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Gallien-Krueger MB2-500: Part II

#543
I had a post earlier in this thread regarding my A05 head picking up radio signals, and even clipping more than it should and cut out a few times on a gig. Anyway, the great folks at GK took care of me and I just wanted to say my replacement head has been gigging two nights a week for a few months now with no problems at all!

My question is, when does the fan kick in? I always check to see if it's on and it hasn't come on yet. I'm using it in a 4 piece rock band with either a 210 cab or a 115, not super loud but it's definitely not quiet. I've never noticed the head to be hot, but I'm wondering how hot it has to get before the fan kicks in?

A side note, I bought a cool monocases bag that fits this head and all my cords/accessories perfectly - http://www.monocase.com/mono-efx-producer.asp. It's designed for a laptop but it fits the head perfectly. I treated myself to a mono bass gig bag for my birthday recently and got the matching laptop bag on a whim and couldn't be happier. The key point for me was the waterproof aspect as being on Guam I experience a lot of rain at times.
 
#545
andysvec said:
I had a post earlier in this thread regarding my A05 head picking up radio signals, and even clipping more than it should and cut out a few times on a gig. Anyway, the great folks at GK took care of me and I just wanted to say my replacement head has been gigging two nights a week for a few months now with no problems at all!

My question is, when does the fan kick in? I always check to see if it's on and it hasn't come on yet. I'm using it in a 4 piece rock band with either a 210 cab or a 115, not super loud but it's definitely not quiet. I've never noticed the head to be hot, but I'm wondering how hot it has to get before the fan kicks in?

A side note, I bought a cool monocases bag that fits this head and all my cords/accessories perfectly - http://www.monocase.com/mono-efx-producer.asp. It's designed for a laptop but it fits the head perfectly. I treated myself to a mono bass gig bag for my birthday recently and got the matching laptop bag on a whim and couldn't be happier. The key point for me was the waterproof aspect as being on Guam I experience a lot of rain at times.
Click to expand...

I have noticed that you have to push this amp a little bit before the fan cuts in and when it does, its so quiet I have to shine a flashlight on it to see if its running. If your 2 cabs are both 8 ohm, you could run them both at once to increase output to 500 watts, which may cause the fan to kick in sooner. If I crank mine and cut loose on it for about 30 minutes it usually kicks in.
 
#548
I've really been thinking about getting one of these amps recently. Lightweight, powerful and looks awesome. I've found it dead cheap, but it's in America (still works out cheaper with delivery) and I live in England.

1) If I buy the amp and it's a back version, where can I get it updated?
2) How bad is the radio interference on the latest upgrade?
3) How durable is the actual amp, has anyone damaged theres yet?
4) As the fan doesn't always run, when does it kick in?

I ask this because my local guitar store is useless, and they are terrible salesmen. £699 in England or £375 from America... it's a steal but I just wanna know a little more.
 
#549
I picked up one of these last weekend along with the 810GLX. Played one gig and the amp clipped out on several occasions. It was very unnerving as there would randomly be no bass for several seconds! Brand new speaker cable, secure connections. And I wasn't clipping the input at all. There really should be no reason for it to happen....500W @ 4ohms with a proprietary 800W 4ohm cab. This is an A05 serial # btw. I tried turning the amp down. It just didn't have the nuts at a lower level and I was struggling to hear myself. Though it sounds pretty good cranked....I can't be having dropouts. Not sure I should risk it on another gig. Might have to return it. Any suggestions or insight?
 
#550
rockguitarist said:
I picked up one of these last weekend along with the 810GLX. Played one gig and the amp clipped out on several occasions. It was very unnerving as there would randomly be no bass for several seconds! Brand new speaker cable, secure connections. And I wasn't clipping the input at all. There really should be no reason for it to happen....500W @ 4ohms with a proprietary 800W 4ohm cab. This is an A05 serial # btw. I tried turning the amp down. It just didn't have the nuts at a lower level and I was struggling to hear myself. Though it sounds pretty good cranked....I can't be having dropouts. Not sure I should risk it on another gig. Might have to return it. Any suggestions or insight?
Click to expand...

Not sure how to respond without more info. I've never had mine drop out, but if you give us exact settings and what bass your using, maybe we can advise that we push ours just as hard or harder with no issues at all. How long did it take before you noticed the random loss of volume?
 
#551
rockguitarist said:
I picked up one of these last weekend along with the 810GLX. Played one gig and the amp clipped out on several occasions. It was very unnerving as there would randomly be no bass for several seconds! Brand new speaker cable, secure connections. And I wasn't clipping the input at all. There really should be no reason for it to happen....500W @ 4ohms with a proprietary 800W 4ohm cab. This is an A05 serial # btw. I tried turning the amp down. It just didn't have the nuts at a lower level and I was struggling to hear myself. Though it sounds pretty good cranked....I can't be having dropouts. Not sure I should risk it on another gig. Might have to return it. Any suggestions or insight?
Click to expand...

Did you have "boost" engaged?
Mine shuts off randomly when I engage boost at loud volume gigs with a 4 ohm load
 
#552
No....didn't use it at all the whole night. I am concerned with your issue too though....the amp shouldn't be clipping out or shutting off regardless of channel or volume unless you are overloading the input which I have not been doing and it doesn't sound like you are either from what you wrote.
 
#553
I talked to Brian this morning, He's going to run some tests with a 4 ohm load (in my case a GB NeoX 2X12t)
He said he'll get back to me this week,
and that it might possibly be a Speaker/Cab efficiency problem,
My concern is, I'm not cranking anything and my 2X12 is barely breathing, It laughs at me and says give me more
EQ flat, slight low mid boost
-10 engaged
master 2:30
pre 9:30
contour OFF
With Boost engaged; boost at 12:00 / boost master 11:30 ish

passive P

I'll report back after hearing from Brian...

PS: I haven't had the problem when "boost" is OFF
 
#554
unclekebm said:
I talked to Brian this morning, He's going to run some tests with a 4 ohm load (in my case a GB NeoX 2X12t)
He said he'll get back to me this week,
and that it might possibly be a Speaker/Cab efficiency problem,
My concern is, I'm not cranking anything and my 2X12 is barely breathing, It laughs at me and says give me more
EQ flat, slight low mid boost
-10 engaged
master 2:30
pre 9:30
contour OFF
With Boost engaged; boost at 12:00 / boost master 11:30 ish

passive P

I'll report back after hearing from Brian...

PS: I haven't had the problem when "boost" is OFF
Click to expand...

I tried my best to duplicate your settings on mine. I'm pushing Avatar Neo 210 and a Carvin single 10 PA cab to get output at 500W. I'm on limited budget so I use what I got. I installed a toggle on the horn of the Single 10 cab so I can turn off horn to tone down the highs. I'm using a Roscoe LG3005 and all I can say is I really like the tone I get with the amp settings your using. I played for a while doing slap, finger style, chords and I got nothing but killer tone and the fan never cut on, at least not that I noticed. If there is anything I can do or try on my A05 that would be useful, just let me know. I'm still curious about how long you guys play before experiencing drop out and do you know if the fan is kickin in.
 
#555
Newbie...
Went into Bass Gallery yesterday London to buy a Shuttle 6.0 and left with an A05. (Prettier, simplier and smaller, both sound good).
Put it though it's paces for about 3 hours and WAS feeling quite impressed, I then had to move over to Headphones due to late hour. Things started to turn south...
Low B was distorting at low levels couldn't get gain above 10 o clock... Strange!
Back on it 6am this morning again using headphones and it cut out...

Having read forum.... gonna take it back in 3 hours time and switch it for the Shuttle.
Shame as I loved the Boost function.

Please feel free to comment if you think 'Don't do it....!!!'

Edit update;
After a few more hours. I’ve decided to go back to the shop and have another shootout.
Perhaps naively - I'm putting cutting out on the MB2 down to pilot error as I managed to get louder volumes through the head set. I’m now going to upgrade the SWR 250 watt 4 ohm 2x10…. to a 400 watt SWR golight junior 2X10.

Still hope for the MB2 yet!
 
#557
rockguitarist said:
I picked up one of these last weekend along with the 810GLX. Played one gig and the amp clipped out on several occasions. It was very unnerving as there would randomly be no bass for several seconds! Brand new speaker cable, secure connections. And I wasn't clipping the input at all. There really should be no reason for it to happen....500W @ 4ohms with a proprietary 800W 4ohm cab. This is an A05 serial # btw. I tried turning the amp down. It just didn't have the nuts at a lower level and I was struggling to hear myself. Though it sounds pretty good cranked....I can't be having dropouts. Not sure I should risk it on another gig. Might have to return it. Any suggestions or insight?
Click to expand...

Exactly the same issue I had on mine. Put it down to thermal cutout kicking in. I think there is not enough room inside this head to handle the heat, especially with a fan that comes on only on demand. GK swapped it for another, but it did the same, then I sold it. I couldn't be using a rig this unreliable on a gig.
 
#558
Gtrslngr said:
I tried my best to duplicate your settings on mine. I'm pushing Avatar Neo 210 and a Carvin single 10 PA cab to get output at 500W. I'm on limited budget so I use what I got. I installed a toggle on the horn of the Single 10 cab so I can turn off horn to tone down the highs. I'm using a Roscoe LG3005 and all I can say is I really like the tone I get with the amp settings your using. I played for a while doing slap, finger style, chords and I got nothing but killer tone and the fan never cut on, at least not that I noticed. If there is anything I can do or try on my A05 that would be useful, just let me know. I'm still curious about how long you guys play before experiencing drop out and do you know if the fan is kickin in.
Click to expand...

Thanks man, I tried again at last nights gig and it worked fine...
when it has cut out, the amp was still cool, maybe 2-3 songs in, But it is random...
I've got no problems with my fan, it's so quiet there's no telling when it kicks in
sometimes I reach back and feel the amp for heat and look at the fan, it works

cheers,
looking forward to Brian's findings...

ps: I've had the amp since the first week of May, played maybe 200+ sets and some rehearsals
the problem has happened 3 times and only with "Boost" engaged
 
#559
OK.....Ive had the MB2-500 for 3 gigs now. This is an A05 serial btw. Each time a different cab. I will do a brief walk through of each gig. Every gig was:
E. Ball Sterling bass, -10db pad on MB2 engaged. NEVER any clipping on input of amp.
Gig 1: w/ a GK 810GLX 8x10 cab. 800W 4ohm cab. The amp cuts out several times throughout gig. I make adjustments periodically...lowering input, output, eq settings, etc. The amp still cuts out sporadically. Frustrating.
Gig 2: Unexpected, last minute gig. I use speaker portion of Carvin 2x10 combo w/ MB2-500 as head, using high quality speaker cable directly into cab portion of combo. Personally replaced speakers in Carvin combo w/ custom artist grade Ampeg/Eminence 350W speakers running 700w @ 4ohms. No cutout...amp performs ok...but I wasn't pushing it nearly as hard as gig 1. Not ideal cabinet situation though.
Gig 3: Brand new GK Neo 4x10 cab. 800W 8ohm cab. SO....the amp should be pushing 350W into the cab. Should have no probs right???? WRONG. The amp cutout AGAIN several times throughout the night, forcing me to lower levels again..making the tone and volume not at all ideal. WHY?????? This is so incredibly frustrating. The only thing I can chalk it up to is a design flaw. As a guitar player and having over 15 years in music retail myself...I know for a fact...guitar amps...namely tube amps...do NOT react this way. Is getting an all tube bass amp the only way to avoid this unprofessional annoyance on a job???? Or is just getting an amp with ridiculous headroom...i.e. 1000w+ the only way of assuring no cutout?? I have an outdoor gig tomorrow....we'll see what happens, but this amp is VERY close to being returned and exchanged for a different model/brand. One more episode and I'm done. Unless someone can explain what the f is going on and how to correct it. At this point...I cannot recommend this amp to anyone.
 
#560
I´ve had mine about a month now and so far it works just great. I´m really pushing it through a Marshall VBC412 (4ohm). Works great on both channels with lots of volume and no clipping(eq basicly flat, contour off and gain at 12´o clock).
The knob for the give-channel does not work anymore, so i (have to)only use the footswitch. Will have it fixed later on.
I really like the bottom and volume in this tiny little amp, will never get a heavier amp again!
 

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