Help Me Decide On A Micro Amp

SG-Jazz · #1 11-19-2010, 01:43 PM

What would you get..

dmusic148 · #2 11-19-2010, 01:45 PM

Depends. What sort of sound are you after? How loud do you need to get? What is your budget? There are many choices, and they vary a lot.
Ken will be along soon.

fleabee · #3 11-19-2010, 01:45 PM

If I had the dinero I would go right back to Phil Jones- Roadcase BG-800. His stuff is pricey but I loved it and had zero issues.

SG-Jazz · #4 11-19-2010, 01:46 PM

My budget is around 900 dollars. I really like the makbass and GK options. Just not ready to pull the trigger.

KJung · #5 11-19-2010, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

What would you get..

Those are some very different sounding heads, from the all out grunty, snarly grind of the Orange Terror, to the warm, fat, tubey tone of the Walkabout, to the aggressive, modern 'deep, wide, sizzly' GK (with some aggressive grind up top if you want it..ss with the MB500 and tube driven with the fusion), to the 'warm and clean' LMII, to the punchy and tight and clean F500.

All are great... all sound quite different. Hard to recommend one over the other without more info of tone goals, cab choice, instrument, etc.

fenderhutz · #6 11-19-2010, 01:49 PM

Mesa Walkabout if you want warm tubey goodness.

Little Mark (of any flavor) if not.

StuartV · #7 11-19-2010, 01:50 PM

Ibanez Promethean.

fivestringgecko · #8 11-19-2010, 01:52 PM

The Micro Amp Shootout thread might be something to take a look at, but I haven't read the whole thing so take that for what it's worth.

I voted for other. I picked up a Shuttle 6.0 without playing it first (and Musician's Friend return policy if I didn't like it), but don't regret it for a second. Fairly simple but flexible controls and great sound. Plenty of power to spare, I don't think I've ever had it above 4 or 5 even at my loudest gigs. Jaws drop when I pick it up with one hand, put it in a small laptop bag and tell people it's 600 watts.

5sg.

SG-Jazz · #9 11-19-2010, 01:52 PM

Kjung

I plan on using the head with an upright in the near future. My main bass is a Fender American Jazz, I play Jazz and Alternative experimental Rock. If that helps

dmusic148 · #10 11-19-2010, 01:53 PM

Markbass and GK all sound great. But the Markbass line in particular offers very different tones depending on the model line. The SD series, for example, are a lot more aggressive sounding than the SA and TA models, due in part to the different power amp sections... Maybe you need to try some? The Genz units are excellent as well.

Let's just wait for Ken...

KJung · #11 11-19-2010, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

Kjung

I plan on using the head with an upright in the near future. My main bass is a Fender American Jazz, I play Jazz and Alternative experimental Rock. If that helps

DB makes this quite complicated, since different pickup systems interact massively with the voicing of an amp and cab.

I guess the only thing that is clear is to eliminate that Orange head, which is really optimized for full out tube grind distortion. Not that it can't do relatively clean, but that isn't the designers vision with that head.

I would say of all your choices, the Markbass F500 and GK MB500 would be the most 'doubler' friendly, both capable of nice clean tone, with the MB500 wider and brighter, with the ability to do that solid state GK grind with the boost control, and the F500 staying totally clean at all times, and being a bit warmer and more mid present than the GK. I would guess most would be quite happy with either of these, and neither seem particularly fussy about cab matching.

IMO. I know the F500 LOVES J Basses, as does the GK.

Edit: If you use a mic with your DB, the LMTube is pretty cool... basically the LMIII with a volume control, dual input XLR-1/4" 'second input jack with its own volume and switchable phantom power. The tube in the LMTube doesn't really do much based on my experience (it isn't really a tube pre in the ordinary 12AX7 sense), but that extra input is nice for doublers or DBer's who use a mic and pickup.

dmusic148 · #12 11-19-2010, 02:00 PM

If you're doubling, you might like this one, very, very good, but, VERY clean:
http://eaamps.com/index.php?p=micro&m=products

You could always put a pedal in front of your electric if you want some grit. You won't get it from these amps.

SG-Jazz · #13 11-19-2010, 02:02 PM

Thanks Kjung that was very helpful. Researching(reading alot of your old posts, good stuff) I narrowed it down to the f500 and the GK as well.

I use a few effects, do you think these heads would have a problem withstanding say the likes of a woolymammoth?

KJung · #14 11-19-2010, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

Thanks Kjung that was very helpful. Researching(reading alot of your old posts, good stuff) I narrowed it down to the f500 and the GK as well.

I use a few effects, do you think these heads would have a problem withstanding say the likes of a woolymammoth?

I'm pretty clueless regarding effects. I will tell you that the Markbass amps do not have an input pad, and if you pump an unusual hot signal into them, you can run into some problems (i.e., the amp sounding a bit compressed). This is a zero issue for most (for example, even with my relatively hot output Sadowsky and my 'moderate touch', I run the input to my F500 at around 11 o'clock, resulting in no clip light).

The GK has a 15db pad for those situations.

Again, not sure if that would be an issue, since many effects have an output level control.

Makatak · #15 11-19-2010, 02:11 PM

I picked up an Ashdown little giant the other day for next to nothing . great amp .

Jim Nazium · #16 11-19-2010, 02:13 PM

I have owned an Eden WTX-260, a Markbass Little Mark II, a GK MB2-500, and a Mesa Walkabout, and you know what? They are ALL pretty darn good. The Mesa has that awesome spongey tube thing going on. The Eden does the scooped, slap-pop sound really well. The other two are kind of in between, IMHO. The GK would probably be my pick (of these 4) for an all-purpose amp.

SG-Jazz · #17 11-19-2010, 02:15 PM

Ahh! So many choices and not enough stores carring everything for me to try out.

Anyone know how the shuttle 6.0 and the EA Imicro550 compare to the the mb 500 and f500?

tombowlus · #18 11-19-2010, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

Kjung

I plan on using the head with an upright in the near future. My main bass is a Fender American Jazz, I play Jazz and Alternative experimental Rock. If that helps

If you don't need/want to dial in some grit/grind/growl, then I'd roll with the MB500. If you do, then I'd go for the MB Fusion.

That being said, there's a lot to be said for all of the amps on your list. Each has their merits in certain circumstances, but from what you have said (and especially considering that you want to play both upright and J-basses), I'd start my search with GK.

tombowlus · #19 11-19-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

Ahh! So many choices and not enough stores carring everything for me to try out.

Anyone know how the shuttle 6.0 and the EA Imicro550 compare to the the mb 500 and f500?

The Shuttle 6.0 is a bit lighter in the lows than either the MB500 or F500, but has some nice "air" to it. The EA sounds very neutral, but does not hit anywhere near as hard as the others.

KJung · #20 11-19-2010, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SG-Jazz

Ahh! So many choices and not enough stores carring everything for me to try out.

Anyone know how the shuttle 6.0 and the EA Imicro550 compare to the the mb 500 and f500?

Shuttle 6 is quite bright and a bit grindy up top, but not nearly as full down low as the F500, much less the GK. The Shuttle 9 is closer to these two heads in output and low end ooomph IMO.

I have not played the doubler, but was personally unimpressed with the EA Micro for EB... sounded more like 200 watts than 500 to me. Warm and smooth... nice sounding, but no balls at all IMO.