Why is the GK800RB so expensive?

[anonymous101511]

The GK800RB is an average of $200+ more than the newer & more powerful 700RB. What gives?

remember that the 800rb has two power amps and a crossover. $200 more sounds like a bargain to me. I love the sound of the 800rb but I use and endorse the new models.

 

[62bass]

It seems every amp has a "bad spot" in their history. But the 800RB and the 400RB have been some of the most dependable and long lasting amps on the market. The new ones seem to be as good as the old ones. They're one of the top back line amps supplied by sound companies around here and from what I hear, many other places in North America. The guy who claims he worked as an amp technician was just trying to stir up debate.

As far as the original question goes-someone from GK posted a while back about why the 800 is relatively more expensive. Maybe someone can recall that and find the thread. It was last year sometime.

I was in my local L&M a few weeks ago and they had two very old 800 RB heads for sale. They looked like they'd been beaten with baseball bats. Both worked perfectly. I've used rental and backline supplied 800 RBs many times and never had a bit of a problem.

 

[ljazz]

I'm not wanting to bash the 800 here, but I'll tell you, I might be one of the few that don't really like the 800. I know it's reliability is legendary..... and I too have played a ton of them as part of provided backlines (of course, it was always through Hartke 410's, so maybe that was the problem).

The one thing the new rb's have that the old 800 doesn't is the 4/5 string filter. And that switch makes all the difference to me when it comes to loving the newer rb's. I love the HMS on the 700 + as well.

Instead of looking at it as if GK is crazy for selling the 800 for so much more than the new rb's, try to look at it as if GK is crazy for selling the new rb's for so much less than the 800!

Ljazz

 

[shoot-r]

Some of that extra cost goes to the salaries of the fulltime amp technicians that G-K has to keep on staff for all the inevitable repairs that amp will require.




Either you got very lucky with yours, or you're delusional. I worked in the service department of an NYC music rehearsal studio & equipment rental firm back in the late 1980s, and G-K 800RBs were constantly ********* the bed. Every single one required repeated & regular service. One of our 800RB heads had its power supply replaced 4 times in a 7 month period.

I've also heard this, "same story", about Peavey, Randall, Ampeg, Carvin, ect., ect., ect., ect.
Bought my G.K. 800 new in 1984.
It's been in constant use since.
It's never went down, never been in a repair shop.

 

[Hoover]

I wonder if he was just trolling? I can say he would be suprized how few repair techs are actually employed at G-K.

The part about G-K employing the techs was a joke. I know because whatever we couldn't repair in house had to get sent out to the local "G-K Authorized Independent Service Center" rather than back to the factory.

 

[lownote54]

400RB & 800RB have a different (better) sound (and reliability) than all later GK's. sorta have an idea why but am not a techie so won't say.
both are rock solid, reliable workhorses. SO easy to get my sound out of it. have had a 400 for years. waiting now for a used 800 to arrive. am sure i'll be googly over the increased output. stated power for the old 400's was so underrated. curious if the same is true for the 800.
probably the ONLY other bass head that comes close to the 800 in terms of being requested in riders or provided in PROFESSIONAL backlines is the (boat anchor) SVT.
have used everything from Peaveys to Mesa 400+ to 550x to preamp/power amp combos. ALWAYS go back to 400RB. when i've (rarely) needed more power, used the 400RB as a preamp with an outboard power amp

 

[JimmyM]

probably the ONLY other bass head that comes close to the 800 in terms of being requested in riders or provided in PROFESSIONAL backlines is the (boat anchor) SVT.

HOW DARE YOU!!! Boat anchor...meh!!

Even when you request an SVT, you often get an 800RB from the backline company. At least I used to. Now that I switched back to an SVT, I get them a lot more often than I used to, but you'd be surprised how many times the SVT becomes a GK/Hartke at showtime.

 

[v-grooves]

Who out there is using the Bi-Amp feature on the 800? Seems like 50 watts and a small tweet/high freq cab is something not too many people use.

I am just curious how many just plug into the big amp and leave the high freq output open.

Vince

 

[mpm32]

The 800RB is 300 watts into 4 ohms on the lower side and 100 watts into 8 ohms on the small amp.

I used to use a 4 ohm 2x15 bass reflex cab on the bottom biamped with an 8 ohm 2x15 on the top. No horns or tweets. The newer 700 and 1001 use the smaller 50 watt amp for usage with horns.

I don't play as large of venues anymore so I just use 1 2x15 now.

Those 400 GK watts are much louder than any other amp I have ever heard with the same wattage.

 

[ToddGia]

It makes a big difference if you plug a one 4 ohm cab into the low side instead of one 8 ohm cab .

 

[throbgod13]

i've read that the newer RBs have a different mid frequency point than the older RBs.. i've played a few 700RBs and a couple 1001RBs, and they do sound different to me..

IMO, the 800RB is the definitive GK tone..

i own a 400RB.. it's an amazing amp..

 

[Honk'n_down-low]

Who out there is using the Bi-Amp feature on the 800? Seems like 50 watts and a small tweet/high freq cab is something not too many people use.

I am just curious how many just plug into the big amp and leave the high freq output open.

Vince

I have used it both ways - you can adjust the crossover point to the highs Cab - worked well - most of the time I ran one or twp 15's with the 300Watt Amp.

 

[B-string]

I'm now using the "Biamp", best called H.M.S. (Horn Management Sustem) with the NEO 412 and I am enjoying how clean that added definition of the horn is.
Ran an 800rb in full range or {true} Biamp for almost a decade with a 215 and 115 cab.

 

[JGR]

i've read that the newer RBs have a different mid frequency point than the older RBs.. i've played a few 700RBs and a couple 1001RBs, and they do sound different to me..

IMO, the 800RB is the definitive GK tone..

i own a 400RB.. it's an amazing amp..

The 800RB has its treble set at 4kHz whereas the 400, 700, 1001, and 2001 are set at 7kHz.