Gear Shed
Gallien-Krueger
LEGACY 1200 By Rod C. Taylor
OVER 50 YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE Bob Gallien strode into a local music store to show off a powerful amp he had constructed in his garage (the GMT 266A), to see if the owner might be interested in selling it for him. That very amp would be bought the next day by a local guitarist, Carlos Santana, who would then take it with him to use at Woodstock. (You can see the amp in some original footage here.) Not a bad beginning. Since that time, GK has produced a variety of innovative, powerful amps
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and cabinets, becoming a celebrated brand among electric and upright players. (The MB 150 combo has long been a favorite among upright bassists.) With the Legacy series, GK continues its innovative and aggressive approach to making sure bassists around the world have reliable and inspiring amplification. GK sent us its Legacy 1200 head, paired with a CX 410 cabinet. I set it up in my rehearsal space here in Nashville, which allowed me to test it with a variety of musical genres and situ-
BASS MAGAZINE ; ISSUE 6 ; bassmagazine.com
ations. Over the course of a month, I held rehearsals for country, pop, rock, and singer–songwriter acts. I played a wide range of basses, including a 1976 Fender Jazz Bass, an Alleva-Coppolo LM5 Deluxe, an Xotic XJPro5, and a Kala U-bass. I also had the pleasure of having another bassist play through it in a rehearsal I hosted at my house. In each case, the amp and cab delivered well: They offered up clear, punchy tones that cut through without sacrificing any of the mids or bottom tones we all love. The amp and cab served
