Genz-Benz

[ErnoE]

Almost 1 year to the week that I purchased it, my new Ashdown ABM Evo 500 crapped out on me 3rd song into the gig. It just started distorting and the volume was cutting in and out. Did not think to bring my backup amp so had to plug into the board and go out thru the mains with just a little monitor for my stage sound. Anyway I took the amp back to the store and my salesman, Tom, said it sounded like the overdrive preamp or something like that, he would send it off for repairs and he let me use a new Genz-Benz 600 amp. It has alot of lights, buttons and knobs compared to my ashdown but I am getting used to it and really starting to like the tight sound I found from it. Not real familiar with the brand other than the adverts I see in BP mag. There was a feature recently in BP on the GB 400 amp. Can anyone share any background on this line of amps? Still miss my ashdown.

[zeronyne]

Welcome to the forum! Use the search feature.

 

Never mind, I'll do it :

 

A GBE 600 Review

 

Genz discussion

 

Neodymium Goodness from Genz Benz

 

A description of the ML200 that, oddly, no one replied to.

 

Kabinet Kudos

 

ML200 description that, oddly, a few folks replied to.

[g.]

- that, oddly, a few folks replied to.

My excuse is that I was on one of my 9 month vacations from the place ; }

 

The interests and the expertise represented here here are not that diversely extensive. There are some people who have the werwithal ti comment intelligently on a number of subjects, through experience or research. But most people here seem to be rather happy commenting on SPAM for several pages and only are interested in equipment they already have or are familiar with some how - even if only by BRAND NAME.

 

More than once I have considered putting my time into Talkbass.com instead, because although the same could be said about that venue, there are a lot more people there, and the better contributors are therefore also more numerous. There is a greater chance there that SOMEONE can discuss any piece of gear or musical notion intelligently, because of a greater population and maybe people try a little harder too, because of that.

 

There are some good people here that I would miss and that's why I came back. And they too would like to see this place become something a little more useful than a blabpool, I'm sure - by their efforts I can see that.

[bspangleyahoo.com]

GB,

I lurk on occasion at talkbass. That forum, particularly on the bass guitar side, is not nearly as professional and mature as this one is.

I go there if I'm looking to scarf up a bargain from their "for sale" classifieds (I got PV Microbass for $30 shipped for my daughter to use in her dorm room), but if I need some information or some semi-intelligent discourse I come here. I do not post often during the school year, but when I do, there is usually an intelligent, mature response from somebody. The typical post at TB is "Look at my shiny new bass" or "those hartke strings suck", etc, etc. In this forum it appears that a healthy percentage of the people that hang here actually play gigs or in church or in some other public setting. Over there, most of the posters are beginners. Over here, beginners actually get useful advice from active pros and teachers. Compared to the other couple of forums that I lurk on on occasion, including nonmusical ones, this one seems to me to be consistantly the most useful and intelligent. (This includes the College Board's AP Central Physics forum!!)

[DingoBlues]

I have the ML-200 combo with the 12" speaker. Got it used on Ebay for $355. It's a clean sounding amp, loud, well constructed and only ~55 lbs. My only complaint is the cooling fan is distracting at low practice volumes. I'm sure it wouldn't be an issue at gigging/rehearsal levels.

 

Genz Benz customer service is legendary. I e-mailed tech support and got a speedy response from Jeff Genzler. They are active in the Bass Forum over on harmony central and really go out of their way to take care of customers.

 

GB will be high on my list if/when I ever need a full sized rig.

[wraub]

I played a few G-B rigs out West, I always thought they were solidy made and sounded pretty good, both combos and non.

I recently missed out on a combo on Ebay that went for $120.00

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[dcr]

I can't contribute much here that I haven't already said in other threads. But such as I have give I thee.

 

I've owned a Genz-Benz ML200 1x12" combo for about a year & a half now. I paid about $450 on an open-box special from Musicians Friend. I have been very happy with it. The active EQ & signal shaping are great--very powerful tone shaping with a super-simple control section. It sounds great; I can get tight-&-modern sounds as well as old-school thumps. I use it mainly for small venues & monitoring, which is really what it's for. (I've used it for stage volume in a pinch, & it's done OK, although it's really not made for that.)

 

This doesn't tell you a whole lot about the head you're looking at. But I'll just say I have one of their products & have been completely satisfied with it. FWIW!

[g.]

bspangle@yahoo.com:

but if I need some information or some semi-intelligent discourse I come here {...} Over here, beginners actually get useful advice from active pros and teachers.

It's amazing how many times my google sessions in search of anecdotal or factual info have pulled up talkbass threads. It is true there are a hige number of clewbies and wankers there. But there are also a lot of heavyweights. I guess it takes good filtering to separate all that out though. My experience has been that whevere one tends to favor is also where one tends to filter out the inane and the duncified, without sometimes noticing that the process is engaged.

 

It's good that you have the perception of this area that you have. That means something. It's good that it seems like help is extended here; I know the best players or techheads on some forums have given up on the concept of talking to the less experienced almost entirely (and what a loss for them, really). They often just engage in various favoritisms and clique mentality, and god forbid you should not have the same perceptions, or time in the game.

 

But I think we can do better yet. It's not just about experience when someone asks about a certain piece of gear for instance. It's also about insight. Not just into gear and tech stuff, but also into player needs and desires. If there was more of that, people would be less hesitant to help about gear they don't favor, and more hesitant to play the FORD CHEVY MOPAR game every time a brand name comes up.

 

That game is a cruel game in another way too - it keeps the people who always tout or dump on this brand or that brand from actually LEARNING anything about gear in general, about technical things that should be considered for ANY equipment. It keeps them from seeking more experiences playing with other stuiff to, while ears and minds are open and engaged. It's a bad shortcut at best.

 

Enough of my ranting for now. At least some feel this forum is all it can be ; }