Acoustic B200 or GK MB 115???

[bajoboricua]

Any help?

[ThisisCraigP]

MB 115. Light, reliable, powerful.

[Noseferatu]

I think the better question is:

Which is least sterile?

[SurferJoe46]

The Acoustic is old school tones - mellow, punchy and seems deeper with some serious Lows/Mids to me with less shrill highs and glass breaking capacity. It WILL flap your socks!

The GK sounds more modern to me - slappy and poppy but not totally sterile as it has some great Mids too. This too will flap your cuffs, but it's not a tone quality I like as much.

MY results are not usually gonna be everybody's results.

Weight-wise - I equate heavy with stability and if you don't use it for a personal flotation device, you won't have any troubles with the Acoustic.

I like mine and totally dismissed the GK as too gimmicky.

[SactoBass]

Tone preference varies so much from person to person, but I have to say that I was really impressed with the Acoustic B200 amp when I played through it.

[ThisisCraigP]

Just a little FYI on the Acoustic B100/200. I bought one almost a year ago and had speaker issues. Took it back, more speaker issues, back again, same thing. Each time they replaced it and in the end I ended up using the trade in trade up thing to get a GK 210.

It's not the MB combo but an older BLX, works great with with my Eden WT330.

Edit: When it was working I loved the tone, but it did take some adjusting, like any amp.

[Hopkins]

Originally Posted by ThisisCraigP

Just a little FYI on the Acoustic B100/200. I bought one almost a year ago and had speaker issues. Took it back, more speaker issues, back again, same thing. Each time they replaced it and in the end I ended up using the trade in trade up thing to get a GK 210.

It's not the MB combo but an older BLX, works great with with my Eden WT330.

Edit: When it was working I loved the tone, but it did take some adjusting, like any amp.

+1 Acoustic Speakers are junk, The speaker in the B100 I had couldn't handle its own power. The B200 is the same speaker with an extra 100 watts.

I had 2 b410s cabs a b115 cab and a b100 combo all blow speakers, and I never get stupid with the low frequencies or volume.

[tdub0199]

GK!!!!

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by ThisisCraigP

Just a little FYI on the Acoustic B100/200. I bought one almost a year ago and had speaker issues. Took it back, more speaker issues, back again, same thing. Each time they replaced it and in the end I ended up using the trade in trade up thing to get a GK 210.

It's not the MB combo but an older BLX, works great with with my Eden WT330.

Edit: When it was working I loved the tone, but it did take some adjusting, like any amp.

This is where I agree and disagree at the same time.

Yeah - I don't think a 115 should be a legacy driver on this combo, but instead a 210 setup would be much better in my opinion.

I've seen people get into trouble with a 115 as they will push them harder than they should - even in situations where they feel they are just trying to keep up with a moderately strong guitarist.

F'rinstance::: The B-450 combo comes with 210s as legacy and they take almost all the power you can use, but even I know you cannot dime 450 Watts into just two 10-inch drivers --- so I don't.

What I think I'd do if a 200 Watt amp is sufficient for the playing one is to do, is to buy the B-200H (head) and then get a B-410 cab and just build from there - even add a B-115 auxiliary cab for those venues where you aren't in a life-n-death struggle to be heard over Bam-Bam on drums and a Jimmie Page wannabe.

I love combo cabs - but they DO have their place, and it's not uncommon to OD a 15 inch cone if you are running it dime'd.

[NortyFiner]

I own an Acoustic B200. Here's my take.

PROS:

- Great projection. It sounds and feels like every bit of the 200W is coming out of that 15" speaker. The cracked window in my practice room can testify to that.

- Six band EQ with a notch. Very tweakable, and the manual includes basic settings for different tones (vintage, slap, etc.) to get you started on finding the sound you want.

- The general "basic" tone of the B200 isn't quite Ampeg (or even vintage Acoustic) but it is still a nice "old school" tone. It also takes effects well; it sounds great with effects like fuzz, filter and phaser.

CONS:

- Very heavy. Literally double the weight of the GK MB115.

- No headphone jack. So play loud, or don't play at all.

Let me be clear: I really like the pros of the B200. But the cons (especially the weight) are making me look at the new lightweight GK combos and Ampeg micro-stack as possible replacements.

If you can take the B200's weight, like an old school sound, and don't mind not having headphones, then it's a good amp. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

Hope that helps.

[Blankandson]

I've seen a few house bands (in hotels mainly) where the Accoustic doubles for both guitar and bass. Not the best sound but it works where real estate is non-existent. Doubt if anyone other that other musicians would ever notice any differences.