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Genz Benz Streamliner Part 3!!!!

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#401
ElMon said:
The ballroom I rehearsed in tonight was just about THE worst place to get a good bass tone, and yet a prime opportunity for a head to really prove it's flexibility and usefulness at such moments. The rooms lows were all over the place, endless delay/reverb, sounds slapping back off of hard walls and metal ceilings, in short a bassist's nightmare.

With the EQ on my flatwound-strung Sadowsky PJ5 (alder/rw) set flat, Vintage tone control ON, and with every knob set at 12 o'clock on the streamliner pumping through my 8ohm Accugroove Tri115L, my initial impression was as follows:

A nice combination of the huge low end and all-up-the neck thickness of my DB750 but with a tighter, more Solid-State tone profile. I thought about how my DB750 set flat would've been too boomy for this room. In this way, set flat, the Streamliner was infinitely more versatile. Deep extension down around 30-100hz, but with less spread to each note.

Now, how it reminds me of the Walkabout is not so much in its inherent tonal profile, but in how it merges tube thickness and warmth with modern EQ flexibility. Obviously the DB750, a fairly one-trick-tone-pony (but BOY what a trick!!!) would've lost out here.

To even out the room, I did the following to the Streamliner's EQ:

Gain: 1 o'clock
Volume: 11 o'clock
Bass: 10 o 'clock
Mid Freq: 250
Mid boost 2 o'clock
treble: 12 o'clock
Master: 10 o'clock

The combination of cutting the lows, boosting on the low mids, and slightly boosting the Sadowky's bass EQ was just PERFECT. A perfectly thick and full lowend with NO sag in the sub-lows, perfect pitch definition, and yet enough spread in the low end to still fill up the stage. Wow. I realize right off that there is an infinite amount of subtle/not-so-subtle variations between the gain/volume/master that I'll be exploring a LOT. Much like the Walkabout in this regard. Except way more power/headroom, and IMO the Streamliner's EQ has the edge in that it can get the midrange presence that I want with one Freq knob instead of more involved tweaking with the Walkabout. YMMV.


And may I say that this head drives an 8ohm load with authority. My single Accugroove Tri115L was putting out serious SPLs. 3 singers, a keyboard player, and the kick drum were going through a large Mackie PA (2 mains and two subs) and I was carrying the room with my single speaker at 8ohms. And we're talking old-school R&B where a huge bass presence is more crucial than a Jaco-midrange.

Anyways, more to come as I put the head through it's paces, and I"ll try next week when I get my DB750 out of repair to post some KJung-style direct A/B tests. Complete with BSX Electric Upright. Maybe even some roundwounds if I'm feeling REALLY generous.
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FWIW, those are my exact EQ settings for "all-around" fretted...i.e. finger and slap.

For fretless, I put the mid freq in the middle position and boost the snot out of it.....about 3 o'clock.
 
#403
nostatic said:
Yup. Got an extra set from Jim when the amp drop shipped. Can run it either way but prefer it that way.
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I ended up putting stacking corners on my pair of AE210's. That way they can slide on the floor, interlock when stacking vertically (which I do most of the time), and the corners still don't interfere with the existing rubber feet/cutout deal for normal stacking.
 
#405
hasbeen said:
FWIW, those are my exact EQ settings for "all-around" fretted...i.e. finger and slap.

For fretless, I put the mid freq in the middle position and boost the snot out of it.....about 3 o'clock.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. Haven't tried to slap through it, but I'm sure that it would sing with those settings. What also impressed me is that the amp didn't sound overly EQ'd. Every turn of the knob was subtle yet noticeable, and very natural and musical.
 
#406
What i am enjoying about the SL900 is that i don't feel guilty about boosting frequencies. :)
Some of us in this thread have Alleva Coppolo basses and we talk about how nice the active pre EQ is on them, even if you were to boost it fully. And how it still sounds like the bass.. where as if you were to boost the EQ on another bass preamp in some shape or form, it would be un-usable.

Well I don't boost everything all the way either on bass or amp.. BUT, what i am liking about the SL900 is that you can do extreme boosts and it still sounds like the amp and bass..in a good way... It is not sounding muddy or peaky, or too sizzly..
Just smooth and buttery with extra in the boosted area..

The thing i am liking more than anything is the Round Bottom of this amp.. It is extended and not EQed sounding.
Full yet not over powering... It sort if sneaks up on ya and suddenly i feel like i am surrounded with a nice pillow below and underneath my notes... Going to leave the P at home today and venture out with my jazz bass with DA chrome flats..
I have a gig out of town this week and bringing the SL900.. I have no idea what cab i will get.. but i speced an 810.. it is usually the easiest for them to get right...
Going to open this bad boy up a little and let it breathe some!:bassist:
 
#407
hasbeen said:
FWIW, those are my exact EQ settings for "all-around" fretted...i.e. finger and slap.

For fretless, I put the mid freq in the middle position and boost the snot out of it.....about 3 o'clock.
Click to expand...

Funny, that's about what I've settled on for my fretless - and on my 210 (Omni10) I keep the lows at noon. with the nEarful, 10 is about right.
 
#410
adivin said:
People have described a quality of this amp by saying each note has heft to it. Anyone care to elaborate on what is meant by this?
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It's very hard to explain tone in words. I'd say it's authoritative low end and thickness from the low mids.

But the best way to understand is to play Ed Friedland's demo through good headphones and listen to the section where he demos the Shuttle and Streamliner back to back. The notes coming from the streamliner just seem weightier.
 
#411
Jared Lash said:
It's very hard to explain tone in words. I'd say it's authoritative low end and thickness from the low mids.

But the best way to understand is to play Ed Friedland's demo through good headphones and listen to the section where he demos the Shuttle and Streamliner back to back. The notes coming from the streamliner just seem oomphier.
Click to expand...

Fixed it for you. :D
 
#412
From what Ive seen/heard/read...this is exactly the amp Ive been looking for. I play big heavy tube amps, and its nice to have a smaller rig in lieu of. I know nothing will ever sound like a full tube amp, but this will work well enough. My back needs this...

I placed an order with Ye Old Music. He said he's got 18 people in line ahead of me, but is pretty sure he can get mine in about 2-3 weeks. He's got a bunch coming in any day so he should be able to fill a bunch of orders soon. Im gonna give it a full month before I hit him up. Hopefully I'll get lucky and get it before then. Ive read reviews of the shop online and there's been nothing but positive reviews.

Only question now is- do i get the NEO 2X12 or the Uber 2x12? I think Im leaning towards the Uber for a more rounded vintage sound.
 
#414
djshawn47 said:
Only question now is- do i get the NEO 2X12 or the Uber 2x12? I think Im leaning towards the Uber for a more rounded vintage sound.
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Are you looking for an exclusively vintage sound? The NEOX has plenty of bottom and is very versatile, so it will cover a lot of the same ground as the Uber, but the Uber IMO and IME will get a bit rounder. As a testament to the difference that box design can make, the NEOX212 and Uber 212 cabs use the same drivers :)
 
#417
KsPiNeSh said:
Are you looking for an exclusively vintage sound? The NEOX has plenty of bottom and is very versatile, so it will cover a lot of the same ground as the Uber, but the Uber IMO and IME will get a bit rounder. As a testament to the difference that box design can make, the NEOX212 and Uber 212 cabs use the same drivers :)
Click to expand...

I'd like something that is versatile, but I tend to like the vintage sounds more often than not. Is there any weight difference between the two cabs? I thought I saw that it was only a 1 pound difference. If there was a significant weight difference...Id prlly opt for the lighter cab.

Edit- There's a 10 pound difference. NXT-53lbs vs Uber-63lbs.
 
#418
ElMon said:
That makes sense. Haven't tried to slap through it, but I'm sure that it would sing with those settings. What also impressed me is that the amp didn't sound overly EQ'd. Every turn of the knob was subtle yet noticeable, and very natural and musical.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your great review and discussion of your settings. It always helps to hear how other's have dealt with bad rooms successfully with the same amp.

I think one of the best descriptions that you and Kirk and others have ascribed to the sound of this amp is "natural" throughout the EQ range. It never sounds forced or EQ'd out of its appropriate range, even at the extreme ranges, yet every change (even the smallest) you make is distinctly reflected in the tone.

Just a wonderfully executed design, which is what makes GB the best in the biz IMHO (That and their CS of course). This is the same reason I am such a fan of Sheldon Dingwall's basses. Every feature is designed and implemented with the purpose of making the overall product better, not for the sake of having that cool feature in the absolute.

There are many great gear manufacturer's and lot's of great gear in the world, but GB got hold of me and now there just ain't no reason for me to go anyplace else.;)
 
#419
BuffaloBob4343 said:
Can you say, "Mwaaahhhhhhhhhh?";)
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si senor. :D

FWIW, the fretlesses...(fret-lae?) that were used in voicing the amp:
Zon Sonus Custom 6 string
Curbow USA Petite Elite...with Audere pre. I believe this was a TB'ers bass before.
G&L USA JB2 with ebony board
Fender Tony Frankin (with Babicz Full Contact bridge)

All basses strung with DR Sunbeams.
 
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