JGSpector

I purchased a pre owned EBS Fafner 2 last week and have been playing around with it for a few days now. As a bit of background, back in 2012 or possibly 2013, the internal fuse in my GK 1001RB blew during sound check at a gig. Rather than trying to swap the blown fuse out for the new one that I had in my gig bag (it was busy and there was nowhere I could take myself for a bit of quiet so I could concentrate), I was going to use the venues backline amp which I think was some sort of Peavey combo. The bass player from the band that was playing top of the bill learned of my plight and offered to let me use his amp. That amp was a Fafner 2. I wish I could remember his full name or even the name of his band but his first name was Greg anyway. I must admit, I was a little intimidated by the Fafner 2 initially, not least because I was very familiar with my GK’s incredibly simple layout but also because I’m completely blind and playing through unfamiliar equipment is something I try to avoid as much as possible for obvious reasons. Greg was absolutely brilliant and took me through the front panel controls and told me he had no problem at all with me changing them to suit what I wanted and left me to it. I won’t lie, I was fumbling around the thing and making a right hash of what I wanted out of it. Greg being the gent that he was could see I was struggling and basically came over and asked me what I was after. I told him I wanted a bass tone in the area of that on Machinehead’s Burn My Eyes album. He got me to play for maybe 2 minutes whilst he made some adjustments and then there it was, awesome! Anyway, since that night I’ve wanted a Fafner 2 but definitely couldn’t afford one back then and have not been in a position to purchase any that have come up on the pre owned market over the last decade or so. Until now that is. I am absolutely gobsmacked at how good this thing is! Yes it’s heavy but it’s just so punchy and articulate. There is weight to the notes and I love the parallel channel mode. It’s rated at 600w into 4ohms and 750w into 2ohms, so around 300-350w into 8ohms. I’ve only played it through my Barefaced SuperCompact so far and I haven’t managed to take the volume beyond 1, I dread to think how loud it’s going to be through my BF SuperTwin! So basically I’m over the moon with the amp, it’ was clearly looked after by the previous owner, it’s actually even better than I had remembered and I cannot wait to play it at rehearsal volume on Thursday night. I’m definitely going to be doing one of my amp reviews from a blind player’s perspective on this beauty.

They are great aren't they. Later than your 1992 example but i had a GK 1001RB back in the early 2000s (2002 I think I got it) that I used exclusively all the way through to 2016. The only reason i stopped using it was because i was starting to have some reliability issues with it and it was costing me a lot of money to keep it going. Apart from about the last 18 months to 2yrs it was absolutely fantastic. As you say, the weightiness in the tone and presence. That was the last class A amp Owned and have stayed with class D ever since. I have tried loads of class D out and have liked a lot of them but the best in my personal opinion being the Bergantino Forte HP2. I'm always keeping a look out for one of the GK class A amps like yours or indeed my old one but just haven't come across any. Having said all that, I have an EBS Fafner 2 arriving tomorrow and I am very excited. I wanted one back in the day but just couldn't afford one at the time. Really pleased your enjoying the new old amp, bet that will sound fantastic when you use it over the weekend.

2 heads, 3 cabs but all sorts of pairings makes quite a few possible rigs. Selling one of the cabs though (Barefaced 210) as it doesn't really get used because i prefer the others

you will be fine. If you set the amp to the 2ohm setting, it means that the amp can take a speaker load down to 2ohms, so your 2.67ohm load is fine because the number is higher than 2. As long as the total load doesn't go under 2ohms the amp will be just fine.

it's completely silent when running without any cabs connected and running straight into a mixing desk for example. With cabs connected I've found that the fan only kicks in at louder volumes and getting warm. If running the amp in 2 ohm mode however the fan starts automatically and that is clearly stated in the manual to be fair. No noise floor issues at all with mine

All of these are great suggestions. Would also be worth considering GK Legacy 800, Aguilar AG700, Bergantino Forte D (750W I think) or Forte HP2 )1200W).

I suspect you'll probably be happier with the SuperTwin if you want clarity. The 10s do sound fantastic but they are definitely coloured in tone which to be fair is what they are meant to be. When you get your SuperTwin be prepared to start again with your amp EQ. That TE1200 is unbelievably clear through a SuperTwin so the EQ settings you use with whichever cabs you currently have won't necessarily be the ones you'll use with the ST. Also, bare in mind that the speakers need to be broken in over about 6 hours of playing at reasonably loud volume, they will basically get clearer and clearer whilst being broken in and then you'll have the true sound of that awesome amp and the cab.

i'm afraid not. no way I'm selling this thing, it's the best cab I've ever owned

They are fantastic. That is the cab I used the TE1200 you bought from me with. Absolutely incredible cab, louder than you could ever need unless you are playing in the worlds biggest outdoor festival with absolutely no PA support. Build quality is fantastic, Light with wheels and just a brilliant cab

Oh man, I thought someone might ask me this one day. Firstly, I will just state that I really love getting amps whether they be new or pre owned and trying them out. I have a genuine interest in how they fit with my personal requirements and preferences as a blind player, so that's why I appear to have so many amps. I currently only actually own 3 (some would say too many I know) which are a Bergantino Forte HP2, a Trace Elliot TE1200 and the EBS Reidmar 752. I genuinely like all 3 of them, they all sound great and have excellent build quality. To answer your question though , if I could only keep one of them it would absolutely be the Bergantino Forte HP2. It has absolutely everything a gigging bass player could need, variable rate compressor, high and low pass filters, built in drive with multiple firmware options for overdrive, fuzz (modern and vintage), FX loop, aux in, headphones out, studio quality DI, the ability to handle a 2 ohm load, it's got more power on tap than you can shake a stick at, it's compact, light weight, the build quality is first class and most importantly of all, it sounds absolutely fantastic. It's unbelievably versatile and if you want it, it even has a bluetooth footswitch that can be used with it. I can't imagine any gig situation that it couldn't handle to be honest. I don't know if you've read my review of the Berg, but if you do or have, you'll notice that right at the beginning I say that it's not technically 100% accessible to me due to how some of the push buttons work, but even considering that, the amp is so good and flexible that I wouldn't be without it. Interestingly, I'm actually considering thinning mine down to the Berg as my main amp and keeping The Reidmar as my backup amp and moving the Trace Elliot on. I genuinely love the Trace as well but it doesn't quite have the versatility of the Berg. I also do some jam sessions etc and sometimes do some work with blind teenagers where they can try playing instruments, so I will use the Reidmar for that and the jam session stuff as there's no way I'm taking my Berg to be potentially damaged. That's not to say that I think the Reidmar is rubbish, far from it, I think it's a great and versatile little amp, but given that it only cost me £200 and 2 pedals that I no longer wanted, I could handle it if it were to get damaged in some way. Sorry, have waffled a bit there but I hope that has answered your question