Author Topic: Genz Benz discontinued!! (Read 701 times)

peoplechipper · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2014, 10:36:46 PM »

TubeWorks...my lord, such garbage...I never hated gear before but when I heard what people paid for some of those crappy amps, I wished for public floggings and such...Tony

sonicus · « **Reply #16 on:** May 05, 2014, 06:16:19 PM »

It is a shame regarding a similar apparent fate with SWR . I liked some of their stuff ___

bigredbass · « **Reply #17 on:** May 05, 2014, 07:13:32 PM »

Evidently, FMIC thinks they must have had a lot of weeds to clean out of the KMD property: Now they're going to shutter Ovation's US production in Connecticut. The USA TODAY article mentioned they would furlough 46 employees, so things must have really slowed down for them. I can't remember the last time I saw any new Ovations, come to think of it, and surely they must be one of several formerly key players that Taylor has displaced in the acoustic market.

J o e y

edwin · « **Reply #18 on:** May 05, 2014, 08:22:52 PM »

Don't blame Fender for not needing a bass amp company. They've been making some of the best bass amps for over 50 years. What was the inspiration for the Alembic F2B? Fender, of course.

If they didn't need a bass amp company, why did they buy it? No one held a gun to their head.

And it's pretty arguable about whether their bass amps have been the best. While I love the sound of a vintage Showman with a JBL cabinet, the Sunn cabinets sound a lot better than the Fenders, for the 60s thing. But even that fell by the wayside in favor of Ampeg and and then Acoustic amps by the start of the 70s. No one I knew in the late 70s or 80s was playing Fender bass amps, except a few of the blues guys.

The preamp that Alembic copied was from the Fender Showman, but that was not an original design by Fender. Fender used tube manuals by Western Electric and RCA, which was pretty much standard behavior for amp manufacturers back in the day. Gibson was already using a very similar tone stack in their GA-77 in 1953. By the time Alembic started manufacturing the F2B, the circuit was a classic that was decades old, with a basis perhaps even back to the 20s.

lidon2001 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 05, 2014, 08:34:36 PM »

They didn't buy it - they bought Kaman, and it was part of Kaman. They obviously didn't buy it separately.

They recently closed the Ovation factory in Ct. as well.

(Message edited by lidon2001 on May 05, 2014)

Bradley Young · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2014, 10:40:39 PM »

At the risk of politics, this is what happens with publicly traded companies. They are looking for efficiencies, or even just to shrink the pool of competitors.

The cool cats at Alembic would be smart to make an f1x in a slightly different box with an Icepower module for power (oh, c'mon, all the cool kids are doing class d power sections these days...).

Bradley

bigredbass · « **Reply #21 on:** May 27, 2014, 10:39:28 AM »

. . . . sorta like this ?

http://www.demeteramps.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=90

J o e y

Bradley Young · « **Reply #22 on:** May 27, 2014, 02:27:29 PM »

Precisely. Nice pre + Class D power in a small box. That's what the Genz amps were (and MarkBass, and new GK MB, and...).

edwin · « **Reply #23 on:** May 27, 2014, 07:45:58 PM »

I'm using essentially just that: an F2B and a Peavey IPR 3000, although the Peavey is a bit bigger than the Icepower module. But still, lots of power in a 7 lb package. The heaviest thing in my rack is the DS-5R. Total cost: $375 (I bought the F2B decades ago for $100).

(Message edited by edwin on May 27, 2014)

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #24 on:** May 27, 2014, 08:08:27 PM »

$100!!! That was a steal. I've been wanting one for years now to help round out a David Gilmour inspired rig.

edwin · « **Reply #25 on:** May 27, 2014, 08:33:52 PM »

I actually got a second one during the early days of the internet for $75 with a busted channel. It was an easy fix. They weren't very popular in the early 90s.

edwin · « **Reply #26 on:** May 27, 2014, 08:45:16 PM »

I actually got a second one during the early days of the internet for $75 with a busted channel. It was an easy fix. They weren't very popular in the early 90s.

sonicus · « **Reply #27 on:** May 27, 2014, 08:52:34 PM »

Such deals Edwin ! When I am graced with such luck I call it
The Transitive Nightfall of Diamonds ! Often this occurs after extended periods of manifesting for such a prize ! ( it must just be a coincidence ) OR the universe is approving in a cause and effect response ___to a prior act of kindness on my behalf . It 's really trippy man ! lol _

edwin · « **Reply #28 on:** May 27, 2014, 09:17:31 PM »

Funny you should mention that. Dawn is always commenting on my powers of manifestation. It does seem to come through sometimes.

lbpesq · « **Reply #29 on:** May 28, 2014, 07:47:41 AM »

Hmmmm, this has inspired me tomstart a new thread about bargains.

Bill, tgo