Gallien-Krueger

What are you using now? How is your current rig unsatisfactory? 4/10 is a lot of speaker for the gigs you describe. I'd look into the GK MB150 for starters. I'm real happy with the Acoustic Image Focus/Euphonic Audio WZ110 rig as well. Is your pickup the BP100 or the Full Circle? The BP100 is greatly improved with a preamp like those sold by Fishman. The FC is pretty good on its own.

 

What type of music do you play?

GK has always been pretty popular for double bass, but I don't see too many guys using the Goldline stuff. I have not tried one myself.

The rb series (400rb, 800rb, 700rb) of heads are very well liked by alot of rockabilly, blues and country players, and then the little MB150 combos are used by alot of Jazz players.

As for pickups, if you are using the original (clips on the bridge) Fishman, then just about any other pickup is going to be better.

Some popular pickups are: the Underwood, Revolution Solo II, K&K Bass Max, Fishman Full Circle, David Gage Realist (best for lower volume applications) , and the newer Planet Wing. There are many more.

Many players also use a preamp to get a better sound and allow for extended EQ capabilities and take advantage of feedback fighting features. The Fishman Pro Platinum Bass EQ/DI is a very popular one, and I use it myself.

It would probably help you get better help also if you fill out your profile, so folks can see what sort of music, bass, etc you are into.

 

Goldline is simply the name for the sub-brand of GK that is sold exclusively by Guitar Center. At 500 W into a 4x10 that is probably of typical sensitivity, that's a lot of amp if you are playing jazz. Of course you can keep the volume turned down, but you could also get away with a much smaller and lighter rig.

 

I like the 'S' model better. I like the sound better and it is cheaper.

I love this amp and use it all the time... with a Realist... but... it is not a loud amp at all. By itself it is cool with 'acoustic' jazz stuff. When it is a gig with a keyboard instead of a real piano or a really bashing drummer it can start to get a little dicey. It is also useless in big rooms or outdoors. Add an extension speaker and you get considerably more volume. I can handle most of the stuff I do indoors by adding an extension.

It is a great sounding amp IMHO but, like any amp, it has its limitations.

 

The GK MB150E and MB150S are voiced differently, and I would recommend checking out both if possible before buying. I owned a GK MB150E briefly and didn't like the way it sounded. I just couldn't get a usable sound out of it. Then I played through an MB150S and was very pleasantly surprised how it sounded. I ended up buying an MB150S, and I really like it. It's a very useful little amp for low-volume gigs, and, with a good extension speaker, it can even handle much louder jobs.

 

I used a WM15 a few times because it was the backline provided at a venue. I hated it for DB. Boomy as all get out. Howling feedback when the volume got up there a little. Just didn't work for me.

The good thing is I didn't have to move it after the gig.

 

DB = double bass
FWIW (for what its worth) my experience with MB150 amps is that they can sound a bit middy up close, but out the front of the stage, all the low frequencies really kick in. When you audition them, make sure you get well away from them, as well as up close.

 

Its gonna shift a LOT more air than a tiny GK150, but is it the sound you want. The speaker is also over 100lbs(!), only 8 ohms (you won't get 300 watts out of the amp, more like 200w) and quite inefficient (92db as against my m-line wizzy @ 102db). It really is chalk and cheese, choosing between the GK150 and the behemoth combo, but if you want to play loud, you'll probably need something bigger than a GK150, but you may get away with the 150 and the extension cab. It is a pretty amazing amp.

Find a shop that will let you take an amp to a gig and bring it back if it doesn't cut it.

 

i used to play a gold line 4x10. the tone was very scooped and not very powerful for upright. i quickly returned it and bought a sbx410+ and couldnt be happier. i even like the backline cab better for upright. on my slab, it was a very crisp clean tone, but on upright it just couldnt hang.

 

For my bass, pickup, etc. the MBS has a much more pleasing tone than the MBE. If you're looking for a more powerful amp the new GK MB2 500 has more power and the preamp voicing is pretty close to the MBs. I've only played My Lakland 55-94 through it though.

Ric

 

I have played all GK stuff for the past 20 years. I double on bass guitar and double bass and, depending on the circumstances, have a older 200MB150 Combo, a 200MBE head, and a 700RBNEO112. Typically the MBE head goes through a pair of Harry Kolbe 112 cabinets (or a single if space dictates). I also sometimes use the 200MB with one of the Kolbe cabs to get a little more bottom. I agree completely with the comment that the sound of the 200MB combo really opens up away from the amp. Also, placement of the 200MB can really affect the sound. Moving the amp to the floor, off the floor, on to a riser, etc... can really change your sound drastically . As the the MBS/MBE thing, the MBE just has an expanded parametric eq. With a little fiddling, I found the sweet spot for me that does not differ from my combo very much at all. The added flexibiltiy is also nice in rooms that have "weird" acoustic things happening. 700RB is a monster combo for its size, great for my electric but have not attempted it with the upright, have a feeling I would be in feedback city pretty quick. Just my two cents.
B