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GK 800rb old/new??

T

TheOldFlatwound

Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2005
946
355
Nashville, TN
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: D'Addario
#1
I'm looking for an 800rb---should i look for an older one or newer one?? how can a tell the difference between the various eras?? i'm sure the new ones are nice, but i don't mind waiting it out for one from a particular time period if it's better sounding or more reliable.

note: i have a 400rb en route, that i think is from the original run, with the attached power cord. i borrowed a 400rb and love it, great old school solid state tone. so i found what i hope to be a good 400rb and want to add an 800rb to the mix. thanks for the help.
 
#2
here's the 400rb that i have on the way

gk1.gif


gk2.gif
 
#6
The newer 800rb's have the vert. power switch, a little lighter as the iron core transformer is gone and you can find parts (if needed) for the newer model. The old horz. power switch amp has some preamp parts that are a couple of decades obsolete. Just something to keep in mind also?
 
#7
I've recently acquired a 1999 800rb and its awesome. GK builds good amps. Period. If someone is telling you "GK just doesn't make 'em like they used to" either hasn't got any recent experience with the newer gk stuff or is lying to you. Until Bob Gallien is no longer a part of the company, i would buy any gk product with confidence, regardless of date of manufacture.
 
#8
dougjwray said:
I have one of those original 400RBs. I bought it new in 1985, and it's never once failed me. Both the 400s and the 800s are simple, louder than they "should" be, and super reliable. Enjoy them!
Click to expand...

NICE!!!

thanks for the info guys. i'm looking forward to getting the 400rb and am on the lookout for 800rb. i'm buying used either way, but it sounds like a new one is just as solid as an old one.
 
#11
I used to have an older 400RB (with cord attached) and at a small GTG at KJung's we put it against some MarkBass amps, Genz Benz, Thunderfunk and a Tech Puma.

I REALLY think we get caught in the moment of the latest "Ooo shiny & new" and move on from older stuff.
The reason I say this is when we plugged it in EVERYONE was stunned on how much it had the same tone as these "amps of the day".
It was a little short in the power dept. But overall, it hung with the new gear tone wise with ZERO issues.

AN old 800RB would be the cats nutz.
I cool mod is to send it off to Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades and have him rip it apart and rebuild it with new high-end parts(he's the guy who rebuilds Neve consuls out in Cali).
I've heard a few he did- WOW!
Same GK grind and tone, but better. Don't know how to explain it, just "better" sounding.

Yeah, 800RB, how could you go wrong- old or new.

WOW!!! Just found this:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=562366&highlight=800rb
 
#14
i've been borrowing the 400rb and am surprised at how loud it is. plenty of volume in a medium/loud 5pc band. i'm sure the 800 would have lots of headroom and hang on large and outdoor gigs.

I was switching at rehearsal back and forth with my SVTII non-pro (thru berg NV610) and it sounded really good, even side by side with a nice SVT!!

i was never a GK fan, but after enjoying my old Kustom 200 the last 2 years, i wanted to looked into old-skool solid state sounds. the older (and i guess older style in the "new" 800rb) GK stuff fits right in there and have a rep for being reliable, which i need.
 
#15
MikeBass said:
AN old 800RB would be the cats nutz.
I cool mod is to send it off to Jim Williams at Audio Upgrades and have him rip it apart and rebuild it with new high-end parts(he's the guy who rebuilds Neve consuls out in Cali).
I've heard a few he did- WOW!
Same GK grind and tone, but better. Don't know how to explain it, just "better" sounding.
Click to expand...


very interesting. i'm kind of hoping whatever i get doesn't need much servicing. but it's good to know there are guys out there that can bulletproof it if need be
 
#16
Band Dad said:
I bought an 800RB as a backup for an Ampeg (3 pro with prh410), then bought a 400RB because it was a great deal. Sold the 400RB, use the 800RB with Ampeg as backup. Now I wish I had that 400RB as a backup. I'll find another one.
Click to expand...

I was running a svt3 and then got a 800rb(new) and i still have the 800rb!

I have a mb2-500 now and the 800rb still gets play time. I dont think there is much difference between the old and new to warrant getting the old over the new.
 
#17
timmarks said:
i've been borrowing the 400rb and am surprised at how loud it is. plenty of volume in a medium/loud 5pc band. i'm sure the 800 would have lots of headroom and hang on large and outdoor gigs.

I was switching at rehearsal back and forth with my SVTII non-pro (thru berg NV610) and it sounded really good, even side by side with a nice SVT!!

i was never a GK fan, but after enjoying my old Kustom 200 the last 2 years, i wanted to looked into old-skool solid state sounds. the older (and i guess older style in the "new" 800rb) GK stuff fits right in there and have a rep for being reliable, which i need.
Click to expand...


I wouldn't call it "old skool" sounding at all.
 
#18
it has an older style tone to me, similar to my kustom to my ears. putting it thru a cab with no tweeter helps (i never use one). it has a little to much clack when using a bass with roundwounds, but turning the treble down slightly to 10o'clock helped. i generally play with no eq at all.

i did a gig last week using my 70's les paul sig bass (w/flats)/400rb/berg 2x10 and was very happy. fat, clean, punchy tone. didn't miss my bassman, kustom, or V4B like i would normally use. admittedly, it's a very different animal, it just works for me as well as my more usual options, which was a bit of a surprise. that's part of what's cool about it---i think it would also deliver with a more modern bass thru a full range cab or cabs.

some solid state amps in my experience have a hard and/or brittle tone no matter what you do, and the gk seems much better in that regard. it also matches well with by berg cabs.
 
#20
MIJ-VI said:
Has anyone here run the 800RB's 300 watt output to their bass cab, and the 100 watt output to a small tilt-back cab used as a bass monitor for a drummer?
Click to expand...

I love the bi-amp feature of the 800RB, and using the 100W "HI" output for a drummer's monitor sounds like a pretty good idea.

My son uses an Avatar 212 out of the 300W "LO" output and an ADA 200W 115 out of the "HI", and it sounds great.
 

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