Dual purpose backup ... Anyone tried guitar thru an MB200 or BH250?

Phlipper · #1 03-13-2013, 04:39 AM

Thinking about buying a Class D micro head for a backup, and wondering if it would also work in a pinch for guitar if my tube rig went down. I like the Crate PowerBlock but can't count on it.

Anyone tried a guitar and pedals thru an MB200 or TC BH250? How bad was it?

Steve Dallman · #2 03-13-2013, 07:30 AM

The Crate has pretty heavy cabinet emulation built in that rolls off lows and shapes highs. When using it for bass, I bypass the emulation, which can only be bypassed with patching out of the preamp and into the Line in RCA jacks. Bigger low end and clearer high end.

I plugged a Strat into my PF500 (which was plugged into a sealed 10" practice cabinet, and the tone was glorious. Better than most of my tube amps. I would expect the amps you mention would be as good. You wouldn't want a tweeter though with any overdrive or distortion pedals.

Phlipper · #3 03-13-2013, 08:07 AM

That's good to hear. I used a PV Basic 112 on a six string gig once (with pedals) and it wasn't bad at all. Practiced thru one at home a few times, too. But wasn't sure how the newer class D amps sound. I've run Peaveys for both guitar and bass since around '97 and have never had an issue, but my Classic 50s are getting long in the tooth and one never knows.

Phlipper · #4 03-14-2013, 02:58 AM

Anyone tried guitar thru the MB or BH heads?

fdeck · #5 03-14-2013, 05:38 AM

I've got a couple of "micro" heads: A MB200 and an EA Micro300. I've used both of them for a variety of instruments including piano and guitar -- more often the EA because it has two channels. But I've got both heads dialed to produce the same tone, and they behave basically the same. There is literally no difference compared to doing the same with a mainstream solid state amp.

Now I'm a jazz guy, so I'm used to hearing guitar through solid state amps, but when these guys need a rock tone, they do it with pedals and sound darn good.

So, I'd conclude that as a backup, a MB200 would do just fine if you have whatever sorts of pedals you need for your tone. Trying to get distortion with the amp itself might not be fruitful. I'm trying to convince two guys -- guitar and piano -- to ditch their heavy amps and switch to a MB200 plus Crazy8 setup.

Phlipper · #6 03-16-2013, 07:22 AM

Thanks. I run an HB Paradrive from my tube rig so my OD is covered. Just needed to have an idea that one of them would work for both guitar and bass.

4Mal · #7 03-16-2013, 09:16 AM

The MB 200 rocks for guitar. The steel gitar community has been going off on them for a long time. There is even a guy doing tooled leather 'tolex' combo cabs for the MB200. He uses a neo 15 from Sica. One guitarist I have owns one and uses it a lot. The thing sounds great and punches hard as you would imagine. Takes effects (dirt, verb, chorus and wah) well. His other amp is a Carr. Plays a Tele, an old,SH and a Dusenberg Palme pedal steel through it. He is a very serious tone guy.

I'm thinking of doing something similar though i am drawing the line at the tooled leather look... Not quite the look to combine with my blonde Archtop...

As far as personal experience goes, other than playing along side Ted... I have my MB200 installed in a 1x10 combo cab using a deltalite 10. Have a matching extension cab as well. As a bass rig it get's the majority of my gigs. I've played my archtop through the combo many times. The cab is really right for bass, not so much for guitar.

I'm in the hunt for a better lounge/light jazz rig then my Princeton Reverb. Great amp but the early breakup is not what I'm after. An MB 200 in an open or semi opened back cab is definately on my radar. I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb on loan for a few weeks and I have a powerful affinity for older Fender amps so I need to prove to myself that a Deluxe is not the answer. if not the Mb200 may very well be.

I also had an EA Micro 300 and that little amp rocked for doubling guitar and bass on 1gig. 1 actually ran it on a couple of duo gigs with a passive PA top. Just guitar and bass. We sang through. A JBL EON off a little 'pancake' mixer from MAudio. Ridiculously simple haul and setup. The Micro was for me underpowered as a bass amp so it went the way of a lot of gear I try. The front end of that amp was clear, clean and eminently practical. A lot to like in that little amp.

Fdeck... mb200 and crazy 88 or Zoom G3/B3 and QSC K 10 would be another thing to consider. I have played around a bit with that setup and it's surprisingly good..

mystic38 · #8 03-16-2013, 10:26 AM

I have never been much of a pedals guy.. one tube screamer and thats it, so in using an amp that is supposedly super clean like the GK I guess it all depends what sort of tone you are looking for?..

I typically play through a blues junior so just for giggles i plugged the strat through the Streamliner (6 stage tube preamp) and even with gain set to max the amount of distortion was still simply civilised... nice enough mebbe for a rhythm part but certainly not enough for a blues solo..but f me... did it go loud through the Uber Quad though