Gallien Krueger 250ML .... opinions

[VoiceX3]

Hey guys, right now I have no practice amp at home, I just usually play thru my pc. Tomorrow I have the opportunity to pick up a GK 250ML for next to nothing that just needs a new input jack installed. Does anyone know anything about these amps and their track record. I know they're loud as balls and easily power a 4x12 if that's your poison. I'm really interested in their characteristics......

[atomic charvel guy]

i used to love them, but the roland cube 30 destroys it, next to nothing is always good though. don't mean to be a douche and say it sucks, cuz i used to really dig them.

[jgcable]

Excellent amp for its time. It can easily power 2 x 4 12 cabs!!! I gigged with an ML250 and a 4 x 12 cab for almost 2 years.
If you like Alex Lifesons tone on Moving Pictures you will NAIL it with the ML250.
For next to nothing like you mentioned.. its a no brainer.

[jcm800x]

I had one in the 80's, if you take the top off it there is a small trim pot where you can crank the gain WAY up!

[charvelguy]

I gigged with one for a couple years..still have it and used it for auditions and jams within the last few years. I had forsaken hauling around heavy tubed amps. Ran it in stereo atop a stereo wired Marshall cab and some rack stuff. Decent 80's tone, altho the clean is comparitively weak volume wise so it can be a trick to balance. Probably not a bad idea to run a compressor for the clean as well.
I blew out an output IC on one side..but overall a very reliable & roadworthy little amp. Must've mismatched the impedance when I ran it thru a couple different cabs.

[Cleveland Metal]

I've played them, liked the, and I have heard them sound pretty cool on tape. A few local bands here used them a lot. They do seem to blow up sometimes it seems, but sound great for 80s tones for sure.

Always wanted to pick up one myself... Sounds like the price is right.

[charvelguy]

Actually I have a recording of one somewhere..I did a studio thing for a friend back in '94-'95 where I drove like 90 miles to play 15 minutes of guitar for a 1 minute solo laydown. I was very late getting to the studio after the drive and it was sub zero weather, freaking freezing and windy. (had to work the previous evening before)
I later sent a copy of it to a friend who is a long time Jackson/Charvel Marshall gear whore and he was like "what did you use on that track?" I think it records rather well. I have a live recording as well somewhere too where I used it on some job.
It probably would take me many days of just going through cassettes just to find it. Then getting it transfered to PC would be another task.

Anyways..They had a couple rackmount versions as well... forget the actual models, they had 'C' and 'R' designations I think but they were going for like a 100.00 years ago.
If you're getting it for like a 100 or less.. it's worth it IMO.

[jgcable]

They get hot. REALLY hot. It seems that alot of GK gear gets REALLY hot.
I have a 800RB bass head that needs repair. It was a total monster when it was working though.

[Joe_Steeler]

My bandmate had one and at practice he could almost nail that Boston sound. Cool little amp for its size and time.
However, just like it has been mentioned they get HOT, so hot I was talking to my friend the other day and I asked him about it and he told me during a gig he lost sound out of the amp and when he looked it looked like a rib smoker.
It burned up beyond all repair.

[jgcable]

On many of the GK amps you will see the top covers missing screws. This is because the trick to keep these amps running is to take the top cover off and point a fan in there.

[jimbilly]

Realy dated '80s tone: kind cool, but it get's old in a hurry IMO. I've had the RL (head) and ML (2x6 combo). Fun, but kind of a toy amp.
Buy it if it's a steal, but be aware that those speakers are just at the age where foam-rot it as it's peak. The speakers are still available new for about $60 ea from GK, but that's a quick way to turn a bargain $100 amp into a $220 amp. If the speakers are original, I wouldn't pay more than about $50 for it.

[toejam]

Didn't Iron Maiden use those, too, around the Somewhere In Time album?

[clifffclaven]

Realy dated '80s tone: kind cool, but it get's old in a hurry IMO. I've had the RL (head) and ML (2x6 combo). Fun, but kind of a toy amp.
Buy it if it's a steal, but be aware that those speakers are just at the age where foam-rot it as it's peak. The speakers are still available new for about $60 ea from GK, but that's a quick way to turn a bargain $100 amp into a $220 amp. If the speakers are original, I wouldn't pay more than about $50 for it.

+1 to pretty much all this. I still have both the head and the "combo" if you wanna call it that...i used one for about ten years. Ran it with a stereo wired marshall 412. Only pedals i used were a ge7 and a wah. It will sound good if youre doing 80s covers. not very versatile, and the chorus on it blows. but for $80 or less, I suppose its worth it? Personally, id get a micro cube instead.

[charvelguy]

By todays standards of digital modeling, it is an outdated amp. Its a great little practice amp or a backstage amp and it will get you through a gig, a rehearsal, an audition if need be.
I can understand how you might think its a 'toy amp', but at the time.. which is mid 80's, it was a pro amp. They usually don't put effects loops on toys. Even the Rocktron Rampage 50c which emulated the GK doesn't have an effects loop, but it does have digital effects.

[VoiceX3]

It's basically gonna be my practice amp at home and a temporary power amp for either my MP1 or JX3 until I get my 5150 fixed. I like how small it is for home and that it has enough power If I need it in a pinch.