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Super-Clean, Powerful Head Poll: There Can Be Only One

Which super-clean head is best?

  • Phil Jones Bass BP-800

    Votes: 19 7.6%

  • Trickfish Bullhead 1K

    Votes: 36 14.5%

  • Ashdown 12-band 600 (heavier but I do like AB heads and not too bulky)

    Votes: 7 2.8%

  • Eich T-900

    Votes: 16 6.4%

  • Gallien Kruger Legacy/Fusion (800 should be fine)

    Votes: 67 26.9%

  • Trace Elliot TE1200

    Votes: 9 3.6%

  • Other - please specify

    Votes: 95 38.2%
  • Total voters
    249
#21
rojo412 said:
I've had many GKs over the years and only had issues with 2. One of them came with problems (vintage and abused 800RB) and it was fixed easily and for a reasonable price, the other (1001RB) I sold to a friend and then he had some issues, but it was fine for me for years, so user error perhaps? We lost touch, but last I remember, he had it fixed reasonably too.

But the MB2-500 head I had was incredible. Tiny, tons of power, clear as a bell. I got it used here, played it for almost a decade, then only sold it because I wasn't playing out with that rig anymore. My buddy @rogerbmiller owns it now and is taking it to an out-of-town gig in a little while, as a matter of fact.
My need for that head was essentially replaced by the GK MB210-II combo I still have, which I bought used a decade ago, and is incredibly loud, reliable, and clean.

They seem to know their way around class D amps. And when I need that kind of power again, I'll be buying another GK product, no doubt.
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Yeah GK make quality stuff for sure, and they seem to have really upped their game in the manufacturing end. If you're in a position to say, how similar to the RB heads are the new Legacy amps in terms of tone and feel? They're pretty feature-packed and they sound nice, but what's your IRL take?
 
#23
I also still haven't had a chance to try the Legacy series, but am quite eager to.

A few years back, I made plans to buy the Legacy 212 combo, when they were $1100 new, I was playing out, and there hadn't been a worldwide pandemic...
Flash forward to now, they are $1700, I don't gig enough to need one, and nowhere near me sells them. So I honestly couldn't make the call. Nor can I currently justify buying one, as I am stocked with plenty of other amps that suit my particular needs where I travel to play, as opposed to needing power for gig situations.

But the MB series was amazing. The RB series was awesome sounding, but I definitely think there was more risk to them comparatively, as they had way more moving parts. Another friend of mine still owns a 1001RB-II and the only issue he's had were dirty pots, which I was able to fix for him. The amp sounds incredible and the tonality between that, the MB series, and even the older GK stuff seems so similarly voiced, I gotta believe that the Legacy is just gonna be the same kind of GK awesome I'd want... but with a few more features and (with the 800), scads more power.
 
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#25
Lammchop93 said:
Don’t doubt it based on the brand, but the Peavey MiniMega was one of the best sounding “clean” amps I’ve played. More punch than any other class D head I’ve played.
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I've got the new MiniMax from them and it has also proven to be a great, loud, clean amp that takes pedals well. It's mot as buzzworthy, sexy or expensive as those boutique amps, but it's tiny and very easy to get what tones I want.
 
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#29
G On Bass said:
I've got the new MiniMax from them and it has also proven to be a great, loud, clean amp that takes pedals well. It's mot as buzzworthy, sexy or expensive as those boutique amps, but it's tiny and very easy to get what tones I want.
Click to expand...

I must admit it looks VERY cool, and the price is pretty good too. I've always liked Peavey stuff. I've never seen one IRL though... for some reason the usual Peavey stockists around here have sorta dried up. I'll see if I can locate one somewhere!
 
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#31
Super clean, clear, with a feeling of a fast transient and big power behind each note = G.K.

A pic of my herd of G.K.'s.

I've only had the Legacy 800 for a short time but it's already become my main gigging head.

20230411_081953.jpg
 
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#36
Genzler Magellan 800 can do clean & hi-fi. Definitely not a one trick pony either.
Magellan 800 - Genzler Amplification


NeonVomit said:
Long post alert!

Right, so after a whole massive bunch of gigs, tours and what have you, I've gotten an evolved idea of what I'm after, and streamlining my gear. I play mostly power/progressive metal and grindcore/thrash. For some projects, I use a few pedals to give myself a pretty driven but tight sound (Boss GT1B and Darkglass B3K) and I use effects like chorus or reverb at some points. For other projects, I might use a touch of drive or grit from a SansAmp BDDI and that's basically it.

I have a Darkglass MT500v2, which I really like, but has been way too temperamental for me, with weird volume cuts, buzzing fan sounds coming out the speakers etc. Credit to the dealer who has had it back and fixed it a couple of times, but I'm at the point where I'm not confident taking it out on the road anymore. I can almost replicate the sound with my B3K pedal into any clean amp, so I'll be using it for rehearsals or something, or selling it for very cheap (I'd be upfront about it's repeated issues to any prospective buyers and price it accordingly)

My Mesa D-800 is an absolute tank, and has never failed me. It's my go-to touring amp. However, I'm after something a little more hi-fi and less old-school sounding (I will keep ahold of it of course, for projects needing that kind of sound)

I have a Phil Jones Bass BP-200 which is excellent - I got it for studio work and smaller rehearsals, and it's the amp which has my favourite sound. It has a super natural, clean tone and takes pedals extremely well. However, the 200w are really not going to cut it in terms of volume for the types of shows I play.

I've been considering either getting its big brother, the BP800, or one of the other really good hi-fi sounding amps out there these days. Sadly where I am, it's almost impossible to find them to try them out. Logic would dictate me picking up the BP800 (since I already like the small version, I SHOULD like the big version, correct?) but I want to see what y'all experiences with it and/or other heads of similar specs/aims are. I've liked what I've heard of Trickfish in reviews and videos, the new Trace Elliot TE1200 looks sweet and I always liked Trace amps back in the day, the Ashdown 12-band looks fascinating (if a bit heavier), GK are great with clear, crisp sounds and I once had a 700RB which I did like, etc.

I'm after reliability, super clear natural tone, and compactness for travelling by air (which I do a lot), and something that can handle being tossed onto any house/promoter provided 4x10 or 8x10 for medium stages. I'm not super keen on loads of extra features/bells & whistles, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker. Budget is up to $1.5k US/1.3k Euro but can push it a bit more for something really good.

Thanks for reading all this and apologies for the rambling!
Click to expand...
 
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#40
gtirard said:
Why not Bergantino or GR Bass 800?
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I am impressed with the GR line. Perhaps a no-nonsense Pure Amp 800 from GR is what you are after. But if you also want tone-shaping in the amp, their GR One 800 I found to be very true sounding. Available in a 1400 watt version as well.
 
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