Do GK amps have reliability issues?

#61
I own a 700RBii and an MB500 Fusion, both purchased used. The 700 had to go back to GK to replace the input jack and DI knob (from wear & tear, not poor quality)-- I was advised to by GK to just replace the entire preamp board. About a month after purchasing the MB500 Fusion, something went bad with the preamp (sound quality deteriorated significantly) and it needed to be replaced. I can't blame GK quality -- it's possible the amp was abused by the previous owner. In both cases, GK customer service was prompt, knowledgeable, and reasonably-priced. I feel like they fixed the problems without trying to gouge me, which has been my experience with other electronics repair shops. I also had the crossover burn out on my GK MBE212 cab. GK quickly diagnosed the issue over email and sent me a replacement part free-of-charge, even though the cab was out of warranty. I love my GK gear, and have no desire to change brands any time soon.

By comparison, I purchased a used Ampeg B2R amp that was riddled with bad solder joints. It was cost-prohibitive to fix it. The repair tech said he ran into that a lot with certain Ampeg models (the ones made in China, IIRC). Combined with the many TB reports of past quality issues with Ampeg, I don't think I'd ever buy a used Ampeg -- new with a warranty, maybe, but not used.
 
#62
I have been playing GK (I have a 400RB & 800RB) for many years. They have never been in a shop for repair and both sound fantastic. Dealing with electronics basically means any brand can fail at some point, so I wouldn't let a display model at GC keep me from buying an amp I wanted. Who knows what happened to the amp between everyone that has laid hands on it.
 
#64
yes GK's have been known to have reliabilty issues though i cant say about any of thier digital stuff I knew someone with a GK endorsment he used to travel with 3 heads because they were always breaking down
 
#65
I owned a 700RB-II for a few years and never had a problem. GK makes very good and reliable amps and cabs. IMO the 700RB-II is destined to be a classic and I would buy another without giving it a second thought.
 
#71
snake23 said:
Was at my local Guitar Center today and wanted to try a GK 700rb went to play on it and this thing is brand new and was already broken. It was in protection mode and no sound. Makes me reconsider buying a GK amp now.
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GK is pretty common at rehearsal studios. I've never seen a bad head at one in 20+ years of playing.

Ymmv.
 
#72
hsech said:
GC & Broken go together.
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Yes, and not just limited to equipment, because the same can be said about their business prospect and financial condition/performance. But that's another topic altogether.

I have an 800RB that I bought from a rehearsal studio back in 1989. It receives moderate amount of usage and knocking on wood, is still working fine. I literally set every dial to 12 o'clock. Maybe except for Boost, which I always turn down when I play through my SansAmp BDDI.
 
#74
This isn't the first time this has happened at guitar center. I once had an instance in the bass guitar room where half the amps i tried would not turn on. I then went to a sales person about it and he started doing all this troubleshooting for an hour until he realized that the reason they were not working was because he FORGOT TO PLUG THEM IN.
 
#75
Besides a brief flirtation with TCE gear, I've been using GK exclusively since 1999: 1000RB, 2000RB, and 1001RB for heads with RBH and Neo series cabs. Besides buying a used 210rbh with a blown horn for $170, I have never had an equipment failure with GK.
 
#76
My 700RB is kicking strong and has never failed me. It is my favourite amp, and has replaced a couple of boutique amps as my amp of choice. That's saying a lot because I'm fairly picky, and my upright basses are even pickier. Let's just say that its the only off the rack bass amp I trust to reproduce the sound of my bass when using a bow, and there are very few amps that can pull off this feat. Makes my electrics sound extra ballsy with superior punch too!:thumbsup:
 
#77
Last weekend I was at Guitar Center and was going to try out an amp. I wanted to check to see which cab it was hooked up to and traced the speaker out of the amp -> speaker cable directly into the speaker out of the amp sitting next to it. I disconnected it and hoped that nobody actually played it in that configuration. It was two V4B. One dead amp or two? I'm going with two.
 
#79
First, my experience with GK has been good. I have an 800RB from the early 90's that is still working fine. I also have and also owned one other 4x10 Neo which has been great.

I'd say judging gear from a GC is tough. Who knows if someone had bought it, played it, abused it, and returned it within the window. Unfortunately, I just don't trust GC and the products. YMMV
 
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