Double Bass Gallien-Krueger 200mb speaker replacement

[eadg52]

I have a chance to aquire an old GK 200MB combo cheap but it needs a new speaker. Has anyone ever done this job themselves? Is it straightforward (i'm not really a techie but I think I could manage) and what, if any, are the options for which speaker I could use apart from a GK?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

 

[Mark Perna]

The speaker in the 200 mB is a fairly common Celestion speaker. The only problem is getting to it. In the 200 mB you have to pretty much take the cabinet completely apart. There are 30-40 screws. Use an electric screwdriver and keep track of your screws as you go. It took me a couple of hours to take it apart, switch out the speaker and put it back together. It's doable but a bigger job than with any other cabinet.

mark

 

[eadg52]

The speaker in the 200 mB is a fairly common Celestion speaker. The only problem is getting to it. In the 200 mB you have to pretty much take the cabinet completely apart. There are 30-40 screws. Use an electric screwdriver and keep track of your screws as you go. It took me a couple of hours to take it apart, switch out the speaker and put it back together. It's doable but a bigger job than with any other cabinet.

mark

Thank you Mark, I will probablly go for it then.

Steve

 

[robgrow]

The speaker used in the GK 200MB was made by Pyle (not Celestion). This speaker is no longer available however. A replacement, which is made by Eminence and used in the GK MB150 series, is available directly from Gallien Krueger for about $100 USD. I have compared the Pyle and Eminence speakers side by side, and the overall sound is identical.

 

[tornadobass]

I opened a 200MB once and noticed it had a black sticky gasket, too. Just one more thing to watch in taking it apart.

BTW, I'm curious about the one I had...the logo was pink and blue rather than just gray. What era would that have been from?

 

[Mark Perna]

The speaker used in the GK 200MB was made by Pyle (not Celestion). This speaker is no longer available however. A replacement, which is made by Eminence and used in the GK MB150 series, is available directly from Gallien Krueger for about $100 USD. I have compared the Pyle and Eminence speakers side by side, and the overall sound is identical.

You're right. It was years ago. Sorry.

 

[Tenma4]

For anyone attempting this project it might be beneficial to play around with specs in WinISD concerning Pyle speakers. I've had great success with them. For my money, I've found I'd buy a Pyle about any day over an Eminence. Pyle is so much cheaper and I've never had less than excellent results.

 

[fdeck]

I have searched for an off-the-shelf driver with specs appropriate to duplicate the MB150 speaker. No luck. The GK driver should do the trick.

If the only problem with the speaker is that the foam surround is rotted away, you can buy a DIY surround replacement kit from Parts Express.

 

[robgrow]

For anyone attempting this project it might be beneficial to play around with specs in WinISD concerning Pyle speakers. I've had great success with them. For my money, I've found I'd buy a Pyle about any day over an Eminence. Pyle is so much cheaper and I've never had less than excellent results.

The drivers used in the GK MB series amps have all been made by Pyle or Eminence to GK's specifications. They are OEM parts and not off-the-shelf speakers. I have both versions of the GK MB series speaker (from Pyle and Eminence), and, for all practical purposes, they are identical, physically and sonically.

 

[fdeck]

The drivers used in the GK MB series amps have all been made by Pyle or Eminence to GK's specifications. They are OEM parts and not off-the-shelf speakers. I have both versions of the GK MB series speaker (from Pyle and Eminence), and, for all practical purposes, they are identical, physically and sonically.

This seems quite plausible, as the small box itself imposes some rather stringent requirements on the driver. It must have a heavy (therefore stiff) cone and a soft suspension. Not much else dictates the tone of the driver in a very small closed box.

 

[drurb]

If you want to restore the performance as close as possible to the original, give the company a call. In my experience, the engineering staff of such companies is usually happy to provide advice and guidance. If it were me, I would buy one of the OEM drivers that the company had made to spec. Often they will supply them for a reasonable cost.

 

[winston]

I'll second the opinions that have already been stated:

--If nothing is wrong with the speaker beside the foam surround, it's not too expensive to fix. I paid $30 to get my 200MB's speaker professionally refoamed, and it's served me well on hundreds of gigs/rehearsals since.

--GK customer service is great!

--When you take the little bugger apart, keep track of the different screws. It's probably time to replace the rubber gaskets; I used foam weatherstripping for mine, and isolated the transformer with felt washers.

Best of luck!

 

[eadg52]

If you want to restore the performance as close as possible to the original, give the company a call. In my experience, the engineering staff of such companies is usually happy to provide advice and guidance. If it were me, I would buy one of the OEM drivers that the company had made to spec. Often they will supply them for a reasonable cost.

I did just that today after I found the UK dealer for GK (Beyer actually). They have a direct replacement 12", 8ohm, 80watt speaker for the MB200. It could take up to six weeks to deliver due their shipping frequency from abroad but that's a small price to pay I suppose.
Thanks to you and all the other posters for your advice, it's been most helpful.

Steve

 

[Nils Ö]

You can also get them from Thomann, Germany. They seem to have them for immediate delivery, so it would only take a few days.

You will probably have to lubricate the screws/nuts that hold the speaker in place to get them off, and the cabinet literally needs to be bent apart as the gaskets stick. Otherwise it is not very hard to do it yourself, and no soldering should be required.

 

[Jon P.]

I have a Gallien-Krueger MB200 that was apparently made in 1988 (from the date on the back). The speaker quit (foam was shot, and the cone was looking ratty). I ordered a new one from GK (the 12" replacement for the current MB150 -- it's made by Eminence.

I've replaced the speaker and buttoned the amp back up, using the old weatherstripping/seals. I now get a very bad buzz on any note below the octave A (7th fret on the D string) at anything greater that very low volume. Higher notes or very low volumes sound fine - no buzz. I suspect that something's loose. I may not have bolted the speaker tight enough to the front of the amp (the baffle?) -- should that seal be airtight? There was no gasket on the old speaker. The new one came with a gasket, but I didn't use it, since the old one didn't have one. Should I reinstall it with the gasket?

All of the other screws (and there are about 40) are tight. I could seal the joints with rubber RTV sealer to make the box airtight -- it looks like there was some kind of flexible sealer on the old weatherstripping. Should I do that?

Thanks in advance

Jon

 

[Wihlford]

I have a Gallien-Krueger MB200 that was apparently made in 1988 (from the date on the back). The speaker quit (foam was shot, and the cone was looking ratty). I ordered a new one from GK (the 12" replacement for the current MB150 -- it's made by Eminence.

I've replaced the speaker and buttoned the amp back up, using the old weatherstripping/seals. I now get a very bad buzz on any note below the octave A (7th fret on the D string) at anything greater that very low volume. Higher notes or very low volumes sound fine - no buzz. I suspect that something's loose. I may not have bolted the speaker tight enough to the front of the amp (the baffle?) -- should that seal be airtight? There was no gasket on the old speaker. The new one came with a gasket, but I didn't use it, since the old one didn't have one. Should I reinstall it with the gasket?

All of the other screws (and there are about 40) are tight. I could seal the joints with rubber RTV sealer to make the box airtight -- it looks like there was some kind of flexible sealer on the old weatherstripping. Should I do that?

Thanks in advance

Jon

Hello
I have just the same problem with my GK mb 200
Did You find a solution to the buzz??

Peace
Wihlford

 

[fdeck]

Hello
I have just the same problem with my GK mb 200
Did You find a solution to the buzz??

Peace
Wihlford

The first thing to look for is if the surround is torn. It might require removing the grill to inspect. Second is an air leak. Being careful not to damage your hearing, you might be able to localize the buzz.

 

[Wihlford]

The first thing to look for is if the surround is torn. It might require removing the grill to inspect. Second is an air leak. Being careful not to damage your hearing, you might be able to localize the buzz.

By surround You mean a gasket in the front of the speaker??

 

[Wihlford]

Hello
I have just the same problem with my GK mb 200
Did You find a solution to the buzz??

Peace
Wihlford

I think I´ve solved the problem
I Recorded some low notes and looped them
and listened for any leakage
I found a tiny hole under the cabinet that made a great deal of bad buzz
so I put a screw in the hole and now my old GK sounds fine

 

[fdeck]

By surround You mean a gasket in the front of the speaker??

Good work fixing the leak. Just for completeness, the surround is the rubbery material between the cone and the basket.