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AudioKinesis Cabs Part VI...

You get all the recommendations and opinions you want but the only way to evaluate a product is to try it with your bass and cab.
It can be a lot of work but the right combination is worth it.
Recommendations and opinions are a good way to narrow the search. Trying every amp with your own equipment at a variety of gigs would be ideal but feasible for only a rare few (cough, cough, Bowlus, cough).

While I don't find it painful, the GK MB800 does have a high-mid bump that can't be fully dialed out if you have a passive bass or boost only onboard pre. It only matters if your cab is full range and you don't want those particular mids. When I use a VT Bass pedal with that head, the treble control dials that bump out when I need a reggae-type tone. N.B., this is not with one of Duke's great cabs, it is with my 15/6/1.

I think the bump works well with a lot of cabs. I also had the mb500 that was super with a little full range 112 cab that was very smooth. The streamliner made it sound like a subwoofer.
 
While I don't find it painful, the GK MB800 does have a high-mid bump that can't be fully dialed out if you have a passive bass or boost only onboard pre.
My first-gen 4 ohm Thunderchild 112 AF is uber-smooth. It was designed before Duke started to understand the value of upper mid bumpage, and as nutdog pointed out with his 115, my Streamliner 900 tended to make it sound like a subwoofer.

I used to fuss about ports open or closed with the Genz, but since I went G-K, I haven't had to worry about it.

As Jim points out, there is a big spike in the MB800 EQ (and all G-K's, really) with the knobs at noon. I also concede that the MB's are very transparent. They never sound veiled or murky, even with the treble dialed way back. They are the anti-Ampeg.

That said, I had no trouble dialing out the MB800's bite. I felt I was able to get quite a dark, smooth sound out of it with some knob twisting.

My MB200 also sounds awesome with the TC112, albeit at lower levels. Like the MB500, the chip-based preamp doesn't sound quite as transparent as the discrete FET front end in the MB800. Still, the difference is very slight. Someone playing a P-Bass with flats might not even notice a difference.

The MBFusion is my new favourite, at least with the first generation TC. It sounds surprisingly close to the SS MB's, and not as "tubular" as I initially expected. Still, there's an extra bit of growl in the lower register and something in the mids, that I really appreciate.
 
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Just had a pair of special H1203's arrive on the door. I have not even had a chance yet to open the boxes.. will do that after I get the camera ready! I still don't know what I am going to use to power the cabs with yet.. my mind is really scrambled right now from all of the reading I have done!
One of the nice things about those 1203's, is that it's going to be a real easy one-hand carry into every music store within a hundred-mile radius, as you search for the perfect match.

One of the nice things about the extra attention that Duke pays to dispersion, power handling and frequency response, is that his cabs never sound really bad with anything. Still, there's a perfect complement to your 1203 stack out there. What that turns out to be will be totally subjective, and unique to your touch, your gigging environment, and your basses.

The best news, is that the amp-matching journey can be quite enjoyable. I've gone through five amps since I bought my TC112, and auditioned dozens more at music stores. Through careful trading and deciding to keep the MB200 as a backup, I've lost a relatively small amount of money in the process, and learned a lot about power specs, bandwidth, limiting, EQ, etc.
 
One of the nice things about those 1203's, is that it's going to be a real easy one-hand carry into every music store within a hundred-mile radius, as you search for the perfect match.

One of the nice things about the extra attention that Duke pays to dispersion, power handling and frequency response, is that his cabs never sound really bad with anything. Still, there's a perfect complement to your 1203 stack out there. What that turns out to be will be totally subjective, and unique to your touch, your gigging environment, and your basses.

The best news, is that the amp-matching journey can be quite enjoyable. I've gone through five amps since I bought my TC112, and auditioned dozens more at music stores. Through careful trading and deciding to keep the MB200 as a backup, I've lost a relatively small amount of money in the process, and learned a lot about power specs, bandwidth, limiting, EQ, etc.

I agree with this post 100%. It's a fun ride checking out amps and you always learn something new. You might be really surprised on the amp that fits your needs that you never even considered before. Other's opinions are interesting but it's just that, their opinion. There are many flavors of tone available.
 
Well here are a couple of pics
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Don't mind those other cabs.. I just scored them too dirt cheap.. the speakers are blown in them.. But these Hathors are mighty cute! I can see it now.. showing up for a audition and some saying.." mmmm he thinks those are going to be big enough!"
 
One of the nice things about those 1203's, is that it's going to be a real easy one-hand carry into every music store within a hundred-mile radius, as you search for the perfect match.

One of the nice things about the extra attention that Duke pays to dispersion, power handling and frequency response, is that his cabs never sound really bad with anything. Still, there's a perfect complement to your 1203 stack out there. What that turns out to be will be totally subjective, and unique to your touch, your gigging environment, and your basses.

The best news, is that the amp-matching journey can be quite enjoyable. I've gone through five amps since I bought my TC112, and auditioned dozens more at music stores. Through careful trading and deciding to keep the MB200 as a backup, I've lost a relatively small amount of money in the process, and learned a lot about power specs, bandwidth, limiting, EQ, etc.

Well in this area where I am at.. I have the local option of trying the following amps.. Shuttle 6.0, MB800 Fusion, MB200, Mesa 88 Prodigy, LH500, TC RH450 and I believe a Line 6 HD400 are the only bass amps in a store in my area .. oh.. I forgot, there is one store that has a PF350.. but that is it for the local scene as to what is try locally!
 
Is that a Recessed handle? Good Idea !!
I only wish the Low Freq Driver was behind a grill like the HiFreq Driver is. To eliminate that added circular grill and its sticking out from the cab... It would fit better in a road case and tight van pack without a case....

Yes it is a recessed handle and I love it! I can tell you that these cabs are so easy to move around, it is awesome.. I understand what your saying about the speaker grill.. Now there is something different about these cabs over the others that Duke has made.. anyone notice what it is?
 
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Yes it is a recessed handle and I love it! I can tell you that these cabs are so easy to move around, it is awesome.. I understand what your saying about the speaker grill.. Now there is something different about these cabs over the others that Duke has made.. anyone notice what it is?

The metal corners?
 
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