the major point is all modern bass amps have poor fidelity. especially the speakers ! yuk. all those foster tweeters that have a sound like crinkling a potatoe chip bag and it is supposed to be good. most cabs dont go below 50hz. (an svt is tuned to 80hz, and the bass fundemental is at 42 hz.) yes, the literature says its there, but where does it go when you get to the gig? sorry to be off topic. it has to be said.
You do realize that much of the sound of ANY note is in the harmonic content above the fundamental? Frequency response alone only tells you part of the story of how well a cab can handle notes on the low E, and not necessarily how good it sounds on them.
And what about the
low B of a 5-string? You'll immediately notice that very few cabs can reproduce that fundamental... but does that stop the low B from sounding good on rigs that can't produce it?
Besides, room acoustics, volume, etc. must also be considered in a live playing situation. Just because your cab can produce it doesn't mean you'll hear it when you're on the other side of the stage and armed only with a 2x10 cab.
I used to have a stack just like that, powered by a 2001RB. I sold the Neo 115, though - I didn't need a second cab to be as loud as I needed to be.
IME they are effect allergic, if that's what you want they suit you fine(I wouldn't tell anyone to stay away from certain brand, it all goes in the bassist's taste IMHO)
I'd say just the opposite, TBH - and I've run quite a lot of effects with my rig! It does depend on personal taste, though. My effects do sound different through a few other heads I've tried, but they definitely do NOT sound bad with my 2001RB.
And if you want to talk about GK and effects, I would like to point you to two effects-wielding bassists armed with GK 2001RB heads: Justin Chancellor (Tool) and Flea (RHCP). Now... can you tell me that GK is effects-allergic, again?
Anyhow... having tried or owned five different lines of GK cabs... here are my opinions in a nutshell:
- Backline - eh. Not too shabby, but not that efficient, either. Decent at lower volumes, and struggling at high volumes. A single good cab will do you better favors live than a stack of any of these.
- Goldline - I didn't like the response... but I haven't really spent much time with these. Reportedly better overall than the Backline series, though.
- SBX - punchy, sealed, loud.
- Neo - full, broad response, great midrange, LOUD, light. My personal favorites.
- RBH - More aggressive midrange than Neos (more like SBX), but deeper bass and a bit louder than SBX. As loud as Neos, but noticeably more "colored". Heavy, but great stuff.
