GenzBenz Streamliner Pt 8...

[KJung]

Meh. If somebody's already invested a couple of grand in their favorite cabs, switching heads is cheaper and easier than building a whole new rig.

I love the warmth and heft of my Streamliner, but not everybody needs it. For instance, if somebody is happy with the Shuttle sound, then I say, "vive la difference".

+1 The Streamliner 'is what it is' and does what it does wonderfully. It is not a 'replacement' for the Shuttle, the Markbass stuff, the GK stuff, etc., but something totally different.

If the user wants super fat, surprisingly all tubey tone in a lightweight box that hammers, this head is fantastic. For those who think they are getting a 'slighly warmer Shuttle or Markbass head'.... not so much. The more typical 'FET to Hybrid' difference actually is the case, for example, with the GK MB500 versus the MBFusion... a more typical 'added complexity' you get moving to a hybrid (closer to the difference between the Shuttle Max tube and FET channels). The Streamliner is a totally different thing that will continue (IMO) to be a love/hate sort of thing with many, just like real 'all tube' amps.

As quite a few on this thread experience, I love the combination of the Streamliner along with a more typical solid state head (in my case, the Markbass F500, with others one of the Shuttle amps, etc.) that gives me a really nice execution of 'all tube' versus solid state, depending on cab, gig, instrument, etc.

 

[KJung]

It will be fun to see if Genz has something new for Winter NAMM next year. I'm hoping for an 'improved' Shuttle 9, with the newer power module and limiting design, and a bit more useful EQ (possibly the variable voicing controls like on the Shuttle Max), and maybe an FET pre versus the current hybrid design.

Who knows, but that spec (or something conceptually similar) would be the first head that would make me seriously consider moving on from the amazing F500. I like this company, and would enjoy moving my amplification (heads anyway) totally into their camp, but the current Shuttles don't particularly float my boat. A modification of the Max series into a smaller box... there you go

Just musing!

 

[Gab124]

As quite a few on this thread experience, I love the combination of the Streamliner along with a more typical solid state head (in my case, the Markbass F500, with others one of the Shuttle amps, etc.) that gives me a really nice execution of 'all tube' versus solid state, depending on cab, gig, instrument, etc.

Yep - for me it still is the LMIII. I have not played through it at all since I got the STL, last winter. Last weeks rehearsal I broke it out for fun and started remembering why I liked it so much. It has a really great "in the mix" tone in my opinion. I think right now I have all the gear I want. (except for some reason I felt driven to take my fav fender jazz and install Sadowsky preamp with VTC and Nordy Bigsplits) But that is another gas story altogether.

 

[Musicman20]

It will be fun to see if Genz has something new for Winter NAMM next year. I'm hoping for an 'improved' Shuttle 9, with the newer power module and limiting design, and a bit more useful EQ (possibly the variable voicing controls like on the Shuttle Max), and maybe an FET pre versus the current hybrid design.

I like this company, and would enjoy moving my amplification (heads anyway) totally into their camp, but the current Shuttles don't particularly float my boat. A modification of the Max series into a smaller box... there you go

Just musing!

Exactly my thoughts! I like how GB works, and if they have a new 9.0 or something similar in the pipeline, I will be jumping on it. Eg something TOTALLY different to the Streamliner.

Still impressed with the Streamliner 900.

 

[Musicman20]

Yep - for me it still is the LMIII. I have not played through it at all since I got the STL, last winter. Last weeks rehearsal I broke it out for fun and started remembering why I liked it so much. It has a really great "in the mix" tone in my opinion.

+1, LM3 and Streamliner are a great combo. I'd love another GB amp though.

 

[nutdog]

Through a series of fortunate events (or unfortunate, if my wife ever examines the checkbook), I found myself using the rig on the left for an outdoor gig Saturday night.

The FOH was through the PA, so this was just for stage purposes, which was a flatbed trailer.

This really had the sound I enjoy. I don't really hunt around for specific tones for each song, I just try to get the bass sounding the way I like it. The combination of the jazz, STL900, AE210 and a 112 cab that is (supposedly) similar to an EX112ER really did it for me. The 210 is airy and articulate and the 112 fills out the lows. I know mixing cabs goes against conventional wisdom, but it worked.

I had been using a TF550B with an NV215 and loved it but didn't like carrying the big cab. I also tried a shuttle 9 with an LDS 12/6. It was impressively loud and cutting, but I struggled to get a smooth sound that I liked.

I've got a question, and I did try to search, but there are 1000 posts in the STL tread before anyone even played one. Then there were some squabbles and bickering...

With the gain dimed, hi gain switch not engaged and volume around 3 o'clock, a bit of EQ but not much, I could barely turn up the master volume (say, around 9 o'clock) and I was getting enough volume to almost carry the FOH. (I discovered during the initial sound check the bass was not going through the PA and it was still sounding OK out front).

The bass doesn't really have a high output. Is it typical with this amp to get significant volume without much master volume?

 

[KJung]

....With the gain dimed, hi gain switch not engaged and volume around 3 o'clock, a bit of EQ but not much, I could barely turn up the master volume (say, around 9 o'clock) and I was getting enough volume to almost carry the FOH. (I discovered during the initial sound check the bass was not going through the PA and it was still sounding OK out front).

The bass doesn't really have a high output. Is it typical with this amp to get significant volume without much master volume?

Remember, part of the reason for a gain/secondary volume control is to compensate for basses with different output levels. With the Gain dimed and secondary volume at 3, you are putting a MASSIVELY hot signal into the power amp, regardless of the output of the bass. So, it would not be surprising that you would reach very high volumes with a relatively low master volume setting.

What you are doing is not 'wrong' in an absolute sense, since a tube preamp is meant to sound pretty good throughout its range (i.e., the bit of distortion you achieve from cranking the pre can sound very musical).

In your case, I would actually engage the 'boost' button to provide a bit more output going into that circuit. That will allow you to turn the gain and secondary volume down a bit, and also result in being able to make input gain adjustments easier (i.e., use more of the taper of both controls). Try the boost engaged, and both gain and volume at noon. From there, adjust to tonal taste, and then finally use the master for volume.

 

[svtb15]

Hey Guys and Girls...
Just an FYI.
Some of you may be wondering where Roger ( Hasbeen ) has been.
He is fine..
I spoke with him the other day on the phone.. Roger is no longer directly involved with Genz Benz like he was.. He was offered another position. And it seems like its a good career move for him. It was an offer that he simply could not refuse.
He left his position on the best of terms .
And he said that he has Jeff Genzlers blessings..

He and Jeff still have a very good working relationship as always, and Roger apparently still consults with Jeff on many things... Including new products that are to come after NAMM, I'm guessing.
I’m assuming Jeff will want someone to fill Rogers’s shoes someday. … But Roger knows bass playing, gear, engineering tid bits, and marketing for certain! But so does Jeff, and Jeff is the man.. And roger is very fair with all people as is Jeff... Real cool and humble people.. Rare in this day..
I have to say, those are Mightily large shoes to fill!

Roger also said that he is open to us all , if we needed any help or had any questions,,

 

[Tunaman]

Meh. If somebody's already invested a couple of grand in their favorite cabs, switching heads is cheaper and easier than building a whole new rig..

True... but in my case my favorite cab is an Epifani NYC 310 weighing 80 lbs so I wanted a light weight amp & some light weight cabs.

Guess I had that luxury... sure if you already have cabs you love you gotta find the right pairing with that amp. Any amp could work or not work.

I didn't have to go that route, I actually built my rig around the Streamliner.

 

[adivin]

Either you want a tube sounding head or not. Just changing cabs ain't going to get you there.

 

[Tunaman]

Either you want a tube sounding head or not. Just changing cabs ain't going to get you there.

The point is a tube sounding head can sound better through some cabs & others no... thats true with any amp cab combo. The point is that people bailing on this amp haven't matched it with the right cabs.

 

[adivin]

Correct, so if they end up with a more modern sounding amp with a good cab pairing, the still don't have the equivalent of the STL with a good cab pairing.

 

[nostatic]

Hey Guys and Girls...
Just an FYI.
Some of you may be wondering where Roger ( Hasbeen ) has been.
He is fine..
I spoke with him the other day on the phone.. Roger is no longer directly involved with Genz Benz like he was.. He was offered another position. And it seems like its a good career move for him. It was an offer that he simply could not refuse.
He left his position on the best of terms .
And he said that he has Jeff Genzlers blessings..

Good to hear. Much better news than he took a header on some ski slope

fwiw I shipped my S900 off to a new owner today. I made a few more bass changes recently and found that I've been more in the Shuttle 9.0 camp wrt the tone I've wanted for recent gigs. Streamliner still is the tube sound to beat imho.

 

[nutdog]

Thanks Ken. That makes sense. I had it in my head the gain switch was for overdrive. And I'm used to a pad switch that that cuts when engaged.

So, if I understand this correctly, there is an opening for someone to get paid to get on talkbass and say things like "I could tell you about our new amp coming out, but then I'd have to kill you". I could do that.

 

[svtb15]

haha... yeah.. i suppose so... But As we all know TB is only a small part of the bass community.. A strong one and a good meeting place though... roger was in many places and his marketing skills are quite at the top of the game.. as well as his ability to expedite product without hype and keep excellent customer service for his customers. He is a pretty good bass player too and he gigs. He just doesn't have book knowledge. he was and is in the trenches.. I respect that....

 

[Red Planet]

I cannot see how you could up the bar on the Genz Benz Amp line though I said that about two seconds before they came out with the Streamliner.

That being said there are a heck of a lot of bases being covered with all the different Shuttle, Shuttle Max, Streamliner, and GBE models available.

I would not fool around with changing any of those but that is just my little ol two cents.

As far as making anything smaller I could see some sort of Micro Micro as there may be some folks out there that are looking for this kind of thing. I would not be one of those people as I want an amp on a cab. I do not want a cigarette pack sized amp and I surely would not want a Max amp in a smaller size with lots of knobs that I can't see.

I would like to see a Streamliner Guitar Amp. I believe Guitards will eventually catch on.

Looking down the road, an amp with built in mind controllability will be good. I would like to be able to think more EQ/volume/etc and get it while I'm playing.

 

[esoxhntr]

I believe Guitards will eventually catch on.

Oh come on, they're guitards. They'll never catch on...

 

[Red Planet]

Oh come on, they're guitards. They'll never catch on...

Shoot all you got to do is tell them the amps have a built in Gyroscope and they just gotta have one.

Spread a little marketing mayonnaise on both sides of the bread and presto!

 

[svtb15]

I think .. well i know you are right about the micro for a guitar... I play with a guitar player Rusty Burns. .He is one of the hot texas guitar heros.. He is not only a guitar player but a Great musician .. ...He is a living legend.
This summer we were in Europe and used all backline rental . He will always get an old marshal. He was so knocked out at how great my Stramliner sounded and how consistent it was.. I usually backline two svt cabs but only used one this time out on most gigs.. Boy a Streamliner 1800 would be cool..!
Anyway, He was sayig, man if they had something like this for guitar players, he would buy two of them..

I cannot see how you could up the bar on the Genz Benz Amp line though I said that about two seconds before they came out with the Streamliner.

That being said there are a heck of a lot of bases being covered with all the different Shuttle, Shuttle Max, Streamliner, and GBE models available.

I would not fool around with changing any of those but that is just my little ol two cents.

As far as making anything smaller I could see some sort of Micro Micro as there may be some folks out there that are looking for this kind of thing. I would not be one of those people as I want an amp on a cab. I do not want a cigarette pack sized amp and I surely would not want a Max amp in a smaller size with lots of knobs that I can't see.

I would like to see a Streamliner Guitar Amp. I believe Guitards will eventually catch on.

Looking down the road, an amp with built in mind controllability will be good. I would like to be able to think more EQ/volume/etc and get it while I'm playing.

 

[hasbeen]

Good to hear. Much better news than he took a header on some ski slope

fwiw I shipped my S900 off to a new owner today. I made a few more bass changes recently and found that I've been more in the Shuttle 9.0 camp wrt the tone I've wanted for recent gigs. Streamliner still is the tube sound to beat imho.

apparently you remember my fall in the ski parking lot last year.