First gig with GK MB150S

armybass · #1 03-19-2006, 02:38 AM

I got my GK in the mail on Friday and used it on my gig last night. It was a jazz trio with piano, bass and vocals so the volume was low and the GK was more than enought to fill the room. I have a carved Weiss bass and a Realist pu and they both seemed to work good with the amp. I left the contour switch off and contour levels at zero like it suggests for URB in the manual. Everything else was set fairly flat but I did drop the bass a tad and boosted the high and low mids. The room is carpeted and has a pretty muffled tone to it. Overall I dug the sound I got from the GK MB150 but I would like to have a bit more high end cut to my tone than I had last nigt. I want to wait and get used to the amp before I go turning lots of knobs on my first gig with it . I was most pleased with the 25lbs and what that meant to my easy load in and out.

mchildree · #2 03-19-2006, 05:38 AM

Cool, Scott! Glad it looks positive for ya.

pat.p · #3 03-19-2006, 05:46 AM

Hi.
Congratulations! I hope you'll be satisfied with this old, trusty gear... As many DB players have written, this amp has its limits, but it works very good in general.
I bought mine in June and have played many gigs- in trio, quartet, septet, with vocal and two or three rehearsals with big band. Sometimes it's good to place it on a chair, sometimes it works great standing on the floor.
I think it's good to have different options for different acoustic situations- I have Schertler Stat-B (louder ,but coloured), Realist (very natural at low volume, but muddy when you play louder), Fishman B-II preamp and old BP 100 which is not so bad (it works amazing with my second bass equipped with gut strings).
I like this small, lightweight, friendly amp more and more...
Regards
Pat

basss · #4 03-19-2006, 07:43 AM

Its a great amp. I was planning on selling mine when I bought another small rig (flite 1x12 & AI Focus) but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. I actually still use it quite a bit for low volume stuff - sometimes it's just easier to grab the combo. The reason I bought the other rig is that as stated above it does have its limits. At higher volumes it really doesn't kick out much low end but how could you expect it to - its so small!

pat.p · #5 03-19-2006, 10:52 AM

At higher volumes it really doesn't kick out much low end but how could you expect it to - its so small![/quote]

There are some situations, when I need more low end and volume... I'm thinking about ext. cab- what is your opinion about MBX112?
Regards
Pat

carved czech · #6 03-20-2006, 04:23 AM

I had MB150S for some time. Bought it used, with the speaker replaced, maybe it was not not original speaker, ´cause I did not like the sound, could not set the right EQ...I sold it, bought AI CONTRA. I hated its shape,downfiring woofer,weight...I have changed it for an very old MBS150E and now I am so happy - plus ext.cab AMPEG PB210 for louder gigs. Welcome to the club!

musicman5string · #7 03-20-2006, 08:16 AM

I really think those amps could be alot better if they had a better speaker in them.
Oh, and the treble knob on mine sounds horrible; I've no use for it at all (maybe it's up a 1/4th of the way).
All in all, I've had mine for 11 years now and it's still going strong.
*knocks on wood*

Generally I keep the contour in the middle, everything flat on the eq (except for treble), high boost at zero, and I don't use the limiter.
Of course every room needs some tweaking. I love when I get a decent sound in a room and then try those settings somewhere else and it sounds like an electric cello. LOL.

B String · #8 03-20-2006, 11:59 AM

[quote=musicman5string]
Generally I keep the contour in the middle, everything flat on the eq (except for treble), high boost at zero, and I don't use the limiter.
QUOTE]

The contour knob is very active. If I boosted my lows and
highs as much as you, I'd have low end feedback for days.
What kind of pickup are you using that lets you boost the
contour that much?

musicman5string · #9 03-20-2006, 12:55 PM

Actually I think I misspoke in that post; I probably keep the bass at around 9 oclock and treble at 9 oclock, with the 2 mids in the middle.
I do keep the contour in the middle though...I'm using an underwood and a realist depending on the room.

carved czech · #10 03-23-2006, 06:19 AM

[quote=B String]

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicman5string

Generally I keep the contour in the middle, everything flat on the eq (except for treble), high boost at zero, and I don't use the limiter.
QUOTE]

The contour knob is very active. If I boosted my lows and
highs as much as you, I'd have low end feedback for days.
What kind of pickup are you using that lets you boost the
contour that much?

Sometimes even I keep the contour over the middle, while everything flat on the eg (including the treble!),the limiter off, on my old MBE.

Wil Davis · #11 03-23-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pat.p

At higher volumes it really doesn't kick out much low end but how could you expect it to - its so small!

There are some situations, when I need more low end and volume... I'm thinking about ext. cab- what is your opinion about MBX112?
Regards
Pat

I've been using my MB150E for all of my recent gigs. I have an MBX112 which I use with the MB150E for those gigs which require more volume - I've found the combination to be perfectly adequate for my needs. It is important to get both the amp and the extension off the floor - I have a couple of small stands, but milk-crates or chairs will work also.

- Wil

TroyK · #12 03-23-2006, 11:33 AM

If I was smart, I'd start a very high end, high dollar version of bass specific milk crates. There really doesn't seem to be anything better for elevating a bass amp, especially the GK. I almost swiped a carload of them from the Space Needle last weekend, but then I remembered that they probably had security cameras and I'd really like to get asked to play there again.

mchildree · #13 03-23-2006, 12:04 PM

The one thing I favor over milk crates (yeah I have a few) for elevating a rig is the road case it travels in. I'm a big proponent of road cases...my URBs even travel in one.

Jim Henderson · #14 03-23-2006, 05:15 PM

Gents,
I have one of the older 200mb amps. Would the 112mbx work as an extension speaker without blowing up the whole rig? I'm looking for a little more volume and a wider spread to the sound. Will also use the Fishman platnum as a pre-amp. All advice will be appreciated.
Jim

mje · #15 03-23-2006, 05:38 PM

You can add another 8 ohm extension, no problem. I used to regularly use an extra cab with my 200MB.

musicman5string · #16 03-23-2006, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wil Davis

It is important to get both the amp and the extension off the floor - I have a couple of small stands, but milk-crates or chairs will work also.

- Wil

Absolutely; I forgot to mention that....I almost always put the amp on a chair, although it depends on the room....sometimes it does sound better on the floor (hardwood floors usually). If it's carpet I put it on a chair. If it's a cavernous sounding room it goes on the chair.

Jim Henderson · #17 03-24-2006, 08:42 PM

MJE,
Thanks a ton. Appreciate the advise. Will be going into G.A.S. mode this week end for the extension speaker.
Jim

armybass · #18 03-25-2006, 02:30 AM

Jim, I just ordered mine from MF. I live in Colonial Heights and play in Richmond. I was in Powhatan yesterday. Small world.

mchildree · #19 03-25-2006, 06:25 AM

DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER!!!

Jim....don't let Scott play that Cleveland!! Just protecting your bank account, Scott!

Jim Henderson · #20 03-25-2006, 08:07 AM

Big Mike,
Afraid it's too late. The Cleveland is out of the bag, so to speak. BTW, Mike, when can I expect to hear a few more cuts of you tearing into your Cleve? Really dig what you have on TB so far.
Scott,
Did you catch the "Cabin Fever" shows this year? (We played one of the Night Owl concerts). You're exactly right man, small world. Am playing in a bluegrass trio ("The Frailers") with Leo Szydlowski, formerly of "Lone Ridge" and "Virginia Crossroads" and a killer guitar picker, Donnie Geronimi here in the Richmond area. We're trying to hook up for a Graves Mtn. thing in April, if you can make it we definately have to hook up and jam some.
Jim