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Ok I have narrowed it down to 3 class D heads

which class D head

  • Ampeg PF 800

    Votes: 45 14.3%

  • Mesa D 800

    Votes: 174 55.2%

  • GK MB 800

    Votes: 96 30.5%
  • Total voters
    315
#142
At the risk of getting yelled at, as a commercial user, I'll chime in.

As a guy who has been with Class D guys from early on, all of the designs available today are huge improvements over the early days. Any commentary on early Class D amps and a specific manufacturer I would ignore. The real key is reliability and design. All three of your choices are great in those areas.

The rest is up to you and your pre-amp section preference and what you like in aesthetics. I know major artists playing all three of your choices, and each one will tell you that their choices are great. I sampled all of them at NAMM, and loved each one. All gave me what they advertised.

Tough choice. But ain't it great to have choices?
 
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#143
Chef said:
It's my understanding the GK move ALL production back to the USA.
Any issues I've had with their gear, they've always taken care of.
Click to expand...
I wasn't sure of that, hence I hedged a little. But great to hear it!
Also, I had an issue with my MB800 and they took care of it pronto. It was an awesome head, I just wished i liked the tone.
 
#144
Having not read any of the thread since it's 8 pages I'll post my opinion anyway. I'm not familiar with any of the heads you propose but have had a GK 400RB and now a GK800RB and they both sound too "solid statey". I have a TC electronics RH450 and absolutely love it. Great DI out and very usable EQ section.
 
#145
Well it has arrived !
 

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#154
Barryd said:
I did! And I didn't even flip the switch to deep yet ... Everything just set at 12 o'clock
Click to expand...
advise that before you change the eq, get familiar with the sweep of the "Voice" knob. VERY interesting how it truly changes not just the EQ but the Character of the tone.
The input gain has an effect on the tone too, find the sweetspots for your tastes with those 2 knobs first, and use the EQ to "Season to taste"
** note that the usable range of EVERY knob is wider than any other amp i have owned, instead of topping out changes at "7" on the dial or "3" the other way, the range is effective from 1-10... :) enjoy!
 
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#155
/\/\3phist0 said:
advise that before you change the eq, get familiar with the sweep of the "Voice" knob. VERY interesting how it truly changes not just the EQ but the Character of the tone.
The input gain has an effect on the tone too, find the sweetspots for your tastes with those 2 knobs first, and use the EQ to "Season to taste"
** note that the usable range of EVERY knob is wider than any other amp i have owned, instead of topping out changes at "7" on the dial or "3" the other way, the range is effective from 1-10... :) enjoy!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice ! I am going to be dong a lot of playing it this weekend to figure it out
 
#156
bdplaid said:
No, they don't. They copy things very well, reverse-engineer really well, and steal intellectual property better than anyone in the history of intellectual property. They never had a thing called the Puritan Work Ethic, and have different morals than pretty much everyone else. Theft does not mean to them the same thing it means to us. They are far from idiots, but they aren't leading the charge in new musical instrument innovation.

What they do have, is an inexhaustible supply of cheap labor, a disregard for the environment (meaning no fees associated with regulating that), and a gazillion brand new CNC factories - paid for with our dollars - that can pump out limitless copies of anything a customer wants.

And don't get me started on WalMart's role in all this... I don't shop there because of it.

What they build has been largely designed in what was once called the free world, notably USA. There's probably a Chinese line of music gear, but I bet if one looks closely it's lifted from somewhere else. It's the Chinese way.

But Ampeg quality, specifically, is suspect because of all the problems expressed by people who own(ed) them, me included. PF800=dead in an hour. Good American companies who build overseas at least have the product shipped to their warehouse/office, where they QC check them. Not every company does that, though.

Kudos to GK who moved a good deal of their production back to the USA.

Kudos to MESA who never left in the first place. The most important notice on the back of my D800 says "Made in Petaluma CA USA."
Click to expand...

*cue Kate Smith*
;)
 
#158
Barryd said:
I did! And I didn't even flip the switch to deep yet ... Everything just set at 12 o'clock
Click to expand...
Just wait, then... That switch is a whole new ball game.

Al Kraft said:
...and the good news is that it will get even more awesome as you get more familiar with it. Congratulations! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I'm still figuring out mine, and I've had it for awhile now.

And one thing about the 115 - I like mine on a milk crate, takes away a little of the bass, of which that amp has much to spare. I can't begin to imagine the SVT, that head and the deep switch...
 
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