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Gallien-Krueger MB800

#341
4-string said:
The Big Twin is simply amazing though, but with that particular cab I prefer a more open and uncompressed low end than the RH750 delivers. Cue MZb800...;)
Click to expand...

No doubt the MB800 is going to give you lots of big, wide, open, uncompressed low end with which to play...pretty much the polar opposite of the TC heads' voicing, if I've gathered correctly. Since the Kappalite 3012LF woofers in that Big Twin will be able to reproduce pretty much whatever the MB gives them, your low end should be really impressive.

In fact, with the modern clarity of the MB head, and the relative balance & transparency of that Barefaced cab, the net effect should be very modern, balanced, clean & punchy.

MM
 
#342
Picked up the MB800 today, and got to test drive it for an hour or so. Not bad...:)

Just like my (now sold) MK-500 it has no problem being loud and clear, deep and clean. With the MK-500 though I relatively easily could hit the rails, where it simply was out of steam. Of course that was loud.....but the MB800 seems to have considerably more headroom available. And to lose 80% of the weight at the same time, win-win. :)

I left my main gigging band, so I don't know when I will be able to gig it. I have a couple of smaller gigs coming up, so perhaps I will run it through just my RS210.

Also, I have to say that for each new amp I get to try I get a bit more impressed with the TC RH750. Yes, it doesn't have the open lows of some others, but as far as volume and tone go it certainly is an amazing amp IMO.

Long rambling post - cool to have two heads that sound great without killing my back. :)
 
#343
4-string said:
Picked up the MB800 today, and got to test drive it for an hour or so. Not bad...:)

Just like my (now sold) MK-500 it has no problem being loud and clear, deep and clean. With the MK-500 though I relatively easily could hit the rails, where it simply was out of steam. Of course that was loud.....but the MB800 seems to have considerably more headroom available. And to lose 80% of the weight at the same time, win-win. :)

I left my main gigging band, so I don't know when I will be able to gig it. I have a couple of smaller gigs coming up, so perhaps I will run it through just my RS210.

Also, I have to say that for each new amp I get to try I get a bit more impressed with the TC RH750. Yes, it doesn't have the open lows of some others, but as far as volume and tone go it certainly is an amazing amp IMO.

Long rambling post - cool to have two heads that sound great without killing my back. :)
Click to expand...

Be careful. That much power can be intoxicating:D Believe me, I know cause I just had to replace 2 speakers in my 210:help: It was my fault for giving in to the dark side one too many times lol
 
#344
4-string said:
Picked up the MB800 today, and got to test drive it for an hour or so. Not bad...:)

Just like my (now sold) MK-500 it has no problem being loud and clear, deep and clean. With the MK-500 though I relatively easily could hit the rails, where it simply was out of steam. Of course that was loud.....but the MB800 seems to have considerably more headroom available. And to lose 80% of the weight at the same time, win-win. :)

I left my main gigging band, so I don't know when I will be able to gig it. I have a couple of smaller gigs coming up, so perhaps I will run it through just my RS210.

Also, I have to say that for each new amp I get to try I get a bit more impressed with the TC RH750. Yes, it doesn't have the open lows of some others, but as far as volume and tone go it certainly is an amazing amp IMO.

Long rambling post - cool to have two heads that sound great without killing my back. :)
Click to expand...

Agreed! I always go back and realise the RH amps are brilliant!
 
#345
I have spent quite a few hours with the MB800 now, and I have to say it is an impressive amp. Especially for the price and size!

Stupid headroom and volume, and my fretless really sings through it. :) I am not totally in love with the upper mids though - not that there's too much of them, just would have liked it a little bit cleaner. A small hi mid cut, and a tad of contour (never expected to do either!) will smooth it out quite well.

For some reason I expected it to be a bit toy-like, but it seems to be very well built. Love the illuminated knobs! The weight is just perfect of course. :)

A nod to Alex at Barefaced - even the small and lightweight MB800 sits absolutely still on top of the Big Twin, even at stupid volume levels. That cab is certainly built extremely well!

I have a 30-day return option on the MB800, I think I will just keep it. :)
 
#346
4-string said:
I have spent quite a few hours with the MB800 now, and I have to say it is an impressive amp. Especially for the price and size!

Stupid headroom and volume, and my fretless really sings through it. :) I am not totally in love with the upper mids though - not that there's too much of them, just would have liked it a little bit cleaner. A small hi mid cut, and a tad of contour (never expected to do either!) will smooth it out quite well.

For some reason I expected it to be a bit toy-like, but it seems to be very well built. Love the illuminated knobs! The weight is just perfect of course. :)

A nod to Alex at Barefaced - even the small and lightweight MB800 sits absolutely still on top of the Big Twin, even at stupid volume levels. That cab is certainly built extremely well!

I have a 30-day return option on the MB800, I think I will just keep it. :)
Click to expand...

Thank you for the bolded the part of your quote above (my editing).
I was just about to post that question here regarding taming the upper mids.
 
#348
I've had my MB800 for about 8 months and I just found occasion to use the Contour knob this past week. I just got in a new Dually from BNA Audio and it has way more highs and mids than my Ampeg 810 and 410HLF, so I was playing around with the EQ settings a lot. Turns out just a touch of the Contour smoothed things out about right for my taste. The mid scoop always seemed like overkill through my other cabs. Still using it rather sparingly though.
 
#349
4-string said:
...I am not totally in love with the upper mids though - not that there's too much of them, just would have liked it a little bit cleaner. A small hi mid cut, and a tad of contour (never expected to do either!) will smooth it out quite well...
Click to expand...

On the bench, the first thing I noticed about my MB800, was the huge treble boost.

It actually takes a slight push in the upper mids to get the frequency response flat, so depending on your cabs and taste, another way to reduce the "G-K grind" is to dial the treble back. The EQ curves are very musical, and you can still get usable tones with the treble control almost off.

One of the things I've grown to love about this amp, is that it's something of a chameleon. I can get from an angry grind, to a smooth, hi-fi purity (or even an old-school thump), with just a few twists of the knobs.
 
#350
steve_rolfeca said:
On the bench, the first thing I noticed about my MB800, was the huge treble boost.

It actually takes a slight push in the upper mids to get the frequency response flat, so depending on your cabs and taste, another way to reduce the "G-K grind" is to dial the treble back. The EQ curves are very musical, and you can still get usable tones with the treble control almost off.

One of the things I've grown to love about this amp, is that it's something of a chameleon. I can get from an angry grind, to a smooth, hi-fi purity (or even an old-school thump), with just a few twists of the knobs.
Click to expand...


Very cool!

Thanks for the info.
Exactly what I was looking for.
 
#352
steve_rolfeca said:
On the bench, the first thing I noticed about my MB800, was the huge treble boost.

It actually takes a slight push in the upper mids to get the frequency response flat, so depending on your cabs and taste, another way to reduce the "G-K grind" is to dial the treble back. The EQ curves are very musical, and you can still get usable tones with the treble control almost off.

One of the things I've grown to love about this amp, is that it's something of a chameleon. I can get from an angry grind, to a smooth, hi-fi purity (or even an old-school thump), with just a few twists of the knobs.
Click to expand...

AND guessing this easily applies to the MB500 too? I just traded a TBer last week my LMII for his MB500. I found it abit too grindy with my 4 ohm, TB153 cab; its's got that 6" mid and a tweet. I need to spend more time with it and some of these new settings suggested here too. Kinda GAS-in for the MB800. But this little MB500 already sounds huge.
 
#353
steve_rolfeca said:
On the bench, the first thing I noticed about my MB800, was the huge treble boost.

It actually takes a slight push in the upper mids to get the frequency response flat, so depending on your cabs and taste, another way to reduce the "G-K grind" is to dial the treble back. The EQ curves are very musical, and you can still get usable tones with the treble control almost off.
Click to expand...

If you Link Removed, you can see the settings Tom Lees used for the "optimally flat" settings in his technical review of the MB800 in Bass Gear Magazine issue #8. He cut the treble and bass both a little bit, and boosted both mids a little bit.
 
#356
I have lived with the MB800 for a while now, and I'm quite impressed. The wide uncompressed lows makes the b-string breathe, and this amp really cuts though. I just roll of off the treble a bit and leave the rest flat, works always! This is one of those amps that might not impress you in the shop(exept form the headroom), but really shines on stage!
 
#359
bugbass said:
I have lived with the MB800 for a while now, and I'm quite impressed. The wide uncompressed lows makes the b-string breathe, and this amp really cuts though. I just roll of off the treble a bit and leave the rest flat, works always! This is one of those amps that might not impress you in the shop(exept form the headroom), but really shines on stage!
Click to expand...

+1
But because of the size, i have put up with the sniggles of old school bassist. That is untill they hear the sound that this lil beast produces, then all of a sudden i get flooded with questions lol. It puts out how much? Really? Dang!!! Where can i get one? How much does it weigh? Wowwww!!! Lol:bassist:
 
#360
I received my MB800 last Friday and tinkered with it over the weekend. I love it!
Currently its just powering an old BLX 115 cab with an 8 ohm 400w Celestion speaker and slaving (due to impedance) my old Backline 600 which powers my two 1x10 Promethean cabs.
Strange setup, I know, but its just kinda happened that way. I get a great tone from the eq, and I am able to monitor and adjust volume between the 10s and 15 without incredibly overpowering any of the cabs.

Practice and a show later this week, I'll test out the full band scenario and the D.I.
 

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