Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2 Bass Amplifier Head Review

Howdy!

We are looking at a milestone today. I recently replaced the bass amplifier that I had owned for longer than any amp before, the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0. I replaced it with a more powerful and slightly updated version of the same thing, the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2. I think this one will be sticking arounf for a while too.

I could not help it, I was tempted by super-low blowout pricing.

The Shuttle 9.2 is truly a marvel of modern technology. It is small and lightweight, with a footprint of 10” by 10” and a total weight of around 4 pounds. And despite its small size it can crank out 500 watts at 8 ohms, or 900 watts at 4 ohms.

Of course, it uses a class-D solid state power amp to get this much output without a weight penalty, but still uses a 12AX7 tube pre-amp to get a nice warm tone. Plus you can dial in a ton of gain on the pre-amp stage and get your tone all crunchy. The .2 models got the Genz Benz 3DPM™ power management circuitry for increased headroom and a heavier tone. So, it is plenty loud and it sounds good.

But, it also has plenty of features, most of which really work for me.

On the back are an effects loop, a dedicated tuner out, two Speakon outputs, a Genz-only type footswitch jack, an XLR output and a ¼-inch headphone jack.

On the front are gain and volume for the pre-amp, the 3-band EQ with parametric mids, a mute switch (also yay!), three signal-shaping switches and a master volume control. And do not forget the world’s brightest LEDs.

My only gripe is that the power switch is located on the back of the unit. That’s all!

I have paired the Shuttle 9.2 with a pair of Aguilar cabinets (GS112 and GS112NT) and this is a formidable combination. I am getting more than enough usable volume, even if I only use one cabinet. benefit of the 600-watts. This set-up has a very organic tone, and not as sterile as my previous rig. The overdriven tone is insane, and overall it is more full and heavier than anything I could achieve with my old Shuttle 6.0. It is not a knob farm, so set-up and changes on the fly are uncomplicated.

I am not sure what the warranty and service situations are with Genz Benz products after the Fender upheaval, but I am pretty sure Fender will take care of things if there are any problems. That being said, I have owned four Genz Benz amplifiers over the years and have had no problems with any of them.

You used to be able to find the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.2 online at a street price of $829, discounted from the list price of $1099. But, the supply seems to be drying up after the Genz line-up was cut by Fender. If you have a chance to buy one, you ought to snap it up because they are a great amp for the money!

Mahalo!

Genz Benz Contour CTR500-210T Bass Combo Amplifier Review

Howdy!

Over the past few months I reviewed two entry level bass combo amplifiers and found both of them lacking in a number of areas. You would think that with all of the new technology and research into sound equipment that this would be the heyday of amps and we would have a herd of fine products to choose from, but this does not seem to be the case. Fortunately, there is the Genz Benz Contour CTR500-210T, which is a pretty good package for not a lot of cash.

The Contour 500 combo not terribly huge, measuring 28” tall by 19” wide by 17” deep. It is covered in nubbly black vinyl with a metal grille, and it weighs in at around 52 pounds – which is pretty lightweight for a plywood combo amp. There is a single rubber carry handle on top and there are no casters, so it might be a struggle for smaller players to lug it around.

As you probably guessed from the name, this is a 500-watt amp at 4 Ohms (300-watts at 8 Ohms). This is a solid-state unit, with a FET preamp and a class D power amp (the usual B&O ICE module that everybody seems to use) with a fan to keep everything cooler. The power is output through two 10-inch speakers and a 3-level adjustable tweeter.

The front control panel is where all of the magic happens, and I will list go through the features from left to right. First up is an XLR direct out with a ground lift switch, and then comes the pre-amplifier section with a tuner out, a single instrument input with a mute switch, gain and volume. Right in the center is the contour control (to be explained later). To the right of this is the3-band EQ with sweepable parametric mids. And finally on the far end is the master volume, a ¼-inch headphone out, a ¼-inch input and the power switch. Thank god somebody still puts the power switch on the front of an amplifier.

There is not much going on with the back of the unit, just an IEC power cable socket and two parallel Neutrik Speak-On outputs for the speakers. One of these goes to the internal speakers, and the other is suitable for an extension cabinet.

That’s it, making this a very simple amplifier to use so it would certainly be good for players just getting into the instrument. Don’t take that the wrong way, this is a gig-able amp that a pro would probably not mind using.

I put the Contour 500 through its paces with a few different basses to see how it worked, including a passive Precision Bass, a Sadowsky vintage P, and a Musicman Bongo 4H. At normal levels the amp did not color the tone of the instruments, so I have no complaints. Cranking the gain and volume resulted in a nice furry tone, and it did not fart out even with the higher output instruments. Its overall sound is similar to my Genz Shuttle 9.0 thanks to its tube emulation circuit, even if it does lose some of the character since it does not have a real tube pre-amplifier. Also, you will find the same type of ICE modules in the Shuttle amps so you are not giving up anything in that department. Anyway, this would be an appropriate bass amp for most any genre of modern music.

This combo will not short change you in volume department either. When using just the internal speakers it is loud enough for practices and small gigs, and when adding an extension cabinet it would still work for bars and clubs. Anything bigger than this would probably be a situation where you would want to use the direct out and run the bass through the PA anyway.

The extras that Genz Benz threw in are pretty handy, though over the years these items have become standard features on most amps. I love having a mute switch and tuner out, and having the ability to plug an MP3 player into the auxiliary input and listen to the output through headphones is a boon for practice time.

I do miss the signal shaping switches of the Shuttle series, but the Contour knob makes up for most of this. This control changes the pre-amplifier’s inherent sound by decreasing the mids and boosting bass and treble as the knob is turned clockwise. The control is turned OFF (or is flat) when the knob is all turned all the way counter-clockwise. I like this feature and when combining this with the EQ I can dial in most any tone that I need.

By the way, if this is not quite your cup of tea there is also a Contour 500 in the CTR500-115T configuration, and with this you get a 15-inch speaker instead of the two 10-inch speakers. Also, there are matching 1x15 and 2x10 extension cabinets in case you want to get the full volume out of this unit. I highly recommend them.

To sum all of this up, the Genz Benz Contour CTR500-210T combo is plenty loud for small to medium gigs, especially if you pony up for one of their extension cabinets. Its tone is good and it will certainly get the job done for most musicians. These amps are a pretty good deal with a list price of $1129 and a street price of around $700 (plus if you check around there are some great clearance prices on these). Check one out if you get the chance!

Mahalo!

Genz Benz: 1984 to 2013

Aloha!

I just heard that the Genz Benz brand has been discontinued after almost thirty years in business, and SWR is facing the same fate. Both of these brands are owned by Fender.

Genz-Benz was founded by Jeff Genzler in 1984, and over the past decade they introduced a lot of innovative and well-regarded amplifiers, especially their Shuttle series of hybrid bass amplifiers. I have used the Shuttle 6.0 for a longer than any amp I have owned, and its tone and portability have been a godsend for me.

The company was part of the Kaman Music Corporation, which was absorbed by Fender for $117 million in 2007. Fender has had financial troubles this year, and their initial public offering was cancelled in July of this year as they were unable to sell 10 million shares at $13 each. Apparently the company is not as valuable as they thought it was.

It is sad to see this company go out of business, but if you have been looking for a Genz Benz amplifier now is the time to buy. I have seen the Shuttle 6.2 selling for $399 and the Shuttlemax as low as $649. As far as I know, Fender will honor the 3-year warranty for these products.

Mahalo!

Genz Benz Shuttle 12T Bass Cabinet

Good day!

This will finish up my “miniseries” describing my current bass amplification set-up. This is the a small cabinet (and the one that I use most often), a Genz Benz Shuttle Series 12T cabinet.

This cabinet is similar to the one that you would get if you purchased a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0-12T combination amp, sans head unit and saddle. It was originally designed to be an extension cabinet for this combo.

Well, I already had the amp, so I picked up this cabinet by itself, and have never regretted it. This is the cabinet that I use for practice, so it never leaves the house. This is a shame, because this thing is easy to transport. It is only 18-inches tall and wide, and weighs in at a measly 27 pounds. Portable!

it Like its big brother, this is a well-built unit. It is covered with nifty nubbly vinyl. It has a 12-inch neodymium driver, and a 1-inch tweeter. There are huge ports in the back, and it can move a lot of air.

A nifty feature is the tilt-up stand on the bottom. You can use this to get the front edge off the floor and direct your sound a little better. It is spring loaded too! Sproing!

The Shuttle 12T cabinet has both ¼-inch and Speakon connectors, and not surprisingly it mates up perfectly with my Shuttle 6.0.

As for performance, this is a very loud cabinet for its size. It can handle 300 watts at 8 ohms and if you combine this cabinet with the Shuttle Combo, it will allow you to use its full 600 watt output.

This cabinet cannot move enough air to knock down my house, but it is plenty loud for practice and small venues. The sound is clear, with a respectable bass tone that is not muddy. It is also nice that the tweeter is adjustable, so you can dial out any extra clankiness. BTW, the tweeter cut is set at 4k.

This would be a great addition to a Shuttle 6.0 combo, or just a handy cabinet to have around for practice and small gigs. The only downside is that it is a bit expensive. The current list price on the Genz Benz STL-12T is $729, with a street price of $529.

Mahalo!

Genz Benz 410T Uber Bass Cabinet

Howdy!

Earlier this month I wrote about the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 amplifier, and heaped great gobs of sticky praise upon it. Well, I am equally impressed by the cabinets I use this amplifier with, one of them being the Genz Benz 410T Uber Bass cabinet.

Genz Benz calls this a “lightweight touring cabinet”, so 72 pounds must be “light” in their universe.

Then again, 72 pounds for 1000 watts of power handling at 4 ohms, is not too bad. And this is a pretty portable cabinet. It has nice molded lift handles, including one on the back so you can take advantage of the built-in casters and skid rail.

Also, it has a durable nubbly vinyl covering that I have not been able to mess up over the past few years. Maybe their claims are not too outlandish. It is durable, portable, and relatively light for the amount of sound it can put out.

And, as I said, this one can take 1000 watts at 4 ohms (there is an 8 ohm option as well). This power is routed through four 10-inch neodymium speakers, as well as to an adjustable 100-watt tweeter (4k cut).

The 410T Uber Bass cabinet has both ¼-inch and Speakon connectors, so it mates up perfectly with my Shuttle 6.0.

Anyway, this cabinet sounds incredible. It has a shelf port in the front, and the lows are very deep, not muddy. And adjustable tweeter level means that the highs do not need to be shrill. Plus it allows me to get the full power capability out of my Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0. This is a winning combination of amplifier and cabinet.

Sadly, the price of the Uber Bass 410T has gone up a bit, with a list price of $1449, and a street price of $1159. Save your pennies.

Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 Amplifier

Howdy!

We are looking at something really rare today: a piece of equipment that has been in my collection for more than two years. Anything more than 6 months is amazing, actually.

This would be the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 bass amplifier.

During this time Genz Benz has introduces the Shuttle 12.0 and 9.0 models, and although I have been tempted to get the latest and greatest, I have stuck with the 6.0. I do not need any more amplification than this.

The 6.0 is truly a marvel of modern technology. It is small and lightweight, with a footprint of 10” by 10” and a total weight of 3 ¾ pounds. And despite its small size it can crank out 375 watts at 8 ohms, or 600 watts at 4 ohms.

Of course, it uses a class-D solid state power amp to get this much output without a weight penalty, but still uses a 12AX7 tube pre-amp to get a nice warm tone. Plus you can dial in a ton of gain on the pre-amp stage and get your tone all crunchy. So, it is plenty loud and it sounds good.

But, it also has a ton of features, most of which really work for me.

On the back are an effects loop, a dedicated tuner out (yay!), Speakon outputs, a footswitch jack, an XLR output and a headphone jack.

On the front are gain and volume for the pre-amp, the 4-band parametric EQ, a mute switch (also yay!), three signal-shaping switches and a master volume control. And do not forget the world’s brightest LEDs

My only gripe is that the power switch is located on the back of the unit. That’s all!

As I said, I have had this amplifier for two years, and during this time I have had no problems at all with it. And Genz does stand behind their products, with a 3-year parts and labor warranty (1 year for tubes). Just make sure hyou send in your warranty card…

I have paired it with the Genz Benz Shuttle 12-inch extension cabinet, as well as with the Genz Benz 4-ohm Uber Bass 4x10 cabinet to get the full benefit of the 600-watts. It performed well with both cabinets, and can get pretty much any tone that I am looking for. BTW, I will be providing reviews of both of these cabinets in the near future.

You can find the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 online at a street price of $699, discounted from the list price of $879.

Thanks for checking in!

Cave Passive Pedals: Grunt Review

Why would anybody want a passive guitar or bass effect pedal? Until recently I rarely used effect pedals (except for the trusty Boss Tuner), because of the hassles of having to use only powered pedals. What hassles? How about dead batteries and leaking batteries, or the fistfuls of heavy AC adaptors I had to keep track of if I chose not to use batteries (now where AM I going to plug in all of those adaptors)? Cave Passive Pedals has developed a line of passive pedals that do not require a battery or a clunky AC adaptor. Everything is powered by the output signal from the guitar or bass.

Cave Passive Pedals is a small company in Australia (Cave is Australian for pedals, mate!), that designed their own line of boutique pedals. They build them with adult hands in Australia, not by little enslaved child hands in China or India. If you call them on the phone or send them an e-mail, you are dealing directly with the people that make them, and they are friendly and obviously have a passion about what they do for a living.

Their pride in workmanship shows with these pedals. The Grunt pedal that I am writing about today is both visually and functionally flawless. The pedal itself measures about 2.75 inches wide, by 4.5 inches long and 1.75 inches tall. The chassis is powder coated glossy white, with black screen printing for the logo and control labels. The controls are simple: a two-way knob for the clean and dirty channels, and a stomp switch to bypass the effect.

Open up the back of the Grunt and what do you see? Not much, the electronics are sealed to keep connections from moving around, and probably to prevent boneheads like me from heading down to the electronics store and knocking off my own brand of passive pedals.

What does the Grunt actually do? The folks at Cave say that “The Grunt has the ability for you to choose either Clean for frequency boost or Dirty for an outrageous 60's sounding overdriven bass amplifier.”

Well, does it actually work? Hell yeah! Depending on the position of the switch, you get either a volume boost (clean), or a nice 60’s/70’s overdriven crunch (dirty). It really is a miracle, and can transform a dull bass tone into something that would make any rock or funk band happy.

My favorite basses to use with the Grunt are my Fender 57 re-issue Precision, and my Fender 75 re-issue Jazz. Both have their original passive pickups, and this is where the GRUNT really shines. With both basses, I leave the volume controls dimed (as I always have). Just for kicks and giggles, I did try backing off on the volume pots, and this does reduce the amount of dirtiness from the pedal.

I have used the Grunt with my active basses (Musicman and Sadowsky), and the clean signal boost was not as dramatic, although the dirty channel was still fun to play with. It really perked up the tone of Sadowsky original P that has a Lollar single-coil pickup in it.

I have only used the Grunt with my current amplifier setup, which is a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0, and either a Genz Benz Uber Bass 410T 4-ohm cabinet, or a Genz Benz Shuttle STL-12T cabinet. Be advised that unless you are dialing gain into the tube pre-amp stage, both the Grunt’s clean and dirty boost will not be as dramatic.

Cave pedals ship in a nice handmade and waxed boutique MDF box along with a microfiber cleaning cloth and some basic instructions.

All Cave pedals come with a lifetime warranty, which I cannot imagine ever needing to use. They are very well made, and with the passive electronics, there really is not much to go wrong with these. But surely, if something were to go wrong, the friendly folks at Cave are just an e-mail away to help you out.

The Grunt is priced at $129 AUD, which works out to $120 USD, as of today. Pedals can be ordered directly through their website: cavepassivepedals.com.au , and they accept PayPal with no troubles.

Note: There is now also GRUNT MkII, which I will be discussing in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I am an endorsing artist for Cave Passive Pedals, but I paid for my first one, and was totally blown away. I would never represent a product that I do not 100% believe in.