NAD: GK 250ML

[M11]

I've always had a soft spot for Maiden's Somewhere In Time / Seventh Son tone and hadn't found a plugin that emulates this sound. Looking around on Reverb, I found two sellers selling one of these: one in the UK selling one for over a grand, claiming the amp belonged to Gary Moore, and another in Florida selling one for much less, so I went for that one! It even came with the original gig bag from the 80's. It's in excellent condition for an almost 40-year-old amp. With a Tube Screamer in front of it and with the built-in chorus, you nail that Somewhere In Time tone. I have yet to try it with two external cabs in stereo.

 
 

[Dinosaur David B]

Lifeson used to endorse them around Grace Under Pressure. It was the ALD after photo for years. 

[cvansickle]

I used one for years before I got a decent tube amp. Couldn't beat the portability. When necessary for a gig, I ran it through the GK 212 cab in stereo and the sound was BIG. I had the 412 version of the GK cab too, but never used it outside the house because it was just too much.

DRG gave this amp a bad rap for years, and by itself it came up short in the Dino tones category. But feed it with a Tube Screamer or Compressor and there was the beef, Clara Peller! The effects loop could take any pedal you threw at it too. For clean Chorus playing, as well as plugged in acoustic, it was ideal. If I recall correctly, you can open the top and there's a trim pot for adjusting the gain, so try that M11.

I had the original version of the 250ML, but it was stolen from my apartment and I had to replace it. I didn't have any renter's insurance at the time, but my dealer did me a solid and sold me a new one at store cost. A year or so later I upgraded to the Mk. II version and that was the best one of the line. A couple years later GK came out with a ML206 version which really sucked. I made the mistake of trading for that one, and that lead me to get my Mesa DC-5.

[Stitsel]

I've always thought those were really cool amps, and basically will get one if I ever find a good deal. They were sort of the original Lunch Box amp, no? 

[Dinosaur David B]

DRG gave this amp a bad rap for years

 

Did we?
We gave Lifeson shit, no doubt. Maybe it became a bit emblematic of ALD. But no moreso than Alex's ballet slippers and flock of seagulls hair.

When you go from this:                               to this: 
  

You earn the wrath you earn.

But the amp itself? 
I don't think it was a commentary on the amp itself. 



 

 

[cvansickle]

DRG gave this amp a bad rap for years


 

Did we?
We gave Lifeson shit, no doubt. Maybe it became a bit emblematic of ALD. But no more so than Alex's ballet slippers and flock of seagulls hair.

You earn the wrath you earn.

But the amp itself? 
I don't think it was a commentary on the amp itself. 

 

Fair enough.
 

[Tatosh Guitar]

For what is worth, somebody went thru the trouble of creating a Maiden patch for AMPLITUBE 5, and while they used a Marshall as the base for it, it sounds identical to my ears to the SIT / SSOASS tone you seek. I can play along with headphones along with the record and it is close enough to my taste.

[bourbonsamurai]

those amps are badass.  iirc, i think i shared this here before, but in case not:  when i was 19, i was on a westpac deployment with the usmc.  on my ship was also the us navy show band, and their guitarist had one of these.  one night we were jamming, and the ship took a roll, knocking it into a 6 inch puddle of seawater.  we were able to fix it in 3 hours with a hair dryer.  crazy.  the fuckin thing was smoking, and i was sure id destroyed it, but it was ok after replacing an input jack and a resistor.  very impressive.

[merlo_zeppelin]

I remember seeing this video about it;

[Joebuddha]

YES!!! 
This was my 1st good amp and I still have it.
Congrats!