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New GK 800 Legacy!
- Thread starter johnson79
- Start date
Just got to mess with mine (800 legacy) a bit. I think it’s incredible. I used an old 400rb for about 20 years and this instantly brought me back. I’m finding with overdrive on and set really low it’s just such an alive sound. I do have one dumb question , do the fans kick on as needed? Mine haven't gone on but I’m in a cool house. Just wondering.
I believe GK amps fans are only activated when it reaches a certain temperature, I could be wrong..
They sound like small jet engines spooling up... at least every one I've owned has done this when it hits a certain temperature. Hopefully the new models aren't as loud.
I’ve been playing mine all afternoon and comparing it to the D800+. The Legacy really has strong high mids and highs compared to the Mesa. I had to dial them both down a bit to find a tone I liked. The GK has great punch, you can really feel it in your chest. I really like the sound of this amp, has a lot of character compared to the Mesa. The real test will be at rehearsal on Tuesday but I’m thinking this thing will punch right through the mix.
Just a few gripes, I wish the bump, contour and presence switches were dials. Flipping them on is just too drastic of a change for me. It would be nice to dial them in. Also there is no carry bag. And you have to physically unplug the amp to turn off the standby light.
Just a few gripes, I wish the bump, contour and presence switches were dials. Flipping them on is just too drastic of a change for me. It would be nice to dial them in. Also there is no carry bag. And you have to physically unplug the amp to turn off the standby light.
Where will this be at? I’m around the Fullerton/brea area on the weekends. I’d love to come out support and bring a couple of buddies along.
So the standby light is a new feature, it lets you know when there is power present. I like, it's designed to be that way. The switches are to change the parameters of your tone then dial in from the knobs.
Thanks for the initial thoughts. Not too surprising on the highs and high mids and more character vs the D800+.
Having owned that amp I found it a little dark and a little too thick - especially paired with Subway cabs. I thought I'd like that but I turned into a knob tweaker trying to get more punch out of it.
What cab were you using for the at home test? A Hathor?
I think when you pair it with SW215 you are going to like it a lot and you will dial back in more highs/high mids.
At home I'm using the Hathor 2x12. It's the most uncolored cab I've ever used but I love it. The Subway 2x15 is definitely much more subdued in the highs and high mids. It's a low mid monster. I think you're right about dialing in more highs and high mids. I'll find out Tuesday at rehearsal and I'm also planning on using the Mesa 2x15 on Friday's gig.
This is the exact experience I had with the D800+ I sent it back and stuck to my old guns. BEAST MODE!!
One of the things you can count on is GK has a habit of offering that punchy sound. Yes they have had some variances but primarily GK is known for punchy tone. Not sure it gets any punchier than a 700RB into two CX210 cabs. Its like a smorgasbord of punch. 
For me YMMV Mesa has yielded that polite sounds really good in your bedroom bass tone but not so good as a tool out on the gig tone. When I play I need people to be left remembering "that" sound and feel of the bass, not as a solo instrument but as something they could stack bricks on and never forget it. The D800+ is in keeping with that classic Mesa need to give 50 combinations of everything but the one good tone. They ventured away rather quickly from the awesomeness of a Mark I Boogie in favor of lots of bells and whistles. To me a 60 watt Mark I Boogie, no reverb (Boogie reverb sucks), no GEQ, with a footswitch on the gain boost and an AB box that shorts ground to hot on the hi gain side when using the clean side, and topped off with an Altec is the best amp Boogie ever made. They immediately went straight for sharp nasally wasp tone with 100 features and never came back. Those new cabs a great but man are they pricey.
For me YMMV Mesa has yielded that polite sounds really good in your bedroom bass tone but not so good as a tool out on the gig tone. When I play I need people to be left remembering "that" sound and feel of the bass, not as a solo instrument but as something they could stack bricks on and never forget it. The D800+ is in keeping with that classic Mesa need to give 50 combinations of everything but the one good tone. They ventured away rather quickly from the awesomeness of a Mark I Boogie in favor of lots of bells and whistles. To me a 60 watt Mark I Boogie, no reverb (Boogie reverb sucks), no GEQ, with a footswitch on the gain boost and an AB box that shorts ground to hot on the hi gain side when using the clean side, and topped off with an Altec is the best amp Boogie ever made. They immediately went straight for sharp nasally wasp tone with 100 features and never came back. Those new cabs a great but man are they pricey.
"The GK has great punch, you can really feel it in your chest. I really like the sound of this amp, has a lot of character". That's what I have always found with the RB series and it's a very good thing.
I’ve been playing Gk 800 legacy a couple days now and the tone is prefect for me. The overdrive used subtle is just what my ears want. I think I may return it tho for the 500. I’m using a Mesa Diesel 2x15 and it’s is so freaking loud. Which I guess I should of considered before getting an 800 watt head. I’m usually in small clubs 100-300 type. I couldn’t see ever turning this up past 9 o’clock. I’m thinking the 500 might be easier to find an appropriate volume. Tone is everything I wanted tho from this beast.
Question for all you GK players. I've never gigged a GK but love the sound of the RBs and the new Legacy. While I love the amp's very distinct, aggressive tone, I wonder is that the only tone it does? I know it will sound great for rock, alternative, and metal, how do they do for Hip-Hop, R&B, etc?
When I gigged my 90s era RB400 for more than 20 years I played in bands that covered, classic rock, blues, oldies, R&B, old school, Cumbia, tex mex, traditional Mexican music, country, Latin rock lots of Santana, a couple of songs that included rap, etc. it’s a very versatile sound that GK has...
I'm sure some will tell you there's a "baked-in" tone, and that it is quite scooped when run "flat" (by which I think they mean knobs at noon). You can find lots of info on TB about what is an actual "flat" setting with GK amps, and it's no more scooped than any other when set properly. What I've found is that I can get almost any tone I want using the EQ. That's what it's there for! Sure GK has a distinctive sound, that's why we use them! But it's also as versatile as any amp I've used - you just gotta play with it.
