ok, we are about to tour and i need some serious guidance.

For big stages a gk 700 is underpowered at least in my opinion, for big stages you should get a head that deliveres at min 700w, tube heads with 300 or 400 watts are usually purchased to be used at it max, but SS heads does not work as the same if you push a ss head to much it will distort in a not nice way like the all tube head does there is many good heads that delivers that power try out and get a better one, and fix and take the old Gk head as back up
use proper Speaker cables of 12 gauge , a power stabilizer and conditioner are also very important, even more on the road

 

i cannot comment on what could have happened. but i have myself gigged (although not gone on a tour) without an amp or a rig; you can find a tech21 sansamp for US$200 and thats all one might need. btw, it is said to emulated the ampeg tone
a lot of bass players i know just go direct to the board using the sansamp or other active bass preamp-DI boxes available in the market with no problems at all

 

hmm... though i am certainly playing less aggressive music than you (considering the epitaph name-drop), my 700RB and sealed 2x15 (with BW 1502) has enough oompf for even smaller outside stuff as a stand-a-lone amp. played an outside dealy last friday for a small crowd--- perhaps 150 people. i had a DI into the board, but the sound guy kept me out of the mains almost entirely (at least, that is what he told me, in his near trademark condescending manner). i could feel the low-end in my feet through the concrete.
in sheer SPL, my rig is not unlike the "real" SVT the former bassist used (and still leaves in the rehearsal space unused and collecting dust ). of course, the amps are voiced differently, but you see where i am going. i have a hard time imagining a situation where i needed more volume on stage--- in that case the bass would certainly be in the FOH, and the monitors would probably be carrying more than vocals and keyboards. huge amps are awesome, killer, fun, cool-looking, etc, etc. but i just cant wrap my brain around needing much more volume than that, even in a heavy band. its 2008 after all, and big PA amps are cheaper than ever. i guess the flip of that is how easy one of those is adapted to bass guitar use.

maybe the bassist needs to experiment with his tone settings. then again, something might be screwed up, like you are thinking.

 

Dude it isn't your cabs. Your GK head is wanked. I have the same head, same problem. Either get your head to a GOOD tech or just go buy something else.

I would suggest buying a GK 1001 RB or something of that ilk for what you are doing. Actually I would suggest buying that and a decent backup amp or at least a good DI just in case you have any further problems. If you are gunning for a deal with Epitaph I would not take any chances!

Simon

 

I agree with 2lim. The 700RB is powerful, but is probably not powerful enough to be regularly blowing speakers. It could be malfunctioning by putting out a DC level.

The dilemma is... if you get it fixed, or if you get a new head, you might not have a chance before the tour to prove that either head will stand the test of time. Also, even gifted repair techs can be notorious about not getting things done on time. For this reason I suggest getting the head fixed while getting a spare head right away and running it hard at a rehearsal or two. The spare doesn't need to be expensive, just a reputable brand, even a GK Backline 600.

Now, on to the next issue... the speakers. It sounds from your description that the 2x10 and 4x10 have survived. Give them a careful listen, however, to make sure. I think either speaker might be sufficient on stage if you have PA support. The choice of how much speakerage to haul should be weighed against gas being 4 bucks a gallon.

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure the OLD Ampeg fridges had a REALLY LOW power ratings, because there were no high-powered heads at the time. I wouldn't be surprised if you blew the cab.