Curious about GK 112MBX Extension Cab

[AMJBASS]

Well the Low B1 is a very inefficient cabinet(90db sens. I think). So its not going to blow you away with only 100 watts. It will add low end though. I forgot that you wanted to power it with the MB150. I recently had the MB150 head using it with an Aguilar GS112, and it sounded great. The Aguilar is a really nice sounding cab if you don't mind the weight. I would take it over the Neo 112 any day, especially as a stand alone. It has a lot of low end and a smooth mid range. I used to use a Microbass combo with a Euphonic Audio VL108 and that sounded really nice, but those cabinets are very hard to find now. I would love to find another. I use the AI Contra now. There are a lot of great options out there. Just remember that the more midrange color that a cabinet has, it may not work the best with a Double Bass.

[robgrow]

An Acme Low B-1 would add quite a bit of low end when used with a GK MB150 combo. Placed under the GK, the Acme would essentially function as a subwoofer, which could be a good thing if that's what you're looking for at low to medium volume.

It is very true that the Low B-1 is rather inefficient compared to many other cabinets, and 100 watts doesn't go very far with it.

[Marc Piane]

Originally Posted by Adrian Juras

. I recently had the MB150 head using it with an Aguilar GS112, and it sounded great. The Aguilar is a really nice sounding cab if you don't mind the weight.

I use my MB150 combo with an Aguilar GS112NT occasionally and it is the killin'est bass sound I've gotten yet. It is a little weighty so parking has to be easy but the sound is big yet still tight and punchy.

I actually often set the GK on its back on top of the cab (either the Aggie or the 1x10 I built.

[Treyzer]

Marc,

Is that kinda like your own version of the Phil Jones Flightcase 300? Ha

[Marc Piane]

Cheaper too. ;-)

[Treyzer]

Originally Posted by fingers

Cheaper too. ;-)

A man gotta do what a man gotta do

[Treyzer]

Speaking of derailment, I've seen this happen quite often lately and I'm wondering why! A good thread will be going along and people will be adding what they want. Everybody is riffing and some pinhead decides that they want to talk about something else and either starts a new thread and/or brings up a thread that has been dormant for some time. To me this a is a gross lack of manners. Let things play out! Would you start trying to play another tune in the middle of a tune that has not finished? I know some of you would just by your behavior on this site but please think less about yourself and more about the TBDB community. Manners and civility are important!

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Treyzer

Speaking of derailment, I've seen this happen quite often lately and I'm wondering why! A good thread will be going along and people will be adding what they want. Everybody is riffing and some pinhead decides that they want to talk about something else and either starts a new thread and/or brings up a thread that has been dormant for some time. To me this a is a gross lack of manners. Let things play out! Would you start trying to play another tune in the middle of a tune that has not finished? I know some of you would just by your behavior on this site but please think less about yourself and more about the TBDB community. Manners and civility are important!

Hey, that reminds me, do you like cats?

[TroyK]

Whoops, sorry, back on topic.

My own experience dinking with this is that MBX or maybe something equivilant aside, by the time you add a significant enough cabinet structure to the wonderous little GK MB150, you could have brought a bigger amp, something with more power. I think they're great for what they are and when you've outgrown them, I think there are better solutions.

That's just based on my own experimentation.

For example, if you wanted to haul a Acme cab, you'd get a much better result carrying a little 3 lb AI or EA head or probably even the little Ampeg. When you start using the MB as a head, it's a very heavy, expensive and under-powered one.

I think the MBX cabs match nicely with them. If that doesn't do it for you, I'd consider broader alternatives.

[Marc Piane]

The MB150 lives in the trunk of my car. For most of my gigs it's enough. I'll just grab the little 1X10 cab I built when I know I'll need a little extra.

Truth be told I have an AI head and a Wizzy M-Line and I've yet to get a sound I like as much as I get with my GK.

[Treyzer]

Originally Posted by TroyK

Hey, that reminds me, do you like cats?

Do you mean the musician type or the kind you stir fry! JUST KIDDING ALL YOU CAT LOVERS


My rant wasn't directed at you Troy, your stuff is always very cool

Not sorry for the derail! Back to you Troy

[synaesthesia]

I had two MBX112s, which I modified with an internal crossover in each. I used a Dayton Ribbon tweeter with each MBX, which is magnetic and which would stick to either the MBX's edge or the AI Clarus I used. Depending on the gig, I would take one or two and the Clarus would drive them. I used this rig for jazz gigs for a good 10 years. I sold the pair not long ago and sort of miss them. I liked them and they were part of my portable rig for small crowd gigs, rehearsals etc. I sold them to change my jazz rig to a self built 3 way speaker set up, with a Rane Preamp driving a 1U power amp - heavier but the pack size is not a burden, and tonally I personaly prefer this set up the the Clarus/GK rig. That is not to say that the MBX set up sounds bad, on the contrary it sounded very good...but you have to work with it as a augmentation to your upright, or as a bass monitor. As primary bass source for your show, the MBX has limitations if the music is more taxing than a small combo.

[TroyK]

Originally Posted by Treyzer

Do you mean the musician type or the kind you stir fry! JUST KIDDING ALL YOU CAT LOVERS


My rant wasn't directed at you Troy, your stuff is always very cool

Not sorry for the derail! Back to you Troy

Back Atcha!

[Gary Lynch]

Well, I learned more from this thread than from anywhere else in the past months. I saw Music123 has a sale, then another 15% off on top of that, so I just popped for a 112MBX total price shipped was $216. I'll play thru that for a spell and see if that will do it. If not, I like the idea of a super light head/amp on a more power hungry 1x12 like a few of you suggested. But hey, if the Micro set up will work, my back will love it. Thanks for the much needed advice.

[AMJBASS]

Not a bad score. Those little 112 cabs actually sound pretty good. They are so light, that its pretty painless throwing one in the car if you don't know wether you will need the extra volume/support from an additional cabinet.

By the way, I don't think that alternate suggestions are really a derailment at all. Merely more options.

[sondan]

Originally Posted by Irishbass

I have to agree with Roger, I got the MBX to sit under the MB112 as a mini stack, however it never ever worked for me that way, the voicing of the pair was very thin compared with the single combo... I could never understand why that was, you would think it would be the opposite...that said, placing the extension cab 6ft away behind the drummer and it worked very well. The other problem I had was a rattle that distorted the sound terribly, I thought it must be a loose screw in the all metal casing and ended up pulling the thing apart several times but could never solve the noise problem. I stopped using it after a while... often thought about building a small timber cab for the speaker as that functions perfectly outside of the metal casing...

I have a new 112mbx, i had the same problem with my mb150E on top of the 112mbx, the sound was very thin. After some test, i found that the 112mbx was wired out of phase. Open the box, inverted the wires at the jack and now, the sound is fantastic.

[Roger Davis]

Originally Posted by sondan

I have a new 112mbx, i had the same problem with my mb150E on top of the 112mbx, the sound was very thin. After some test, i found that the 112mbx was wired out of phase. Open the box, inverted the wires at the jack and now, the sound is fantastic.

Thanks, I'll try it!