need advice on a gk mb fusion or aguilar th

sumgruuvz · #1 11-04-2012, 10:05 AM

hey guys and gals. im going to be purchasing an amp soon and need some helpful tips on the direction i need to go. i like what i have heard from the gk in person but havent had the chance to play aguilars in person. youtube has some great videos of the tonehammer and i really like the sound and versatility from them. i play 4 string spectors and mostly heavier music. i can play other styles as well, but prefer heavier stuff. also i need the full mids to stand out when playing with loud guitars, etc. any advice is appreciated. thanks.

B-string · #2 11-04-2012, 10:11 AM

G-K is known for mid presence MB Fusion is no exception, just stay away from the contour control.

scottfeldstein · #3 11-04-2012, 11:15 AM

Interesting question. These are two really, really similar products with similar specs and similar features. Without the ability to A-B them in person, I'd go GK. Always liked and had good luck with their products. If I could A-B them, I think the first question on my mind is what the tubes sound like when they're pushed.

KJung · #4 11-04-2012, 11:27 AM

Way different sounding amps. Both about the same 'loudness'.

The GK MBFusion is very crisp, lots of upper mids... quite bright, and a bit grindy up top if you push the pre. Big low end (not a lot of hi passing... very wide open), but not at all tubey sounding down low (even though there are three preamp tubes) . Very 'quick' feeling due to all those upper mids.

The TH500 is very fat and round and warm down low, and very relaxed in the upper mids. Compared to the GK, many would find it 'dark and chewy'. Very organic up top, and more 'growly' down low than grindy up top. Treble is not nearly as extended in the 'sizzle area'. Nice 'drive' function that will give you various levels of 'hair and dirt' if you want it (surprisingly more variation and fatter overdrive sound than the GK with all those tubes to my ear).

I prefer the TH500 myself. A number of my good buddies on TB that love the GK don't like the Aguilar at all. Really at different ends of the tonal spectrum, and no amount of knob turning brings them very close to one another.

Reliability and service go to the Aguilar IMO and IME, but both good units. On top of that, there is a certain beauty to not have to deal with tubes at all, which additionally gives the nod to Aguilar (or the GK MB800) if you dig the tone.

As usual, not going to vote, since they are both A+ pieces of gear that just sound different, not better or worse IMO.

sumgruuvz · #5 11-04-2012, 03:44 PM

im familiar with gk's sound, but not so much aggie. from what ive heard from the aguilar stuff, it seems a little more rounder, vintage type of sound. funny thing is in person, i dont like that older school sound, but on videos and such ive seen, it sounds so stinking good. like a big fat steak with a baked potato with lots of butter

sumgruuvz · #6 11-05-2012, 07:07 AM

anyone else got any info?

sumgruuvz · #7 11-05-2012, 02:17 PM

the fusion is looking like more of about a 70-30 lead right now. now to see what cab paired with it will be full and juicy.

scottfeldstein · #8 11-05-2012, 02:57 PM

Check out their Neo 212-II. I have one and really like it. I saw today that Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith uses four of their Neo 410s and a pair of their Neo 412s

PlungerModerno · #9 11-05-2012, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-string

G-K is known for mid presence MB Fusion is no exception, just stay away from the contour control.

+1 This!

The head is light, powerful and can get extremely gritty and overdriven for a very aggressive heavy tone - Plus you can have a lot of mid and treble content which will cut through anything I can imagine, if you have a sensitive enough cab.

I haven't tried the tone hammer but what I've heard about it is positive - It sounds different though, and I'm not certain it can sound quite as heavy.

Try 'em both if you can!

sumgruuvz · #10 11-05-2012, 03:17 PM

sweet. im thinking maybe and 8x10. but then my back keeps saying, "no you dont, you idiot"

scottfeldstein · #11 11-05-2012, 03:22 PM

See if you like their 212. A pair of them would make a pretty killer stack, IMO. Maybe not quite 810 power, but certainly a lot more manageable.

sumgruuvz · #12 11-05-2012, 03:38 PM

i dont know. ive played through 12's and there's something i dont like about them. cant pinpoint what it is, but. and it was a mesa 2x12. just didnt like it.

scottfeldstein · #13 11-05-2012, 03:46 PM

Hm. I myself don't care for 410s. They're heavy, plus they have side-by-side drivers, which I'm told isn't optimal. 810 is out of the question, at least for me. That leaves... a single 10? Too small. A single 12? Maybe a pair of them could cut it in a rock ensemble. 210s? A pair of them would cut pretty well, but one by itself might be sketchy.

That's where I come to 212s. *shrug* One is enough for a lot of small gigs and a pair of them gets pretty loud. Plus, you can carry one of them by yourself--even if you're over 40.

Unless I was getting fEARful cabs, in which case I'd go with a pair of 12/6.

sumgruuvz · #14 11-05-2012, 03:59 PM

hmm. i guess i could try a 4x12 and see how that pans out. if i dont like it, i can always return it and get the 4x10

PlungerModerno · #15 11-05-2012, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumgruuvz

i dont know. ive played through 12's and there's something i dont like about them. cant pinpoint what it is, but. and it was a mesa 2x12. just didnt like it.

Whoa whoa whoa . . . Have you played through a variety of 12's or just a few - as I understand it the driver size is only a small part of the picture - you shouldn't dismiss 12's or 15's based on cabs you've tried - you should only dismiss the cabs you've tried and didn't like, IMO of course.

If you read up on cab design and building (and testing) it's a pretty complex thing to do well - and there are a range of capable drivers of a wide variety of diameters.
Check it out:
http://barefacedbass.com/technical-i...y-response.htm
http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/
http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/
http://greenboy.us/fEARful/faq.htm

The thing I've gathered is driver size is not nearly as important as things like sensitivity, frequency response, etc - basically the sum of all the parts that go into a cab.

sumgruuvz · #16 11-05-2012, 04:19 PM

well ive played the mesa 2x12 and a fender 2x12. maybe its because it was 2 of them. not moving enough air for me. i hate 2x10's but 4x10's are much better. that 4x12 sure is appealing though.

PlungerModerno · #17 11-05-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumgruuvz

well ive played the mesa 2x12 and a fender 2x12. maybe its because it was 2 of them. not moving enough air for me. i hate 2x10's but 4x10's are much better. that 4x12 sure is appealing though.

Well a lot of it is subjective, but a vertical alignment of drivers is better if you want the most consistent sound in a space.
But if brute pressure is what you're after a very sensitive ported 215, 412 or set 2x 210's will beat almost any sealed 810, and come within reach of any ported 810. Without the backache of an 810 + stairs. I've heard those stair wheely things help:

sumgruuvz · #18 11-05-2012, 05:40 PM

well i dont need a wheelchair quite yet, but that dolly sure puts a smile on my face

i will keep your help in mind. thank you kindly sir.

PlungerModerno · #19 11-05-2012, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sumgruuvz

well i dont need a wheelchair quite yet, but that dolly sure puts a smile on my face

i will keep your help in mind. thank you kindly sir.

It's my pleasure, as always YMMV and let your ears decide. That and a whole lot of research and comparing your options.