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06-12-2010, 10:18 PM
|  | Bassman7654 | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: North Las Vegas NV | | | Tube micro head shootout?
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Has anybody done this yet?
There are LOT's of apples and T-bone steak comparisons (not even in the same food group)  . Like GK MB500 vs Mesa M9 carbine, or Shuttle 6.0 vs Aguilar DB 750 you get the picture 
I'm only interested in comparisons between the 500w TUBE micros such as:
Gallien Kruger MB Fusion 500
Markbass LM tube
Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 (600w but close enough)
SWR Headlight ( 400w but close enough)
Eden WT550? (how much does it weigh? may not qualify.
Or any other tube micro head in the 500w range
All these heads are close in power, some have more bells n whistles. But I'm interested in how they sound. What turned you on and what drove you away I want to stick with heads that are close in power 400-600w less than 7lbs and have a tube pre. That's why i didn't include the shuttle 9.0 and Markbass tube 800. The only one in the lineup that i have experience with is the shuttle 6.0 I found it to be a great sounding head and probably should not have sold the 2 I had. That's right, I liked it so much i bought it twice
So can anyone help me out?
I'll start with my thoughts on the shuttle 6.0.
The good - It was a great sounding head, IMHO the slap tone was da BOMB! Loved the features even the pre shape filters.
The not so good - I found the tone to be colored and one dimensional. There was a certain sound that i could not dial out. It was not a bad sound per say, but i couldn't get past that.
- It was not loud enough
- The blue light was like a beacon. No mater where I turned, I was drawn back to it I had to use a towel to cover it up :-)
To me these were all little quibbles and if it were a little louder I could over look everything else. Please no arguments about weather Genz Benz power ratings are accurate.
Let the shoot out begin 
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GK 1001RB II, & MB800, NEO 212 & 210 cabs, Boss GT10-B, Roscoe SKB 3007, Brubaker Brute MJX-5, Fender 62 USA RI, Ibanez SR400, Barcus 6 string. And various other toys. G.A.S. and G.E.
Last edited by DougD : 06-12-2010 at 10:51 PM.
Reason: additions
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06-13-2010, 07:48 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dallas, TX | | | By tube, you mean hybrid. These amps are not considered tube amps at all. And, if it's "tubey-ness" you seek in the tone, the Mesa Walkabout is the king of all hybrids, though only rated at 300 watts, it can contend with *any* of the "others".
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06-13-2010, 07:52 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: an ignore list near you | | | The GK MB fusion isn't out yet, so that's gonna be a problem.
Mike |
06-13-2010, 08:36 AM
| | | | There have been a number of threads here that say the LM Tube does not offer much if any over the LMII
LMII sounds very tubey to me and others here
Haven't tried any of the Mesa's but can't remember reading a bad post about them
.02 |
06-13-2010, 08:59 AM
| | | | The new GK coming out looks real interesting... |
06-13-2010, 10:47 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Columbia, MO | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RickenBoogie  By tube, you mean hybrid. These amps are not considered tube amps at all. And, if it's "tubey-ness" you seek in the tone, the Mesa Walkabout is the king of all hybrids, though only rated at 300 watts, it can contend with *any* of the "others". | +1
I tried a lot of stuff this week and can say one thing - SS is good enough (sound-vise) and so much more practical - it's a no-brainer for me now... Hybrids don't offer all that much (especially if you also have a drive pedal) and tube amps are too clumsy and costly...
I tried them in the same day, but different shops/basses... however, I can say that Markbass Jeff Berlin combo (the head is LMII I Believe) is almost as good as the Mesa Walkabout (it was not a combo, but I think it had a Scout cab underneath it)... |
06-13-2010, 11:35 AM
|  | Master of Reality | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Diego, CA | | | Would you consider the Orange Bass Terror to fall within this grouping?
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06-13-2010, 01:14 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: SF (North) Bay Area | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RickenBoogie By tube, you mean hybrid. These amps are not considered tube amps at all. And, if it's "tubey-ness" you seek in the tone, the Mesa Walkabout is the king of all hybrids, though only rated at 300 watts, it can contend with *any* of the "others". | +1... the Mesa Walkabout is the only "micro" I would consider.  |
06-13-2010, 01:27 PM
|  | I hate. | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: The state of denial. | | | From what I've heard, the Orange Bass Terror can get within shooting distance of the sound of the all-tube big brother, and the TC Electronic RH450 seems to cop the all-tube vibe pretty well, too. Which is why I have no real interest in any of the three.
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06-13-2010, 08:49 PM
| | Bassman7654 | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: North Las Vegas NV | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RickenBoogie By tube, you mean hybrid. These amps are not considered tube amps at all. And, if it's "tubey-ness" you seek in the tone, the Mesa Walkabout is the king of all hybrids, though only rated at 300 watts, it can contend with *any* of the "others". | Yea, sorry about that, I did mean hybrid
I wanted at least 500 watts that's why I didn't consider the mesa.
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GK 1001RB II, & MB800, NEO 212 & 210 cabs, Boss GT10-B, Roscoe SKB 3007, Brubaker Brute MJX-5, Fender 62 USA RI, Ibanez SR400, Barcus 6 string. And various other toys. G.A.S. and G.E.
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06-13-2010, 08:53 PM
| | Bassman7654 | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: North Las Vegas NV | | Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_v_s The GK MB fusion isn't out yet, so that's gonna be a problem.
Mike | Darn! I thought it was here already
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GK 1001RB II, & MB800, NEO 212 & 210 cabs, Boss GT10-B, Roscoe SKB 3007, Brubaker Brute MJX-5, Fender 62 USA RI, Ibanez SR400, Barcus 6 string. And various other toys. G.A.S. and G.E.
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06-13-2010, 08:58 PM
| | Bassman7654 | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: North Las Vegas NV | | | Ok since it's not out yet we can take the GK off the table. So lets talk about the others. How do they compare with each other? Tone and volume?
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GK 1001RB II, & MB800, NEO 212 & 210 cabs, Boss GT10-B, Roscoe SKB 3007, Brubaker Brute MJX-5, Fender 62 USA RI, Ibanez SR400, Barcus 6 string. And various other toys. G.A.S. and G.E.
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06-13-2010, 09:03 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Coeur d'Alene | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DougD Yea, sorry about that, I did mean hybrid
I wanted at least 500 watts that's why I didn't consider the mesa. | It will do 500 watts if you go down to 2 ohms. I would even say that the WA's 300 watts come close to the Genz 6.0. The Walkabout is the head for fat tube tone in a small package.
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06-13-2010, 09:04 PM
|  | I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize! | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ottawa, Canada | | Quote:
Originally Posted by mike_v_s The GK MB fusion isn't out yet, so that's gonna be a problem.
Mike | When has that stopped TBers from having opinions about it?  |
06-13-2010, 09:12 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: an ignore list near you | | Quote:
Originally Posted by seanm When has that stopped TBers from having opinions about it? | True. I bet it sucks.
Mike |
06-14-2010, 01:52 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Brooklyn, NY | | | Try the best "tube sounding" non-tube amp out there IME.
TC Classic450.
That or the Mesa WA. |
06-14-2010, 01:57 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by RickenBoogie By tube, you mean hybrid. These amps are not considered tube amps at all. And, if it's "tubey-ness" you seek in the tone, the Mesa Walkabout is the king of all hybrids, though only rated at 300 watts, it can contend with *any* of the "others". | +1 Interestingly, the next most tubey sounding small amp is the RH450 IMO... which doesn't even have a tube in it  |
06-14-2010, 02:56 PM
| | Bassman7654 | | Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: North Las Vegas NV | | Quote:
Originally Posted by KJung +1 Interestingly, the next most tubey sounding small amp is the RH450 IMO... which doesn't even have a tube in it | I'm glad you chimed in Haven't you tried all of the heads i mentioned (and maybe a few I forgot about)??
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GK 1001RB II, & MB800, NEO 212 & 210 cabs, Boss GT10-B, Roscoe SKB 3007, Brubaker Brute MJX-5, Fender 62 USA RI, Ibanez SR400, Barcus 6 string. And various other toys. G.A.S. and G.E.
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06-14-2010, 05:05 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dallas, TX | | | That's weirdness how the "tube sound" doesn't always require a tube in the circuit, but it's true, too. I've had hybrids with up to 6 little preamp tubes, that didn't sound very tubey at all. I haven't played the RH450, but by all accounts, it should be a contender in this thread for the op. Still, 300 watts or not, the Walkabout could whomp many of the 500 watters.
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06-15-2010, 09:51 AM
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Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: North central Ohio | | If you can hold off for a few weeks, and if the MB Fusion really does hit the market by the end of June, that just may be the ticket you are looking to punch. 
If not, the Walkabout, Bass Terror, or RH450 might scratch that itch. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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