Streamliner 900 VS GK Fusion 550

I've posted on a few other threads that I've got a love/not so love thing going on with the GB Streamliner 900. I bought it like many others hoping to find a compromise between lugging a sled around for that classic tube tone and grabbing a lightweight head that sounds like it. I do feel like the SL is quite incredible for the size and is "close" to what I'm looking for. I've been gigging it solid for a few months, rehearsing it multiple times a week playing all kinds of different music, and generally putting it through it's paces. It leaves me flat. Played much worse amps for sure. In general, in my humble opinion, it's an amp that has too much flubby low end, not enough tight upper mids, but tons of power and chunk. Others will argue with this but that's my take and in a band setting, especially playing multiple rooms and multiple styles of music, it's a tough little amp to really cut through and sound present.
I bought a Mesa Carbine M9 on impulse and at first thought it blew the SL away (probably did looking back). It was a little too brittle for me (not very warm with that single tube)- all together it was a fantastic amp though and much more versatile than the SL. I decided to stick with the SL, gig it a bunch, and really work it. I've now done that and am still looking over the fence.
I ordered the GK Fusion 550 today- 45 day return policy and since there are no stores anywhere near me that caries ANY good gear I'm going to play the game, a/b it like crazy and see where I end up. I took my rig into a GC and Ab'd it against an Ampeg SVT CL, Ampeg SVT4 pro, and Ampeg 7 pro. Just like always the SVT sounds great when pushed hard, but realistically I don't get enough chances to REALLY push one through my 8-10 (that sits in my garage), and I don't want to drag the monster around. Same goes for the 4. The 7 did nothing for me, especially compared to the SL.....

I only post all of this because I've been using this forum to try and find some real feedback from real players to get some insight into all of this new gear and I thought I "might" be able to help some others looking at these amps. I'm hoping to do some video clips comparing the Streamliner and the Gk Fusion 550 when it gets here- I've got a ton of gigs coming up over the next 5 weeks so I may not make it happen but will try.

Anyone else who has played/gigged both of these amps out there?? I would love some additional thoughts and reviews/reactions. At the end of the day I love searching for the sound in my head and dig hearing how you all interpret what you hear and feel....

 

@ johnk- played it through a number of cabs- most gigs have been through a Bergantino HD 410. Again- most would probably consider my live tone pretty damn good. For my gut it's not where it needs to be if that means anything. Just my ear. It's funny really- I've played in a bunch of old school country/americana/southern rock bands as well as old school reggae/dub bands and have always had to dial back mids- more of a thick, warm, defined tone kinda guy. The Streamliner (for me) always makes me break a sweat finding my sound. Pillowy, clowdy, soft are words that jump at me. Not tight, articulate, full. Could be the cab but I don't think so.....
the cabs I have currently- the berg, a GB 410 XB, a GB 2-15, and an Ampeg 8-10. Basses range from Ps, Js, MM Stingrays, and custom basses.....

 

great posts....
@john- I don't have a 5751- went to my local tube shop and neither did he- he had JJ tube (with gold tips) that he uses in place of the 5751, gave it to me, and told me to try it out. I rolled it in and found maybe a TINY bit of difference (your thread about tubes was SUPER interesting and informative). I could hear the difference on your recordings and will explore a 5751 if the GK doesn't work out.

@Alexander- man I hear a lot of people talking about the WA. I've never played one. May be next on order!!

If the GK doesn't really knock me out I'll ship it back and keep looking. I gigged an 1001RB 2-10 combo for a few years and was pretty thrilled with that little rig. I'm thinking if the 550 has most of that vibe with maybe a little tube vibe on top it may be a winner for me....

On the road I always had an SVT as a backline. My personal rig for a long time was an Aguilar DB680 powered by a QSC 3000 (actually this is the rig I replaced with the Streamliner- and no- I'm not trying to emulate that amp- I actually never absolutely loved that rig and got really sick of dragging that thing all over the state). Other amps I've owned and gigged- Trace Elliot, GK, SWR, Eden. The only amp other than the Streamliner that I was instantly thinking of trading in was the SWR which I did and never looked back.
Keep the comments coming. Opinions are like, well, you know- but hearing them all can sometimes put things into perspective...

 

johnk- that's exactly what I do regarding settings. Like I've said before- mids are typically my nemesis but with this amp it's a whole other ballgame. I suck the bass back even a bit further than you and boost the mids a bit more than you.... I've really noticed that if I REALLY boost the gain up I start to get more mid and articulation, but with it that high it also starts to break up too much for me....

It's funny- most of the GK stuff you see on-line is R&B, slappy kinda stuff- or straight hard rock. I used the 1001RB for an old school country/southern rock gig for a few years and it felt fantastic. Everyone seems to consider GKs "growl" heavy- never really felt that way about mine, but that also isn't what I was trying to dial in. Always just felt it was super present, very articulate, and when a dub/reggae tone was needed it was one dial spin away.....

 

Tom-
I think you and I feel about the same regarding the Streamliner. To me it feels like a nice little compromise to not dragging around an SVT but when both are pushed the Streamliner sounds like it's emulating something. But I also feel like for $200 you can buy a VT pedal and run it in front of damn near any amp and come pretty damn close to the tube tone you get from the Streamliner. That's again my take after playing SVTs for years and now running the Streamliner for a number of months. Cool thing is that we all hear things differently- JohnK (who has a monster collection of tube amps on his website) thinks the Streamliner is the cats meow for a hybrid tube amp (although it seems you changed out all of the tubes correct?)
Interesting stuff....

 

agreed regarding the VT pedal sounding or feeling like an SVT. I think the VT pedal comes as close to an SVT as the Streamliner does though. I've taken to running the VT in front of the Streamliner to get more bite and mids which does help but seems to bother me that I find that necessary....