|  | 
08-26-2011, 04:06 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sligo, Republic of Ireland | | | Does the GK MB500 sound exactly the same as the MB200?
Sign in to disble this ad
... I have the MB200 since they came out and I just LOVE the tone from this little amp... I am a long time Markbass LMII user and my main cab is a Bag End S15X-D... to me the MB200 is closer to the tone I personally love when playing bass, but it obviously has its limitations in the volume dept... the LMII on the other hand has tons of power for my particular needs but compared to the GK sounds less warm and full...
For lower volume gigs I seem to immediatly opt for the MB200...Soooo I am debating should I go for the MB500 in place of the LMII for my louder gigs... if it sounds like its wee brother, just with more power then I think I will... Anyone have both GK heads? |
08-26-2011, 03:31 PM
|  | Signed, Sealed, Delivered | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NY & MA | | | I own the MB200, and have used it a lot on various gigs. I don't own the MB500 (I own a GK RB 700-II) but I've borrowed a friends for several gigs just to try it out. I find there's a similar "GK family" sound to both amps... they're not all that dissimilar. I think the MB200 might be a tick more weighted in the bass department than the MB500. The MB500 simply has more tone options, which translates into... the MB500 can sound just like a MB200, but the MB200 can't mimick every tonal difference the MB500 can make. Both are excellent, first rate products. |
08-26-2011, 03:42 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: SoCal | | | Does the MB200 have a line out you can run to the LMII ? If it does I would try that 1st and see if you like how it sounds.
__________________
Miles Davis “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.”
|
08-26-2011, 03:46 PM
| | | | Chances are what you like about the MB200 is that you’re pushing up the gain more and you’re getting some good overdrive (or harmonics) things going on as compared to the more powerful amp (at the same volume). This is why some people prefer the 700rbII over the 1001rbII also.
Players in the old days didn’t have so much power, so ROCK sound came from additional harmonics, which adds texture to the sound. |
08-26-2011, 04:16 PM
|  | Hey, what does this knob do? | | Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: New Hampshire | | Quote:
Originally Posted by lowendrv  Does the MB200 have a line out you can run to the LMII ? If it does I would try that 1st and see if you like how it sounds. | Yep, that's what I'd try, too. Run the MB200 line out to the MBII effects return. |
08-29-2011, 07:39 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sligo, Republic of Ireland | | Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff7bass Chances are what you like about the MB200 is that you’re pushing up the gain more and you’re getting some good overdrive (or harmonics) things going on as compared to the more powerful amp (at the same volume). This is why some people prefer the 700rbII over the 1001rbII also.
Players in the old days didn’t have so much power, so ROCK sound came from additional harmonics, which adds texture to the sound. | It might be that for sure... anyway whatever is going on in that little matchbox sounds great to my ears  ... I guess I'll try it as a pre into the LMII and see how that goes... thanks! |
08-29-2011, 09:49 AM
| | | | I think Tom Bowlus, who has tried both of those, has alluded that the MB200 sounds a bit sweeter. |
08-29-2011, 06:34 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ohio | | | Since the MB200 has less watts I'm wondering if it has a higher HPF cut off point or thinner low end voicing to maximize use able volume?
Some people seem to think that the MB500 low end voicing is a bit too much, which I don't think I would like.
Fdeck may know this if he scoped the Mb200 out. I know that he showed that the old MB150s head had a pretty serious 60 hz roll off. |
08-31-2011, 09:11 AM
|  | iPhone/iPad, Droid, and Kindle apps now available!
Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: North central Ohio | | Quote:
Originally Posted by WingKL I think Tom Bowlus, who has tried both of those, has alluded that the MB200 sounds a bit sweeter. | The sound a lot alike, but not identical. This could be the result of many factors, including the non-variable input gain on the MB200, different power modules, different power supplies, etc. A while back, I took a bunch of heads down to the Fifth Avenue Fretshop in Columbus and Phil Maneri played his old upright through all these heads (using his EA VL-208's). The MB200 was the tone champ (for Phil's playing, his bass, and his cabs), and it was surprisingly loud. The MB500 was gobs louder and just about as nice sounding, though again, slightly different. |
08-31-2011, 11:51 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sligo, Republic of Ireland | | | Well I have only the LMII and an old MB150E Combo to compare to right now but I have owned several heads over the years including Ampeg, trace and other GK heads and this little 2lb MB200 has the edge on all of 'em to my ears in the tone dept... I like the contour switched on all the time because it seems to add just a glorious touch of fatness and a little natural sounding compression to the tone of my basses... hey, I know its all personal and thats just what I am hearing... The MB500 is also a good deal and I am still strongly considering trying one... also the MB series combos (see a great deal on an MB212 that is very tempting)... and the 112 Neo cabs look great... one way or another I seem to be talking myself into an imminent GK purchase here... LOL | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
