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GK 700RB-II or 400RB-IV?
- Thread starter smurfy27
- Start date
Depends on how much of the GK grunt you're looking for. My current situation has me playing at lower volumes, and I can just barely get what I want out of my 700. In fact, at this moment I'm trying to decide on whether to get the 400 or the BL600. Personally, I think with the GK's you should only get what you need. RMC Audio sells them at great prices, so getting the 700 or 1001 later is not a great big expense.
Ljazz
Ljazz
I just went thru the same process but I wound up getting the 700 and it is amazing. Worth the few extra bucks.
Depends on a lot of things having to do with your playing style and the sound you want. With the 400 you can get some of the nice warm grittiness at lower volumes then the 700. But you loose some head room. Also the 700 has biamping, a non-issue if you aren't using a GK cab but if you are then some people like it. I I have the 400 and I love it.
If You Own a Bass Cab That Contains 400 Watts@8Ohms, Then The 700RB-II Is Definitely Worth Owning. You Get Lots Of Volume And Most Importantly, You Get An Awesome Sound.
Rock On,Dude!
Rock On,Dude!
I have owned the 400RB, the 800RB. and I currently own both the 1001 and the 2001. More power gives you cleaner tone without loud. Its like pulling a boat, would you rather pull it with a Ford Focus or a Ford F250? With my 2001, I can barely get past 1 on the volume, but the clean bottom end tone I can get is amazing. You will need a cab that can handle the power. I say get the most rig you can afford.
hmmmm.... saddled up with the "more is better" camp.
If you're not really pushing the power amp, then you've not truely experienced the GK growl. From an experience stand point, get only what you need. Again, I play the 700, and I can barely get it to hit the rails with the current situation I'm playing in. Read this from an interview with Bob Gallien:
"When a power amp puts out as much power as it is capable of producing, that is referred to as "hitting the rails." The way our amps go in and out of the rails is very different to how other manufacturer's amps react. Sometimes you will hear guys talk about "the G-K growl." If a bassist is used to playing an 800RB, he'll know exactly where he needs to place the controls on his amp to get that G-K growl. If he then moves to the 1001RB-II which puts out over twice as much power as the 800RB, he'll have to play his amp much louder to get that same type of growl. I have found that this is one of the biggest things that bassists have to learn in moving to a more powerful amplifier. If you want to maintain the classic G-K growl and don't need to play at loud volumes, then you definitely want to stick with a lower powered amplifier so it is easier for you to hit the rails."
The entire article is here:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Again, the GK heads are a great value. Get what you need now, and then move up as needed later. And think of it this way, you'll have a great back up head for later.
Ljazz
If you're not really pushing the power amp, then you've not truely experienced the GK growl. From an experience stand point, get only what you need. Again, I play the 700, and I can barely get it to hit the rails with the current situation I'm playing in. Read this from an interview with Bob Gallien:
"When a power amp puts out as much power as it is capable of producing, that is referred to as "hitting the rails." The way our amps go in and out of the rails is very different to how other manufacturer's amps react. Sometimes you will hear guys talk about "the G-K growl." If a bassist is used to playing an 800RB, he'll know exactly where he needs to place the controls on his amp to get that G-K growl. If he then moves to the 1001RB-II which puts out over twice as much power as the 800RB, he'll have to play his amp much louder to get that same type of growl. I have found that this is one of the biggest things that bassists have to learn in moving to a more powerful amplifier. If you want to maintain the classic G-K growl and don't need to play at loud volumes, then you definitely want to stick with a lower powered amplifier so it is easier for you to hit the rails."
The entire article is here:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Again, the GK heads are a great value. Get what you need now, and then move up as needed later. And think of it this way, you'll have a great back up head for later.
Ljazz
