New GK 800 Legacy!

[willsellout]

Politics aside.... The Legacy amps don't sound "Legacy" from what I experienced. They sound somewhat vanilla and lack the throatiness of the RB series. They sound modern with a less than grunty distortion circuit.
"Boost" - really had/has something special in the RB line.

The other 2 new GK class D amps are already modern and super flexible from the looks of it.... the "Legacy" should have been more simple with a meatier tone. YMMV.

I would disagree on all counts. I spent about 10 years playing 800RB/Mesa Diesel 215 combo for reference. I've owned the 800 and 400RB's over the last 10 years as well, so I'm familiar. I'm still sorting out how to best use the distortion circuit, but that is where the extra grunt and where the "rails" feeling comes from so far for me. Although I don't need to distortion circuit to get nasty. It's a very capable amp and I wouldn't describe it as vanilla. It's a GK and it has a lot of the aggressive stuff I loved about the RB series. How much time have you spent with the legacy and the RB series?

 

[analogcabin]

Hi.
I’ve spent 25-30 years playing 400 & 800RB’s through EV loaded Mesa cabs, 410’s and Bag End 15’s.
To be fair I only spent a half hour in a store with the new Legacy.
It will sell well I bet but it does not sound as immediately familiar as the “Legacy” name and graphics would suggest.
It’s probably a great amp for a lot of folks. But I never used an RB head to get “distortion” or aggression but rather I liked the warmth and their “GIVE”- (Gate Induced Valve Effect) tone that really made it punchy and forward yet not sterile. Adding a distortion circuit to a class D amp sounds far different to my ear.

I’ll have to give it another longer tryout. I Want To Love This Amp!

 

[Blankandson]

I received my Legacy 500 Tuesday but have worked the past three days. Just got off. So not much in the way of comments yet. But . . . I do have a few:

The rubber feet on the bottom need to be a little fatter - this just slides around on top of my PJB cabs because they have the handle on top. The rubber feet Dr will fix that soon.
The bright light everyone's complaining about is the only really bright one. The other four are not so bright. I even got a clip light to flash on the fifth one to the right, but it wasn't as bright as the stand-by light. Oh, when you unplug the amp, the stand-by light stays on another 30 or so seconds. No problem there for me.
Man this thing is light! Might be easy to knock off anything you set it on. Time for the Velcro Dr to do his magic.
I like the knobs. I didn't even notice the bass/treble switch. Really!
I had made a note with the settings from the GK video on the Legacy, and put them next to the amp. That really helps.
Foot pedal is great for just going from any clean sound you like to any distortion sound you like. The cord is 12 feet long.
My last two GK amps have been the 550 Fusion and the 500 Fusion, so I am not familiar with the older heads and how they sound. So I won't be much help there. Also I sold my GK cab so I'm also learning to use the two PJB cabs I got from the Nashville NAMM show. (2x7"@200 watts and 4x7"@300 watts, both 8 Ohms)

Wife just got in so I'll quit here. I can see though that any user of GK amps can begin playing this right out of the box and find something familiar. More to follow after this weekend.

Edit: I took the foot switch out of the plastic bag. It's about 12 feet long. My bad!

If you have a question about anything on the amp or in the manual, just ask. I'll try to answer them all.

 

[rag]

I want to talk about the Legacy 500 concept. From the beginning of this project I wanted to bring out a model that had similar specs to the 800RB. We haven't had an amp like the 800RB since it went out of production so this is what I was aiming for. The 800RB put 300W into 4 Ohms from one side and 100W into 8 Ohms from the other side. Total output power was 400W but it took a 4 Ohm cabinet and an 8 Ohm cabinet. Very few people used the 100W side so mostly it was used as a 300W amplifier. As it turns out 300W is a very good power level when you want to use the rails and that is where a lot of the GK growl comes from. When you have more power, the levels get really loud when you go into the rails so 300W is kind of a sweet spot. When the Legacy 500 is loaded to the same max as the 800RB you will get 450W which is a little more than the 800RB. The 300W rating into 4 Ohms is at 1% which when compared to other amplifiers whose ratings are based on 5% or even 10% it will seem more powerful than it's rating. This has been a common comment regarding GK amplifiers, that they seem much louder than the rating.
I am very interested in your comments regarding your new head, and I hope it delivers what you are looking for.
Regards,
RAG

 

[somebrains]

I want to talk about the Legacy 500 concept. From the beginning of this project I wanted to bring out a model that had similar specs to the 800RB. We haven't had an amp like the 800RB since it went out of production so this is what I was aiming for. The 800RB put 300W into 4 Ohms from one side and 100W into 8 Ohms from the other side. Total output power was 400W but it took a 4 Ohm cabinet and an 8 Ohm cabinet. Very few people used the 100W side so mostly it was used as a 300W amplifier. As it turns out 300W is a very good power level when you want to use the rails and that is where a lot of the GK growl comes from. When you have more power, the levels get really loud when you go into the rails so 300W is kind of a sweet spot. When the Legacy 500 is loaded to the same max as the 800RB you will get 450W which is a little more than the 800RB. The 300W rating into 4 Ohms is at 1% which when compared to other amplifiers whose ratings are based on 5% or even 10% it will seem more powerful than it's rating. This has been a common comment regarding GK amplifiers, that they seem much louder than the rating.
I am very interested in your comments regarding your new head, and I hope it delivers what you are looking for.
Regards,
RAG

We love you man, thanks for keeping the 800rb that's so near and dear to our hearts evolving.

 

[Mikeee71]

I want to talk about the Legacy 500 concept. From the beginning of this project I wanted to bring out a model that had similar specs to the 800RB. We haven't had an amp like the 800RB since it went out of production so this is what I was aiming for. The 800RB put 300W into 4 Ohms from one side and 100W into 8 Ohms from the other side. Total output power was 400W but it took a 4 Ohm cabinet and an 8 Ohm cabinet. Very few people used the 100W side so mostly it was used as a 300W amplifier. As it turns out 300W is a very good power level when you want to use the rails and that is where a lot of the GK growl comes from. When you have more power, the levels get really loud when you go into the rails so 300W is kind of a sweet spot. When the Legacy 500 is loaded to the same max as the 800RB you will get 450W which is a little more than the 800RB. The 300W rating into 4 Ohms is at 1% which when compared to other amplifiers whose ratings are based on 5% or even 10% it will seem more powerful than it's rating. This has been a common comment regarding GK amplifiers, that they seem much louder than the rating.
I am very interested in your comments regarding your new head, and I hope it delivers what you are looking for.
Regards,
RAG

Great job on the amp I am loving mine!

 

[BrentSimons]

I want to talk about the Legacy 500 concept. From the beginning of this project I wanted to bring out a model that had similar specs to the 800RB. We haven't had an amp like the 800RB since it went out of production so this is what I was aiming for. The 800RB put 300W into 4 Ohms from one side and 100W into 8 Ohms from the other side. Total output power was 400W but it took a 4 Ohm cabinet and an 8 Ohm cabinet. Very few people used the 100W side so mostly it was used as a 300W amplifier. As it turns out 300W is a very good power level when you want to use the rails and that is where a lot of the GK growl comes from. When you have more power, the levels get really loud when you go into the rails so 300W is kind of a sweet spot. When the Legacy 500 is loaded to the same max as the 800RB you will get 450W which is a little more than the 800RB. The 300W rating into 4 Ohms is at 1% which when compared to other amplifiers whose ratings are based on 5% or even 10% it will seem more powerful than it's rating. This has been a common comment regarding GK amplifiers, that they seem much louder than the rating.
I am very interested in your comments regarding your new head, and I hope it delivers what you are looking for.
Regards,
RAG

Sorry to bug you Robert, but do you have a timeline for the latest Plex update?
Thank you,
Brent

 

[JustinS]

I want to talk about the Legacy 500 concept. From the beginning of this project I wanted to bring out a model that had similar specs to the 800RB. We haven't had an amp like the 800RB since it went out of production so this is what I was aiming for. The 800RB put 300W into 4 Ohms from one side and 100W into 8 Ohms from the other side. Total output power was 400W but it took a 4 Ohm cabinet and an 8 Ohm cabinet. Very few people used the 100W side so mostly it was used as a 300W amplifier. As it turns out 300W is a very good power level when you want to use the rails and that is where a lot of the GK growl comes from. When you have more power, the levels get really loud when you go into the rails so 300W is kind of a sweet spot. When the Legacy 500 is loaded to the same max as the 800RB you will get 450W which is a little more than the 800RB. The 300W rating into 4 Ohms is at 1% which when compared to other amplifiers whose ratings are based on 5% or even 10% it will seem more powerful than it's rating. This has been a common comment regarding GK amplifiers, that they seem much louder than the rating.
I am very interested in your comments regarding your new head, and I hope it delivers what you are looking for.
Regards,
RAG

The Legacy 500 has hit the sweet spot for me as it covers the same ground, power-wise as both the 800RB and the 400RB. I was actually scoping out used 400RBs (after realizing the 700 was too much amp) when it was announced the Legacy was ready to ship.

The 500 is pretty flexible for (mostly) home use. I like that the Trim, Master and the OD channel controls all interact in a way that makes it easy to get a good time at practice / home recording levels. It also sounds incredible at louder levels. The 500 really scales up or down nicely, and kind of does it all.

The only wish-list feature I have is a cab sim or low-pass switch for the headphone out/DI in future versions.

 

[sonojono]

I really do hope the 500 will be on the next lineup of combos.

 

[Blankandson]

I just finished two hours on the new Legacy 500 amp, playing the songs I will play this Sunday in the Praise/Worship Team. Bass is a 2008 MIG Warwick $$ with DR Rounds 130 - 40. Ran sound directly from my laptop into the Legacy, and used the same IE buds that I will use Sunday. I chose two sounds as the footswitch will be the only thing I will hit during the service. I didn't use my Chorus or Limiter/Compressor so I won't use them Sunday. I go direct into house and sub so no speakers used here. What I will use this Sunday:

Amp Trim on all the way, Master at 9 o'clock, Drive 5 o'clock, Level 9 o'clock, Edge at 10 o'clock, hi-mid and low-mid 2 o'clock, bass and treble noon, Bump and Contour on.

Warwick settings: Legacy distortion OFF. Neck pup only on parallel, passive mode,
Legacy distortion ON. Both pups on single coil, passive mode.
No pick. Just fingers.

Again, I will use only the footswitch and $$ change for two (hopefully) different sounds. I'll report back Sunday after lunch! I'm hungry already. Any questions just ask away. I have this new amp sitting right in front of me in my office.

 

[TomB]

I just finished two hours on the new Legacy 500 amp, playing the songs I will play this Sunday in the Praise/Worship Team. ...

Again, I will use only the footswitch and $$ change for two (hopefully) different sounds. I'll report back Sunday after lunch! I'm hungry already. Any questions just ask away. I have this new amp sitting right in front of me in my office.

Just curious - with the overdrive "Level" at 9:00, does the footswitch provide a "boost" in volume, or just an alternative tone? Thx.

 

[Blankandson]

The 'Level' knob just adjusts the volume between footswitch off and on so they are at the same level. Sunday at church that should change. Playing my bass the way I posted above, the overdrive 'level' is exactly the same as the normal 'level.' That will be different for every gig you do so it's not really locked in. Make sense? My 550 Fusion had the same level setting for both channels, so I'm used to working it. If you do want a 'boost' in the volume the footswitch can do that by raising the 'Level' knob up so that it's louder on and not-so-loud off.

 

[74hc]

...will play this Sunday in the Praise/Worship Team.

What kind of praise/worship team? Something like a catholic church (St. Johns in your area?) or on the other end of the scale with something like Seacoast?

Is it clean enough for you? And, it sounds like you are only using the preamp and DI?

 

[Blankandson]

More a cross between Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns.
I will go direct from the Legacy into the house this week. I use a Behringer 16-channel monitor system with in-ear buds. What I was getting this morning was very clean. I'm looking forward to how it works in the mix. I should add here that the 5 lbs it weighs is a nice perk for this 71 year old rocker.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

Looking to replace my Marcus Miller Pre and power amp setup


Looking at the 800 legacy
How’s it sound ?
I also have a tc electronic bh800

 

[Jeff Scott]

What I was getting this morning was very clean.

He agrees.........

 

[Blankandson]

I haven't tried out the two new PJB speakers yet. My office is too small except for quiet practicing. I plan to take them out to a large room later this week and turn the whole thing loose. I'll report afterwards. I've not used the Marcus Miller Pre nor the bh200 so I'm no help to you on those. The head through my ear buds sounds very nice - clean - very nice lows. Low B even sounded nice. I can probably get away with some George Jones or Bluegrass if I wanted to. I have the 500 so I'll be getting 180 watts with one cab and 300 watts with two cabs.

 

[PeaveyPlayer]

What can I expect ? I’ve never used an 800RB

 

[Blankandson]

What to expect? Well, the Legacys are small and light, the three models are the 500, 800, and 1200. Those are 'names' not power ratings. Find the charts shown in this forum of the power ratings. Also the Legacy 1200 forum has an ongoing discussion on how much power you should get with that model. You can expect a very quiet running amp that's clean or gritty (that's up to you) with as much or as little wattage as you want or need. There is a video on the GK website (see post #411)where Forest Gallien plays about 10 different sounds that you can get. Watch that and listen through headphones - not on your phone or computer speaker. (See post #484) - RAG is Robert Gallien, the owner, engineer, boss, and creative person behind GK amplifiers. He's also a bass player. You can expect very good customer relations for one thing. Have any questions after your purchase you can just email or call GK and talk to Jason. He's the person who knows GK inside and out. Both are very easy to talk with, which is worth something these days. Anyone else have advice for our northern neighbor?

 

[Jeff Scott]

What can I expect ? I’ve never used an 800RB

Anyone else have advice for our northern neighbor?

Yes, I do. Given that PP has never heard an 800RB, it doesn't really matter. He should just judge the Legacy amps an their own merits.