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 Lightweight Gorms? Swedish bass lovers EBS have a new secret weapon for the low-ender on the move
EBS are currently riding high with an enviable endorsee list that includes heavyweight players such as Marcus Miller, Tony Levin, Carlos Benevent, Tal Wilkenfeld and Laurence Cottle. Their extensive range of amplifiers and cabinets has now been bolstered with the introduction of a new range of combos, the NeoGorm and NeoDrome series. The NeoDrome is available in 150-watt output 1x10 and 1x15 formats, while the NeoGorm comes as either a 1x15, (also retailing at £1349), a 2x10, or a 2x12 (a little extra at £1419) but delivers 350-watts. We opted to put the 2x10 through its paces. All of the Neo range of combos feature neodymium speakers: a lightweight construction alternative that means enhanced portability hopefully without any loss of that distinctive EBS tone.
Build Quality
The NeoGorm makes an excellent first impression with its tidy control panel, tough beer/cigarette-resistant covering and business-like black metal grill. The combo itself boasts sturdy construction, with tough plastic corner pieces on the bottom of the unit but none on the top - presumably, with the angled back control panel these weren’t possible on the front, but it would have been good to see them on the back. Weighing in at a back-friendly 29kg, the NeoGorm is also very portable, aided further by the addition of heavy duty casters (detachable and lockable) and tough flip-out metal handles mounted on either side. There are also carrying handles on the top of the cabinet.
Features
Since the amplifier is based on the company’s popular HD350 head, the control set is almost identical to its counterpart. Following a Gain control (with peak LED) we have a Comp/Limit control (again with LED), then cut/boost tone controls of Bass, variable Middle, Treble, and Bright. There is also a Drive control and switches for Character | (a preshape filter), Filter Active, and Drive Active. A front mounted XLR Bal Output also has three switches labelled Post EQ, Speaker Simulator, and Ground Lift. The rear of the combo features an attenuator for the high frequency horn, a serial/parallel Effects Loop with added mix control, and remote connections for controlling the drive, mute, character filter and EQ section by foot pedal operation. Finally, there’s a Neutrik Speakon connector for connecting an additional 4ohm cabinet, and a Phantom Power capability.
Impressions
With a healthy amount of gain, my bass and the amp set flat, and the filter active and character switches in the out (off) position the basic tone was solid and perfect for fingerstyle playing, with plenty of low-end and a satisfying mid-range bite that was enough to cut through in a band situation without sounding too nasal. Playing in the slap style with this setting didn’t work quite as well so engaging the filter active control, gave me access to the main tone controls. I opted to leave the bass and treble controls set flat, and experimented with the variable middle control; this is often where the action is tonally on electric bass. Boosting the low mids (at around 100 Hz) and dialling up the comp/limit control for a decent level of compression resulted in a slap tone to die for. I had a facility to brighten the tone up using the bright control, but found that this was unnecessary.
By lowering the bright control and cranking the drive (which adds gain at the tube emulation stage) I was able to find a great tone for rocking out. I fine-tuned this by experimenting with the mid control and by dialling in more low-end. It’s easy to find tones that you’ll come back to again and again on the NeoGorm. There’s also plenty of power on offer, and more than enough headroom when I took the combo out on a couple of medium-sized gigs.
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| The character control is a pre-shaped tone that sounds great on its own. When soloed, the tone was well-rounded and ultra deep, with bass that would fill out any band situation. When combined with the tone controls, it becomes even more versatile. The deep tone is retained, but the option of adding a little high-end ‘sparkle’ is there, meaning that a one-size-fits-all tone is created. This tone works well for both fingerstyle and slap playing and would be my preferred choice when using the NeoGorm on gigs. The added functionality of the balanced output was also useful. The speaker simulator means that the sound sent to the desk is the same as that heard on stage through the speakers.
It’s sometimes easy to dismiss EBS as being the ‘slapper’s choice’ when it comes to amps, but the reality is that there’s a lot more on offer than that. Smooth fingerstyle and balls-out rock sit comfortably alongside the high-end slap tones, and this was apparent during testing and is evidenced by the growing list of rock players on the company’s endorsee list. In use the NeoGorm performed superbly. I used it on two gigs, and was delighted with the results on both occasions. The punch and clarity of the combo is fantastic and the control set is user-friendly and responsive. The added bonus for me was that it was super-portable, and easy to transport thanks to the castors and lightweight construction. At £1349, the NeoGorm is a serious investment, and is one of the more expensive combos of this size currently on the market. However, with rock-solid construction, plenty of power, great tones and great looks, the NeoGorm should nevertheless on your list if you’re shopping for a lightweight, great-sounding combo.
Stuart Clayton
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Product Specification
| BGM Rating | | Price: | £1349
| Result: |  | Controls:
| Bass, Mid, Treble, Bright, Drive, Compressor/Limiter, Character, Drive
| | | | | BGM Ratings | | | | Exceptional | | | | Excellent | | | Inputs: | ¼” instrument input, optional footswitch inputs
| Good | | | | Average | | | Output: | Speakon connection, Serial/Parallel effects loop, line out, tuner out, XLR balanced output
| Poor | |
| | | Continuous Output
Power:
| 300-watts
| | | | Dimensions: | 52 x 58 x 38
| | | | Made In: | Sweden
| | | Speaker
Configuration:
| 2x10-inch Speakers, 1x tweeter
| | | | | 700 watts power handling | | | | Weight: | 29kg
| | | | | | | Contact Details | What We Think | GB Guitars & EBS UK
| Plus: | A punchy performer in a light weight package. | Tel: 01273 220055
| | | Web: www.gbguitars.co.uk | Minus: | Apart from price, very little.
| | | | | | | | Overall: | If your in the market for a serious gigging combo the EBS is one of the front runners.
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