FEaTuRE
A pair of rigs featuring Lee Jackson’s GP-1000 belonging to Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho.
GP-1000, Then and Now:
Techs Speak the Preamp Truth
Although Lee Jackson has said that
Loudness’ Akira Takasaki didn’t use the
GP-1000, former Loudness manager Kazuo
Sumida weighs in with his recollections:
On the On the Prowl album he had mainly
used Lee Jackson’s modded Marshall. I also
think his Lee Jackson modified Marshalls
were the main gear for the Soldier of
Fortune album and tour, but I also remember
Akira using the GP-1000 in his house, with
a Macintosh Power Amp and JBL speakers.
The sounds were really amazing… big sound.
The GP-1000 was in the rack case surely, but
I did not know when he used a particular
preamp. At the Dec. 31, 1989 Tokyo Dome
concert he might have used that GP-1000
with Ashley power amps, or it could have
been the preamp section of his Lee Jackson-modified Marshall.
Children of Bodom tech, Neubi, also spoke
to me regarding another pair of famous
proponents of the GP-1000: Alexi Laiho and
Roope Latvala.
How long have Alexi and Roope been
using the Lee Jackson Perfect Connection
GP-1000 preamp?
I started working with Alexi in 2001, and he was
already using the GP-1000. Alexi recorded the
last CD, Blooddrunk, with the new model from
Marshall, the Kerry King amp, and he was pretty
happy with the sound. But as soon we started
our next world tour, we had quite a lot of problems with these amps, so Alexi decided to go
back to the old stuff he was using, because we
never had any problems with these.
There are two or three basic versions of
this preamp, which can be ascertained by
the serial number. What are the serial numbers of these GP-1000 preamps?
They are 880531 and 870576. We do have a
spare one, which I don’t have the serial number for right now, because the gear is on the
way to the next festival.
Which brand of tubes are preferred for
their GP-1000s?
Usually, we’re using Groove Tubes for preamps and power amps.
What are the settings for each GP-1000?
The settings for both players are different, but
basically it’s: preamp Volume on maximum,
Distortion [push-pull pot] pulled out and on
maximum; the Middle pretty much on full, Bass
and Treble in mid-position. Alexi likes a pretty
bright and mid sound for his solo parts. Roope
was using more low end on the preamp. I can
add that both guys, Alexi and Roope, are using
internal boosters for their guitars to get enough
distortion from the preamp.
Have any modifications been performed on
their GP-1000s?
Yes. Both preamps of Alexi and Roope are
modified. A guy in Helsinki made them have
a little more distortion.
Recent eBay listings of the GP-1000 have
concluded at $600 and $620 and the
value appears to be continuing to climb.
This is no doubt in part due to its use by
Children of Bodom. What are your thoughts
on being the leading proponent on the
GP-1000 and single-handedly raising the
value and profile of these preamps?
From the tech side, I just can say this is one of
the best compliments for the Lee Jackson guys.
Alexi is one of the best shredders in the world,
and of course especially on eBay, the prices
will raise from day to day. Personally, I think it
is a shame that they stopped building this preamp. I am sure many people would be happy
if Lee Jackson would build a new version of the
GP-1000 again in a 19-inch version.
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