GK MB 212 II Rant. Not Happy

[Thumper19605]

The reason I purchased a GK combo amp last October was because of the great customer service and dependability of the product I had heard so much about.

Well, I've had the amp 6 months and I've only been able to play it for about 3 months. Half of its life has been spent in the repair shop.

It started cutting out on me during band practice in March of this year. Took it into the store where I bought it (Chuck Levins Washington Music Center) and they said, wrong place to bring it in for repair. You need to take it to our repair facility (about 10 miles away, but ages in DC traffic). Bummed out since I called ahead and asked where to take the amp for warranty work and they said back to the store. Oh well.

The big issue I have is it took them 3 months to get the amp back to me. They claimed lost parts, amp didn't get put into repair rotation etc. etc.

Two months into this ordeal I wrote to GK to see if they could light a fire under the butts of the repair facility. Jason simply said the repair facility's are independently owned and operated and they have nothing to do with them other then to supply parts.

This brings us to last Friday when I FINALLY picked up my amp. Plugged it in at band practice and same damn problem. It's like they didn't even test it.

Can you imagine how tee'd off I am at this point?

I took it back to Chuck Levin's the next day to see if they could exchange it for a working amp or atleaast talk to GK. They said nope, you're only choice is to take it back to the repair facility. So here I wait again.

My local mom and pop store hooked me up with a cab to get me through gigs I've had and I've since purchased a Markbass since I will be selling this GK lemon.

I would be inclined to keep it if there was some concern on the part of GK or Chuck Levins for the crappy service and disregard for customer service. I really feel left out in the cold on this and it has REALLY turned me off of GK and Chuck Levins Washington Music Center.

Rant over.

I have a similar issue with a practice amp I purchased, I will leave the name out for the sake of argument.
It seems if you hit a class D amp too hard it does not distort, it cuts out period.
If you play it within it's operating parameters it preforms better, lower volume.
Perhaps a compressor before the amp may help, if you are not already using one.
My class D never leaves the house for any jobs any more, purchased a second used AB solid state for jobs.
I wish you luck, hope this helps.

 

[two fingers]

Sorry to hear, but this seems much more to do with a piss poor repair facility, and a lot less to do with GK customer service. I wouldn't expect GK to offer to take an amp back that you already told them was at some point of repair at another facility. Anyone would reasonably expect if the amp is at a repair facility, it would come back, repaired. If you call them back and explain the situation and that you're in possession of the amp, I'm sure they'd offer up a solution.

Couldn't disagree more. The maker of the product was notified that it crapped out a shortly after purchase and that their authorized repair facility wasn't getting it back into the customer's hands Pronto. Had I made that product I would have apologized and asked the customer to hold on one minute while I called the shop to see what the hold up is.....at the very least. If I didn't get a suitable answer from them, I would take it on myself to get a new unit (that I had tested before sending out) on the customer's front porch by the end of the second business day. And then I would have dealt with the repair shop on the old unit myself.

That's how you win/keep customers. OP would have started a thread here titled "GK has my business forever!"

 

[WaynerBass]

I've owned a GK backline 600 head and a GK head that was black and gold in color, both for very short periods.. the backline 600 had went out within 3 months... I bought the black and gold model... went out a month later... JUNK! I never purchased another GK product ever.

I have 30 yo Peavey's that still work like new!

I play through a Fender Rumble 500v3 head and two Fender Rumble cabs and couldn't be happier with my reliability and tone

 

[StudioGC]

why didn't you test the amp when you picked it up, after it was repaired, instead of schleping it to practice?

Because I picked it up Friday afternoon on my way home from work and went directly to band practice.

 

[StudioGC]

I've been contrasting and comparing the GK MB212-II and the Markbass CMD102P. I'm very interested in hearing what the outcome of this situation is.

It's hard to remember what my GK 212 sounded like, but it was a great sound as I remember. More of a modern sound vs say an Ampeg PF sound or even Rumble 500 (which I used for awhile as a backup.

Regarding the comparison with my Markbass Jeff Berlin, I'm not quite sure yet. Hoping I can a/b them soon....and not in a few months!

 

[Jay Corwin]

Awful customer service. Is this a chain store or an independent? I can't imagine a mom and pop outfit treating a customer that poorly, and still being in business.

 

[NeonVomit]

I've owned a GK backline 600 head and a GK head that was black and gold in color, both for very short periods.. the backline 600 had went out within 3 months... I bought the black and gold model... went out a month later... JUNK! I never purchased another GK product ever.

I have 30 yo Peavey's that still work like new!

I play through a Fender Rumble 500v3 head and two Fender Rumble cabs and couldn't be happier with my reliability and tone

The Backline stuff wasn't great, neither was the gold one (which I never really understood the point of).

Give the RB heads a play if you ever have the chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[bradjonesbass]

To play Devil's Advocate here, consider the scale of a company like GK and how many authorized repair facilities there are in the U.S. for various amp brands. If the repair shop is independently owned and operated, that means that GK can't exactly tell them how to run their business or make any real threats to them if they don't get a move on. They don't know what the shop queue is like, if they are shorthanded as of late, or if there is some oversight or unforeseen circumstance that is causing delay. If GK tells them to get a move on, they'll probably give some excuse and GK can't confirm or deny their claims, so it just becomes time wasted for both parties. I don't know if they do repairs at their manufacturing facilities or how that works exactly, but if GK is unable to do these repairs and they are delegated out to authorized independent repair facilities, I don't really see how they have any control over this situation...it's the repair facility's fault.

The nice thing for them to do is offer a replacement, but that would be the exception to the rules and not something expected of the vast majority of major manufacturers. It really seems like the beef is with the shop that sold it to you and the bum repair facility that doesn't even get it fixed. FWIW I can cite that I've used GK gear (new and used) for years and haven't had any issues out of it. I wouldn't give up hope, they have some killer gear.

While not Apples to Apples, I work for an authorized Boeing and GE service center (military and civilian aircraft electronics) - we also manufacture OEM aircraft electronics for Boeing and GE engine and flight controls. I promise you, if an airline sends us equipment for service, Boeing and/or GE are quite involved in overseeing our turn around times and quality of workmanship. Like I said, it's probably not a completely fair comparison and the FAA is actively involved in the process as well, but I would think any OEM company with a solid reputation like GK has would do everything in their power to ensure complete customer satisfaction, particularly in a day and age when people can get on forums like this one and share their experiences with the world.

 

[SunnBass]

Hold on, we're missing a very important piece of the equation...


Was the amp brand new in box?
Or was it out on the sales floor?

 

[1954bassman]

My two personal experiences with GK factory service was less than stellar. I used GK amps for years that were very reliable, but the two items I did send back for repair (blown speaker in old 150MB - my fault, not warranty) and a brand new rack mount preamp both returned to me still defective.

I ended up replacing the speaker in the 150 combo myself (never again, think 100 screws) and the retailer (Bass Central) refunded my money on the preamp.

The folks at GK were very friendly and courteous, my stuff just did not get repaired. My feeling is however that GK is a great company, and they will step up to the plate in this situation.

 

[outoftune]

That is unacceptable that took so long, and with no resolution to the problem. I have a GK Neo 410 and was hating on it pretty much from the get go. Sounded terrible. Farty. I finally took the cover off the front and found a ripped speaker. Just enough to kill the sound. I called GK and after talking to them we decided there is no facility in my black hole of an area, so they sent me a speaker out directly.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

While not Apples to Apples, I work for an authorized Boeing and GE service center (military and civilian aircraft electronics) - we also manufacture OEM aircraft electronics for Boeing and GE engine and flight controls. I promise you, if an airline sends us equipment for service, Boeing and/or GE are quite involved in overseeing our turn around times and quality of workmanship. Like I said, it's probably not a completely fair comparison and the FAA is actively involved in the process as well, but I would think any OEM company with a solid reputation like GK has would do everything in their power to ensure complete customer satisfaction, particularly in a day and age when people can get on forums like this one and share their experiences with the world.

Yeah....not really the same ballpark...or even the same sport...

 

[DDXdesign]

Wow - I'm surprised that people are surprised about Chuck's. Ever since I started attempting to shop there 20 years ago, the whole place has always felt like they didn't even bother looking up from their shoes unless you sneezed and used a wad of Benjamins as a snotrag. I actually bought my first bass, if I remember right, from Wheaton Music literally right around the corner from Chuck's.

I agree with the poster that liked Venemans much better =0)

 

[KevInDaBassment]

While not Apples to Apples...the FAA is actively involved in the process as well...

Bingo, there's your answer. There is no government entity closely overseeing or administering strict regulations for GK amps, plus you said that you guys manufacture OEM parts for Boeing/GE as well. Since both military and civilian aircraft are for either government or transportation businesses, I could see how there would be more involvement as compared to consumer-grade electronics for instrument amplification.

I will admit some bias towards GK here, but I've come to expect the status quo from all companies so I don't feel "cheated" when I don't receive "above and beyond" reactions. The blame here is on a crappy repair shop, not on the brand itself. IDK if the BBB is who to contact or what, but I'd be slamming that repair shop harder than GK itself.

 

[arbiterusa]

Read the whole thread, veteran of four music stores. This outcome wouldn't have been acceptable in any of them.

Lion's share of the blame: music store that sold the amp. The correct response is the store sends it back to GK in Stockton with "expedited warranty repair" (I assume this was warranty) slapped all over the amp and box. I cannot believe that a brick and mortar store in this day and age would be acting like it's 1982 and telling the customer to deal with a warranty issue themselves.
Definitely coming in for some share of the blame: Protech.

The guys who don't own one bit of the fault but need to jump all over the aforementioned two actors and make sure this never happens to a customer again: GK.

Might add I do not own one piece of GK gear at the moment and haven't since 1990. And OP, don't know if anyone's mentioned anything about Markbass warranty repair but there's only one place in the US that does it, and you're paying shipping. So, the grass is dead on the other side of the fence as well.

 

[pcake]

While not Apples to Apples, I work for an authorized Boeing and GE service center (military and civilian aircraft electronics) - we also manufacture OEM aircraft electronics for Boeing and GE engine and flight controls. I promise you, if an airline sends us equipment for service, Boeing and/or GE are quite involved in overseeing our turn around times and quality of workmanship. Like I said, it's probably not a completely fair comparison and the FAA is actively involved in the process as well, but I would think any OEM company with a solid reputation like GK has would do everything in their power to ensure complete customer satisfaction, particularly in a day and age when people can get on forums like this one and share their experiences with the world.

i just had a fridge repaired. i bought it via sears, and they used a third-party repair company with very mixed reviews, but i noticed something - the people who left yelp reviews who owned sears products left mostly 5 star reviews. the people who used the same repair company under this home warranty company left 1 and 2 star reviews. i got great service from them, and after seeing how things went and talking to the repair man, it's because sears expects to be consulted during the process, a sears rep decided to replace the control board, and sears kept track of everything and sent out the part immediately. he told me - and i could already see on the reviews - that the other company they do repairs for aren't very involved, their main concern is saving money and they don't help expedite parts delivery. the result? a completely different repair experience from the exact same repair company.

for this reason, i wonder if the OP would have had a different experience if GK had been contacted initially regarding the issue instead of the retailer.

Couldn't disagree more. The maker of the product was notified that it crapped out a shortly after purchase and that their authorized repair facility wasn't getting it back into the customer's hands Pronto. Had I made that product I would have apologized and asked the customer to hold on one minute while I called the shop to see what the hold up is.....at the very least. If I didn't get a suitable answer from them, I would take it on myself to get a new unit (that I had tested before sending out) on the customer's front porch by the end of the second business day. And then I would have dealt with the repair shop on the old unit myself.

That's how you win/keep customers. OP would have started a thread here titled "GK has my business forever!"

i believe the retailer was contacted initially, not GK. GK was contacted two months after the item went in for repair.

 

[MingusBass]

I can tell you that if you were working with me at Sweetwater, this situation would not happen.

Let me know if I can be helping you with anything.

 

[Susqmike]

I can tell you that if you were working with me at Sweetwater, this situation would not happen.

Let me know if I can be helping you with anything.

Um....yea....something like that....
(weren't so helpful after selling me a new but dead hartke kilo...). Don't break a leg falling from that high-horse.

 

[Plutonium244]

My issue with GK is the reply I received from them (two months into the repair) when the said "the local repair facility (Protech) is independently owned and operated. They are simply a GK authorized repair facility we supply parts to."

In my mind, the proper response would be "Holy Cow! You've been waiting how long for your amp? Let me call them ASAP and see what's going on!"

I agree... I understand the shop is an independent business, but if they are a "GK authorized repair shop" then I don't understand why GK said there is absolutely nothing they can do re: this shop's service... that repair shop is giving GK a black eye, and I am sure they don't want bad publicity-- like all of us on the internet's largest bass forum talking about what a rotten deal this is with GK products/service.

At the least they could make a phone call and tell the shop that they are getting calls from a dissatisfied customer who has waited for 3 months to get their amp back and then it still doesn't work. They could say, if the shop told GK to eff off, that they risk being un-authorized as a GK repair shop. It's ridiculous for GK to say "there is nothing we can do". Sure, they aren't actually doing the reapir, but there is certainly something they could do, especially since we are all discussing the bad experience with GK-- most of us will never have any dealings with the metro-DC repair shop, and I won't remember their name an hour from now. I WILL remember how someone had a bad experience with a GK product's service.

And the kicker in this story for me is that, after waiting THREE MONTHS for a repair to be done, which wasn't repaired, now it's a "six month old amp, so the only option is back to the same authorized GK shop" that took forever and didn't fix it before. I have a couple of GK amps, and I like them (no problems), but this is certainly going to give me pause in the future.

 

[Eric Swaim]

If it's a "lemon", don't pass it on to someone else. Take it outside and video tape yourself blowing holes it in with a shotgun and post it on youtube and send GK a copy