

GK question.

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by JoeyZ, Mar 12, 2009.

  1. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    I've got this:
    Grabbed it as a quick fix, and an absolute upgrade.

    Now, currently I'm running an old beat to piss Ampeg 6x10 and im thinking it's being powered at 8 ohms?
    I'm fairly certain of that but i've been wrong before.
    Anyway, my signal and tone just sucks...Would an extension cab do anything to rectify this matter or would it be a better idea to just grab two different 4x10's?
    The whole 300 watts at 4 ohms is really this many when put sent into an 8 ohm cab thing has got me a bit confused as to what I should even be looking for.

    A little help would be very much appreciated!! Thanks!
  2. The Ampeg 610HLF should be a 4 ohm cab. Double check the back.

    If it's not enough, my advice would be to move the the Artist series GK heads, the 800RB or the 1001RB. They are fantastic heads, and sound amazing.

    IMHO, the backline stuff doesn't compare.
  3. JanusZarate

    JanusZarate Low End Avenger Gold Supporting Member

    Feb 21, 2006
    Petaluma, CA, USA
    If you have a 610HLF, then you have a 4-Ohm cab, not 8-Ohm.

    What do you mean, your tone sucks? It could be a number of things, especially if you're used to the control scheme of other heads. GK heads have a bit of a mild learning curve, to warn you.

    What are your current settings on the Backline 600 (and I need to know ALL of your settings)? Are you using a 1/4" or Speakon cable? What bass are you using?
  4. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    I actually have the cab at the practice space, but I wont argue with anyone on the topic of Ohms. I have no idea.
    As far as a speakon cable there isn't even an option to go that route. It's a strictly 1/4th cable input. It's just ONE input on the back of the cab, no conditioner, just a bay with one singular input.
    I use a Fender Jazz Bass.

    My settings are as follows:
    Channel A
    Channel A's Level hovers around the 7th notch
    Contour is kept around the 2nd notch
    Both the treble and High Mid are kept around the 8th notch
    Low Mid and Bass are a little on the higher end, I'd say around 10 or so.
    I keep the Boost and Master the same at around 7 or 8

    Maybe I don't mean the tone sucks, but it just seems like there should be more volume and attack to this thing...
  5. paganjack


    Dec 25, 2007
    Los Angeles, CA
    you probably don't need to use the pad, since your bass should be passive. that's 15dB right there [if you were using it]. Just mess with the settings a bunch till you find what you like.

    Try turning the contour all the way off and increasing the low mids and lower the bass a bit. that should give you a lot more volume and punch.
  6. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    Yeah, I was using the pad. At one point I pushed the button thinking it was the mute and almost blew up my amp!! hahaha
    Thanks though, I'll give all of that a try tomorrow at practice!
  7. JanusZarate

    JanusZarate Low End Avenger Gold Supporting Member

    Feb 21, 2006
    Petaluma, CA, USA
    Can you describe it in "clock hand" terms? The notch thing is confusing... I'd need to have the head in front of me to figure out what you're talking about. :meh:

    i.e., if the Boost knob is pointing straight up, that's 12:00. Pointing directly to the left is 9:00. Pointing directly to the right is 3:00. And so on and so forth.

    Two ideas to address your volume issues:

    Most people who are new to GK make the mistake of leaving the Boost knob low. It really shouldn't be, as a huge amount of volume comes from that knob (it's the last major gain stage before the master volume). I'd suggest having it around 12:00 or higher (as you turn it up past 12:00, it gets growlier, more tube-like, and eventually begins to add some overdrive - the good kind :)).

    A good place to start with Channel A volume is somewhere between 10:30 and 12:00.

    Also, try turning the -15dB pad off (the button should be sticking out). I wouldn't use it unless you have a really hot active bass, since it drops your volume significantly. Although you didn't mention it, your Jazz is probably a passive bass (most people shopping in your budget range don't have active Jazz basses, and most people seem to prefer the passive versions anyway).

    The purpose for the pad is to prevent a high-output active bass from overdriving the input stage. Normally, you don't need to use it at all - only some basses need it. Also, using/not using it will not damage your amp.

    I'd also suggest setting your EQ knobs flat first (all of them at 12:00), with your Contour knob turned all the way down to zero. Work with minor adjustments from there.
  8. Easy8


    Sep 5, 2007
    Austin, Tx
    MysticBoo just wrote the tutorial for using GK heads.
    Can be applied to the 400RB, 700RB, and 1001RB as well.
  9. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    Hey, Thanks alot Mysticboo! I'll write down what you wrote and take my notes with me to practice!

    Also, today I took a look at my cab and it's absolutely 8 Ohms. In fact, im running my GK head through an Ampeg G-60 which according to google is a pretty old cab.
    So, knowing that would it make sense to upgrade to two 4 ohm cabs to get the most out of the head? Am I under powering the cab to the point where the signal would suffer?
    I'll have to make due for now, as I'm in the process of purchasing a car but it'd be nice to know where to go from here.
    Thanks again.
    Looks ALOT like this one...Almost identical actually.
  10. Ahh. I'm not sure what that is, but it's not the 610HLF we were talking about, so it could very well be 8 ohms.

    Are you sure it's not a guitar cab? It kinda looks like the V4 era guitar cabs. I don't think I've seen anything like it before.

    Two 4 ohm cabs would be too low for that amp - one 4 ohm or 2 8 ohms is what you need.

    If that is a guitar cab that could explain your tone sucking to a T!!!
  11. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    Yeah, that whole Ohm conversion thing confuses me.

    300 watt's at 4ohms into an 8ohm cab means what exactly?
    I'm assuming i'm getting somewhere between 150 to 200 watts out of the head?

    and two 8ohm cabs will get the correct usage from the head?

    On the subject of that being a guitar cab, to be honest I don't know...But I really doubt it. From the minimal amount of research i've done it's a bass cab from the late 70's.
    Sure sounds like a bass cab, a ****** one but a bass cab none the less! :p

    Here's a few more pic's I've found online:
  12. JimmyM

    JimmyM Supporting Member

    Apr 11, 2005
    Apopka, FL
    Endorsing: Ampeg Amps, EMG Pickups
    Yes to the first question, sort of yes to the second. 8 ohm is correct usage, too. Two 8 ohm cabs will just make 4 ohms and double the power it puts out.

    Wild cab...never saw one like it. Can't even find a 610 in the Ampeg book other than the HLF. Looks like 70's to me from here but I can't tell for sure. Got a closeup of the back plate?
  13. JPhoenix19


    Mar 5, 2009
    Tampa, FL
    The backline 600 puts 300 watts into a 4-ohm load OR about 200 watts into an 8-ohm load (the manual says 180 watts @ 8-ohms). If your cab is 8-ohms then that means your backline 600 is putting about 200 watts into it.

    The two outputs on the back of the head are in parallel- that is to say if you hooked up two 4-ohms cabs that would reduce the total load to 2-ohms and thus would run too low for that head.

    I used to have that head, and I found that I had to be careful with my EQ settings because of the lack of head room. I would have a hard time getting loud without clipping. This was mostly due to the fact that I ran my effects in line before the amp head and I'd have my gain on the pedals too high, thus overloading the head with tone. Sometimes I used the -15db pad, but when I did I usually had the gain and master almost all the way up- I almost never clipped that way.

    Personally, I'd recommend staying with what you have. If you do get different cabs, I would personally recommend a total cab load of 400-500 watts @ 4-ohms or 250-350 watts @ 8-ohms. I used my backline 600 with a peavey TX 8x10 that was 400 continuous at 4-ohms if I'm not mistaken. It was AWESOME!

    I hope all that helps.
  14. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    Close up indeed! Peep the pics up above!
  15. JPhoenix19


    Mar 5, 2009
    Tampa, FL
  16. JimmyM

    JimmyM Supporting Member

    Apr 11, 2005
    Apopka, FL
    Endorsing: Ampeg Amps, EMG Pickups
    OK, found it. The description in the Ampeg book says the G-60 was a solid state amp head with a 610 enclosure. The head had reverb and tremolo, so that means it was designed for guitar. The cab is described as having a QB3 Thiele aligned vented baffle with 3 separate compartments holding two speakers each. It was made from 1975-80.

    So yeah, that's a guitar cab. Might be great for guitar, might be fine for bass at low volumes. But if the speakers were more designed for guitar, they're probably not very heavy duty, so I wouldn't push the volume or the low end.
  17. JPhoenix19


    Mar 5, 2009
    Tampa, FL
    Boom, there ya have it. Makes my advice sound dumb now. :rolleyes:

    If you're brave enough maybe try swapping out the speakers for bass speakers? Carvin's got PA/bass speakers for about $50 a pop right now- if you're on a budget.
  18. Take the money you would spend on speakers for that cab and combine with the money you get from selling the G60 cab, and buy a used bass cabinet. Get an 810 of any brand, if you want all the volume you can get from 300watts.
    Set the eq flat, turn off the countour and boost to 3:00 for max volume from the GK.
  19. JoeyZ


    May 9, 2005
    HA! I knew something was up with that!!
    I've always felt like compared to other, even smaller rigs that my bass and low end just wasn't cutting it. Guess I now know why!
    Cool, well that mystery is solved! Awesome! Thanks guys.
    So, now onto a BASS cab. It's a shame too, the guy at music go round sold it to me as a bass cab..It was even in the bass area of the store.
    Oh well, So to power this head correctly one would go for a 4 ohm cab. What about that 610HLF cab we were discussing earlier? Anyone paired these two up? Or used a any lower level GK head with that cab?
    Either way, it'd probably be a massive upgrade in overall tone to actually be using a bass cab.

    Again, thanks!

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