Thanks but are the GKs made in the US? Are there any other brands that are decent and US made?
Thanks,
All the GK amps and cabinets and combos are made in the USA except for the Backline series. The Backline 600 is the best of the Backline series as far as power goes. Too bad you developed problems with it.
The GK 400 RB compares with the Backline 600 for power . I used a 400 RB for over 10 years of constant playing and it was reliable and always sounded great. It had enough power for everything except for a few outdoor shows where I really had to crank it.
The 700 RB and 1001 RB have way more power and should be able to handle almost anything you come up with. The 2001 RB has huge amounts of power and is probably overkill for most bassists who play at a sane volume.
Other brands I like? I like the Yorkville Sound and Traynor amps. I owned a Yorkville 200 watt combo for a year and really gave it a workout on many gigs. It was a good sounding and very reliable amp. I only traded it in when I played a Mesa Walkabout Scout combo. That's the Rolls Royce of small combos for me. Wonderful sound with a real tube grind if you set the controls that way. A bit more expensive than the other amp brands, but quality all the way.
I've played many other brands over the many years I've been playing--SWR, Eden, Ampeg, Acoustic (the real ones, not the re-issues out now) and many others. But the ones listed above are the ones I particularly like and the only ones I'd consider buying. Right now I own GK and Yorkville Sound and have no plans or even desire to change.
Good luck with your search.
Edit to add--I was a little off there. You had problems with the Behringer, not the Backline 600. Sorry about that. I'm not surprised you had a problem with the Behringer. The Backline 600 is a step above that even though it's made in China for GK. But for your peace of mind, look at the GK USA made amps. The prices are quite good.
