Gallien Krueger Fusion 550

Jan 5, 2014
2,662
1,900
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Does ANYONE know of ANY place that I can go to and try out one of these Bass Heads? From what I've been reading about them, it/they sounds like Exactly what I'm looking for in an amp. Does anyone out there actually own one? and what do you feel about them/it? Thanks.
 
A fellow local bass player to me has and gigs one regularly. They always invite me up on stage to play a couple of tunes when I show up to their gigs. That amp is LOUD!!! O my gosh is it loud! Makes me remember the ol days when big iron class A/B hybrid pre amp heads ruled the market. IMO you just can't get that same punch and power out of the similar class D heads by GK. Even the Fusion MB800.

This local bass player has a Mesa PH410 that he runs his Fusion 550 into and it just destroys his guitarists half stack 412 Marshall and the overly loud drummer. It seems to have plenty of EQ to play with as well. I personally didn't like the distortion on it all that much. He always has it set for a fairly high gain. He also has a Big Muff in the chain that I much preferred to use when required. Overall, I'd characterize the sound of that amp as GK! It seems to have a sufficient HPF built in and somewhat forward mid character. That could all be the way he typically sets his EQ though. I never change it when I get up for a couple of tunes.

I've never been a fan of the self moving knobs as I'm a amature amp tech and those knobs just scream "repair will be necessary". Although I haven't read online of anyone having any issues. If the light weight amps weren't available today I could see myself owning one of those 550's but I'm much too lazy to haul one around these days.
 
I owned one for a while but honestly didn't think it was a much better amp than the MB Fusion 500, so I bought the MB Fusion. The MB series is much smaller, lighter, cheaper and also a great amp.

Honestly, I don't believe there is a reason to go with the Fusion 550 since the MB Fusion 800 was released. The 550 is big, heavy, expensive and the motorized knobs are an expensive accident waiting to happen.

YMMV, but at least look at the MB Fusion amps along with the 550.

For comparison purposes, if you have played a Mesa M6/M9, the Fusion amps sound very similar.

Good luck!
 
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Well a post is on today with two issues and both were taken care of by GK. One by Jason and one by RAG himself. One had a bad pot transformer (not a motorized problem) and the second had a bad new tube. The tube caused cracking sounds and the transformer made the dials not behave politely. All the comments raved about the sound the 550 puts out.
 
I also own one. Bought it off here, and the motorized knobs were replaced by the original owner. He had it done at a shop in Minnesota if I recall correctly. I have never had an issue with them.

Personally, I don't use them as a true "second channel" switcher, but rather a separate EQ setup for a different bass. I mainly play jazzes, but when I want to break out the Precision, i switch over to channel 2 where i change the mid settings and bring in a little more low end. I have all my effects on the floor and don't need to switch to a hi-gain channel through the amp itself. My muff takes care of that.

I would also agree with the prior post about the comparison with the Mesa M6/M9 Carbines. I had an M6 before the Fusion 550, and I wanted to love it, but it continually had power failures, so it went back to GC, where i had bought it used. Crazy thing was I tried out a new one in store before ordering the one I bought off their used site, and it did the same thing in store. Must have been a bad run of those.

The GK doesn't quite overdrive like those Carbines do, but it has a ton of headroom, and takes pedals very well, which is my personal preference. The GK almost fuzzed out when you crank the gain, which I love. I really like the sound when cranking the gain knob, but it's different than the carbine stuff when it comes to built-in distortion, but that's a personal preference. I prefer the GK.

I also prefer the clean tone. I can barely push mine past 9-10 o'clock, and even more so now that it sits on top of a Mesa Vintage Powerhouse 412. I will repeat that it loves pedals in front. I didn't think I would find a newer amp that would take pedals as well as my '74 Acoustic 370, but this GK really shines with pedals in front. I am a user, and a believer.

If you have any other questions, feel free to post here or PM and I would be more than happy to answer them for you!

ImageUploadedByTalkBass1400554812.535827.jpg
 
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Also, when I first got it, a preamp tube broke in transit, so I just replaced the stock tubes (can't recall what they were) with a trio of JJs in the preamp. Plug and play and sounds awesome.

Pretty cheap upgrade that may really help. I never played the stock tubes, so i can't say if they were good or bad. All i know is the JJs I put in there sound great and it does look really cool with their location when they glow through the grill.
 
Also, when I first got it, a preamp tube broke in transit, so I just replaced the stock tubes (can't recall what they were) with a trio of JJs in the preamp. Plug and play and sounds awesome.

Pretty cheap upgrade that may really help. I never played the stock tubes, so i can't say if they were good or bad. All i know is the JJs I put in there sound great and it does look really cool with their location when they glow through the grill.

We use JJs for all the tubes.
Rag
 
I think about replace head in my current rig. I 'm oryginal owner 1001RB-II head and 2x410RBH cabs for many years. I like bi-amping mode and quick/punchy power amp with G.I.V.E. technology... That's my lovely trick ('Boost' all way up!). :)
But preamp I preffered more - is something like an Ampeg can do (I mean kind of over-gain SVP-Pro). My question is (especially for Mr Gallien): can Fusion550 preamp drive near Ampeg SVP-Pro or something close? What can I expect? I'm looking for any driven Fusion550 preamp samples too (before I decided to buy one).
 
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Wondered to myself when i first read about this amp:

Why go to all the design trouble of the motorized knobs/ setting switching to only have one alternate setting? Why not 4 or 6?

Id like to tryout an MBFusion one day.
 
Yeah, right now I'm torn between the GK Fusion 550 (about $1000.00) and the Ampeg SVT Classic (about $1700.00). I would LOVE to A/B them of course at the same time, same room, same Bass (one of my own), that would make it much easier of course to decide, Haaaaaaaa!!
 
I owned one for a while but honestly didn't think it was a much better amp than the MB Fusion 500, so I bought the MB Fusion. The MB series is much smaller, lighter, cheaper and also a great amp.

Honestly, I don't believe there is a reason to go with the Fusion 550 since the MB Fusion 800 was released. The 550 is big, heavy, expensive and the motorized knobs are an expensive accident waiting to happen.

YMMV, but at least look at the MB Fusion amps along with the 550.

For comparison purposes, if you have played a Mesa M6/M9, the Fusion amps sound very similar.

Good luck!

This almost exactly mirrors my experience/thoughts. For the time that I owned one, it was/is a fantastic amp. At the time, I was going through a shoulder surgery and I really felt like trying to lug that amp wasn't going to do my repaired shoulder any favors, so I opted to sell it and buy an MB Fusion 800. Now that my shoulder is pretty much healed, I'm probably really going to jack it up by getting some all-tube amp...:bag::D
 
Great amp! Really versatile, powerfull , the EQ works fine. I liked the harmonic content the tubes give. I only wished it had the tremendous low end of the 700 rbII. If you almost cut the mids, you can really get a vintage sound. Even if the small heads can get load, I don't feel the same headroom as you can get with the 550 or the 1001. I'm not a fan of the built in drive, I think that effect pedals do it better. The contour filter is really cool to work on the mids, even more with the switch to select the frequency to work on.
 
I can't remember if there was a recording of "Enter Sandman" from my last group. I started pushing into nasty with the input gain till the hair stood up on the singers arms. That was "channel 2's" settings in that band.


This guy ^^^ uses one all the time.
 
Personally, I'd wager the MBF500 and MBF800 sound so similar you'd never tell them apart; and, I'm just not down with something as big and heavy as the Fusion550.

To me; the lone reason to have one is for the Horn Management System; if you own GK bi-amp ready cabs.
Which I do.
However, the 1001RBII is smaller and lighter and has the HMS; so, that's what I use when I want that.