Tonal differences between GK heads

[Gearhead43]

I am reposting this from the end of my last thread to get some better input about the tone of different GK heads:

Reason I asked originally is that the 800RB has been a staple workhorse for a ton of upright bass players for decades. Someone figured out early on that the voice of GK amps just sounded good for upright bass.

I play upright primarily and recently bought a BL600 for use in the Honky Tonk band I am in, and was really surprised how great it sounds for upright bass.

The GK is the ONLY amp I've tried thus far that doesn't require ANY EQing for me to get a great clear punchy upright tone for the music I play.

I am even able to set my Pro Platinum preamp EQ flat now. This inexpensive head surprised the hell out of me in a good way.

Anyway, I am thinking there's an 800RB in my future but was wondering if a 700RB is a better deal for the money.

How does the tone/voicing of my budget BL600 compare to the 800RB, and also to the 700RB? (besides one being "better" sounding, etc) How is the tone of the new series different from the classic 800RB?

Feedback from GK users would be great. Thanks

 

[Vic Winters]

They have different voicing filters.

800RB has Low Cut, Contour (Mid Cut) and High Boost switches (all set amount).

BL600 just has a Contour knob which lets you adjust the amount of mid scoop

700RB-II has a 4/5 string switch which is a Low Boost, a Contour knob, and a Presence knob which lets you adjust the amount of high end.

They all have different sized power supplies so they will sound different at the same volumes. The 800RB and BL600 will have more power amp distortion (hitting the rails) than the 700RB-II.

The 700RB-II will have the widest range of tones due to the 4/5 string switch and presence knob giving it higher highs and lower lows. Also if I'm not mistaken, the 800RB's treble frequency is set at 4K while both the BL600 and 700RB-II are set at 7K.

 

[Nedmundo]

I've used an 800RB and own both 700RB and 700RB-II heads. I can't compare the 700's with the 800's, because I've never used them side by side, but you should know the 700RB-II sounds different from the first generation. It's much more powerful, plus it's deeper and warmer thanks to a re-voiced EQ section. I bought the Mk. II so I'd have a backup, and was floored by the tonal improvement.

 

[georgestrings]

I've played several 800rbs, and own a 700rb-II... To me, the 700 is capable of greater tonal variety - I can make my 700 sound like an 800, but can get sounds with it that the 800 can't do... Also, the 700rb-II has quite a bit more power to my ears - more than enough for the loud modern rock/metal band I play in... To me, the 700rb-II is one of the most versatile amps G-K has ever made - and for *most* gigging situations, the power is just right: I can get the G-K growl at reasonable levels if I want, or play clean with plenty of volume...



- georgestrings