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GK amp heads smoking?
- Thread starter J Sudjian
- Start date
I just bought the 800RB last week, I really hope this is just user error and not GK....
this thread has me a little concerned now...
Geez, it's not like you bought a PF500 or 7-Pro! Then I would be concerned 
Well I dint want to scare everyone. I am just reaching out to confirm or disprove this as being an issue. I love how they sound, have not got to crank one very loud, didn't know where the fire exit was.... No no just kidding, hey I may still get one, they always have great reviews and even on here people recommend them all the time.
It's just that if its true, and they have been having issues, a master forum like this is a good way to get to the bottom of things, maybe even get GK to see their is some concern. Idk.
It's just that if its true, and they have been having issues, a master forum like this is a good way to get to the bottom of things, maybe even get GK to see their is some concern. Idk.
When the MB2-500 first came out it had troubles, the owner and president of G-K (TB username rag for Robert A Gallien) was here all the time and still cruises the forums. He even made changes to the preamp voicing of the new MB series from TalkBass user feedback.
You are not doing anything the man that started G-K in his garage in 1968 when he designed and built the first 236A (GMT) has been doing on his own for decades.
The MB2-500 had enough trouble that Mr Gallien offered exchanges for newer MB500 when they were released with all the fixes and improvements. I personally don't know of any other company that has gone that far to take care of it's users.
You are not doing anything the man that started G-K in his garage in 1968 when he designed and built the first 236A (GMT) has been doing on his own for decades.
The MB2-500 had enough trouble that Mr Gallien offered exchanges for newer MB500 when they were released with all the fixes and improvements. I personally don't know of any other company that has gone that far to take care of it's users.
Geez, it's not like you bought a PF500 or 7-Pro! Then I would be concerned
yeah, this was the first I heard about GK's blowing up or smoking.... I think I'll mine will be okay
The word is your GC is probably occupied by clowns that...
1) don't know what they're doing and probably used the wrong cables or the wrong load.
2) exaggerated the issue.
3) sell a competing product, which I'm sure has never ever failed.
4) push an added cost extended repair warranty for those unreliable GK amps.
I'm currently on year 5 with a GK MB210 combo that gets used daily and have had zero issues with it. Keep in mind that's a combo which is usually the more inferior product in any company line up.
I have a 1001RB that I've had for a little over ten years. I gigged it constantly for the first five or six years I had it. I bought an svt-cl somewhere in there and now I alternate between the two, depending on the type of gig I'm doing, though the GK has mostly been a back up since I picked up the ampeg. But I still love the GK, great sounding amp.
I bought it used and, after having bought it, noticed that when I power it down, there is an audible pop that goes through my cab. I was pretty bummed to discover that (didn't hear it when I tested it out at GC). I researched the problem and found there was a small range of serial #s within which this was a known issue. Bummer. To deal with the problem I simply started turning my master volume down whenever shutting off the amp (which I now consider a good standard practice anyway) and that made it a non-issue. Apart from that, I've never had a single issue with my GK. It's a well-travelled and much used piece of gear, and I have a deep appreciation for the reliability it's afforded me over the years. Ime, and based on what seems to be general consensus, it's a solid and reliable brand. I wouldn't have any concerns about buying another one if the need arose.
I bought it used and, after having bought it, noticed that when I power it down, there is an audible pop that goes through my cab. I was pretty bummed to discover that (didn't hear it when I tested it out at GC). I researched the problem and found there was a small range of serial #s within which this was a known issue. Bummer. To deal with the problem I simply started turning my master volume down whenever shutting off the amp (which I now consider a good standard practice anyway) and that made it a non-issue. Apart from that, I've never had a single issue with my GK. It's a well-travelled and much used piece of gear, and I have a deep appreciation for the reliability it's afforded me over the years. Ime, and based on what seems to be general consensus, it's a solid and reliable brand. I wouldn't have any concerns about buying another one if the need arose.
Can't wait till I get my 800RB in the next week or so!!! Got to try an older beat up one at work, it blew my mind(and eardrums), I can't believe how I wrote them off on the experience of the 1001(I couldn't get a tone I liked out of it), the 800RB is simply amazing!!!
I almost wanna get the 400 (I know they're cheap enough)as well and do a bi-amped, pushed/rails with the 400 and clean with the 800, or even bi-amp with 800 and have 3 killer signals
I almost wanna get the 400 (I know they're cheap enough)as well and do a bi-amped, pushed/rails with the 400 and clean with the 800, or even bi-amp with 800 and have 3 killer signals
To echo what some of the other posts have suggested, I think the tales of the smoking GK heads likely had to do with user error at your local GC. I remember a long time ago, the first amp and cab I bought (not a GK but from GC), after I'd been playing only a year or so and didn't know much about gear. They sold it to me with an instrument cable rather than a speaker cable to connect the amp and cab. That amp died an untimely death, but naturally not until after the return period had passed.
I've played GK heads pretty extensively...400RB, 800RB, 2001RB, MB200, MB500, MB800. The only (only) one that had an issue was the MB800 right out of the box. Very loud fan that you could hear whining through the cab at gigging volume. Clearly something was wrong with it.
Otherwise they have all been rock solid. I never once worried about their reliability. The MB200 was my back up amp to anything else that I was gigging with at the time. The 800RB is well known to be one of the most reliable heads ever made. I would be the least bit concerned about buying one.
One crappy thread about GK's going up in smoke and everybody is all worried. Numerous threads about PF500's and 7 Pros yet plenty of people are still buying those.
Otherwise they have all been rock solid. I never once worried about their reliability. The MB200 was my back up amp to anything else that I was gigging with at the time. The 800RB is well known to be one of the most reliable heads ever made. I would be the least bit concerned about buying one.
One crappy thread about GK's going up in smoke and everybody is all worried. Numerous threads about PF500's and 7 Pros yet plenty of people are still buying those.
I will almost never believe music shop staff or company salespeople about this kind of thing. A friend of mine went into one of our local shops to enquire about a particular amp only to be told "we had to stop selling those, the failure rate was too high", when it just so happened that the shop had a large shipment of a competing product with a less attractive feature set. I've never heard from anywhere else that the amp my friend wanted has poor reliability.
I've also heard about a rep from an amp company claiming that "manufacturing Class-D amps is now illegal". The company in question had just come out with a range of Class-AB amps which presumably they were keen to promote.
These guys will make stuff up on the spot if they think it will get them the sale!
I've also heard about a rep from an amp company claiming that "manufacturing Class-D amps is now illegal". The company in question had just come out with a range of Class-AB amps which presumably they were keen to promote.
These guys will make stuff up on the spot if they think it will get them the sale!
And to cover their a#@ if they hook something up wrong, the quality of their employees has dropped a lot in recent years.
People use Carvin all the time and I never had one of their pieces that didn't break. Every company has things that break. That's why they all have customer service. GK is at the top of my list.
Try doing that onstage. One night I thought the smoke machine was going crazy, I turned around and it was a roadie with a fire extinguisher putting out the guitar players Mesa.
I've played GK pretty much exclusively since 1987. I've had exactly two issues. First my 400RB starting cutting out randomly after 15 years of use so I shelved it and eventually sold it after having it repaired. The other was a new MB500 that was DOA. An email to RMC (where I bought it) resulted in an email from Jason at GK and a new amp was on the way to me from GK in about 24 hours. If you're worrying about GK reliability or service you worry too much.
(edited to correct speeling)
(edited to correct speeling)
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My experience too. I have an early GK MB800 that played and sounded fine, but had a weird intermittent issue with the lights. Thinking this might be a problem down the road, I spoke with GK customer service and they took it back in for a look-see. They pulled their hair out over it for a couple of weeks, then apparently found the issue. I got it back and haven't had a problem since. and it's a smoking little amp. It's either my main amp or my backup, depending what i want that night.I've played GK pretty much exclusively since 1987. I've had exactly two issues. First my 400rb starting cutting out randomly after 15 years of use so I shelved it and eventually sold it after having it repaired. The other was a new MB500 that was DOA. An email to RMC (where I bought it) resulted in an email from Jason at GK and a new amp was on he way to me from GK in about 24 hours. If you're worrying about GK reliability or service you're worry too much.
Didn't he do something similar during the transition from the 1001RB to the 1001RB=II?The MB2-500 had enough trouble that Mr Gallien offered exchanges for newer MB500 when they were released with all the fixes and improvements. I personally don't know of any other company that has gone that far to take care of it's users.
I don't know the details, but he offered the power amp, preamp and transformer upgrades. He also offered for a limited time to upgrade the series I MB combos to series II amp units if you bought a powered extension cab for just the cost of shipping.
My 800RB has been the most reliable piece of equipment I have ever owned. After 25 years of use, the input jack just plain wore out. (only issue I had with this unit since I bought it new)
I got a 2nd 800RB a couple of years ago for a backup and never had to use it. Sold it to fund a new 1001RB. If you take care of your stuff it takes care of you.
I got a 2nd 800RB a couple of years ago for a backup and never had to use it. Sold it to fund a new 1001RB. If you take care of your stuff it takes care of you.
