Gallien-Krueger MB800

[nervous]

Cannot agree more, My MB800 was one of the first shipped and has worked without incident of any type since and has been used at close to a hundred gigs and rehearsals. Yes there is a slight hiss but this is not a bedroom amp, It is a gigging amp meant to be used at spl that require hearing protection. The thing about GK is that real people answer their phones and they will do everyting and anything to satisfy their customers, and since moving all production to the USA, there will be growing pains, not to mention that Mr. Galiien himself monitors the forum. Any way my .02 cents, peace

I got to use mine for a loud, full night for the first time last night with the full band and it worked without incident. I picked this up used from fine TBer bb03 with the full disclosure that it had some initial issues but just came back from a factory repair that replaced the i/o board. I'll be honest I had a small bit of apprehension buying a 'problem' unit but hell it's just a bit of gear with replaceable stuff so I jumped in. And, anyone who has ever owned a Mesa M9 (myself included) can attest that having to have the factory sort some issues out is not unheard of or impossible nor does it mean buying a unit that has been factory sorted is necessarily a bad thing, in fact in that case it's preferred and an often mentioned positive selling point.

That said however, until it stays this way long enough for me to really be 100% confident that all is worked out it will be in the back of my mind but I figure that GK has had enough time, complaints, returns and repairs on this issue that they should have it figured out. Last nights very quiet, non-hissy/whiney flawlessly functioning hammer of a unit might indicate that they do.

 

[Road-Dog]

400rb-owned since the 80's- no problems ever
800rb-owned since the 90's- no problem ever
mb200-owned for a couple years- no problem ever
mb800-owned since 1st of this year- no problem ever
As far as I am concerned Gk gear is solid and reliable!

 

[dougjwray]

400rb-owned since the 80's- no problems ever
800rb-owned since the 90's- no problem ever
mb200-owned for a couple years- no problem ever
mb800-owned since 1st of this year- no problem ever
As far as I am concerned Gk gear is solid and reliable!

+1
In my case, it's a 400RB (since '85), a 1001RBII (since '08) and an MB200 (since last June). Never a problem, except for an input jack on the 400RB which needed to be replaced after decades of gigs, a few years ago.

 

[nervous]

Hey, anyone using a different footswitch than the stock unit, something like the Boss FS-5L or similar?

I have, and it does. Perfectly...

 

[Pedulla-Player]

The MB800 is in my final three choices for a new head. I read in this thread where some people had a whining / hissing issue and that some people said that the fan was loud when it kicks on. Is this a common issue or has the situation been rectified since its first release?

 

[nervous]

The MB800 is in my final three choices for a new head. I read in this thread where some people had a whining / hissing issue and that some people said that the fan was loud when it kicks on. Is this a common issue or has the situation been rectified since its first release?

What are the other two choices?

And while I can't speak to production changes I can log my vote for one with no issues whatsoever. Haven't noticed the fans yet either.

 

[Pedulla-Player]

What are the other two choices?

And while I can't speak to production changes I can log my vote for one with no issues whatsoever. Haven't noticed the fans yet either.

All my choices are GK. The Fusion 550 and MB Fusion 500.

 

[Pedulla-Player]

After reading many posts about the three amps that I am interested in I think that I am going to go with the MB 800. I bought an Fusion 550 a few weeks ago but it had a crackling issue (I'm sure some of you read about this in my posts in different threads) so I returned it to MF. The 550 sounded amazing (when it wasn't crackling - may have been a bad tube) and I was really on the fence about trying another one. The motorized knobs on the 550 seem cool , but they also scare me as 'one more thing that could go wrong'. The more I think about it - If I can get a nice warm and punchy tone from clean to growl without tubes (and the possibility of tube failure) - why not?? The MB 800 paired with the two GK Neo 212-II cabs that I have coming (back ordered on MF at the moment) should handle any gig that I can throw at it. I can use one cab at 500 watts for my small bar gigs and both cabs at 800 watts for larger venues and outdoor gigs. I'm glad that I finally have made my decision (99% sure at least ) and will place my order tomorrow.

 

[Bassist30]

After reading many posts about the three amps that I am interested in I think that I am going to go with the MB 800. I bought an Fusion 550 a few weeks ago but it had a crackling issue (I'm sure some of you read about this in my posts in different threads) so I returned it to MF. The 550 sounded amazing (when it wasn't crackling - may have been a bad tube) and I was really on the fence about trying another one. The motorized knobs on the 550 seem cool , but they also scare me as 'one more thing that could go wrong'. The more I think about it - If I can get a nice warm and punchy tone from clean to growl without tubes (and the possibility of tube failure) - why not?? The MB 800 paired with the two GK Neo 212-II cabs that I have coming (back ordered on MF at the moment) should handle any gig that I can throw at it. I can use one cab at 500 watts for my small bar gigs and both cabs at 800 watts for larger venues and outdoor gigs. I'm glad that I finally have made my decision (99% sure at least ) and will place my order tomorrow.

Congratulations. You will be very happy with the results of your decision. Pics of your setup once its here please.

 

[Pedulla-Player]

Thanks and will do. I'll also post some comments about it after I have some time under my belt with it.

 

[2milehighspike]

The MB800 and 2 NEO 2x12s is a great rig, you will love it! the fan thing is a non issue, you will not hear it when in use, you may hear pictures coming off the wall hitting the floor though.

 

[Pedulla-Player]

Just ordered my MB 800. It should be here Wednesday. Unfortunately I can't try it out until my back-ordered GK Neo 212-II cabs arrive around the beginning of February.

 

[packhowitzer]

The MB800 is in my final three choices for a new head. I read in this thread where some people had a whining / hissing issue and that some people said that the fan was loud when it kicks on. Is this a common issue or has the situation been rectified since its first release?

the track in my signature was recorded with a mic'd MB800 (no di). the fan was going on and off throughout all the takes i did. it reminds me of the fan in a laptop in terms of noise. take a listen and see if you can hear it being an issue.

In a live situation, you'll never hear it. ever. in a recording situation or a quiet practice type of deal. sure, you might hear it spin up for a minute as it dissipates some heat. but you know, i'm surrounded by all kinds of electronics these days. they all have fans. my work computer, my laptop, my playstation. if i concentrate, yeah, i can hear 'em. are they ever deal breakers for me when juxtaposed against the eminent convenience these devices offer? nah. not for a minute.

Im sure there is some delicate situation where the fan noise of the MB800 would not be acceptable. i never come across any of those situations in my day to day life. and for the benifits of price, power, weight, and over all kick-a$$ sound- a little moving air is a welcome trade off.
ymmv

 

[TK4261]

the track in my signature was recorded with a mic'd MB800 (no di). the fan was going on and off throughout all the takes i did. it reminds me of the fan in a laptop in terms of noise. take a listen and see if you can hear it being an issue.

In a live situation, you'll never hear it. ever. in a recording situation or a quiet practice type of deal. sure, you might hear it spin up for a minute as it dissipates some heat. but you know, i'm surrounded by all kinds of electronics these days. they all have fans. my work computer, my laptop, my playstation. if i concentrate, yeah, i can hear 'em. are they ever deal breakers for me when juxtaposed against the eminent convenience these devices offer? nah. not for a minute.

Im sure there is some delicate situation where the fan noise of the MB800 would not be acceptable. i never come across any of those situations in my day to day life. and for the benifits of price, power, weight, and over all kick-a$$ sound- a little moving air is a welcome trade off.
ymmv

Sound clip sounded great I listened a couple of times and really could not hear a thing as far fan noise goes.
It has got me thinking to just pick up an MB800 now. I have the MB Fusion 800 on pre-order but no one really knows if and when it will ever be released.

 

[packhowitzer]

Sound clip sounded great I listened a couple of times and really could not hear a thing as far fan noise goes.
It has got me thinking to just pick up an MB800 now. I have the MB Fusion 800 on pre-order but no one really knows if and when it will ever be released.

hey thanks for the compliment! i hope it helps you make a decision. the MB800 is not perfect, but let me just say- it is amazing how little you have to mess with this thing. eq at noon with little tweaks and that's it. look at the amps in my avatar. they are great amps but im always hunting for "that sound".

i've been playing for 20 years but i've only used GK since 2010. with very little effort, i can always hear myself in a mix. it sounds good in a band situation and it sounds good at home by myself.

im not trying to be too gushy about GK. Im really not. but i admire well thoughtout and implemented tools. Bob Gallien really nailed it on this one. And i guess the jury's still out on if you could actually get one of these things serviced. it seems that most of the compentents inside it are not really replaceable. but all of our electronics are moving toward disposable unfortunately (no more tv repair men....).

So it try to look at it like this. If i look after this thing in the same way i would, say, a laptop (which isn't hard to do- it's small and light) I have no reason to think i can't get ten or fifteen years out of it. and i got it for just over 6 bones with a coupon?? that's not a bad deal in my book for all the benefits this thing has. and when this one craps out. i'll get another one.

 

[Pedulla-Player]

the track in my signature was recorded with a mic'd MB800 (no di). the fan was going on and off throughout all the takes i did. it reminds me of the fan in a laptop in terms of noise. take a listen and see if you can hear it being an issue.

In a live situation, you'll never hear it. ever. in a recording situation or a quiet practice type of deal. sure, you might hear it spin up for a minute as it dissipates some heat. but you know, i'm surrounded by all kinds of electronics these days. they all have fans. my work computer, my laptop, my playstation. if i concentrate, yeah, i can hear 'em. are they ever deal breakers for me when juxtaposed against the eminent convenience these devices offer? nah. not for a minute.

Im sure there is some delicate situation where the fan noise of the MB800 would not be acceptable. i never come across any of those situations in my day to day life. and for the benifits of price, power, weight, and over all kick-a$$ sound- a little moving air is a welcome trade off.
ymmv

Sounds great!

 

[packhowitzer]

Sounds great!

Thanks for the compliment! I hope it helps you make a decision in some small way. And again, I don't how absolutely whisper-quiet your needs might be compared to mine.

I know for myself, I can play any bar/outdoor gig with my MB800 without worrying for a nanosecond about excess fan noise or electronic whine.

And i can record myself in my (admittedly amateurish) home studio setup without any hassles. Like i said the fan usually goes like this on mine:

I'll have the amp on and playing for a while, say, a half hour, and i'll pause as one does when jamming alone or pause between takes of recording. I'll hear the fan kick on. It's not a continuous type of fan as might be found in tube amp or older lead-sled type head. It is a computer style fan meant to come on only when needed at high RPMs. It's loud enough to be heard in my 10x12 music room when there is no other sound. It stays on for maybe 2 minutes as it blows off the heat. Then goes quiet again. The second I play a note, if the fan is even still on, it is lost behind the sound of my bass.

Maybe, maaaaaaaybe, if i was doing some kind of really sensitive jazz-type upright recording (which isn't my bag, but just for argument's sake)- it might become a factor. But in that case, how hard is it to wait for two minutes, let the fan cycle off, and do the next take. Not to mention, in any kind of situation like that, the head would probably be running at about minimum volume anyway so the fan would barely be needed. I play through 8 10s most of the time and with the gain at 11 oclock and the master at literally less than 9 o'clock, this thing rumbles my whole house. with a load that light on it, the fan is rarely needed.

And i'm not saying those who have a beef with the fan noise are being too sensitive about it, but I think i have very typical need in terms of the average user and it really is a non-factor for me.

 

[Dave W]

I know for myself, I can play any bar/outdoor gig with my MB800 without worrying for a nanosecond about excess fan noise or electronic whine.

Fan noise doesn't bother me either, but the electronic whine on the other hand was a big distraction.

On my brand spankin' new MB800, it put out enough high pitched whine to hear clearly in a loud bar while playing with a loud band. There was definitely something wrong with it...

 

[packhowitzer]

Fan noise doesn't bother me either, but the electronic whine on the other hand was a big distraction.

On my brand spankin' new MB800, it put out enough high pitched whine to hear clearly in a loud bar while playing with a loud band. There was definitely something wrong with it...

yeah man, that DEFINITELY sounds like a warranty issue.... that's a bummer...

 

[Pedulla-Player]

Fan noise doesn't bother me either, but the electronic whine on the other hand was a big distraction.

On my brand spankin' new MB800, it put out enough high pitched whine to hear clearly in a loud bar while playing with a loud band. There was definitely something wrong with it...

I can handle a little fan noise , but if mine whines I'm returning it.