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Genz Benz GBE 750 Weird Noise Pops...

N

nitram

Apr 19, 2008
169
0
#1
Hi everybody.

I just bought a Genz Benz GBE 750 amp and from what I can tell now as I didn't play a lot with it, I like the sound, but there is something I don't like and that's a weird poping noise I get when the amp is powered on unmuted.

I bought the amp second hand from a guy and I'm scared I got screwed on this one... I didn't notice when I initialy tried it over there, but there is a recurent poping noise in the amp... It's like a metronome, it always comes at the same pace... You hear it less with the sound at moderate levels, but that noise shouldn't be there and heard in the first place...

I did a video of it:



Anyone can tell me from their experience if this is a big problem ? I talked to an amp tech and he told me that if I can live with it, I'd be better off to leave it alone as these amps are not easy fixes... :scowl:

I have to say that I find this rather irritating , my first Genz Benz amp, I want to love it :hyper: , but this pop is getting on my nerves... :spit: There is also some poping noise to be heard when I change the channels... Is this a big technical problem ? I hope not... :confused:

Peace and thanks in advance for any help ! :help:

Nitram
 
#6
I talked to my amp tech today and he kind of dreads me taking the amp to him... he says that FET amps are a pain to work in... :scowl:

I guess they are more complex than an Ampeg SVT... Lot's of option buttons, two channels, must be all crammed up like crazy in there... :confused:

Thnaks for the reply ! :hyper:

Nitram :)
 
#8
Thanks for all your input B-String ! :bassist:

I also saw a difference in the wattage at 4 ohms from various official Genz Benz documents on the net... One states 625 W at 4 homs... other one states 675... :hmm:

Maybe agedhorse could also clarify this... I know that my amp was bought in the summer of 2007, so it's one of the earliest models... Maybe the specs changed along the way 'till now ? :confused:

Peace and thanks !!!!!!! :hyper:

Nitram :)
 
#12
No never did own any Genz gear and regret I did not make a trip to Scottsdale before it was all moved out of Arizona. Have shared some PM's with him and appreciate his honest responses and dedication to TB, Genz-Benz and Genz owners. He also has also shared his wisdom with a great many here on many topics. Several top engineers and techs here have gained my sincerest respect.
 
#13
B-string said:
No never did own any Genz gear and regret I did not make a trip to Scottsdale before it was all moved out of Arizona. Have shared some PM's with him and appreciate his honest responses and dedication to TB, Genz-Benz and Genz owners. He also has also shared his wisdom with a great many here on many topics. Several top engineers and techs here have gained my sincerest respect.
Click to expand...

It was moved out of Arizona ? :confused:

Excuse my ignorance on the brand... You mean sa in "left the USA for offshore manufacturing"? If that's what you mean, then what year did the shift occur ? :eek:

I read today on TB that the brand may have been bought by Fender... Seems like I have a lot to learn about GB... :hmm:

Nitram :)
 
#14
Its a bit of a story and one I would probably get wrong, but in a nutshell Jeff Ginsler (founder of Genz-Benz) sold a portion(?) of his company for capital to expand the reach to a corporation and was allowed to operate as a separate entity. That corporation was recently bought up by Fender (FMIC). Fender moved Jeff and Andy (agedhorse) to the corporate offices in California. Amp manufacture was moved a while ago to a hand picked industrial controls manufacturer (reliable and quality build over cost) in Taiwan. The cabs IIRC were still being produced in Scottsdale, I don't know if that is still true. Jeff and Andy maybe bringing high quality to Fenders SS offerings (that part is pure speculation) but the hope is Genz-Benz will continue as usual.
 
#16
I am on the road this weekend, just got a chance to check in.

As far as troubleshooting goes, the very first thing to do is to unplug the cable from the front of the amp and if the noise goes away, the problem has to do with something outside of the amp and not the amp itself. The next thing to do if its not outside of the amp is to see if the noise is isolated to one channel or the other.

Additional possibilities that I have seen are noises carried over the power circuits, including some that may be related to smart meters now being installed in parts of the country. Also, be sure the power source is solidly grounded and correctly wired.

Your amp is not a FET amp. It is a pro audio based high power, bipolar design. I find them very simple to work on (I did design this model) as do most techs who are experienced with pro audio type products. Sometimes. Depending on where you are located, it's faster and less expensive for us to repair it.
 
#18
agedhorse said:
I am on the road this weekend, just got a chance to check in.

As far as troubleshooting goes, the very first thing to do is to unplug the cable from the front of the amp and if the noise goes away, the problem has to do with something outside of the amp and not the amp itself. The next thing to do if its not outside of the amp is to see if the noise is isolated to one channel or the other.

Additional possibilities that I have seen are noises carried over the power circuits, including some that may be related to smart meters now being installed in parts of the country. Also, be sure the power source is solidly grounded and correctly wired.

Your amp is not a FET amp. It is a pro audio based high power, bipolar design. I find them very simple to work on (I did design this model) as do most techs who are experienced with pro audio type products. Sometimes. Depending on where you are located, it's faster and less expensive for us to repair it.
Click to expand...

Thanks Agedhorse, I will troubleshoot this soon and write back the details hopefully soon...

I live in Canada, so I guess it would be cheaper for me to find an authorized Genz Benz repair shop over here, if there is such a thing... Is there ?

Thanks for your reply.

Nitram :)
 

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