Two Thumbs Up For The Great Gramma

Touring the local bar band circuit, I have been struggling for a few years now trying to get the sound I was really looking for out of my bands P.A. and my bass players rig. Even with really nice EV/ DBX and QSC gear for the PA and nice Ampeg gear for the bass rig, the sound in various bars was either boomy or mushy or this or that, but never "right" even with EQ, compression, etc etc (granted the crowds like the sound, it's just my picky ear). Picked up 3 Great Gramma's off a recommnedation from a friend (1 for the Ampeg 4x10 cabinet and 1 for each QSC sub (with the EV ZX-5 mains on the pole supports). I was bowled over by how much deeper the bass sound was without sound muddy or overdriven or any other bad term to describe the sound. Our regular fans where commenting on how much deeper the bass sounded (since I was not cutting it with EQ to stop the boomy, muddy, ring on for several minutes overtones we used to get in some bar situations). This improved the over-all sound as I was not having to drive the vocals, cymbals, etc at as high a volume to overcome the kick drum/bass guitar levels.

I'm sure a professional sound engineer would be able to work all this out with the turning of knobs and sliders and this and that and master's level calculus to get just the right speaker angles, but for a small local touring band, the Gramma was the way to go.

The Missing Link

I knew how much Auralex's MoPads helped studio monitors, but I was not prepared for the drastic improvement the Gramma & Great Gramma made to my guitar system. No matter what amp I've used this with, it's like hearing it for the first time. Lows are no longer the least bit mushy, all the tone controls are much more effective, and the differences between guitars are much more apparent. Everything is clear, present, and perfectly blended. This was the piece I've been missing! Now, all my amps sound they way I've always wanted them to and the way I always thought they should but never quite did. If you're not happy with the way your rig sounds, forget changing guitars, pickups, speakers, amps, strings, cables, picks, or anything else until you get one of these. I've already got 2 Grammas for my combos (Fender, Vox, and others) and a Great Gramma for my 4x12s cabinets (Marshall and Mesa-Boogie), and I'm planning on picking up a few more, just to make sure have enough to go around. Absolutely the BEST upgrade I've ever made and one of the cheapest, too!! Live, in the studio, or in the living room, this should be a required part of every rig in every situation...

Instant Results, Instant Gratification...

So, like many guitar gear-nerds, I'm just knowledgeable enough about sound and acoustics to make me inherently skeptical about products that promise instant improvement in tone and sound quality. So, when Auralex's Great GRAMMA amp isolation riser came down the pike, I was wary of being duped once again by a product that promises everything but that delivers precious little. To say that I was pleasantly shocked is, perhaps, a gross understatement. I put this baby under my 4x12 cab, fired up my 100W tube head, and kerblooey...instant improvement in tone. Lows are lower. Highs are crisper. Mids are just where I put them with my amp (and rig) EQ. Best yet, the Great Gramma costs well under a Benny.

The Great Gramma, so far, has tackled everything I've thrown at it. Thank you, Auralex for offering such a god-send of a product; and thank you, Sweetwater, for offering it to guitar-geeks the world over for a...ahem...song.

Tight Sounding Bass on Auralex Great Gramma

Tightens the mix of the overall band sound and more focused.