Gallien-Krueger Artist & Goldline Series

The 2001RB comes in a very sturdy, 3U rackmount metal casing with rubber feet on the bottom. The attractive front has an oval grille with the company name across the centre, and two rack lugs and a sturdy chrome handle at each end. Running along the bottom section of the panel are the controls. The input section carries the jack socket and three push buttons for -10dB Pad, Tuning Mute and Channel A/B, with the first two accompanied by LEDs for Clip And Mute. Next along are the controls for Channel B. The first is for Gain, which effectively dials in distortion, the next two are for Edge and Bottom (treble and bass for the Overdrive section), and finally there's an output Level control.

Following on is preamp Level for Channel A, and then controls for the comprehensive tone shaping. In the Voicing Filters section, a push button switches between preamp tone optimisation for four-string or five-string basses (with a low B), then there are controls for Contour and Presence. The former drops the mid-range frequencies while boosting lows and highs, and the latter adds edge and definition to the high frequencies. The Treble control in the Active Equalization section is of the shelving type, with 14dB cut or boost at 7kHz. Both the High Mid and Low Mid controls are the 'Q' optimised band-pass type, with +6dB/-10dB gain at 1kHz and 250Hz, respectively. Finally there's a shelving-type Bass control, which cuts or boosts up to 10dB at 60hz. Over on the right is the Bi-Amp Output section featuring a Boost control, a preamp gain utilising G-K's 'GIVE' (Gate Induced Valve Effect) technology, a biased gate that emphasises the optimum harmonic content of the signal. A volume control for the 50W tweeter amp accompanies a Tweeter High Cut button, which eliminates frequencies above 10kHz, a Woofer volume for the main amp and a X-over button, which engages the electronic crossover for the woofer, cutting frequencies above 5kHz. Finishing off the front panel is the mains switch, with an LED that lights green when the 2001RB is connected to the mains. This flashes for five seconds when powering up, then turns blue when ready to use. Above this is a Power Protect LED that illuminates should the amp experience a fault (caused by overheating or excessive current), in which case the unit will mute and the light will flash orange.

The rear panel carries the mains socket to the left, followed by In and Out mini-jack sockets for the remote trigger. This function is used to remotely turn on other 2001RBs when slaved together. Running along the bottom are the speaker outs. The two Right Speakon Outputs enable bi-amplified operation when used with a four-conductor cable, allowing the horn to be controlled separately. Two jack sockets supply 540W of full-range power into 2Ω or 360W into 4Ω. Alongside this is the Right Level control and Bridge Mode switch, which allows you to select between Dual Mono and Bridged operation. Next along are jack and Speakon sockets mirroring the previous ones but for the Left channel of the amp.

Above all these is a 5-pin DIN socket, for connecting the supplied footswitch, and a balanced XLR DI output with buttons for Ground Lift and Pre/Post EQ, along with a rotary knob controlling the output level. There are jack sockets for effects Send, Return, Tuner output and finally two more for daisy chaining numerous amps together.

Supplied as standard is the RFB-111 footswitch, which connects to the amp via a 5-pin DIN (MIDI) cable. This three-button pedal allows remote channel switching of Level A and B, Horn Mute (when utilising the clean channel) and Tuning Mute.

Matching the 2001RB is the Gallien-Krueger 800W 410RBH, a 4 x 10 cab with serious attitude, incorporating four P10/200s and a 50W P508 horn. Constructed of 11-ply poplar with dado joints and covered with a hardwearing black carpet, chunky plastic protectors ensure that the corners of this double-wedge-shaped cab remain in good condition. Two black, heavy-duty flightcase-type handles help ease the 44kg lift, and four sturdy removable casters are supplied for that longer load in. The speakers and horn are forward loaded behind a strong, matte-black metal grille carrying the Gallien-Krueger logo along the top edge, and there are slotted ports running down each side. Also in this series are a 2 x 10 and a 1 x 15 cab, each with a horn and both keeping the same wedge-shaped configuration.

The recessed plate on the back has a Speakon input for both Bi-Amp and Full Range modes (with an accompanying switch), a full-range jack socket and a large, stepped rotary knob for horn attenuation, with four positions: Normal, High Range, -2dB and +2dB.

As recommended I used the four-way Speakon lead to connect the amp and cab, which allows for separate attenuation of the horn. This is a superb feature particularly when both amp and cab start to be driven hard. The internal crossover splits the signal, allowing the lower frequencies to be boosted, tweaked or distorted, while the upper registers pass through their own 50W amp and remain clean and pure.

Starting with all the EQ controls set to 12 o'clock the sound is instantly usable, while winding up the Contour knob scoops out the mid and the four/five-string button adds a tight bottom-end warmth. The four-band EQ section is one of the best I have encountered, with small increments of the controls making a wonderful tonal difference. Dialling in the Boost brings a rounded valve texture, while switching to Channel B adds that nice bit of dirt.

The 410RBH takes everything that's thrown at it, maintaining a clarity I have not encountered previously. Even in Full Range mode, with the horn taking some of the distortion, the punchy sound is superb.

The 2U rackmountable 400RB-IV has the characteristic oval grille and badge on the front, incorporating the mains switch on the right and, along the lower half, all the controls. To the left is the DI output on XLR, with switches for Ground Lift and Pre/Post EQ. The Input section has the same jack socket, Pad and Mute switches but now incorporates the preamp Volume control, and following on are the Voicing Filters and Active Equalization, both identical to the 2001RB. In the Output section are controls for Boost, a post-gain EQ stage (again utilising GIVE technology), and Master level. To finish off the front panel there are three jack sockets — two for Effects Send and Return and a Mute socket. Alongside this is the Power Protect LED, which functions in the same way as its bigger sibling. A mains socket and a pair of speaker jack outputs are all that need to be accessed from the rear panel.

Making up this bass rig is the 410GLX enclosure, a conventionally shaped 400W 4 x 10 cab. The four Paragon Goldline speakers are front facing and are housed in individual chambers, with slotted ports along the top and bottom. Again the cab is carpet covered with the same corner protection and removable casters. This one weighs in at 47kg, so the flight handles really do come into their own here. To the rear is a recessed panel carrying a single jack input socket.

Although not as tonally comprehensive as the previous amp, the smaller G-K 400RB-IV retains all the characteristics of the marque: tight, punchy mids, a solid, firm bottom end and a sweetness rather than harshness on the highs. The EQ is equally as responsive but, unlike the 2001, at 280W into 4Ω, it does rather run out of steam on the bigger gigs. For a budget cab though, the 410GLX is a market leader and in general I can't understand why more players aren't using the G-K brand.

I really do feel as if I have missed out on something quite important here, and feel quite feel ashamed to say that this is the first time I have tried and tested Gallien-Krueger bass equipment.

The sounds from the 2001RB rig are truly amazing, and the foreword in the brochure hits the nail right on the head: "Getting the sound in your head to the public" has never been easier. I have never found changing pickups to be so responsive, producing nuances of tone I have been unaware of before. Every control works perfectly and the pure range of tonal adjustment is astounding.

Yes, it may appear expensive, but here is a rig that's with you for life, and I would willingly change my much-loved custom setup for this one.

The entry-level 400RB-IV and Goldline is much of the same. It doesn't have quite the tightness and clarity of the Pro range, but all the G-K tones are there and they are streets ahead of the competition.

I highly recommend you treat yourself, pop into a dealer and give these a try — but be prepared to bend that plastic before you leave! As for me, I'm off to phone Beyerdynamic to see if we can come to some sort of an arrangement  0