GK MB 200: Part Two - Page 2

Gabriel51 · #21 01-30-2012, 08:37 PM

Touché!

drpepper · #22 01-30-2012, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StereoPlayer

No meaning at all. I've had other issues. I had one fail after plugging it in from a very cold trunk.

Really no offense intended. I love these heads!

Cool. Like I said, just curious.

I'm sure I'll love it too, if the replacement is noise-free.

acleex38 · #23 01-30-2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thudfromafar

Hey guys I'm curious, has anyone here played thru both the shuttle 3.0 and the GK MB200? I'm just curious how the max output seems to compare. Also if they sound much different, especially nearing max output.

Those are my two amps, but I can't speak to the max output, especially since I use them with different cabs. I get more than enough volume from each, for what I use them for. I prefer the "all eq knobs at 12:00" tone of the MB200. The GK can get louder than I've needed it to get so far (the guitarist and drummer could have crushed my volume, but we were all able to get too loud for the bar, with me using my ampeg svt15-e cab).

thtbassloser · #24 01-30-2012, 09:03 PM

I got one of these heads, love em beautiful usability and sound but my dealer mentioned that if I played this head without the speaker attached it can seriously harm the head which to me not only is disappointing when I wish to play with headphones or within studio work but doesn't make sense, could one explain this?

drpepper · #25 01-30-2012, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thtbassloser

my dealer mentioned that if I played this head without the speaker attached it can seriously harm the head

Your dealer is speaking of amps of a different type. You can run it without a speaker connected.

thtbassloser · #26 01-30-2012, 09:07 PM

He mentioned that its just bad to send a load out to nothing. What kinda amps was he talking bout? tubes?

B-string · #27 01-30-2012, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thtbassloser

He mentioned that its just bad to send a load out to nothing. What kinda amps was he talking bout? tubes?

Yes tube amps or SS amps with an output transformer. Your amp is neither and the owners manual says you don't need a cab connected.

By the way, a speaker cab IS a load, the amp is not a "load" on its own. Your dealer is clueless.

drpepper · #28 01-30-2012, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thtbassloser

He mentioned that its just bad to send a load out to nothing. What kinda amps was he talking bout? tubes?

Yep

thtbassloser · #29 01-30-2012, 09:14 PM

Sick!! thanks guys : D

thudfromafar · #30 01-30-2012, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acleex38

Those are my two amps, but I can't speak to the max output, especially since I use them with different cabs. I get more than enough volume from each, for what I use them for. I prefer the "all eq knobs at 12:00" tone of the MB200. The GK can get louder than I've needed it to get so far (the guitarist and drummer could have crushed my volume, but we were all able to get too loud for the bar, with me using my ampeg svt15-e cab).

cool. how would you compare the tone and feel between the two?

rag · #31 01-31-2012, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thtbassloser

I got one of these heads, love em beautiful usability and sound but my dealer mentioned that if I played this head without the speaker attached it can seriously harm the head which to me not only is disappointing when I wish to play with headphones or within studio work but doesn't make sense, could one explain this?

That is definitely not true! Any GK head can be played with out a speaker attached.
Bob Gallien

Vic · #32 01-31-2012, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thtbassloser

I got one of these heads, love em beautiful usability and sound but my dealer mentioned that if I played this head without the speaker attached it can seriously harm the head which to me not only is disappointing when I wish to play with headphones or within studio work but doesn't make sense, could one explain this?

rag is right, the explanation is that is bad information from that dealer. It is, in FACT, completely safe to do this with this head.

LeonD · #33 01-31-2012, 11:46 AM

I took my MB200 to it's first practice yesterday. The band is four vocalists (thru a PA), electric guitar, keys, horns/reeds and acoustic drums. All stuffed into a small room. I had the amp thru an old SWR Goliath II Jr. running at four ohms.

The amp had absolutely no problem keeping up with the band. The amp was set with the volume at noon, contour off, treble flat, hi mid at 11, low mids at 1:30 and low at 11:30. I didn't even have my bass turned up all the way.

My intent in getting the amp was to use in my practice room and as a backup. After this practice, I'd say the tone is good enough to give me another option for gigs.

What I really like about the amp is how musical it is. The eq centers are very well chosen (probably from years of GK experience). Along with being very easy to dial in a preferred tone, there's hardly a bad tone in the amp no matter how you set it. While some folks want uncolored amps and speakers, I'm starting to lean the other way. If the amp is voiced in a musically pleasing way, it only adds to good tone.

Regarding hiss, when I plug the amp into a cab (with a tweeter), I can hear some high frequency, white noise. If I turn the treble up, it gets louder; down, it gets quieter. It is not loud enough to impact my playing so I guess I got one of the good ones.

Regarding the aux in jack on the back, it is not affected by the volume knob on the front of the amp. Turn down your MP3 player BEFORE you plug it in. Ask me (or my neighbor) how we found that out this morning at 6:30. :-)

All in all, based on the price and size let alone the tone, I don't see how you can go wrong with this amp.

GrooveWarrior · #34 01-31-2012, 12:18 PM

Just shipped mine back to have the hiss/buzz repaired. Love the amp. Can't wait to get it back.

acleex38 · #35 01-31-2012, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thudfromafar

cool. how would you compare the tone and feel between the two?

I like the GK tone - It's the sound my ears want to hear from my bass, at both quiet and loud volumes. The GB Shuttle 3.0 is awesome, but it takes a lot of EQ tweaking for me to be happy, and I'm never sure what I like will work when I take it to a new room. The Shuttle has great tones in it, but it isn't a "set and forget" amp - it just seems naturally "flatter".

GrooveWarrior · #36 01-31-2012, 01:10 PM

The 3.0 is very sterile to my ears and needed lots of knob tweaking for me to get a good sound.

The MB200 sounded great with everything at noon. I've had lots of amps (Euphonic Audio, Eden, Phil Jones, Trace Elliot, SWR, Peavey, Carvin, etc.), and I'm not kidding when I say this head is my favorite sounding so far. It just sounds good no matter what bass I plug into it (Warrior Signature 4, MTD, Fender passive jazz, Fender P).

acleex38 · #37 01-31-2012, 01:12 PM

The GK is low and high heavy - with *certain* mid frequencies strong, and others scooped. I say this, without any technical analysis - just what I think I'm hearing.

acleex38 · #38 01-31-2012, 01:13 PM

Yeah - GrooveWarrior said what I was thinking. The only other amp I've played that I liked the tone with everything at noon this much was my old 400RB-III (that I sold to buy the Shuttle).

thudfromafar · #39 01-31-2012, 03:18 PM

What tweaks do you make to the shuttle 3 EQ? boost lows and cut mids i'm guessing? I tend to cut mids with my active bass but leave it flat with my passive yamaha.

acleex38 · #40 01-31-2012, 03:22 PM

I like a mid-heavy tone a lot of the time. I boost the lows a little (1 or 1:30), drop the mid-freq to 9:00 and raise the mids to 2.