well that's a personal decision everyone has to make for themselves, but i've never had a problem getting a 4 pro to induce vomiting through volume.
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Help - Ampeg vs GK volume issues
- Thread starter iandi.bass
- Start date
I had a 4pro with an 8x10. It was waaay too loud in my opinion. What cab were you running with that head?
8x10 fridge... It seemed OK on soundcheck but sounded like a small combo when the whole band started playing. I ended up turning it off and using the monitors... I could hear my bass a lot better on a single JBL SRX712 than on the whole SVT4+8x10 package... This happened quite a few times, since the guys that provided backline for us in Boston only had SVT4's...
I'll say this much about GK and Ampeg:
I've owned a GK700RB-II for about five years and one of my bands rehearses at a fully-stocked rehearsal space. In one of the better/bigger rooms at the rehearsal space, there's a fairly good sized Ampeg Rig (w/4x10 - it's bigger than my GK 700RB-II w/ 2x12).
All I can say is that my GK rig blows the doors off of that Ampeg. It's a shame you've had to deal with problems, because any rig can be a lemon or just a pain in the a$$, but if you really dig the GK, why not use it? Believe it or not, I also use my GK rig with a Ken Smith 6-string fretless in a somewhat prog-style/metal band and they all think my sound is nice and filthy.
I've owned a GK700RB-II for about five years and one of my bands rehearses at a fully-stocked rehearsal space. In one of the better/bigger rooms at the rehearsal space, there's a fairly good sized Ampeg Rig (w/4x10 - it's bigger than my GK 700RB-II w/ 2x12).
All I can say is that my GK rig blows the doors off of that Ampeg. It's a shame you've had to deal with problems, because any rig can be a lemon or just a pain in the a$$, but if you really dig the GK, why not use it? Believe it or not, I also use my GK rig with a Ken Smith 6-string fretless in a somewhat prog-style/metal band and they all think my sound is nice and filthy.
thanks a lot folks. this info has been very beneficial.
i play through a modulus funk unlimited, 3 band eq
i really like low end, so i turn the bass knob at about 80% or so
and for the gain on the amp, i usually keep it at around 3-4 since my bass sends out a signal so hot.
but im going to try changing stuff around (i already tried some tonight) and see what i can get with it.
ive always worried about not trying to push my amp or equip to hard, cause i dont really have much $$ in case something goes wrong.
but i think in this current case, i need to just man up and experiment a bit more.
thank you very much.
i play through a modulus funk unlimited, 3 band eq
i really like low end, so i turn the bass knob at about 80% or so
and for the gain on the amp, i usually keep it at around 3-4 since my bass sends out a signal so hot.
but im going to try changing stuff around (i already tried some tonight) and see what i can get with it.
ive always worried about not trying to push my amp or equip to hard, cause i dont really have much $$ in case something goes wrong.
but i think in this current case, i need to just man up and experiment a bit more.
thank you very much.
I have a similar experience with both brands. Unfortunately, here on TB you can't say that Ampeg may not be the best thing ever without being called names...
yeah, i see you were so brutalized...scarred for life.
hey, if you don't like ampeg, you don't like ampeg. can't say it affects my life one way or the other. i just think this stuff i see on here about ampegs being called underpowered is based on other factors besides actually being underpowered.
Yeah, can't even sleep at night...
Not necessarily talking about you or your comments. It's just that those who prefer whatever brand to Ampeg become instant idiots around here... Well, sometimes...
funny, i always thought it was US who were branded idiots. underpowered...can't do clean sounds...one trick ponies...everyone sounds identical when using an ampeg...those are the myths i always see on here in reference to ampeg. i'll admit that the underpowered thing comes from a legit place...the input light not being a clip light...when i had an svt 3 pro, i used to think "how come the clip light is coming on but it still sounds clean?"
then jerrold explained it to me and it all made sense. the rest of it comes from people whose only experience with ampegs is the sansamp bass driver.trust me...ampeg fans are way more put upon by anti-ampeggers on here than vice versa.
funny, i always thought it was US who were branded idiots. underpowered...can't do clean sounds...one trick ponies...everyone sounds identical when using an ampeg...those are the myths i always see on here in reference to ampeg. i'll admit that the underpowered thing comes from a legit place...the input light not being a clip light...when i had an svt 3 pro, i used to think "how come the clip light is coming on but it still sounds clean?"
trust me...ampeg fans are way more put upon by anti-ampeggers on here than vice versa.
Yeah, I see where you're coming from...
I'm to GK probably what you're to Ampeg (long time user, have owned several models etc...) and I constantly see people saying 800RB's are too scopped (well, if you press that little button that says "mid-countour" they do sound scooped), or even phrases like "I played through a GK the other day and I admit it sounded good", like there's something inherently wrong with the brand.
Coming from another country, it took me several years to have my first contact with Ampeg as a brand. You simply won't see an Ampeg amp in my country, not happening. GK 800RB's are everywhere, every corner, every church, every rehearsal studio... Always wondered how those Ampegs I saw on TV would sound and I really wanted to love them...
First time I played in the US they had a big stack of SVT4 and 8x10 fridge, both brand new. I was very excited... Plugged my bass on and "uh oh", something is wrong. Called sound guy to make sure it was wired up correctly, it was... I ended up turning it off in the middle of the gig. Ok, it happens. Then I heard that this particular amp needs to work on bridge mono to deliver it's full-power. Alright, asked a friend who owned one if I could full around with his amp for a few hours, he said yes. He helped me hooking up the amp in bridge, we read the manual and everything... There was something wrong with the sound...
Played with a similar setup another 8 or 10 times until I gave up on the SVT4.
Then I had a chance to play a few SVT-CL's and wasn't that impressed... The BA115 and BA112 combos were some of the worst amps I've ever tried, honestly...
It was only in 2008 that I had a chance to try a 70's SVT and was like "holy crap, that's what people talk about". It was crazy loud and although I'm more of a SS amp guy I could see and hear how the legend started. It actually sounded pretty good.
I believe sometimes people hear with their eyes and those newer hybrid Ampegs are nothing like their vintage brothers... Not at all...
Similar things happened when I started trying out Markbass amps. Really tried to love them, but that's another story...
I ran an SVT4 for almost a decade. Jimmy's on the money here. I used to worry that I was going to damage the amp because I always ran the gain up real high, so that the light pretty much always on. But that's the only way that amp got a sound that I liked.
Set your amp with your ears, not so much with your eyes.
Gotta say, my SVT-VR and the SVT-CL I used to own would bury the 800rb I used at rehearsals. Ditto with respect to those 800rb heads I got on backline rentals when I played out of town. I love the 800rb. Great amp, but I'm not buying that it's louder than a sextet of 6550s in an SVT of any era.
Sounds like a gain control taper thing..... "Wow it's already really loud at 9:00 on the dial, I don't even want to think about turning it up to 2:00"..... but the gain is all up front, and there isn't maybe much left after 10:00 or so.
I've seen the equivalent of the "bring home a 150W amp" thing in-person...... Typically folks who are afraid of settings past around 10:00 on the dial.
So, you do two things... maybe three.........
1) turn up the input until the red light shows signal.
2) Turn off the "ultra-low" switch
3) maybe turn off the limiter, depending
Amp is then generally stupid-loud just as it is supposed to be.
The watts are all in the box, you just have to ask for them.
But the amp won't force them all on you, people use them for jazz, too, and THERE if you want you can use the ultra-low, where the power can be used more for getting clean lows and not for tons of mid volume.
The 800RB is a completely different series than the 700RB-II, 1001RB-II and 2001RB-II.
The 700RB-II is considerably louder than an 800RB.
In any case, I'm only comparing the Ampeg 4x10 rig in my equipped rehearsal room to my GK rig (w/700). Actually, there's a second, larger Ampeg rig in the Showcase Room that I also find to be not up to my GK rig. It certainly moves a good deal of air, but I get lost in the mix even when it's clipping. Photos are here, since I couldn't tell you what the heads are.
Showcase Room Somerville: http://www.jamspot.com/rehearsal/showcase-room/
Dukes Room Somerville (the one we usually use):
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I'm certainly not trying to make this a GK is better than Ampeg argument, as I know that Ampeg is a well-respected name, but perhaps I'm dealing with some of the newer stuff that isn't quite the same as the 70s SVTs that made Ampeg so popular.
Right on...
I've rehearsed at Somerville's Jam Spot and found that those Ampegs they have there get lost in the mix very easily. I usually play gigs with a bunch of percussionists and they get pretty loud. Here's a pic of a gig I played in Somerville a few years ago:
I AB'd my GK2000RB with an SVT-CL and there was no comparison between both. The GK got louder clearer and punchier no questions asked... Cabs were a pair of Bergantino HT212's.
now you're saying a 1000w ss amp got louder and clearer than a 300w tube amp? that's a joke, right?
you know, with the volume you say you need to get over all those percussionists and a crowd, i'm actually shocked you're trying to do it with such small cab setups. if it were me, i'd either rock two 810's or a big horn loaded pa style rig.
you know, with the volume you say you need to get over all those percussionists and a crowd, i'm actually shocked you're trying to do it with such small cab setups. if it were me, i'd either rock two 810's or a big horn loaded pa style rig.
I know, I know... I've done it before with the 750W 1001RBII, which is also a lot louder than the SVT-CL. Funny thing though, a 70's SVT has the very same 300W and gets as loud as a 2000RB, if not louder... Go figure this one...
Actually, I play these gigs with a 1001RBII and ONE HT212 no problem. Give me an SVT-CL+Fridge or SVT4+Fridge and I'm in deep trouble...
Allex: Is that Union Square? I didn't realize there were that many trees in one location in Somerville. I lived there from '99-'09; I may have been there.
And Jimmy: good to see the debate remains civil if not a bit edgy, which is a good thing. So far I haven't even mentioned adding either my Avatar 1x12 or my old GK 4x10 to get my 700RB-II running at 4 ohms.
I would like to know what the two Ampegs in the links I posted are and how they stack up against other Ampegs, but this is a thread about the OP's point about trying to get his Ampeg running to his liking. My main point there was that despite sinking his $ into the Ampeg, if the GK sounds good, why not go that way? If the head problems were reversed, I'd say go with the Ampeg. You know, just for the record.
And Jimmy: good to see the debate remains civil if not a bit edgy, which is a good thing. So far I haven't even mentioned adding either my Avatar 1x12 or my old GK 4x10 to get my 700RB-II running at 4 ohms.
I would like to know what the two Ampegs in the links I posted are and how they stack up against other Ampegs, but this is a thread about the OP's point about trying to get his Ampeg running to his liking. My main point there was that despite sinking his $ into the Ampeg, if the GK sounds good, why not go that way? If the head problems were reversed, I'd say go with the Ampeg. You know, just for the record.
the first place looks like an svt 3 pro/810e. does 450w. used to have one, always got way louder than i ever needed. not the loudest amp in the world but does get plenty loud for my needs.
the other place looks like it has an svt 450h and pr410hlf. not crazy about the head but i've used the pr410hlf and thought it was cool. however, it's got a lot of low end on it, and those low-endy cabs always require more power to reach the volumes of more normal 410's.
anyway, yeah, i agree...if the gk is doing it for him, stick with it.
the other place looks like it has an svt 450h and pr410hlf. not crazy about the head but i've used the pr410hlf and thought it was cool. however, it's got a lot of low end on it, and those low-endy cabs always require more power to reach the volumes of more normal 410's.
anyway, yeah, i agree...if the gk is doing it for him, stick with it.
Thanks for the info. Both of those rigs get plenty of low end and maybe that's part of the issue - not that I don't like low end, but if it's at the expense of mids showing up in the mix, it's not my thing. I know people have argued against this, but it's my firm contention that many bass rigs sound louder in a band mix from 10-20 feet away than a few feet in front of them (which is generally where I reside by necessity).
