Gallien-Krueger MB800

[B-string]

Be careful.
That's a lot of amp!

My thoughts as well! Don't let the small size fool you, it is a hammer (capable of over 1,000 watts burst).

 

[Dr3thepooner]

I had tried using headphones out on MB800 (switch position 1) as per manual, with cab plugged in, and was surprised it did not mute the cab. So cabinet is producing sound as well as i can hear it in the headphones.

Could someone please confirm, if this is intended functionality and i didn't get another citric fruit again :| ?

 

[B-string]

I had tried using headphones out on MB800 (switch position 1) as per manual, with cab plugged in, and was surprised it did not mute the cab. So cabinet is producing sound as well as i can hear it in the headphones.

Could someone please confirm, if this is intended functionality and i didn't get another citric fruit again :| ?

According to the block diagram in the owner's manual the headphone power comes from the speaker output so it would not mute.

 

[Kikegg]

Looking to buy one of them (MB500 or MB800) I have one -perhaps silly- question.

My cabinet is a 500w @ 4 ohms EBS Classic 2x12. Would this cabinet handle the MB800 watts -not at full volume at this time- or should I better get the MB500?

Thanks.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Be careful.
That's a lot of amp!

You ain't just whistlin' Dixie there my friends
The LDS 2x8 3way (8OHM) I was only(?) pushing 500w the cab is conservatively rated at 400w so I'm in the safe zone.

Report:
I walk in with my gear- Warwick FNA 5'r, MIM P 4, cable MB800 and the LDS. (ONE TRIP)
Now these guys have not seen the LDS before (only the Markbass JB combo) and go "OOOh New Cab pretty!" I smile, they say need a hand to grab your Amp? I said yeah grab that laptop bag and bring it here. The singer/guitarist reaches in and sees the diminutive GK and says "new Effect?" I say no, 800w head- (him>>)-------

I'm cabling the rig, drummer walks up and says "really? is that tiny thing going to be enough?" (now it's not like we play at screaming volumes (a little louder than coffee house, normal conversation can still be heard *barely*)
I flip switch preset knobs to Flat-ish with contour at min.
Master @ 1 o'clock gain at jus' off 0 ---- and launch into a bar or two of "Hot Stuff" Donna Summer.., switch to slapping RHCP Higher Ground..... and they look like this......

Loud Tight low end goodness...
highly detailed and defined HUUUUUGE sound... (tiny cab/head)

Launch into the set, I'm tweaking the settings just a bit. We finish the song and the lead guitarist, who is a gear whore and a tone snob comments "that is hands down the best bass tone I have ever heard in person."now if only my playing lived up to the tone
With the Markbass the tone is awesome, don't get me wrong!
just this is different, more present and "intimate"

The Warwick F.N.A. 5 (favorite bass) usually i have compressor on because the upper strings seem to get "lost" a bit with the Markbass.

I was running no effects, EQ on bass flat just the MB800 and the cab WOW everything just POPPED right out-- Growl city on the low notes (0 drive completely clean) touch sensitivity was just through the roof higher strings--- audible like never before (and no did not have the tweeter engaged)

(dynamics on allman brothers melissa)
followed by U2 One... Sweet Sweet tones.

MIM P-bass Seymour Duncan QP3--Elixers, low action, Full Guards foam under bridge cover.... playing with a pick, (TB haters stop it now!) forward of the pickup cover. tone rolled off 1/2
Everclear - Santa Monica
into Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
(punch> check, Woomp and grind> check -- channel B overdrive DOUBLE CHECK)

Punk Time : Ramones - Sedated (channel B tone open wide)
Greenday-Basket Case
GRIND GRIND frets Buzzing, Strings zinging (yes even with foam)
yet still punchy....

ok summary..............

OMG WOW!

 

[Chef]

I use the MBF500/800 with either my 2x8 or 4x8, but, judiciously.
They sound ridiculous good with that head.

 

[B-string]

Welcome to G-K

 

[Dr3thepooner]

Btw, just posted that in another thread...

I was being able to record MB800 going into my USB interface to PC.
I was looking to accomplish this for a long time, tried DI out, and line out which did not work too well with PC (too much background noise).

But yesterday i tried FX Send - > into USB interface -> into PC and then Amplitube or Guitar Rig or any software and hell yes ! Amazing tone to work with.

 

[Kikegg]

Which usb interface are you using? I use the Line6 pod hd300 into the pc line-in without any noises but around 240 or 260 milis lag. Not a big issue as I have Audacity configured accordingly.

Regards

 

[Dr3thepooner]

I use pretty much the cheapest USB interface you can find - its called Guitar Link by Beringer.

I still did not get from your post, which output are you using out of MB800? DI or Line out?

 

[Kikegg]

I use pretty much the cheapest USB interface you can find - its called Guitar Link by Beringer.

I still did not get from your post, which output are you using out of MB800? DI or Line out?

Well, I don't own a MB800 yet. I bought the MB200 some months ago I was impressed... it sounded very nice with the EBS cabinet so it's the combo I'm using. At home I use the Line6 POD HD300's Fender Bassman simulation via POD headphones out to PC's line-in.

Cheers.

 

[Dr3thepooner]

Ya I was talking about trying to record 800W head into my PC : ) without the mixer board.

 

[DougD]

Ya I was talking about trying to record 800W head into my PC : ) without the mixer board.

You can find usb mixers new for less than a hundred bucks. Use the amp di straight to the board, simple and fairly cheap.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

You ain't just whistlin' Dixie there my friends
The LDS 2x8 3way (8OHM) I was only(?) pushing 500w the cab is conservatively rated at 400w so I'm in the safe zone.

Report:
I walk in with my gear- Warwick FNA 5'r, MIM P 4, cable MB800 and the LDS. (ONE TRIP)
Now these guys have not seen the LDS before (only the Markbass JB combo) and go "OOOh New Cab pretty!" I smile, they say need a hand to grab your Amp? I said yeah grab that laptop bag and bring it here. The singer/guitarist reaches in and sees the diminutive GK and says "new Effect?" I say no, 800w head- (him>>)-------

I'm cabling the rig, drummer walks up and says "really? is that tiny thing going to be enough?" (now it's not like we play at screaming volumes (a little louder than coffee house, normal conversation can still be heard *barely*)
I flip switch preset knobs to Flat-ish with contour at min.
Master @ 1 o'clock gain at jus' off 0 ---- and launch into a bar or two of "Hot Stuff" Donna Summer.., switch to slapping RHCP Higher Ground..... and they look like this......

Loud Tight low end goodness...
highly detailed and defined HUUUUUGE sound... (tiny cab/head)

Launch into the set, I'm tweaking the settings just a bit. We finish the song and the lead guitarist, who is a gear whore and a tone snob comments "that is hands down the best bass tone I have ever heard in person."now if only my playing lived up to the tone
With the Markbass the tone is awesome, don't get me wrong!
just this is different, more present and "intimate"

The Warwick F.N.A. 5 (favorite bass) usually i have compressor on because the upper strings seem to get "lost" a bit with the Markbass.

I was running no effects, EQ on bass flat just the MB800 and the cab WOW everything just POPPED right out-- Growl city on the low notes (0 drive completely clean) touch sensitivity was just through the roof higher strings--- audible like never before (and no did not have the tweeter engaged)

(dynamics on allman brothers melissa)
followed by U2 One... Sweet Sweet tones.

MIM P-bass Seymour Duncan QP3--Elixers, low action, Full Guards foam under bridge cover.... playing with a pick, (TB haters stop it now!) forward of the pickup cover. tone rolled off 1/2
Everclear - Santa Monica
into Gin Blossoms - Hey Jealousy
(punch> check, Woomp and grind> check -- channel B overdrive DOUBLE CHECK)

Punk Time : Ramones - Sedated (channel B tone open wide)
Greenday-Basket Case
GRIND GRIND frets Buzzing, Strings zinging (yes even with foam)
yet still punchy....

ok summary..............

OMG WOW!

Ok now for a gig report:
Played a backyard (3 acre) in Morgan Hill with the Space Cookies.
Setup:
3 band bill:
Lyin'I's (Eagles tribute band -- killer !!)
Horatio Monroe (Solo singer guitarist Awesome)
Space Cookies (classic rockish covers tom petty, hendrix, allman bro's ETC)

Outside, 112f degrees !!! @ 100 people (no soundcheck)

MB800 stacked on top of the LDS 2x8 3way, stacked on and driving the 15" from my Markbass combo (ok ok mixed drivers = bad)
I wanted to move a bit more air and have access to the full wattage. I lucked out it worked really well!
No effects just my Warwick F.N.A. 5 into the
MB800 master set at @ 1:00 channel A gain at 8:00 (#2). (no FOH support)
really full and clear, cut through nicely without topping the mix.
Tone stack was all @ 11:00 with the exception of the low mid @ 1:00.
Dynamics were great (no compressor) slight EQ changes to the Seymour Duncan onboard pre to accomodate tonal requirements of the songs.
Only rocked the Pbass on Santa Monica (Everclear)
In the heat the fans kicked on of course but i was not even making the amp work hard and the speaker combo "meshed" pretty well, I was able to have a freind do a walkabout and report back as to how we sounded-- he said my high end was a little narrow on the beaming but not too bad

Comparing my sound to the other bassist who was running SWR chrome face SWR a mesa boogie 15" and 2x10 (shudder) behringer
I was stronger overall with a "tighter" low end than he had--- and a clearer top end projection (FOH eq maybe?)

I'm sold.....


I'm a happy camper, another few weeks living with it and I'm just about ready to get another LDS 2x8 from LDS and I think I found my rig!


Sadly the Markbass Jeff Berlin may be going to a new owner.

 

[sumgruuvz]

Had an awesome show Saturday with the mb800 and gk neo 410. Space was limited so the other bass and I had to stack our gear on each others. No biggie. So to make it short and sweet, I had the gain pointed at a on gain a and the master was set at 9 o'clock. No issues what so ever. All range of notes were clear, articulate, and punchy through both my ww rb fortress and Spector ns94 running through the m80. Killer tone.

 

[Dr3thepooner]

I always wondered about the FX pedal volume level vs Actual preamp / amp volume level, and have a question.

Lets say i have an mb800 that outputs roughly 500W to 8ohm neo410, which is fine.
Now, when i have my VT Bass pedal on, I always try to match up the clean signal's volume to the dirty (pedal on) signal volume with the level knob on the pedal.

Now the question is, what are the implications (if any) if I decide to increase overall volume level with the level knob on the pedal i.e - > when pedal is off it will be quieter?

Is there possibility of damaging the amp / preamp this way ? Is it the same as sending more watts to the cabinet?

 

[B-string]

Seriously doubt the amp is in any danger but you will have more output power to the cab.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

?..what are the implications (if any) if I decide to increase overall volume level with the level knob on the pedal i.e - > when pedal is off it will be quieter?

Is there possibility of damaging the amp / preamp this way ? Is it the same as sending more watts to the cabinet?

It's not the same at all. The signals coming out of your bass and pedals are very low in power. So low that they're measured in milliwatts, or thousandths of a watt. Meanwhile, the input stage of your amp is designed to handle a very wide range of signal levels, and to behave gracefully when it's over-driven into gross distortion.

If you plugged a speaker level output into the front of your amp, you'd pop something for sure. But your pedals should be perfectly safe.

I'd actually be more concerned about your cab. Under normal circumstances, the average power of a clean bass signal is a lot less than the peaks. But by the time you drive your pedals hard enough to get a good fuzz sound, your signal is pretty compressed, and there's less resting time for the voice coils to cool off between notes.

If your cab was barely holding it together at 500 watts clean, an long jam with sustained fuzz tones could be enough to tip it over the edge...

 

[/\/\3phist0]

OK small update , I traded my beloved Mark Bass Jeff Berlin combo for a Epifani UL410 (4ohm Series1) and OMG with this diminutive little MB800 running full wattage the headroom dynamics and tone is seriously closest to the "tone i have in my head" that I've ever been able to achieve.
Good things that Ive learned from this effort:
1) light, loud and toneful are achievable goals and not a "select 2" list.

2) NO Need to subject myself and the audience to an amp "Styled" with Silly 80's Corvette yellow (making me look like a "Lost" member of Stryper)


3) Gallien Krueger has come a long ways from the "Brittle Baked in tone" that i remember HATING in the 80's

4) this community is very supportive and helpful....

5) Listen to Chef- and Kjung

5) Jeff Berlin is a little "wrong" to hate tweeters, (Right to hate BAD tweeters) :scowl:

6) Good speaker cabs make a good amp sound even better!(and louder)

7) Above makes: Weak Bassist>Great Bass>Great Amp>Great Speakers=Happy Audience, Bassist, and and women's clothes to fall off-- no wait imagination running away with me again.

 

[Jim Carr]

OK small update , I traded my beloved Mark Bass Jeff Berlin combo for a Epifani UL410 (4ohm Series1) and OMG with this diminutive little MB800 running full wattage the headroom dynamics and tone is seriously closest to the "tone i have in my head" that I've ever been able to achieve...

+1

That exact cab is really my all time favorite 410. The MB800 sounds great through it.