DBerriff

My experience with Genz Benz was very different and my rig more than lived up to the hype. It all depends what sound you are looking for and the volume levels you need. Barefaced too - really good cabs. And speaker technology has moved on since the GB gear came out.

Having been a director of a company that was taken over, I will guess that Jeff is going to be a lot happier in his current situation, and we will get innovative bass gear rather than stuff that keeps marketing and accountants happy.

I will let you know how well the concept works on a gig after tonight. Jeff Genzler has steadily refined his designs and works with bassists to give them the features they want. He is active on "another" forum and is genuinely interested in learning from his users. I suspect he would smile at the concept of him having an advertising department. I don't know why you are getting hung up on terminology. An array is an ordered series or arrangement. So a line array is an arrangement of elements in a line. And looking at my cab, that is what we have - an array of small speakers in a vertical line. Even Wikipedia says: "A line array is a loudspeaker system that is made up of a number of usually identical loudspeaker elements mounted in a line and fed in phase, to create a near-line source of sound". It all seems present and correct to me. The front baffle has a subtle angle. The design seems to be optimised for 2 cabs, although crazy Americans with oodles of disposable money are trying 3. I just wish it wasn't all so expensive, or that the pound had not fallen in value quite so much.

You did indeed say it was a great cab. I was adding practical reinforcement. It can see it finding use for double bass amplification. First I need to find the right double bass.

The bass is an active P/J of European origin, including the pre-amp and pickups. I really like it as a practical bass but it just sounds a bit bland compared to the Nordstrands. It might be the nickel strings; it came with stainless. Until I have spent more time setting it up it would not be fair to name names. Also, for gigging volumes it would not matter; I am just being picky while trying to work out the practicalities of using this combo. It isn't the Magellan that has made the difference, it is the line array cab. I am comparing the combo with my Magellan 800 into one or a pair of Barefaced One 10s. To be fair, the One 10 is smaller, lighter and designed to have a coloured sound. I really like the One 10 and I will be keeping one of them as an alternative for home practice or an old-school sound.

What marketing department? Genzler is a tiny company. I have one of their new 10" combos and I can assure you that the mids do sound really nice. I have never heard my NXT EUB sound better. The design angles the array upwards slightly but all the feedback from US users suggests that dispersion does work really well, including for the player. If it is not a line array - what is it? And what makes you cringe? I had not really read the copy; I do take exception to the use of the word [i]exponential[/i]. I bought on the basis of previous experience with Jeff's designs which work well and reliably.

I don't really understand what you are worried about. Bass amps are designed to be driven hard (perhaps not by bass synths though!) and your SWR has a fan in it to keep the thermal side under control. In my early soul band gigs I had my EA combo cranked into the red for whole songs and only later got hold of Genz Benz gear that could keep up with our loud drummer without breaking too much sweat. The EA did just fine. I did many gigs with a GB 2x10" and even in marquees it projected enough bass energy, if I can put it like that. I have only ever been asked to turn down. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate how much bass is projected into the venue and perhaps you need a band member or friend to get out in the crowd and let you know what it sounds like.

The Magellan sounds the same as the 800 I have been using. I have left that at Bass Direct which I hope does not prove to be a mistake in the long run. I don't need the power of the 800. I don't need the distortion. But... like all of Jeff's gear it has been so dependable that I feel wrong selling it on. The 350 is noticeably smaller and lighter. A few outputs have been left off, but the superb DI is still there, and 2 Speakon outputs. As you can daisy-chain the cabs that was not strictly necessary.

The first bass I tried was a bit underwhelming. The second bass (Lull PJ-5 with Norstrand pickups) sounded superb. This combo offers no hiding place. Buzzy fret - you are going to hear it. Slightly lifeless sound - yes, you will hear that too. But a spectacular bass is going to sound spectacular. Low-end growl is all there. There is appreciably more low-note weight than I have been getting from my previous cab, and I thought that was good. But the "moment" was plugging in my NXT EUB. It has never sounded so good, despite my trying to tame the piezo sound with a preamp. I have taken out a touch of upper mid using the 350 semi-parametric (frequency at 1 o' clock) but even that was nowhere like as necessary as before. This is what this combo was made for, this and a jazz bass. It should be good for a jazz double bass too. So that is my setup for the gig tomorrow. NXT EUB, G&L MJ-4 and Genzler Mag 350/10-2. I just wish it had a name I could remember.

Is 450 Watts really too little? I am not sure I would notice the volume change to 600W. You then have some safety margin against melting your voice coils under gig conditions. And it costs you nothing.

Ah. Budget? 2x12" is a lot to cart around. And expensive! A used One 10" should appear on the Bass Direct website this week. It is loud enough for a 15-piece big band, but probably not a loud rock rehearsal.

Why not get hold of a BF One 10 or Two 10 and use that with the GB head? If you want a bit more low end and hifi mids the new Genzler 10-2 array cabs are really good but more expensive.

I don't have mine on the pedalboard at the moment but manual says: Intensity knob controls the overall ... modulation in Chorus mode and regeneration in Flanger mode. The chorus sounds excellent and the X-over really works. I have not used the flanger much but it does sound like a flanger to me. I must dig out the Banshees and Cure songbooks.

Ed Friedland likes it and to be honest it is likely that there will be nothing I can add to his review. He is vastly more experienced and talented than I could ever be. http://www.genzleramplification.com/assets/File/bas0517_genzler.pdf

Regarding the cost, the combo is cheaper than the sum of the parts. The build quality is excellent and on past experience it will stand up to the rigours of regular gigging. You do get what you pay for (pound/dollar apart) and seen as a working "tool" for the job, I consider this an excellent investment. I just wish everyone who plays EUB could afford one.

I have been waiting for 3 months for these to arrive. While not unhappy with my previous rig, everything I had read suggested this would be a very practical solution for EUB work with a big band. I now have one sat in my living room. Bass Direct rang me up as soon as they arrived and had a combo set up to try out when I drove down yesterday. Having used Jeff Genzler's gear for a while now I just bought one on trust. On a slightly touchy note, BD occasionaly comes in for a bit of criticism. I could not fault the team yesterday. I got a friendly welcome and the opportunity to talk about needs and solutions. They they had previously sold some of my gear on commission to help pay for this combo and that has worked really well for me. So a big thumbs up for Mark and his team. What? The combo? Oh, sorry, I digress. I was tired last night after a lot of driving (in my late 60s it does not get any easier despite the entertainment laid on by some of my fellow motorists) so my scrambled brain was incapable of systematic evaluation. Also, it will take a gig (this Saturday) to find out if this combo delivers in the way I hope. Which is, to provide greater clarity for EUB in a big band setting. At home practice levels that clarity is already evident. The first bass I tried was to my disappointment a bit flat sounding. I switched to a passive 5 string with Nordstrand P/J pickups and everything came alive. This combo is going to give you back what you put into it. Then a BSX EUB. That is what I have been looking for. Not quite a proper upright sound yet as that will need a bit more experimentation but well on the way. The combo comes as a kit. The Magellan 350 head is its own box inside the speaker carton, as is the cradle, fixing scews, and a short Speakon cable. I have not assembled it all yet but along with the bespoke carry bag this is a supremely practical gigging solution for amplified acoustic and EUB work. It is not cheap, and the fall in the pound has not helped. But I have great faith in Jeff Genzler's products, having previously used a Genz Benz rig for function work. For my needs - playing with a "big band" - the combo should be perfect for size, power, weight, portability, and of course sound. The array element should help me hear myself and keep my intonation under control. To be continued. We have a gig this Saturday and that will be interesting.

Osiris. I missed you at the Grainstore. Sorry. That is what comes from skim- reading posts.

The Great British Bass Lounge has a USA Asat in stock.

All the reviews of the Genzler array speakers have been extremely positive. Try and find one for sale in the UK though. Bass Direct's stock sold out very quickly which suggests that they are as good as claimed (to-try-is-to-buy). I have ordered one of the 350 combos and I have been waiting since February I think. I still don't know if I will get one from the imminent delivery, but if I do I will report back.

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I did not know about the change in distributor: http://www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk/2017/04/04/gl-joins-blackstars-dist-x-uk-sales/

My Rebop 5 had tight string spacing. You might want to check that out before commiting. It had superb build quality and a great sound but the neck dive meant it had to go, in the end. I do regret that.

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1492266644' post='3279102'] Did someone mention that BD wont let you take a bass from the wall to try out ? Eh ? So you have to gauge how much you like or dislike the plank by staring at it ? [/quote] This is getting silly. Of course you can try out the basses. I would always rather have the bass fetched out for me, especially the expensive ones. I have been left alone with £5k worth of Mike Lull basses to assess.

I can only start repeating myself now but I have had great service from BD and I will take it as it is. Someone quips about over-priced stock. That is a totally unjustified slur on the basis of what I have seen. When they get in bargain stock, they pass on the saving. I have benefited from this. As for the staff, on my visit last month it was "hello again" all round and I got the help and attention I needed. No red carpet, no coffee (there is a small cafe next door), and yes, I did have to wait a few minutes for another customer to be dealt with and a phone call to be concluded. I did not die. I have had to wait longer in John Lewis for attention. With other music shops closing down, and specialist bass dealers either selling up or retreating to online-only sales, be careful what you wish for.

Thank you for such a comprehensive review.

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1490345874' post='3264409'] Beautiful bass I someone had bought my double bass in time it would have been mine [/quote] Sorry about that but I cracked as the stock at the Great British Bass Lounge is disappearing quite quickly. You could still order one and have it built to your exact specification.