Which GK Amp Best...

[RenorCordic]

I have the 2001 and I love it. As B-String said you can the growl fairly easily with the 2001. Lots of headroom if you need it, and I love the distortion channel on the amp. Once I had my main eq, shaping, and volume set I was able to find a couple different settings with the distortion that rocked. It's a great distortion.

 

[armybass]

Well I must add this to my earlier post. I voted for the 800RB because I remembered it being a solid amp and I also remember liking the basic tone of it more than my current 700RB II or my previous 1001RB II.

Well after posting that I went and met a guy and traded for another GK 800RB. It is probably the first time in 14 to 15 years since I had a 800RB. Well, after getting it home and running my SWR Grand Pris through it and then running my bass straight into the head.....there is no reason to use the SWR. I had totally forgotten how amazingly good a GK 800RB sounds through an SWR cab. I am not trying to figure out what I am gonna do with this SWR Grand Prix....cuz I sure do not need it in the rig with the GK 800RB.

 

[dhsierra1]

You can still get them new at RMC audio direct, but that's the only place.

ah, thank you, didn't see them on the GK website so assumed they were discontinued

Can those really cop the GK growl? So much of it is from pushing the power amp

 

[eupharies]

GK MB500 for me, its a beast!

 

[Muttleybass]

I've had my 800rb since 1986. It was in the shop ONCE because the DI was noisy. It's never let me down. I had thought about going to a Fusion 550 or a 700rbII when my RBH 410 got old, but bought a Neo 410 instead. I was in love with the 800rb all over again.

 

[betardfoosier]

When they say the 700 growls at "lower" volume, I will tell you that my 700 and SVT810 are still STUPID loud. I can't imagine anywhere but a stadium it wouldn't be loud enough for.

 

[georgestrings]

When they say the 700 growls at "lower" volume, I will tell you that my 700 and SVT810 are still STUPID loud. I can't imagine anywhere but a stadium it wouldn't be loud enough for.

Agreed - I've played some huge outdoor shows in front of thousands of people, and the 700rb-II was always plenty loud enough... To me, it's right in the sweet spot - plenty loud enough for any reasonable gig, yet able to get nice and warm at lower volumes...


- georgestrings

 

[James Mobius]

That sounds like the speakers are bad. The 800RB has no protection circuit by the way, if your speakers or speaker wire shorts.....amp is damaged (Robert Gallien kept the design as when he first designed it so protection was NOT added later).

well yeah the amp is damaged, several burnt out power transistors, the little half cylinder shaped ones and some of the larger (1/2" across) rectangular ones as I recall. did my amp destroy the speakers? hard to come to another conclusion. thinking of buying something new, maybe I should try to get this thing fixed one last time. should be a cheaper route.

 

[HuntYouDown]

I dont know, but I love my 400RB combo. Its only bass amp I ever had, its pretty solid and versatile. Could hang with the best im sure at that wattage.

 

[crustychef]

Both of them have a lot of headroom before they really start to growl. The 700RB would be the best bet for power & growl.

this gets my vote. Loved mine.
My MBfusion is a close second though. A little more wool to growl.