N(O)AD: GK 1001RB-II

I've had this head for many years, but I finally got it restored to operating condition this week. It has never been gigged, because something has always been wrong with it (or wrong with me and I wasnt fit to gig with it). It quit working a few days after I bought it new (back in the Bronze Age) and it went back to GK for repair. It worked ok, but by then I wasn't gigging much anymore. And when I did I didn't want to hump this 100+lb huge thing. And then it had some other problem. Meanwhile, it has been through hail and lots of rainstorms, and then spent a number of years in sheds in various places and finally the closet. Last I tried to fire it up, the pots were so dirty and there was so much corrosion built up that it was just nothing but static when turning the knobs.

So bought a can of deoxit and pulled the preamp strip all the way out of the amp so I could get to the pots and switches. Soaked the pots and switches/jacks good. Worked em till they were clean and now it works normally again. Probably that's all its needed since coming back from GK to begin with?

So thought it deserved a NAD, even though it's as old as the hills and not really something I'd consider reliable for gigging. The electronics all looked ok and clean inside, but just looks ok is never the consideration with solid state electronics....

The cab has been through worse; It has been gigged and I don't know how many times those cones have been rained on in thunderstorms in the back of the gig truck, etc., so the drivers would probably shred themselves if I went past 2 on the volume. Don't plan to test it or the head in that fashion any time soon.

But it's kind of a classic, especially now that GK has quit making it, and now serves me as a practice amp since it sounds fine; I also plan to use it as a DI if I get to doing any recording.

L