neo 2x12 (8 ohm). With the 2x10 set up vertically, I played with some obscenely loud bands and kept up no problem. One of those bands was so loud it actually made me nauseous, but the GK and 2x10 hung in there and were able to cut through the mix. The pairing I miss the most is with the 2x12 (had to sell it for space reasons), as even if though it was only 8 ohms, it still destroyed the 2x10 on functional volume. I never ceased to get compliments on my tone using that setup. Volume-wise, that 6x10 is gonna slay with the 700RB-II. Be sure to wear padded underwear to protect your bits from exploding :smug:

A few tips on the EQ (even though it sounds like you dig the tone already)...
- The Presence knob is great, I would use it first if you need to "Cut" in the mix more, but it's going to be adding some of the hi-mid sort of frequency range. I keep mine either 3 o'clock or nearly dimed...its what I love the most about their EQ section.
-Leave the Contour knob fully counterclockwise unless you want some scoop, anything above 0 will introduce some scoop. My guess is it gets left at noon and thats where the "no mids" comments come from.
- Unless you are wanting this SUPER clean, start with the Boost knob at noon at experiment with turning it up from there and adding gain. For me this is where I start getting the characteristic grind GKs are known for.
- The 4-band EQ is very flexible, but a little can go a long way. It's a more drastic sweep than most of the Ampeg heads I've used.
- 700RB takes effects pedals VERY well in the front-end. Obviously watch the clip light, but with gain set correctly they can take OD, Fuzz, Distortion, and other high-gain stuff without breaking a sweat.


As you can tell, I love mine lol. Also works as a great power amp, plus you can still use the Boost knob if you're bypassing the GK's preamp. Makes for some very cool flavoring with pedals like the VT Bass.
 
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#4
KevInDaBassment said:
Have owned the GK 700RB-II for well over 5 years now. When they say "480w" they're being very conservative compared to the power ratings some other amp manufacturers list. Even their little MB200 was loud AF for a 200w micro head.

The tone on the 700RB-II is amazing and those RB heads were built like a tank. You're essentially getting a 1001RB, just with a smaller power section, thus it's also lighter in weight. If you can get a good deal on the 700RB, I'd grab it, as you're really not leaving much on the table compared to the 1001RB for your needs. Onto volume anecdotes!!

The two cabs I've used the most with it were an Avatar Neo 2x10 (4 ohm) and the Avatar Neo 2x12 (8 ohm). With the 2x10 set up vertically, I played with some obscenely loud bands and kept up no problem. One of those bands was so loud it actually made me nauseous, but the GK and 2x10 hung in there and were able to cut through the mix. The pairing I miss the most is with the 2x12 (had to sell it for space reasons), as even if though it was only 8 ohms, it still destroyed the 2x10 on functional volume. I never ceased to get compliments on my tone using that setup. Volume-wise, that 6x10 is gonna slay with the 700RB-II. Be sure to wear padded underwear to protect your bits from exploding :smug:

A few tips on the EQ (even though it sounds like you dig the tone already)...
- The Presence knob is great, I would use it first if you need to "Cut" in the mix more, but it's going to be adding some of the hi-mid sort of frequency range. I keep mine either 3 o'clock or nearly dimed...its what I love the most about their EQ section.
-Leave the Contour knob fully counterclockwise unless you want some scoop, anything above 0 will introduce some scoop. My guess is it gets left at noon and thats where the "no mids" comments come from.
- Unless you are wanting this SUPER clean, start with the Boost knob at noon at experiment with turning it up from there and adding gain. For me this is where I start getting the characteristic grind GKs are known for.
- The 4-band EQ is very flexible, but a little can go a long way. It's a more drastic sweep than most of the Ampeg heads I've used.
- 700RB takes effects pedals VERY well in the front-end. Obviously watch the clip light, but with gain set correctly they can take OD, Fuzz, Distortion, and other high-gain stuff without breaking a sweat.


As you can tell, I love mine lol. Also works as a great power amp, plus you can still use the Boost knob if you're bypassing the GK's preamp. Makes for some very cool flavoring with pedals like the VT Bass.
Click to expand...
This is great advice! Just secured a 1001RB via the TB classifieds. Super stoked to get it dialed in!
 
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#8
robbyray said:
Howdy,

I have an Ampeg SVT-7PRO, which has served me well over the last few years with my Ampeg 6x10. However, I've recently been going down the GK rabbit hole, and after playing through a friend's 1001RB I fell in love with the sound, which is quite different from the 7PRO.

I found a good deal on a 700RB and I'm wondering if anyone has hands-on experience with this one. It says 480 watts, while the Ampeg is rated at 1000 watts at 4 Ohms. Thing is, it doesn't 'feel' like 1000 watts. I guess I'm wondering if the GK 700RB will hold up with the 6x10.

Link to GK Head
Link to Ampeg Head
Link to Ampeg 6x10 Cab

Thanks in advance for any constructive criticism!
Click to expand...
If you are concerned about the differences in rated power: You know you like the 1001RB = 700W at 4 ohms.

Decibel Difference:
  • (700RB VS 1001RB) 480W to 700W = 1.64dB
  • (700RB VS 7 Pro) 480W to 1000W = 3.19dB
  • (1001RB VS 7 Pro) 700W to 1000W = 1.55dB

In regards to the power of your 7-Pro: I know what you mean by "It doesn't feel like 1000W." Have you actually pushed the output section to clipping?


I have an 8-Pro which is rated 1300W at 4 ohms and it doesn't feel as powerful as some of my more modest amps. Pretty sure it's an illusion created by the way the Gain and Master controls are scaled. The 8-Pro gets way louder than I need, but the Gain and Master seem excessively high. Then again I have never pushed the amp to clipping, so I have no idea how much headroom is left.

Consider this:
tombowlus said:
I really love the 8Pro. It has a similar tone to the 4Pro and 7Pro, but is more harmonically rich/complex, and you can really dial in a huge range of useable grit/grind/overdrive. It does the clean thing very well, too. We did test mine briefly with BGM's Audio Precision system, and it absolutely lives up to its published specs.
Click to expand...

tombowlus said:
I have said it before, and I will say it again, that SVT-8Pro is an amazing head, and probably the most impressive implementation of class-D I have seen/measured. :cool:
Click to expand...

Then again, maybe your are right about the 7-Pro
tombowlus said:
Here's the Invalid Link Removed. We measured 763w continuous and 914w (usable) burst power (at 5% THN + N) out of the 7Pro, and that was going through the instrument input (as we do with all of our tests), and running certified Audio Precision continuous and burst power tests using our AP system. As I recall, the other test used the power amp input, did not employ the same THD + N figures, and did not utilize certified test protocols.

That all being said, over 900w burst is nothing to sneeze at.
Click to expand...
 
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#9
Wasnex said:
If you are concerned about the differences in rated power: You know you like the 1001RB = 700W at 4 ohms.

Decibel Difference:
  • (700RB VS 1001RB) 480W to 700W = 1.64dB
  • (700RB VS 7 Pro) 480W to 1000W = 3.19dB
  • (1001RB VS 7 Pro) 700W to 1000W = 1.55dB

In regards to the power of your 7-Pro: I know what you mean by "It doesn't feel like 1000W." Have you actually pushed the output section to clipping?


I have an 8-Pro which is rated 1300W at 4 ohms and it doesn't feel as powerful as some of my more modest amps. Pretty sure it's an illusion created by the way the Gain and Master controls are scaled. The 8-Pro gets way louder than I need, but the Gain and Master seem excessively high. Then again I have never pushed the amp to clipping, so I have no idea how much headroom is left.

Consider this:




Then again, maybe your are right about the 7-Pro
Click to expand...

This is all great info! TBH, I'm gonna A/B the two in person before I sell off the Ampeg. Should be interesting!
 
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