Genzler Amplification Club

[3wavylines]

One reason to get the 800 over the 350…

Driveway gig for Somerville, MA, Porchfest 2024.

 

[Loring]

Nice rig but not gonna lie - that hurts my eyes!

 

[DavidJamesNHBass]

Sadowsky NYC 4-24 x 3 in the rack.
Genzler MG800 is ready to push a Barefaced Six10T (“The Fridge Killer).
Best part is the cab weighs under 70lbs. Gotta love technology!
View attachment 5446131

 

[Moonskunk]

I thought I'd give you guys an update. I had a rehearsal yesterday with a classic rock band in a very bad room. The rig performed so much better than the Ampeg combo that I had used previously. The amp sounds so smooth to my ears. I guess the best way I can describe it is a hifi tube sound. Clear, articulate, warm and harmonically rich. Everything is set flat except the high mids that I have at about 2 o'clock. I played my Spector w/ EMG's. Gain was at 9 o’clock volume @11 o’clock and the master was at 10 o’clock and I had no problem keeping up w/ two guitarist. Exactly what I was looking for.

I've had a lot more time to familiarize myself with the new Kinetix playing around with it over the last several days. This thing is exactly as you describe, very smooth and articulate with an airy top end with just a little tweak of the settings. I always thought my much beloved Aguilar TH-350 had such a nice articulate and very beefy low end after being compared to several other amps I've owned over the years and eventually parted with. However, when I switch out amps going back and forth from the Aguilar to the Kinetix, the Aguilar suddenly sounds rather thin to me. This is with playing both amps at similar low to medium high volume. The Kinetix sounds like it has more weight coming from all the notes but still maintains all of the definition and clarity. Harmonically rich in spades, smooth as butter, articulate, and the cherry on top, all of this with authority! The timing was perfect for me, I was just about ready to order a MG800 when this was suddenly announced. I'm sure I would have been thrilled with that head also, but I've always felt there was something magical about the sound of tubes and this amp doesn't disappoint with the magic dust.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

Good to hear your thoughts on the Kinetix. I have the MG800 and can tell you it IS an exceptional head that is so versatile and very easy to get desired tones quite as well as being intuitive.
I plan on adding the Kinetix to see if it will give me that little something I am searching for in a tone that I believe the tube pre section will give me.

 

[Holdsg]

OMG!

just through headphones at the moment, but this is my new go-to tone settings for SVT P-bass with flats. Amazing big full tone. Beyond just the edge of breakup. Full on breakup, but still thick and rich under the sizzle.

Easy to get a still great but less gnarly P-bass tone by just dialing the gain down to about 10 O’Clock. If I then add the Thick switch, it’s what I’d use for reggae.

I can wait to experiment with my other basses through this rig, including my JPJ Jazz bass (which this was what I bought it for in the first place, to be my Zeppelin head). Leaving the Magellan head for my Americana band.

having played thru many different “SVT” emulation pedals, chasing that tone for years without buying the lead sled, this just slays those by a mile. Big Fat Tube for days.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

NICE! All the VERY positive first impressions keeps nudging me to my purchase of the Kinetix.

 

[Joeykun]

OMG!

just through headphones at the moment, but this is my new go-to tone settings for SVT P-bass with flats. Amazing big full tone. Beyond just the edge of breakup. Full on breakup, but still thick and rich under the sizzle.

Easy to get a still great but less gnarly P-bass tone by just dialing the gain down to about 10 O’Clock. If I then add the Thick switch, it’s what I’d use for reggae.

I can wait to experiment with my other basses through this rig, including my JPJ Jazz bass (which this was what I bought it for in the first place, to be my Zeppelin head). Leaving the Magellan head for my Americana band.

having played thru many different “SVT” emulation pedals, chasing that tone for years without buying the lead sled, this just slays those by a mile. Big Fat Tube for days.
View attachment 5447380

Nice Gary! Experiment with the boost switch. It adds so much to what degree of breakup you want. The amp is so versatile it can dial in many flavors of tubiness!

 

[bebass]

As of now there is another Genzler mini rig of doom out there, this time it happens to be mine . Yesterday I spent several hours comparing it to the other two amps I still own, a Mesa D-350 and an Aguilar TH-350. I've had several other amps I've parted with because they lost out to these two, so the Kinetix had some respectable competition. Long story made even longer, when I first hooked it up I was rather disappointed because it sounded rather boomy to me and the volume level I was getting didn't seem to match up with the levels I had set on the amp, even with the boost switch on. Then when I was getting ready to connect one of the other amps for my comparison I discovered that I had both speaker cables coming out from the back of the amp plugged into the same cab on the bottom of the stack. When I reconnected everything correctly it sounded like a beast! I'm still at the experimental stage with tone settings but I'll say that it's very easy to get a great tone without a lot of knob fiddling or switch flicking. The Stingray Special sounds wonderful through it, but then again it sounds great with the other two amps also. I am super impressed with how it makes my P bass sound, jaw dropping good! It sounds so organic and earthy, best it's ever sounded. It will really push these little 10" arrays and is capable of getting mighty loud. I can imagine 3 of these array cabs with the Kinetix would be a mini monster stack of doom. Not much to complain about with this amp I absolutely love it, but if I had to nitpick I wish the 3 tubes were visible through some sort of grill just for the coolness effect. Also, I wish it had a green or blue boost indicator light above the red mute light so that I wouldn't accidentally try to force the switch up when it was already on. I love that the fan noise is not too obtrusive and that the amp has a bit of heft to it so it sits pretty solidly on top of the speaker cab. This has now become my favorite amp. True, it's still in the honeymoon stage but I think this is one marriage that's going to last. Great job Jeff!
View attachment 5442887

Nice rig! I LOVE the color of that bass!

 

[Moonskunk]

Nice rig! I LOVE the color of that bass!

Thanks, the color is called Tectonic Blue Sparkle. Stingray special, sounds phenomenal thru the Kinetix and 10" arrays as does my P bass. I went through a ton of different rigs over the years to get to this point, but finally I think I reached a stage of contentment. Well, maybe I'll add a third cab sometime down the road to top it all off, but then I'm positively done.

 

[GroovyBaby]

Curious to hear how the new Kinetix compares with the tube options from Mesa (TT800, WD800) in terms of tube feel and vibe. I’ve had the Mesa D800, the TT800, and currently run the Magellan 800. Been happy with all but am considering something with a tube (or three) in it as I only have the Genzler currently. Looking for some of that “weight” and “bounce” for an old school vibe. I know the Kinetix is brand new, but if anyone has any comparison experience please share.

 

[Michael Vee]

Like rust and dust, gear acquisition never sleeps. It only begets more.

I was going to say something about my struggling to rearrange my music room/office this morning and realizing that I have gotten far behind on selling things off that I replaced with current gear in the last ten years. I think I will leave it at that.

 

[Lovep]

Like rust and dust, gear acquisition never sleeps. It only begets more.

I completely agree! I wish I could completely scratch this itch for bass preamps and amps, but it's addictive. Having owned the Mesa WD800, TT800 and the Magellan 800, I am curious about the Kinetix 800 as well. I bet it's another sound that I would like/love...Maybe, maybe not. Like the Magellan, I like the simplicity of the Kinetix 800 and it has tubes.

- I wonder how the tube preamp compares with an Arkham Oracle (my current gold standard)..both push the tube(s) at 300V.
- I wonder how the amps sounds with sealed cabinets.
- How loud is the fan?

 

[Holdsg]

I can answer the fan part.
Always on

what fan?

 

[BassTheory]

Agreed on the fan - I have yet to hear it and I had a pf500 that was a mini cyclone.

The fan in the kinetix is as quiet as my Magellan - as in basically not there.

I run the amp with my two MG12TV Genzler cabs and it is massive. I have rehearsal this sun and a gig on the 31st so will report back after those real world tests.

The at home difference to me compared to the Mag so far:
warmer, fatter, the tube drive is better to me than the drive on the Mag which cut too much low end, even though it sounded great.
The EQ is great, not over the top - I just make small tweaks. So far I feel there was slightly more top end on the Mag and more 'clarity' but at the the risk of sterile in comparison to the kinetix. It also looks cooler I think, colour wise and the knobs are way better (sorry, I hated those round ones). It is SO musical, I really got inspired the first night.

For me, I'm sold on the kinetix and love its feature set and simplicity - plus I've only had it 2 days haha so I anticipate the reviews to get better and better. I was contemplating a tonehammer 500/Mesa D350 - so happy I stayed w Genzler.

Keep you posted.

 

[GtenderG]

I received my Kinetix about a week ago. Ive been a very satisfied Magellan user for 2 plus years. Before the Magellan I was using an Ampeg SVP Pro w/Crown XLS1002 (Loved it-still do).
I’ll echo some of points posted previously. Having the 3 preamp tubes lets the Kinetix range between a warm, fat tone and an aggressive driven tube sound. More reminiscent of my Ampeg SVP than the Magellan. I’ve played several basses through it so far. A Ric4003, a PJ, a jazz, a fretless PJ. The Kinetix allows you to easily dial in a great sound.
For me, the only downside is that all my ‘go to’ patches in my Helix LT need some work. I’ve been using the Magellan set fairly clean, flat EQ. (The prog band I play with requires a bunch of sounds). That said my other project plays all Led Zeppelin and the Kinetix sans effects is perfect for that.
Luckily I’m in position to keep both Genzler amps and that’s my plan…

 

[Jeff Genzler]

View attachment 5449780 I received my Kinetix about a week ago. Ive been a very satisfied Magellan user for 2 plus years. Before the Magellan I was using an Ampeg SVP Pro w/Crown XLS1002 (Loved it-still do).
I’ll echo some of points posted previously. Having the 3 preamp tubes lets the Kinetix range between a warm, fat tone and an aggressive driven tube sound. More reminiscent of my Ampeg SVP than the Magellan. I’ve played several basses through it so far. A Ric4003, a PJ, a jazz, a fretless PJ. The Kinetix allows you to easily dial in a great sound.
For me, the only downside is that all my ‘go to’ patches in my Helix LT need some work. I’ve been using the Magellan set fairly clean, flat EQ. (The prog band I play with requires a bunch of sounds). That said my other project plays all Led Zeppelin and the Kinetix sans effects is perect for that.
Luckily I’m in position to keep both Genzler amps and that’s my plan…

@GtenderG ---- Thanks for your comments and observations. Your comments and how you're planning to use both the Magellan 800 and the Kinetix 800 were how we projected many users might embrace and use both amps for specific needs we we developed the Kinetix. Both amps do have their specific places where they shine.
Thank you for continuing to use our gear.

 

[Nightman]

Well, it’s been a minute, actually over 17,280 minutes, but I got the chance to play bass at an outside venue.
Getting setup to blow some dust off of my 4x10 with my MG800.
Oh, yes! Lots of fun!

 

[SteveC]

I’m going to get to use my 350/12T-V for a gig in the future. Been asked to play a one off gig doing the Weezer “Blue” album front to back. Should be fun. I should have a Kinetix and BA410-3 or at least another 12T-V for a stack with my current combo, but $1K for a cab for a one off gig isn’t in the finances. I’ll have FOH support so…

 

[Nightman]

Well, it’s been a minute, actually over 17,280 minutes, but I got the chance to play bass at an outside venue.
Getting setup to blow some dust off of my 4x10 with my MG800.
Oh, yes! Lots of fun!
View attachment 5449996

My math was all wrong! It’s been more like over 1,036,800 minutes, which is way too long for Genzler gear to not get used.