Matrix GM50..curious..

[Camer138]

I'm planning to go the axe fx route and with my current gear I can fund the axe fx, but not the power amp to go with it.. I like the gm50's price but am not really sure how it works.

My main questions are:
how well would it match with a 4x12 with v30s?

Would it be doing basically the same thing as a gt1000fx?

How well would it hold up in a full band?

Is it rack mountable? Or small enough to be Velcro'd into a rack?


I'm on a tight budget and don't want to have to spend the 1000 on the gt1000fx if I don't have to. I'll really appreciate any info on this unit I can get

 

[samclarke669]

I have one of these babies. I only have good things to say about them!

My live rig is a 4x12 mesa cab, Gm50, Line 6 X3 Live and it sounded fantastic, easily kept up volume wise with my guitarists 6505 head.

I actually soldered a jack plug onto the end instead of mounting it directly inside a cab.

Regarding rackmounting, I don't think it's possible, you'd have to go for one of their 1U power amps for that

 

[Camer138]

Yeah I really want to go with the gm50 but just have no idea how id set it up. I read someone say they were releasing a rackmount version but that was a year ago and I don't see one yet

 

[samclarke669]

Not sure about rackmount, why not email them? They're really nice guys.

To be honest i'm a novice when it comes to soldering but it was really easy to do, just chopped up an old guitar lead and soldered it on, has worked perfectly for over a year, and been gigged a number of times

 

[jeb]

I replaced a marshall 9200 with a gm50!!! can't be more happy!! I have a avatar 4X12 with v30 in it, I rewired the cab to set it at 4ohms mono, the gm50 is so fucking loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use it with an axe-fx ultra, can't be more happy, My rig fits in a 6u shallow rack!!! I rack mounted the gm50 with two 1u face plate some screws and some tie wraps!!

Here's the pics!

 

[Camer138]

Awesome! thats what I was hoping would be possible! So now, how does this thing wire up to the cab and axe fx? If all I was running was the axe fx into this and the cab. Is it simple plug and play? or do I need to take my cab apart and rewire anything? Forgive me, this new technology is way beyond me.. but I am very thankful for the pic you posted!


One more question, is what you did there with the gm50 possible with a 5 space rack? Thats what I currently have, it'd be nice not to upgrade that

 

[jeb]

All I did was to solder and 1/4 jack to the end of the speaker cable of the gm50 and I added shrink tubing on the cable to give it some strength, You take the 1/4 out of the axe and you plug it in the input of the gm50, and you plug the speaker cable of the gm50 with the 1/4 jack you soldered in the cabinet!

The only reason I rewire the cabinet was to get the full power of the gm50.
This amp deliver 400watts in 4omhs, 250watts in 8ohms and 120watts at 16 ohms.

You can try it with your cab as it is if you find it not enough loud just rewire your speaker the set it at 4 ohms

 

[Camer138]

damn... Ive never soldered anything in my life!

 

[jeb]

HAHA ok!! it's time to begin!!!!!!!! Soldering an 1/4 jack is probably the simpliest thing to do

If you can put shoes on, you can solder

 

[Camer138]

well... I do still get my mom to tie my shoes.

Problem is, I just don't know where to begin or what exactly I am soldering to what. It's like I'm trying to read Chinese when it comes to this stuff

 

[cardinal]

That's a very creative rack!

I wanted to like the GM50, but it's a very poorly executed design. You need Jeb's creativity to make it workable. The knobs aren't recessed, so it you install it on the back of a cab (or anywhere, really) you could break it off or turn it accidentally. The thing is giant and the form factor isn't very condusive to putting it in a rack drawer or pedal board. It's set up to require hardwiring speakers to it. You have to do what Jeb did to make it useable if you don't mount it in a cab, which requires cutting into the cab, and even then the knobs aren't recessed so look out.

I don't know how they released this thing.

 

[SkullCrusher]

I think the design is so that you mount it into the back of a cab.

Turning a guitar cab 'active'

 

[cardinal]

I think the design is so that you mount it into the back of a cab.

Turning a guitar cab 'active'

Which is a reasonable idea (except you have to cut into the cab's backpanel), but they didn't recess any of the switches/knobs, so unless you just countersink the entire thing into the cab's backpanel, I'd think you'll have to really watch out when moving it not to break it.