Gallien-Krueger Legacy 115 1x15" 800-watt Bass Combo Amp Reviews
The Gallien-Krueger Legacy 115 is a compact, lightweight bass combo amp with a state-of-the-art 800-watt Class D switch-mode power amp and GK’s Legacy preamp with overdrive. The Legacy Series represents a half century of industry-leading innovation at Gallien-Krueger. With its signature growl, clarity, power, and features that were ahead of its time, the 800RB, launched in 1980, established Gallien-Krueger as an industry leader in solid-state bass amplification. GK’s Legacy Series combos conjure the same no-nonsense aesthetic while delivering cutting-edge sound and features for today’s bassists. From clear, biting cleans to fat, punchy overdrive, the Legacy Series can do it all. Featuring impressive tone, power, professional features, and portability, the Legacy 115 is gig-ready for studio sessions and live venues of any size.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Wow!
Really loving this combo. Fits all of my gig situations perfectly. I can always extent to another cab with the built in power. Super light for it's size and sounds like a cab that costs 4 - 5 times more. Great low end and with the adjustable horn, just enough bite added to the overall mix. Super easy to get the tone you want. Cabinet is super sturdy and can take a beating. Can't say enough good things about this unit.
Amazing
Got this to replace my 200W GK combo 15 inch, as that was not able to keep up with a drummer. Love this thing. I have used this Legacy 15" running at 400Watts and it really kicks. No problem keeping up with a drummer now. I have used this at outdoor gigs with a drummer and 5 other amped instruments - no problem. The neo speaker has an incredible warmth. The gear is professional and road ready, from the steel grill to the steel enclosure to the recessed knobs, to the tremendous amount of shaping features. Standard 4 range GK eqs. Love the onboard mute as well as the standby light which indicates current. 3 binary switches for bass bump, contour, and presence. I leave contour always on to provide basic midscoop. Bass bump I leave off unless I am either outdoors or want a subbier sound or increased thump. Presence knob is great off for subbier sound, and engaged for an almost chorusy edge that cuts above the mix. Ability to set tweeter to off/low/high really allows me to dial in my sound per piece, arrangement, and venue (Low is where I think it really shines). Waiting for the extension cab, but probably wont need it as soon as I thought I would.
Great Amp
So far I have used this amp for a rehearsal and a large venue gig.
Great sound at relatively high volumes and the sound guys found the DI perfect; took less than a minute during sound check. Oh yes!, and it's only 39lbs - awesome! my other amp does not sound any better and is about 150lb including the cab and head.
outstanding piece of kit
First of all I've been using GK and Ampeg bass amps for decades. It started the night my SVT head blew up in around 1986 and I set my GK 800RB on the cab to finish the gig. I never had the svt repaired after that. I purchased the new Legacy 115 combo to upgrade from my MB-115 II for the new features and the extra power of 400 watts at 8 ohms vs. 200 watts. Bear in mind I have not gigged w/ this new amp yet but I ran it through it's paces in my rehearsal studio and it seems to be a great amp. It arrived as everything does from SW in a few days in pristine condition. My tech Chris Sanders encouraged my purchase and he was right again. At 63 years old I've been gigging professionally (getting paid) for 49 years on stages and in studios. What I require is power and versatility in an easy to haul package that will not malfunction. Gallien Krueger has that in spades. Following the instructions you can dial in the tone anyway you like it, and the drive switch is a fantastic addition to this combo as it allows me to switch between a nice phat clean tone to a rock grind at my feet. It's really well made, something GK is known for, and the 15" speaker is the 1st neo speaker I have ever liked the sound of...it's ballsy frankly, like an old JBL D-140 was w/ way more useable headroom. I didn't push it super-hard because it's new but when I got it loud as I dared I got the feeling it could take it because there was no break up and I had it louder than I have used my MB-115 outdoors. The classic shape of this amp is to my liking as I don't like kickback amps, and I have no problem hearing with the amp coupled to the floor behind me. You won't miss the boost control, it seems built into the trim knob. Once I was done adj. my settings I had what I like; a warm B15 tone when clean, and an angry SVT tone when pushed w/ the drive setting...at any volume. Why ampeg cannot seem to accomplish this is beyond me, I still use their B100R and B50R combos in my 2 studios and they are great for that, but live they are a bit anemic. yes, I've had the PF500 115HE series and sold it, the cab does not project more than 5'. Another thing worth mentioning is that this cab, like all GK cabs, projects the sound really well, and it's not "boomy" or "one tone" like all the Markbass amps I have played. The transient response from your fingers to your speaker is as fast as it gets. You play a note and it's right there, and the amp responds to every nuance you throw at it. If you want to go from soul to blues to rock to jazz to ....whatever else, w/ one amp, do it as loud as most clubs allow, or as soft as some gigs require,transport it easily, and be heard in the cheap seats...this is your amp. Dare I say this is the final word in bass combos? It costs more than some of the competition but as my dad taught me; "quality only hurts once". btw I still use the MB-112 II for small gigs. GK live baby!
What an amp!
This is a fantastic bass amp. It has plenty of power for all manner of club and outdoor gigs, a great EQ and overdrive section, and the switchable horn (with two levels of horn output) give me all the brightness, growl, scoop, or any other tone that I'd like. Furthermore, it's so well-sized package and not too heavy to carry around.
The only demerit is that I expected a little more
Powerful and flexible "upgrade" combo amp
I've longed after a GK for many years. When my Fender Rumble bit the dust, I knew it was time to make the splurge. Totally worth it.
Pros:
- Built like a tank, yet mobile. The metal grill is one for the ages. I think it would survive a direct nuclear attack. The amp is definitely heavier than the stated weight, but still very easy to move around.
- Intuitive EQ. It's set up very similarly to the Fender Rumble and Ampeg SVT. Between the shape switches and parametric knobs, it's simple to find your tone, or adjust for a bass change. Related to the EQ, the 3 options for the horn are brilliant.
- Power and flexibility. Out of the box, the 400 watts that drive the onboard speakers will be more than enough for any bar gig. Or add another cabinet and use all 800 watts.
- Best built in overdrive I've ever used. The combination of the level, drive, and edge controls means you can get any variation of overdrive you can imagine. And the actual bass never drops out. Kudos to GK for including the very nice footswitch, too.
Cons:
- Really, just one: the knobs move SUPER easily. I've used this amp at a few gigs and practices now, and after moving the amp the knobs are almost randomly reset. There are no center detents on the EQ knobs, which I usually find nice to have. (Note, I don't have any issues with the switches on the back.)
Overall, despite that one minor complaint, the GK Legacy 115 is a total keeper.
