Musicians Friend has the GK MB212 in stock

[Sparkdog]

After waiting for close to a year to find one, I happened to be surfing around MF's site a few days ago and saw the Bigfoot of bass amps (stuff of legends... often discussed but seldom sighted and it showed it was "in stock and ready to ship".

So I ordered it, fully expecting to receive an email informing me this was a typo on their site.

Well, UPS just delivered it to me, so I guess it actually does exist!

The day after I ordered mine they were once again out of stock, but as of this morning the site says it's available again.

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....Amp?sku=581054

[thatbasskid597]

Are we going to see a review possibly?

[Sparkdog]

...but the only way I can really tell about an amp is playing it on stage with a band. That could happen as early as tonight if I get a sub gig, but I have a confirmed date for Monday.

I'm really hoping this combo lives up to the reviews/hype/hearsay posted online so far, because it would cover probably 75% of the gigs I play and give me the most portable and easiest setup/teardown rig I've seen.

More to come

[thatbasskid597]

Awesome man

[kreider204]

I'm still waiting for the MB115 ...

[Sparkdog]

OK, I just came from the rehearsal studio and wanted to post this while it's fresh in my mind. I can sum up my first impression of this combo in just one word:

HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!!!

(alright, I was wrong about the one word)

I'll break it down now and try to be more coherent. I haven't done many reviews so I'll pretend to be one of you techy TB guys who knows what's he's doing

First of all, when I arrived at the studio the sidewalk in front of the building was completely ripped up and undergoing construction for the entire length of the block. I always park right in front and walk in so I hadn't brought along a cart. Now I had to park a block away and carry my bass AND the combo.

And I did! The fact that you can actually do that with this rig is amazing to me.

I set up the controls exactly as the GK manual advised: all EQ and Boost at 12 o'clock, contour and horn off, limiter on, master volume at 3 o'clock, then plugged in my trusty Jazz bass and rolled up the gain.

I got the gain to about 9 o'clock and it was loud. I kept going to about 10 o'clock and it was painfully loud, had to stop. The tone was deep, smooth and punchy.

I know lots of guys run their EQ basically flat, but I always seem to like mine closer to 2 o'clock (I'm like Edward G. Robinson...I always want MORE!). I turned all 4 eq knobs to 2 o'clock and began playing, and it felt a little like being in the subway and standing too close to the train rushing by. With both pickups on full and tone rolled up full the amp just had TONS of low end, chest thumping mids, and a clear round top end. I would say the tone was hi-fi, but definitely growly and aggressive. I don't really know how to describe it accurately, but everything I wanted was there.

BTW, I had to roll back the gain to 9 o'clock at this EQ setting, it was just too forceful to be in the same room with!

I played around with various combinations of EQ and pickup blends, and I couldn't get a tone I didn't like. Playing fingerstyle, favoring the bridge pickup and boosting the mids just a tad gave me the Jaco-on-steroids burpy thing, just stupid funky.

Rolling to the front pickup, using a pick, and engaging the Contour button was way cool too...deep boom with a nice click to it, somewhat JC Tool-ish.

The EQ on this amp seems to be really musical, everything is smooth and controllable, nothing ugly. I tried the horn, which many folks have noted is harsh. It seemed usable to me. I didn't really hear "harsh" but there is so much treble on tap already I don't see where I would ever need it (and I use a lot more high end than most players I know)

I don't know how, but GK seems to have disobeyed several laws of physics with this amp:
- It's about the same size as my 210 neo cab, but it's orders of magnitude louder.
- It's a fraction of the size of the 810 cabs I have owned, but it has a similar low end push and punch to the feel.
- It has (2) 12's and 500 watts, but it weighs the same as my Ampeg BA112 which has ONE 12" speaker and 50 watts.

I'll let someone with engineering expertise explain it all, but I am really impressed with this combo and I can't wait to gig it next week.

[c3powil]

Im getting one. Cant wait. What did the other guys have to say about it?

[Sparkdog]

The basic reaction was "how in the world can all that sound be coming out of that little box?"

I'd like to know myself

This group is not CRazy loud, but my normal rig with them is a Carvin 410 neo cab powered by a Carvin B1500 head, it puts 1250 watts into that 4 ohm box. I use it because I like to have lots of headroom and dial in any amount of volume and low end required without distortion.

I've never hit the wall with that rig.

This outfit is 2 guitars, keys, drums, and bass, and there are a total of 4 people singing. It's rock/pop music. Rehearsals tend to be about the same volume as gigs, not stupid loud, but forceful and the mix is pretty dense with all those instruments and vocals.

I'll know more when I get it on stage, but the GK had no problem at all carrying the low end at the same level I'm used to hearing from the B1500/410 rig.

[blowinblue]

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

I'll know more when I get it on stage, but the GK had no problem at all carrying the low end at the same level I'm used to hearing from the B1500/410 rig.

It sounds intriguing. So tell us when and where you're gigging so that we Los Angeles area TBers can come check it out. I promise not to be rude and ask to sit in. I just wanna listen.

M. M.

[Sparkdog]

Well, as of right now

6/28 - Skinnys Lounge, North Hollywood
7/15 - Joes Great American Bar, Burbank
7/23 - Hideaway, Sylmar

I gig a lot, so will probably have some dates sprinkled in between these.

Would love to talk with fellow TB'rs

[Mike M.]

This is encouraging to read. I've been on the hunt for a new bass lately and while I'd like to get a new amp one day, amp shopping hasn't really been on my mind.

****Please keep in mind that the last time I shopped for and bought an amp was in 1995! So it's safe to say as far as amps are concered I'm a bit out of the loop.****

Anyway, while trying out basses today I plugged into a GK combo just because it was there. If I'm not mistaken, I think it had 2-10" speakers in it. (It may be a discontinued model. I went to the GK website and didn't see that particular model). Dear Lord, but this little amp sounded wonderfull!! Had a real nice "robust" quality to it. Very "rounded" and warm sounding and I really liked the 4 band EQ with the seperate low and high mid knobs. the amp seemed to have all the features you'll need while not at all going overboard.

As said, it's been years since I amp shopped and I know that a lot has changed thru the years since I last bought. Solid state has come a long way since I last bought!! I was very impressed!!

Please, keep us posted on how yours is doing for you.

[Mike Shevlin]

I'm not one of those techie guys either, but I had the same reaction playing the 212 @ NAMM this year ~'How can all that sound be coming from that combo' ~ It was actually louder and fuller than some of the much bigger rigs in their booth~ anyone that orders one of these things is going to be very happy. Oh & it's a whole different hungrier animal than the 210.

[stefaniw80401]

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

... I know lots of guys run their EQ basically flat, but I always seem to like mine closer to 2 o'clock (I'm like Edward G. Robinson...I always want MORE!). I turned all 4 eq knobs to 2 o'clock and began playing ... BTW, I had to roll back the gain to 9 o'clock at this EQ setting, it was just too forceful to be in the same room with!

Great review so far. You are aware, I'm sure, that an EQ simply is a volume control at selected freqs. This means that moving all your EQ controls to 2 o'clock is the same as moving your one gain control up. In other words, it does not make sense to move all the EQ controls up (or down) the same amount because that doesn't really change your sound other than making it louder or softer.

[jmain]

I'm liking what you guys are saying. Gotta try one of these out!

edit: I'm a little concerned about the tweeter though if I feel a little slap/pop coming on.

[Mike151]

How much does it weigh? I might be on board.
I'm looking for a combo solution that can handle metal or classic rock volumes with a heavy hitting drummer.

[Tangentor]

I was really interested in the MB212 combo when I was in a rush for a bass rig a few weeks ago. They seemed not to be in stock (Bigfoot-elusiveness is a good way to describe it!) and I gave up on that option.

BUT, since I chose a new GK MB500 and a used Aguilar S410, I think I ended up with the same head used in the MB212 (correct me if this is wrong).

And, if that's the case, I know the exact same happy amazement you felt. (Like Mike M, I had been away from new bass gear since the mid 90s and had no idea about the Class D amps that have apparently been around for awhile.)

This amp is loud, despite all appearances. I ran it fairly hard Friday night at an outdoor gig where the temperature was a humid 90+ - and the amp was barely warm to the touch after the loudest set! This was with a powerful drummer, two guitarists and quite loud vocals from the 3 of us standing up front.

I love the way the EQ is voiced. To me, the high mids are in exactly the place I'd want them for the more retro sound I get, which of course sounds great on new material too!

(For anyone wanting more info/impressions on the MB500, I have a vastly personal thread going on at http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/new-gallien-krueger-mb500-owner-first-impressions-existential-musings-666234/#post9261248.)

This little amp is a joy, so I'm sure I would have loved the MB212. And, by the way, my MB500 is 'only' using 350 of its 500w because I'm using one 8 ohm cabinet - so the MB212 is probably LOUD!!!

Congrats on your purchase, and please let us know your impressions as the speakers wear in!