@wraub --- thanks for these pics and bringing the sale of this "proto-type" out into the community.
So, once upon a time a long, long, time ago ....... a very small cabinet company -- Genz Benz -- (bass, guitar, PA and racks) found it's way into amplification and an even deeper friendship, relationship with probably the most ingenious electronics engineer in the bass community then and today.
It was the early 90's and I remember attending a summer NAMM in Nashville. I noticed during those times a resurgence of a bass amp brand bringing back the good ole "tuck n roll" look of the Kustom amps. This small company was based in Nashville I believe and they were getting a local vibe going on and lo and behold it was the son of Bud Ross (Andy Ross) was behind this company, KrossRoads. I think it was the next NAMM where they were no longer around BUT some how I met (this is a fog in the ole memory) the manufacturer who made the Krossroad amps for them, Drake Electronics.
How these things happen, the bass amp company had folded and Drake Electronics was left with a couple of pallets of completed amp chassis for their AR-200 amp. So I called up my #1 customer and good friend (
@agedhorse) and asked him, "well (Dr Diode) what do you think, should I get a sample and have you take a look at what this amp is or could be?"
Of course, Andy checked it out and discovered the limitations of the design and also what this model could be with just a little "tweaking".
He turned this amp design into a really powerful and reliable unit.
So a "deal you can't refuse" was made with Drake and we got busy turning these amps into the GBE SERIES1 combos.
This is were Genz Benz Enclosures moved into the "amplification" realm. Yes we did need to use mylar labels to re-badge the amps BUT we developed a couple of combo models using this chassis. It was a bi-amp design with approx 175 Watts to the woofers and 50 watts to the tweeter. Of course using these amps as a first run was just the start, from there we began manufacturing an updated design and eventually moving into the GBE Series2 and on from there we went.
I've got to say that this was probably the easiest way to "back into amplification" at that time in our business life but it was the partnership and friendship of Andy (agedhorse) that really kicked to the next level during those times.
***Little known fact, when I first started GB in my garage in the early 80's, playing gigs 5 nights a week --- building racks and cabs during the day, Andy was one of my first customers. I think he responded to a trade ad in Music Trades for a company (GB) building racks, which he needed for his rental sound systems, etc.
To think that the GBE Series1 (cast-off amp chassis from a fallen Krossroads Amplification) became the foundation for so many great products and stories for GB and the bass equipment market. And Andy eventually going on to lead the Mesa Boogie bass amplification product line to new heights, and we (myself and engineer Scott Andres) continue on in our magical journey as Genzler Amplification. What a strange journey it's been....
But that little GB company really did make a global impact with innovations, product design and reliability. Oh, and everyone lived happily, ever, after.
Our next story time will be the time when at a different Nashville NAMM we (myself and Andy) had the distinct honor and pleasure to meet and be dutifully congratulated by Rupert Neve for the input circuitry of our then NEW SHENANDOAH Acoustic amps. He was extremely impressed with the design and sonic characteristics of the Shenandoah and I think by the time Mr Neve finally left our booth, there was a tear in Andy's eye. Was kind of hard to tell with his glasses.
