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Genz Benz - Shuttlemax

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The_Jester

The_Jester

Jun 28, 2002
80
15
48
Asheville, NC
www.orangekrushband.com
#1
There doesn't seem to be a general Shuttlemax thread like the Shuttle and Streamliner threads so lets start one.

The Shuttlemax lineup:

ShuttleMAX 9.2 (NEW)
500W @ 8 ohms
900W @ 4 ohms
STLMAX92_sm.jpg


ShuttleMAX 12.0
375W @ 8 ohms x 2
600W @ 4 ohms x 2
STLMax12_sm.jpg


ShuttleMAX 6.0
375W @ 8 ohms
600W @ 4 ohms
STLMAX60_sm.jpg
 
#2
I've played the 12 and the 6 and they are awesome. I prefer the FET channel, but the tube is nice to have as well. Lots of knobs so that can be a little intimidating. I know people are all gaga over the Streamliner heads (I have yet to try one) but I wouldn't hesitate to call the Max heads among the best out there ever.
 
#3
I have the 12.0 and uber stack and it is a great sounding rig. I have actually been using my smaller Genz Benz amps lately but with some outdoor shows coming up it will be time to get out the big rig.
 
#6
I have been playing the ShuttleMAX 6.0 for about 18 months now. It sounds great, has an excellent DI for both live and studio work. Truly, this is an amazing amp and I have had lots of amps over the last 30 years. It is a great value for the price. (I got a good deal at about $600.)

Last night on the gig, I decided to try a different approach to mixing channels. Typically I was setting up a tube tone and an FET tone with slightly different voicings and switching between the two. By the time I cranked the amp up a bit, hitting the 'mix' button would clip the next gain stage which was not very useful.

I generaly use the tube channel, so I tried flattening the EQ and reducing the level on the FET channel (on the second knob that sets the level to the parametric EQ section) to get a more moderate boost without doubling the EQ where is overlaps between channels. The result sounds great! This also leaves headroom in the amp to use the foot-switchable shelving EQ.

As yet, I have not used the effects loops, since I get good results with my pedals in front of the amp.

Anyone else have any interesting discoveries with this preamp? There are tons of possibilities.
 
#7
Another note on this amp after 18 months of heavy use. The Class D power amp has no character at all. It is quite transparent until is clips hard which is quite ghastly. It is important IMHO to get character from the bass your play, effects you choose, and speaker you use, as well as the preamp settings and tube. I replaced the stock tube with a Mesa SPAX7 (Box says, "High grade substitute for 12AX7 ECC 83".) I basically went through a box of preamp tubes I had picked up over the years until I found the one that had a bit of texture and a tone I like in this particular preamp. (The stock tube is OK, but for $20 this replacement tube is well worth it.)
 
#8
Another random discovery I use a lot is to change the bottom end voicing of my tone for selected songs (and playing styles) by cutting lows on my active bass a bit and enabling the low frequency boost in the foot-switchable shelving EQ.

This might not make any sense in your living room, but works really well in a band context when you are seeking bottom end that sits in the mix with a particular guitar or keyboard sound or on certain songs in the set. And you don't need to leave the front line to twiddle your amp! (Did I say Ilove this amp?)
 
#9
Played my first gig with my ShuttleMax 9.2 last night. It was a large outdoor wedding. It was a great chance to compare it to my Steamliner as I played in the same location last month (for the sister of the brides wedding). Basically I thought the ShuttleMax was the bees knees. I really liked the Steamliner but because my band plays such a wide range of music I found myself needing to adjusting the eq a lot. We have almost no time between songs so I found adjusting anything difficult. I also never managed to get a slap tone that I really loved. The Shuttlemax seems to fit me better. I set the tube channel up to have a little grind and some booty and set the fet channel to have flat lows and boosted highs. I feel I am able to get all the different tones I want with the foot switch. I do prefer the Steamliner's overdriven tube sound to the Shuttlemaxes. If they come out with a SteamlinerMax I will jump on it. Until then I think I am going to be very happy with my ShuttleMax. BTW my Steamliner 600 is for sale in the classified section. Wish I could keep both but I'm tight on cash ATM.
 
#15
Shuttlemax 9.2 owner here...Love this amp! I have been using a GBE 1200 for about 5 years and also love that head...Still have it, and have said I'll never let it go...but she's a bit heavy, and my back gives me fits sometimes...

What is great to me about the SMax9.2 is it's got a similar front end as the GBE 1200, with relatively the same amount of power at 4 ohms (close), but only weighs about 7lbs!...I haven't plugged up both these heads and done a side by side yet (but plan to)...I suspect there will be slight differences, but I also suspect I will still love them both after...

I have the SMax9.2 set up so the tube channel has a slight bit of that classic growl (not much), and the FET channel is set crystal clear...but to be honest for the majority of stuff I do, I use the FET channel...
 
#18
Yeah, The GB Shuttlemax 9.2 is a killer head! I gigged with one for the last 2 months and totally loved it!
I was intimidated with the number of knobs at first too but after I broke it down a bit (Ed Friedland's review of the amp on You Tube really broke it down well for me), I realized that it was basically a 2 channel amp with 4-band of EQ for each channel, with the added flexibility of semi-parametric control for the 2 mid bands. Nice to have if you need it. If not, just leave 'em flat.

I will have to fess up and say that curiosity got the better of me (a couple of weeks ago) and I sold my 9.2 for a chance to try the GB Streamliner 900. :o
But one gig with that amp convinced me that it just wasn't for me (or our church sancturary for that matter)! :eek:
I loved the sound of it in my music room but it just sounded too boomy and really lacked definition in the live gig.
I'm sure it's great for some venues and music styles but the quicker attack & more versatile EQ'ing of the 9.2 is more to my liking.
A replacement GB 9.2 is due to arrive tomorrow!
 
#20
JOME77 said:
I will have to fess up and say that curiosity got the better of me (a couple of weeks ago) and I sold my 9.2 for a chance to try the GB Streamliner 900. :o
But one gig with that amp convinced me that it just wasn't for me (or our church sancturary for that matter)! :eek:
I loved the sound of it in my music room but it just sounded too boomy and really lacked definition in the live gig.
I'm sure it's great for some venues and music styles but the quicker attack & more versatile EQ'ing of the 9.2 is more to my liking.
A replacement GB 9.2 is due to arrive tomorrow!
Click to expand...

I know I was drawn in by the Steamliner hype as well but It just wasn't me. I really wanted to love it but just couldn't get the sound I was after in a live setting. I have play mostly SWR amps until now and the FET channel feels like home to me. I am also really digging the grit I can get from the tube channel. Over all I just love how flexible this amp is. I'm also pleasantly surprised by how affordable they are. Though I think the rack mount kits are a bit overpriced but to be fair most rack mount kits are overpriced.
 
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