Genzler Amplification ! New Genz Benz ?

[svtb15]

My main concern is always the FEEL of the note.. And I think this amp does deliver the FEEL as intended. I'm glad people are noticing this..
Because that is the deciding factor for many players. They have become used to some lightweight amps not delivering the FEEL and not following the Envelope of the note.. The Magellan when i had it for demo delivered in every way.
I thought the Magellan kept the FEEL integrity in a great way.. Feel is important . Just as important as overall Volume. maybe more so
I just had a change in summer line up and i can see using this head now. I too would use 3 cabs...

Hi. Magellan gig report from a local dive bar in the UK, for those interested.

I use three 12's and was using a Shuttlemax 9.2 as pre/power for one cab at 8ohms, and a Streamliner 900 power amp only for the other two cabs at 4ohms. I was intrigued by all I'd read about the newer D module amps and particularly the Genzler Magellan pre that was reported by some as a Shuttle/Streamliner mix capable of 2.67ohms. I like the "Extremeliner" tag, and having now used the amp it's a great description. It can do a wide range of tones and is versatile beyond my ability to describe, however at gigs I'm a modern "old school" fingers and pick guy. I'm using a B7K for a little dirt on some tunes, so I used the clean channel, but for me the magic sauce is Contour B at about 10.30. Accident or design, but the curve worked perfectly at containing the 12's and 6's I have.

I knew all the background, so buying the product wasn't a risk. It's silly really, but my main concerns were when driven hard how would it perform at 2.67ohms, and would it heat excessively and have the fan running hard all night. The blurb says not, and the manual claims "Weighted feel to the notes", "Vintage harmonic textures", and "Exceptional thermal management". Can I just say, all of this is true. No hype, I did notice a real difference to the feel of the notes, and the amp at the end of a hard gig was barely warm so the fan had no reason to work harder.

So impressed with the Magellan. Tone enthusiasts may extoll the virtues of lead-sled, but for me (from memory) the gap is now negligible for gigging musicians. Also, I can now get my amp, pedals and all connects in a small pelican case. What's not to like about that?

I'm happy to say that for my needs, its a perfect format. Easy to adjust on the fly and a mix of Shuttle/Streamliner, only better. I might now flip the 'Max and buy a backup Magellan (and probably won't ever need to use it).

YMMV, but for me, gig tone was absolutely superb. The guitarists noticed the difference. I owned the room!

GAS-free pants-flappingly good.

Regards.

I know, pic or it didn't happen (sorry about the poor lighting/quality)
View attachment 798964

 

[Michael Vee]

Yes covers for the BA12-3 will be available...Very HD covers with nice product logos.

This is a definite plus. One of the few things I disliked about Genz-Benz cabinets was that Genz never offered G-B logo printed factory covers. Very nice bags for the heads, but not for the cabs. I have generic plain black padded covers for the Shuttle cab set I own, but would have preferred them with the Genz logo.

Nice, Jeff, glad these will be available.

 

[Bass Mayhem]

I haven't used mine live yet, but will bring it to a "loud rehearsal" on Sunday. My cabs are also combo of 12" and 6", but another brand, So it'll be interesting...

Btw, here are my three "sons of Jeff"...

 

[Sav'nBass]

Total Genz ...........................

 

[SteveC]

My first GB amp was a Neo-Pak 3.5

Great amp! Currently using a Shuttle 3.0-10T and 110 cab.

 

[dhogan1235]

My first GB amp was a Neo-Pak 3.5

View attachment 799218

Great amp! Currently using a Shuttle 3.0-10T and 110 cab.

I still use a one of those. I absolutely love it. But I have to say I've not had anything tempt me like the Magellan has. If I needed more I would be all over this, but I'm not pushing my neo pak hard to get all I need.

 

[John D Harris]

Hi. Magellan gig report from a local dive bar in the UK, for those interested.

I use three 12's and was using a Shuttlemax 9.2 as pre/power for one cab at 8ohms, and a Streamliner 900 power amp only for the other two cabs at 4ohms. I was intrigued by all I'd read about the newer D module amps and particularly the Genzler Magellan pre that was reported by some as a Shuttle/Streamliner mix capable of 2.67ohms. I like the "Extremeliner" tag, and having now used the amp it's a great description. It can do a wide range of tones and is versatile beyond my ability to describe, however at gigs I'm a modern "old school" fingers and pick guy. I'm using a B7K for a little dirt on some tunes, so I used the clean channel, but for me the magic sauce is Contour B at about 10.30. Accident or design, but the curve worked perfectly at containing the 12's and 6's I have.

I knew all the background, so buying the product wasn't a risk. It's silly really, but my main concerns were when driven hard how would it perform at 2.67ohms, and would it heat excessively and have the fan running hard all night. The blurb says not, and the manual claims "Weighted feel to the notes", "Vintage harmonic textures", and "Exceptional thermal management". Can I just say, all of this is true. No hype, I did notice a real difference to the feel of the notes, and the amp at the end of a hard gig was barely warm so the fan had no reason to work harder.

So impressed with the Magellan. Tone enthusiasts may extoll the virtues of lead-sled, but for me (from memory) the gap is now negligible for gigging musicians. Also, I can now get my amp, pedals and all connects in a small pelican case. What's not to like about that?

I'm happy to say that for my needs, its a perfect format. Easy to adjust on the fly and a mix of Shuttle/Streamliner, only better. I might now flip the 'Max and buy a backup Magellan (and probably won't ever need to use it).

YMMV, but for me, gig tone was absolutely superb. The guitarists noticed the difference. I owned the room!

GAS-free pants-flappingly good.

Regards.

I know, pic or it didn't happen (sorry about the poor lighting/quality)
View attachment 798964

Totally awesome gear there, Bro!
Congrats!

 

[Sav'nBass]

I sold my Max 9.2 so I could get one.. unfortunately Mamaberar's car went south.. but this amp is on my list... before the year is out..

 

[ExaltBass]

My Magellan 800 arrived today, but I won't be able to use it with my Baer cabs until Thursday's rehearsal - but I do have a nice Gries 1x12 Neo cab here that I'll be able to run it through after work.
This is a BEAUTY!!!
Now, it looks like, with this amp, that a triple stack is the new 'full stack' That means I'll be rocking a 2/3 stack haha.

edit: I had a little time with it, and it's all good!! So much tonal variety available that I can tell I'll have lots of fun discovering the possibilities. I can't wait to try it again on Thursday in the 'real rig'.

 

[Fishface]

I ordered the Magellan 800 this weekend, also will be pairing it with 2 Baer cabs. Very excited.

 

[R Baer]

View attachment 798964

That's one heck of a rig!

 

[gustobassman]

My main concern is always the FEEL of the note.. And I think this amp does deliver the FEEL as intended. I'm glad people are noticing this..
Because that is the deciding factor for many players. They have become used to some lightweight amps not delivering the FEEL and not following the Envelope of the note.. The Magellan when i had it for demo delivered in every way.
I thought the Magellan kept the FEEL integrity in a great way.. Feel is important . Just as important as overall Volume. maybe more so
I just had a change in summer line up and i can see using this head now. I too would use 3 cabs...

As far as the whole "feel" thing is concerned, how would you compare the "feel" of the Magellan to the "feel" of a Streamliner 900? To me the STL 900 already has a "heft" to it in that other micros seem to fall short. Can you expand on what you are hearing compared to the 900? I'd love to hear a direct comparison between the 2 heads.

 

[svtb15]

Its not so much what you hear. Its more what you are feeling with each note.
People forget bass is not only heard.. YOu should feel it too..

Im NOT the guy that is able to write out in detail amp reviews. I'm just not good at it.. But i'll try..
I can explain my experiences. Mind you, I HATE to Type because i do it poorly and i have to go back and fix everything... yet i still have typos. So In hating it . I always rush to get it done. That only makes it worse.. Anyway.....

The streamliner is a great amp. It has Lots of low bottom too,,
I travelled with it A LOT... But Its 900 watts never matched what i was used to from my 900 watts Crown PSA2 power amp . That Crown would give you the " knock the breath out of your lungs feel". And that is what i am used to.

When the streamliner was driven hard it would feel like it is Limiting RIGHT after the initial Note attack.. Its Loud , you get the attack then it sort of limits , without the limiter light coming on. Same with my SM9.2 and Gk Fusion.. Less so on the fusion..
Many people that are used to big rigs and power amp rigs would miss that solid big feel when going to a lightweight..

In my opinion, The Magellan holds onto that note after the initial attack much better...And that is the FEEL thing I tried to point out.. Maybe it is the Newer Module they are using??? I don't know. . The amp feels thicker and chunkier without low end bloat.. ,, So it sounds fuller without being louder. Its not something you hear as with EQ it something you feel in the response of the amp .
I felt that with my other lightweights ,i started playing louder than usual because i was not getting that FEEL that i got with my Crown amp... so i tried , but by turning up. What i found with the magellan, is that i was able to play Lower and have the FEEL of fullness..

It was the FIRST thing that i noticed when i plugged in on a gig and played it.. The amp Felt more robust and note separation seems more clear and tight..
A few other amp companies are now using the newer module and It would be interesting to see if that carries through to the others as well. Or is the amp unique.. ?
But if you are used to the streamliner or another lightweight. A few notes into your set you will notice the difference almost right away.

As far as the whole "feel" thing is concerned, how would you compare the "feel" of the Magellan to the "feel" of a Streamliner 900? To me the STL 900 already has a "heft" to it in that other micros seem to fall short. Can you expand on what you are hearing compared to the 900? I'd love to hear a direct comparison between the 2 heads.

 

[gustobassman]

Its not so much what you hear. Its more what you are feeling with each note.
People forget bass is not only heard.. YOu should feel it too..

Im NOT the guy that is able to write out in detail amp reviews. I'm just not good at it.. But i'll try..
I can explain my experiences. Mind you, I HATE to Type because i do it poorly and i have to go back and fix everything... yet i still have typos. So In hating it . I always rush to get it done. That only makes it worse.. Anyway.....

The streamliner is a great amp. It has Lots of low bottom too,,
I travelled with it A LOT... But Its 900 watts never matched what i was used to from my 900 watts Crown PSA2 power amp . That Crown would give you the " knock the breath out of your lungs feel". And that is what i am used to.

When the streamliner was driven hard it would feel like it is Limiting RIGHT after the initial Note attack.. Its Loud , you get the attack then it sort of limits , without the limiter light coming on. Same with my SM9.2 and Gk Fusion.. Less so on the fusion..
Many people that are used to big rigs and power amp rigs would miss that solid big feel when going to a lightweight..

In my opinion, The Magellan holds onto that note after the initial attack much better...And that is the FEEL thing I tried to point out.. Maybe it is the Newer Module they are using??? I don't know. . The amp feels thicker and chunkier without low end bloat.. ,, So it sounds fuller without being louder. Its not something you hear as with EQ it something you feel in the response of the amp .
I felt that with my other lightweights ,i started playing louder than usual because i was not getting that FEEL that i got with my Crown amp... so i tried , but by turning up. What i found with the magellan, is that i was able to play Lower and have the FEEL of fullness..

It was the FIRST thing that i noticed when i plugged in on a gig and played it.. The amp Felt more robust and note separation seems more clear and tight..
A few other amp companies are now using the newer module and It would be interesting to see if that carries through to the others as well. Or is the amp unique.. ?
But if you are used to the streamliner or another lightweight. A few notes into your set you will notice the difference almost right away.

That all makes sense to me. Many moons ago I ran a BDDI into an old Peavey power amp as main rig and that had some real thickness to the notes I played. The Magellan has got me even more intrigued. I really want to try one out.

 

[husky123]

Its not so much what you hear. Its more what you are feeling with each note.
People forget bass is not only heard.. YOu should feel it too..

Im NOT the guy that is able to write out in detail amp reviews. I'm just not good at it.. But i'll try..
I can explain my experiences. Mind you, I HATE to Type because i do it poorly and i have to go back and fix everything... yet i still have typos. So In hating it . I always rush to get it done. That only makes it worse.. Anyway.....

The streamliner is a great amp. It has Lots of low bottom too,,
I travelled with it A LOT... But Its 900 watts never matched what i was used to from my 900 watts Crown PSA2 power amp . That Crown would give you the " knock the breath out of your lungs feel". And that is what i am used to.

When the streamliner was driven hard it would feel like it is Limiting RIGHT after the initial Note attack.. Its Loud , you get the attack then it sort of limits , without the limiter light coming on. Same with my SM9.2 and Gk Fusion.. Less so on the fusion..
Many people that are used to big rigs and power amp rigs would miss that solid big feel when going to a lightweight..

In my opinion, The Magellan holds onto that note after the initial attack much better...And that is the FEEL thing I tried to point out.. Maybe it is the Newer Module they are using??? I don't know. . The amp feels thicker and chunkier without low end bloat.. ,, So it sounds fuller without being louder. Its not something you hear as with EQ it something you feel in the response of the amp .
I felt that with my other lightweights ,i started playing louder than usual because i was not getting that FEEL that i got with my Crown amp... so i tried , but by turning up. What i found with the magellan, is that i was able to play Lower and have the FEEL of fullness..

It was the FIRST thing that i noticed when i plugged in on a gig and played it.. The amp Felt more robust and note separation seems more clear and tight..
A few other amp companies are now using the newer module and It would be interesting to see if that carries through to the others as well. Or is the amp unique.. ?
But if you are used to the streamliner or another lightweight. A few notes into your set you will notice the difference almost right away.

This captures my experience as well. I come from the "big rig" camp and while some micros have been great, most have left me with the "meh" feeling. The Magellan does not leave me with that. It hits like the classics.

 

[Tonetodiefor]

Its not so much what you hear. Its more what you are feeling with each note.
People forget bass is not only heard.. YOu should feel it too..

Im NOT the guy that is able to write out in detail amp reviews. I'm just not good at it.. But i'll try..
I can explain my experiences. Mind you, I HATE to Type because i do it poorly and i have to go back and fix everything... yet i still have typos. So In hating it . I always rush to get it done. That only makes it worse.. Anyway.....

The streamliner is a great amp. It has Lots of low bottom too,,
I travelled with it A LOT... But Its 900 watts never matched what i was used to from my 900 watts Crown PSA2 power amp . That Crown would give you the " knock the breath out of your lungs feel". And that is what i am used to.

When the streamliner was driven hard it would feel like it is Limiting RIGHT after the initial Note attack.. Its Loud , you get the attack then it sort of limits , without the limiter light coming on. Same with my SM9.2 and Gk Fusion.. Less so on the fusion..
Many people that are used to big rigs and power amp rigs would miss that solid big feel when going to a lightweight..

In my opinion, The Magellan holds onto that note after the initial attack much better...And that is the FEEL thing I tried to point out.. Maybe it is the Newer Module they are using??? I don't know. . The amp feels thicker and chunkier without low end bloat.. ,, So it sounds fuller without being louder. Its not something you hear as with EQ it something you feel in the response of the amp .
I felt that with my other lightweights ,i started playing louder than usual because i was not getting that FEEL that i got with my Crown amp... so i tried , but by turning up. What i found with the magellan, is that i was able to play Lower and have the FEEL of fullness..

It was the FIRST thing that i noticed when i plugged in on a gig and played it.. The amp Felt more robust and note separation seems more clear and tight..
A few other amp companies are now using the newer module and It would be interesting to see if that carries through to the others as well. Or is the amp unique.. ?
But if you are used to the streamliner or another lightweight. A few notes into your set you will notice the difference almost right away.

Kirk,

You nailed it on the head about the "feel" of many lightweight heads!
It is my number one "issue" with my SM9.2. but I couldn't find a way to put it into words. I initially thought of the term "limiting" of the note... or the sustain of the note but it really comes down to the way you described it.
In the 80's I also gigged a lot with a two pre's driving a 500w/channel head and always loved the weight and size of the note... It was one of my nicer setups but I eventually replaced it with a Bass 400 which suited my need for more warmth.

Thanks for your review... It is very helpful!

 

[SteveC]

Do I need an $800 practice amp at home? 95% of my playing is DI/IEM.

 

[mikew31]

Yes, yes you do

 

[Jim C]

Kirk,
You had mentioned in a previous post that higher notes (say mid-neck on the G string) did not get thin but rather maintained a strong low end presence in spite of pitch.
This is another piece of data to consider as previously I have only found this with big iron amps or an SVT.
After I get through some new divorce stuff I will try this amp out; I'm told by some pals that if I try it I will buy it!

 

[svtb15]

My Pleasure.. I tired the best that i can.. I'm not very Politically correct. I don't try to be either.. I get in trouble all the time. LOL. I get in trouble on Talkbass too ..

I dig the Magellan. If i had a 100 of these i could sell them from the band stage once people heard it..
Is it as big of a wrecking ball as my Crown power amp and pre? I'd have to do an A/B test to know for sure.

Kirk,

You nailed it on the head about the "feel" of many lightweight heads!
It is my number one "issue" with my SM9.2. but I couldn't find a way to put it into words. I initially thought of the term "limiting" of the note... or the sustain of the note but it really comes down to the way you described it.
In the 80's I also gigged a lot with a two pre's driving a 500w/channel head and always loved the weight and size of the note... It was one of my nicer setups but I eventually replaced it with a Bass 400 which suited my need for more warmth.

Thanks for your review... It is very helpful!