Magellan Amp Heads

The new Magellan 800 and Magellan 350 amplifier heads keep all the things we liked about the "old" stuff -- and some rockin' new features. This lightweight -- only 3.5 lbs for the 350 and 6.25 lbs for its bigger brother -- amp can punch out lots of sound (350w at 4 ohms for the 350, and a massive 800w at 4 ohms for the bigger amp). And these amps are safe down to 2.67 ohms, as well. With a 1 megohm input impedance, they are compatible with a vast array of piezo-electric pickups, as well as magnetic pickups, without the need for an external preamp.

The 350 has a simplified setup befitting its smaller size, but it features a contour control, which allows you to quickly dial in a preset tone (this works best for electric, but you might find it useful on upright as well.) But it also has a 3-band EQ with semi-parametric mids for even more control over your tone. And it features a mute switch, thermally controlled fan, and a full-featured XLR DI.

On the 800, The clean channel provides transparent tone, but a "drive" channel can be used for a little more "edge" - used subtly, it can provide a little tube-y "girth" to the tone --and/or provide a separate volume level, which can be changed with a footswitch - perfect if you switch back and forth between arco/pizz or need to take a solo!

Like the 350, a 3-band EQ with parametric midrange provides all the tone shaping you should need, and a contour switch gives you additional tone options - handy if you need to switch between electric and upright and want a quick "dialed-in" tone for the e-bass.

The 800's phantom-protected DI (direct output for sending to the house soundboard) can be set for pre-EQ or post, line-level or mic-level, and for grounded or ground-lifted. Effects loop and line-level input? Check. Dedicated tuner output? Check. There's even a headphone jack for quiet practicing or stage monitoring. It has an auto-sensing voltage input, so can be used anywhere in the world, from 100v-240v (just locally source a standard IEC power plug that matches the local outlet style.)

Magellan 800 SPECS

• PREAMP – dual channel, all solid state analog design with integrated soft clip circuitry.
• INPUT– 1Meg ohm input impedance
• INPUT PAD SWITCH – attenuation of -8.5dB
• CLEAN CHANNEL – Voiced to provide natural, pristine, transparent reproduction of the bass instrument.
• DRIVE CHANNEL – Voiced to provide a more “driven” tonal signature and harmonic content along with a softer top end and more relaxed low frequency response.
• CONTOUR -- continuously variable control of 2 vastly different response curves. In either CURVE position, when the SHAPE control is all the way off (CCW) the response curve is completely FLAT.
• Curve A (Blue) -- a variable pre-shaped curve that boosts lows and highs while simultaneously cutting mids. The slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve covers a wide range of sounds from flat to classic to modern depending on the position of the SHAPE control.
• Curve B (Amber) -- a variable pre-shaped curve with attenuated high mids and highs, a low mid bump, and a slight roll-off of the lowest bass frequencies. Again, the slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve is intended to provide sounds in the range of vintage amps and vintage cabinets that do not have tweeters.
• ACTIVE EQUALIZATION – The MAGELLAN™ 800 contains an active 3 band equalizer with a sweepable parametric mid-range frequency control.
• Bass +/- 15dB boost/cut shelving curve with a corner frequency of 75Hz
• Mid +/- 15dB boost/cut of the variable mid frequency selected
• Freq Variable mid frequency from 150Hz-3kHz
• Treble +/- 15dB boost/cut shelving curve with a corner frequency of 6kHz
• POWER AMP – The MAGELLAN™ 800 uses a state of the art, class D power amplifier design and a high frequency auto-sensing universal switch-mode power supply (SMPS) to achieve unprecedented high performance and lightweight packaging. There are no Voltage Switches to change or jumpers to move. This SMPS senses the line voltage from 100-240 Volts and automatically configures itself.
• XLR Direct Output –
• Mic / Line Switch
• Pre / Post EQ Switch
• Ground Lift Switch
• Effects Loop
• Aux Input
• Tuner Output
• Head Phones
• Foot Switch -- Channel switching (Foot switch not included)
• Dual Speakon® Speaker Outputs
• Power Output: 400W/8 Ohms, 800W/4 Ohms and 800W/2.67 Ohms
• Minimum Speaker Load: 2.67 Ohms
• Operating Power condition: 100 - 240V, 50/60 Hz
• Dimensions: 3”H X 11.25”W X 10.5”D (76.2mm H x 285.75mm W x 266.7mm D)
• Weight: 6.25 LBS (2.83Kg)

Magellan 350 SPECS (as of Jan 2017, subject to revision)

• PREAMP – all solid state analog design with integrated soft clip circuitry.
• INPUT– 1Meg ohm input impedance
• CLEAN CHANNEL – Voiced to provide natural, pristine, transparent reproduction of the bass instrument.
• CONTOUR -- continuously variable control of 2 vastly different response curves. In either CURVE position, when the SHAPE control is all the way off (CCW) the response curve is completely FLAT.
• Curve A (Blue) -- a variable pre-shaped curve that boosts lows and highs while simultaneously cutting mids. The slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve covers a wide range of sounds from flat to classic to modern depending on the position of the SHAPE control.
• Curve B (Amber) -- a variable pre-shaped curve with attenuated high mids and highs, a low mid bump, and a slight roll-off of the lowest bass frequencies. Again, the slopes are fairly gentle which keep the tone shaping very musical. This curve is intended to provide sounds in the range of vintage amps and vintage cabinets that do not have tweeters.
• ACTIVE EQUALIZATION – The MAGELLAN™ 350 contains an active 3 band equalizer with a sweepable parametric mid-range frequency control.
• Bass +/- 15dB boost/cut shelving curve with a corner frequency of 75Hz
• Mid +/- 15dB boost/cut of the variable mid frequency selected
• Freq Variable mid frequency from 150Hz-3kHz
• Treble +/- 15dB boost/cut shelving curve with a corner frequency of 6kHz
• POWER AMP – The MAGELLAN™ 350 uses a state of the art, class D power amplifier design and a high frequency auto-sensing universal switch-mode power supply (SMPS) to achieve unprecedented high performance and lightweight packaging. There are no Voltage Switches to change or jumpers to move. This SMPS senses the line voltage from 100-240 Volts and automatically configures itself.
• XLR Direct Output –
• Dual Speakon® Speaker Outputs
• Power Output: 175W/8 Ohms, 350W/4 Ohms and 350W/2.67 Ohms
• Minimum Speaker Load: 2.67 Ohms
• Operating Power condition: 100 - 240V, 50/60 Hz
• Dimensions: 2.75"H X 9"W X 9.75"D
• Weight: 3.5 LBS

The Magellan 350 is the same head that is mounted to the Bass Array 110 cabinet to create the "combo" - and if you already have a speaker cabinet that you'd like to recreate that "combo convenience" with, we also stock the holddown bracket. You can purchase it together with the Magellan 350 head, and use standard wood screws to mount it to most plywood or MDF speaker cabinets (at your own risk, of course). It even comes with a short Speakon cable!

Jeff Genzler has been in the bass amplification game for a long time. Going back a few years, we were very proud to carry the amps branded under his previous company. Bob even still quite happily plays his Streamliner 900 amp head. The absorption of a manufacturer into another, larger corporation can, unfortunately, sometimes be messy and laden with pitfalls. Consequently, Jeff's original amp line was lost to corporate downsizing.

Like the phoenix, though, from the ashes of that previous venture, Jeff has risen - re-energized, and a little wiser, perhaps. And you and I are the beneficiaries, because his new amp company - simply, "Genzler Amplification," is making some STELLAR new amps and cabinets.

We were very lucky to entertain a visit from Jeff at our new digs recently, and he brought along his killer new Magellan amps and a couple of the new line-array cabinets. I wouldn't let him leave without signing me on as a dealer -- the stuff sounds that good.

7 Day Trial Period on Amplifiers and Speaker Cabinets
We know that it's tough to buy new gear over the Internet. So purchasers have a seven (7) day trial period during which they may return the amp in new condition -- NO QUESTIONS ASKED! -- for a full refund, minus all shipping costs and a small transaction fee to cover credit card processing. Call or email us first: returns must be preauthorized; a restocking fee applies if the unit is not returned in new condition.