I've played bass for some odd number of years now. Been through a lot of different rigs- Ampeg SVT-CL, Sunn stuff, Crate bass heads (this was back in the early 90s...), Peavey, SWR, etc. etc.. Most recently I've played through a Bass POD Pro->Mackie 1400i setup, and though it sounded alright, it felt terrible. It literally felt like I wasn't playing through a real amp, even though everyone complimented the bass tone I got.
These days I only have two basses, a G&L L2500 and a Dano Longhorn. Obviously, I use the G&L for 99.99% of everything, and only pull out the Dano when I want to look funny.
Most recently I've been using my GK 700RB-II, through an Avatar 210 NEO. And I can't say enough about how KILLER this little rig is.
When I first got the 700RB, I figured it would be hard to find my tone. It really was the opposite of that- I powered up, twisted a few knobs, and BAM, there's the tone I'm looking for. Phat, slightly ragged around the edges, but with definition and quickness. Not at all different from my days with an SVT... it's all in the amp. The coolest thing is that there are three different gain stages to optimize response. Between volume, boost, and master, you can get just about any amount of color you want- including none at all. Yeah, I was able to dial in that hi-fi 'contemporary adult jazz' sound that I abhor, but must use from time to time.
But the real rock n roll happens at high volumes. Master up at 12, boost around 2 o'clock, vol stays at about 10 o'clock. EQ flat, set hi mid to taste. Jam out your favorite Allen Woody or Flea riffs, and oooohhh yeah.
Anyway, just wanted to post some data about my experience. The GK sound is the sound I've always searched for- the amp is flexible, but most importantly it can ROCK when you need to rock.
These days I only have two basses, a G&L L2500 and a Dano Longhorn. Obviously, I use the G&L for 99.99% of everything, and only pull out the Dano when I want to look funny.
Most recently I've been using my GK 700RB-II, through an Avatar 210 NEO. And I can't say enough about how KILLER this little rig is.
When I first got the 700RB, I figured it would be hard to find my tone. It really was the opposite of that- I powered up, twisted a few knobs, and BAM, there's the tone I'm looking for. Phat, slightly ragged around the edges, but with definition and quickness. Not at all different from my days with an SVT... it's all in the amp. The coolest thing is that there are three different gain stages to optimize response. Between volume, boost, and master, you can get just about any amount of color you want- including none at all. Yeah, I was able to dial in that hi-fi 'contemporary adult jazz' sound that I abhor, but must use from time to time.
But the real rock n roll happens at high volumes. Master up at 12, boost around 2 o'clock, vol stays at about 10 o'clock. EQ flat, set hi mid to taste. Jam out your favorite Allen Woody or Flea riffs, and oooohhh yeah.
Anyway, just wanted to post some data about my experience. The GK sound is the sound I've always searched for- the amp is flexible, but most importantly it can ROCK when you need to rock.
