Gallien-Krueger

From Freepedia

Gallien-Krueger is a musical instrument amplifier manufacturer. Based in San Jose, California, it is generally considered the premier maker of 100% solid-state amplifiers for bass guitar. Unlike many other solid-state designs, Gallien-Krueger amplifiers' equalization section is wired in series, creating a much "warmer" and more "natural" sound than that achievable by other firms' solid-state preamplifiers. The company's 800RB model was the first relatively affordable bass amp with built-in biamplification capability. Famous 800RB users include Duff McKagan (Guns 'n' Roses), Tony Kanal (No Doubt), and Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith); it remains wildly popular today.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Gallien-Krueger also produced a line of electric guitar amplifiers, most notably the 250-series stereophonic "combos" that resembled boomboxes of the day. With a pristine sound and built-in chorus and compression, the G-K line was state-of-the-art for its time. The amplifiers garnered numerous celebrity endorsements, most notably Alex Lifeson of Rush. However, G-K guitar amps' onboard overdrive circuits were generally of a low quality, producing a sound relatively light on ear-pleasing even-order harmonics. As the 1990s wore on and rock music trends swung back toward a 1970s hard rock aesthetic, the G-K line fell out of favor among rock guitarists, and it was completely discontinued by 1998.