Has your GK MB212 had a fault ?

GRAHAM SG1 · #1 12-08-2011, 01:19 AM

Simple survey to gauge reliability-thanks

greggster59 · #2 12-08-2011, 08:08 PM

The one I bought and returned did not have a fault, per se. But it produced way too much ambient hiss for my taste which is why I didn't keep it.

soulman969 · #3 12-08-2011, 08:32 PM

If this also applies to an MB112 I'm happy to say it's been 100% trouble free and sounds great.

gidbass · #4 12-08-2011, 09:58 PM

I had a 1st version one, and it was missing 5 of the 6 screws required to hold on the main board. Easy fix and repaired under warranty by a local authorized repair shop.

Awesome amp and no issues since!

GRAHAM SG1 · #5 12-09-2011, 04:28 AM

Thanks guys, I recieved my GK MB212 yesterday, I decided to take the plunge regardless of the negative comments on here, most of the problems seem to have been faulty speakers or cabinet vibrations which to me are not huge issues, if the speakers go out of warranty then I can replace them with something like Celestion, the cab bracing has been criticised, again it would appear to be a simple fix .
I know these things are a pain in the butt but for the power, portability and convenience of this particular amp I would be prepared to do these mods if required outside of the waranty period .
The fact that I can take just the one lightweight box instead of two cabs plus a head and still get 500 watts is important to me, last gig I played I put my back out lifting the rig into my car, I have to take all the PA and monitor gear to rehearsal and gigs so space saving and portability is an issue to me .
Regards the hissing, I noticed this too, also interference with flourescent strip lights, hopefully this will not be a big concern .
Regards the amp itself, it sounds good and has lots of volume, have rehearsal tonight so will see how it goes .

So far soo good

dogofgod · #6 12-09-2011, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRAHAM SG1

Thanks guys, I recieved my GK MB212 yesterday, I decided to take the plunge regardless of the negative comments on here, most of the problems seem to have been faulty speakers or cabinet vibrations which to me are not huge issues, if the speakers go out of warranty then I can replace them with something like Celestion, the cab bracing has been criticised, again it would appear to be a simple fix .
I know these things are a pain in the butt but for the power, portability and convenience of this particular amp I would be prepared to do these mods if required outside of the waranty period .
The fact that I can take just the one lightweight box instead of two cabs plus a head and still get 500 watts is important to me, last gig I played I put my back out lifting the rig into my car, I have to take all the PA and monitor gear to rehearsal and gigs so space saving and portability is an issue to me .
Regards the hissing, I noticed this too, also interference with flourescent strip lights, hopefully this will not be a big concern .
Regards the amp itself, it sounds good and has lots of volume, have rehearsal tonight so will see how it goes .

So far soo good

Congrats on your new purchase. I have been using the MB212 for about a year and a half on about thirty or so gigs and I have really liked it. I have some reservations on a few minor things, but in reality it has worked like a champ and has made loud practices much easier to handle.

HMZ · #7 12-09-2011, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulman969

If this also applies to an MB112 I'm happy to say it's been 100% trouble free and sounds great.

+1 mine has work great so far and I have gigged it a few times now and use it every day at home.

tallboybass · #8 12-09-2011, 07:58 AM

I've got 2 - MB212s...and they both work just fine. One bought new, one bought used.

tdub0199 · #9 12-09-2011, 08:07 AM

I have a MB115 with no problems to report....

GRAHAM SG1 · #10 12-09-2011, 11:53 AM

I have just loaded my car ready to go out, wow, it took me all of 5 minutes, I have a Toyota Avensis hatchback in which I normally have to fold both back seats down flat to get all the gear in, its all in with the seats in place, I really hope the MB212 is up to the job as I love the ease of loading

GRAHAM SG1 · #11 12-09-2011, 04:21 PM

Well that went well - NOT !!

20 minutes into the rehearsal and a fault occurred, the amp was not being overloaded in any way with master, gain and boost nowhere near full, we were trying out a new drummer so were going nice and steady, the blue ring around the on/of switch turned red and kept flashing, turning the button off and on after a few minutes made no difference, even now at home the red keeps flashing so the amp is `fubar`d`, I wish I had not bought it but being optimistic I went ahead !

Its going back for a refund as I cant trust it if it is repaired-no way !!
I feel very disappointed in GK !!

RickenBoogie · #12 12-09-2011, 05:33 PM

There is absolutely NO relationship between where the dials are set and the output of an amp. Sounds like it was pushed too hard and gave up. Can't blame the gear for that.

GRAHAM SG1 · #13 12-09-2011, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Sounds like it was pushed too hard and gave up. Can't blame the gear for that.

It does indeed seem that way but you were not in the room so have no idea how the amp was being used .
So I will tell you, we are not a young heavy metal band trying to blow windows out, we were practising some songs at only moderate volume, we were not pushing anything too hard at all, I also like to go easy on a new amp for the first few sessions, like running in a new car !
I used the control positions to highlight the fact that we were not working hard, if the master, boost and gain were on full then surely you could say I was pushing the amp hard, or dont they affect the output ?
To sum up, this is a 500 watt amp that should easily cope with a light easy going band practice, my other amps do with no problem and have done for over two years now including gigs, this amp is faulty not the user .
The poll at top of page makes interesting reading, not far off 50% fault rate, I know its not a true reflection fo all these amps sold but it gives a clue .

vince a · #14 12-28-2011, 08:16 PM

Though it is not my main gigging rig, my MB212 has been used in about 10 gigs, gets used for band practice just about every week, and is used for two church services every Sunday morning. It had a couple of quirks - a rattle in the tweeter that cannot be heard during play, just in a quieter practice setting. It used to boom a lot on the E and B strings until I scaled back all the knobs (bass and low bass too) to about 9:00, gain about 12, Boost about 1:00, and volume as far up as 3:00 without any boom or breakup . . . just clear bass. I also sit the amp on a plastic milk crate to de-couple it somewhat from the floor!
I also use an Eden WTDI Eden World Tour WTDI Direct Box/Preamp . . . gives me total EQ action in the MB212 . . . totally different amp now! Definitely worth the $150, and I can use it direct to a PA or alone in the studio! The GK MB212 is a great piece!

ClassicJazz · #15 01-01-2012, 11:12 PM

I've had my MB212 for a year and a half now.....and it definitively does not sound as good as when I first got it. I've used it probably 90% of my gigs and I think it is taking its toll. Don't know if it is the amp section or the speakers (I think it probably is more the speakers), but it is not as clean sounding as it used to be and distorts when I solo and slap. A plus, it never shut down on me at a gig and I love the weight. But it does me no good if I can't get a sound I like. So time to move on.....

Just ordered a Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.0 amp. (use to have the 6.0, so I know these amps). I'll use that with one of my Avatar B210 Neo cabinets which is light weight. And the amp I can throw in my gig bag.

Pep · #16 02-28-2012, 10:46 PM

I purchased by MB212 used about 8 months ago. It has been a workhorse and has sounded as good as anything I've ever played. It's been punchy, defined, articulate and dependable until this past weekend.
It appears that the speakers may be failing. When I started rehearsal on Saturday it sounded fine but 4 hours later the speakers were breaking up on the lower frequencies and the volume wasn't all that loud. I had the limiter on during the entire rehearsal so either it wasn't working or it doesn't really do much to protect the speakers.
I suppose there could be a problem with something other than the speakers but I've heard this sound before and it definitely sounds like the speakers are dying.
A friend sells GK products and he's going to check it out later this week. GK's Neos are a bit pricey to replace ($179.00 ea plus shipping) so if I need to replace them I may just order them from Carvin ($131.00 ea delivered). The specs are very close to the same.

PS: The amp is out of warranty. Imagine that!

Kragnorak · #17 03-04-2012, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRAHAM SG1

20 minutes into the rehearsal and a fault occurred, the amp was not being overloaded in any way with master, gain and boost nowhere near full, ... the blue ring around the on/of switch turned red and kept flashing, turning the button off and on after a few minutes made no difference,

OK, this is very close to my experience. I read a lot of good things about this amp IF you're lucky enough to get a good one without speaker issues. So I picked one up that I saw in a music store for $500US.

One rehearsal - no problem.

Then a couple nights ago I played my first gig at a small venue where I didn't have to push the combo very much due to using the out into the board. During the soundcheck I had no problems, BUT after the first song the audience started complaining of a smell like burning bandaids. Halfway through the second song I got the red ring of death!

As I played, the ring around the power switch kept turning from blue to red as the sound cut on and off. It was awful, and all I could think was that I was going to be the saddest audience member pretty soon!

After that, I tried putting a six-socket power strip between the amp and the wall and luckily that helped condition the power somewhat and I was able to get through the gig. The amp didn't start getting the red ring of death until the final tune (which still had me plenty upset).

So... the amp overheats under certain conditions. It is clearly sensitive to power because nobody else's amplifiers at this venue were having problems. Also, like Xbox, Gallien-Krueger has to have been AWARE of this issue in advance because they built in some sort of system that shuts the amp down when there is a thermal overload and they literally color-coded the power system so that it turns from blue to red.

Why did they not just go a step further and eliminate the problem before releasing their product?!

Anyways, any recommendations on how I should resolve this? I like the amp for low volume stuff but I now know that I cannot rely on it for club gigs. Are there any competing companies putting out light-weight bass amps and combos? I really do like the concept and design of these things.

NML1986 · #18 03-04-2012, 01:41 PM

Mine's been fine up to now. I've had it 3 months without any problems. I do find the horn hisses too much, though I don't use it, so not a problem.

GRAHAM SG1 · #19 03-05-2012, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Are there any competing companies putting out light-weight bass amps and combos? I really do like the concept and design of these things.

I would get rid of the MB212 as you wont trust it any more, I would highly recommend the Ampeg PF500 head, it is far superior to the GK MB212 in sound and seems much more solidly built, I know its not a combo but you can get some nice lightweight cabs .