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GBE750 vs. Mesa/Boogie m6 Carbine

Which would you choose?

  • GBE750

    Votes: 32 22.1%

  • Mesa/Boogie m6 Carbine

    Votes: 100 69.0%

  • Neither! (please explain below)

    Votes: 13 9.0%
  • Total voters
    145
bthiemann80

bthiemann80

Mar 31, 2007
612
117
Central Illinois
#1
I'm in the consideration process of getting a new amp and its pretty much come down to these two.

GBE750 Pros:
-More Power (on paper anyways)
-More versatility
-Cheaper, for me anyway (although the GBE750 and m6 Carbine are very close in price on the market, I currently work at a music store and we get killer discounts on GB)

GBE750 Cons:
-Weighs just a little more (I think)
-Made in Taiwan
-Too many knobs

m6 Carbine Pros:
-Looks great
-Simple layout
-Made in the USA

m6 Carbine Cons:
-Not as versatile
-Costs a bit more
-Not as powerful (though i have heard Mesa/Boogie are rather conservative when it comes to rating power in their amps)

I'm really on the fence about this one. Of course the pros and cons are from my own personal experience with these amps, but i'm open to hearing some more opinions about these two. I'll be driving two Avatar b410's which should be a walk in the part for either of these heads.
 
#3
Wouldn't a better comparison be between the GBE750 and the Big Block 750? I know there's more of a price difference, but the features seem more closely matched. Personally, I think the GBE750 needs to be simplified - too many lights and controls. And the Mesa line needs to be just a little more competitively priced. The "street" price of the GBE750 is about $1100.00, a big chunk of change to be sure, but the BB750 goes for near $1400.00 (!) for essentially the same power. This doesn't take into account the Mesa's domestic lineage or esteemed QC, of course. Or all the features in the GB, either. Just asking is all. I'm trying to gather information for my next amp purchase. The other major contender (for me) in this category is the Eden WT550, which is priced competitively, same power ratings, made in the USA, and has even less features than the Mesa! Which is why I clicked on "neither".
And I just know that as soon as I shell out for one of these, a whole new wave of higher-powered, 2-ohm capable light weight alternatives will appear!
 
#6
When you break down the GBE750, it's not that complicated:

1) Input — The ¼” instrument Input has switchable sensitivity for Active or Passive gain.

2) A red LED turns on when the input mute is active,

3) Channel and Mix Switches — switches the preamp between the tube preamp and the SS FET preamp or mixes them.

4a) SS FET Channel Input Gain Control & "blue" LED
4b) TUBE Channel Input Gain Control & "blue" LED

6) A separate 5 band equalizer is provided for each the TUBE and the FET preamp. A bright blue LED indicates "on" for each
filter.

7)Master Volume

8) Output Limiter — The “output limit ” switch engages or bypasses the internal power amplifier’s soft clip limiter. Bright blue LED indicates activation.

LIGHTS
--------
• The “POWER LED” indicates that the amplifier is on and the low voltage power supplies are active.
• The red “PROTECT LED” indicates that the amplifier is in “protect” mode and the output relay is de-energized.
• The red “THERMAL LED” indicates that the amplifier has overheated, engaged the protection circuit and shut down.
• The amber “2 OHM” LED indicates that the power amplifi er’s 2 ohm POWERFLEX mode has been selected. This
LED monitors the operation of the high voltage power supplies.
• The blue “SIGNAL LED” indicates that the power amplifi er is receiving signal (over several watts output) and all is
well!
• The red “CLIP-LIMIT LED” indicates that the power amplifier has reached maximum power and/or the limiter
threshold has been crossed.

For all the details, see the manual .pdf at:
Invalid Link Removed
 
#7
I have no experience with the Mesa, but I owned a GBE750 for awhile. It was/is a great amp. And it really isn't complicated to use at all. In fact, I was very impressed with how easy it was to get "my" sounds dialed in on both channels, very quickly.
 
#9
I own a GBE750. I keep trying to find an amp I like better, and it hasn't happened so far. The Carbine/Fathom is a good amp, but I don't find it to be as transparent, or as punchy as the Genz. And, I believe you'll find the controls of the Genz to be very well thought out. I'm not crazy about the 5 tone presets on the Mesa, unless they just happen to dial in the exact sounds you love it takes a lot of twiddling to find your tone. And please, don't take me up wrongly - I kind of like the Mesa head, just not as much as I like the GBE750.
 
#11
I owned and gigged a BB750 for about 150 shows... and I owned a GBE750 and gigged it for about 25 shows... until I sold it and got a shuttle.

The BB750 and GBE750 are TOTAL OPPOSITES in terms of tone.

The BB is WAY warmer.

The GBE is WAY tighter.

You can dial warmth into the GBE, but not anywhere near the BB750's warmth... and you can dial a little bit of tightness into the BB750, but not anywhere near what the GBE can do.


For the original poster... I played a Carbine last week at the music store for about an hour and a half... and I would rate that and the GBE750 very similar in tone. Very similar. Oh and I mean with both of the channels on on the GB.

Both are extremely tight and clear... and the volume (loud) of both amps are very similar. I don't think that I would miss not having a parametric mid on the Carbine... the mid knob does work very well.

Still... in terms of a compromise between punch and warmth... I have to give the slight edge to the Carbine... However the GBE really is a blast to play tight jams.

So... if someone said to me "here... use one of these..." it would be tough for me to pick... either way... it'd always be on top of my Neox212t. :)
 
#12
I was in the same spot lately. I think they are both good sounding amp but I picked the Mesa, why? because its super simple to use. You cannot have a bad tone with it. And its better "build in the USA".

Why would I send my money to taiwan. What if it breaks? If my Carbine breaks, I can make a phone call and talk directly to the actual guy that builded my amp.

Easy choice unless you live in Taiwan
 
#13
johnnydi said:
I was in the same spot lately. I think they are both good sounding amp but I picked the Mesa, why? because its super simple to use. You cannot have a bad tone with it. And its better "build in the USA".

Why would I send my money to taiwan. What if it breaks? If my Carbine breaks, I can make a phone call and talk directly to the actual guy that builded my amp.

Easy choice unless you live in Taiwan
Click to expand...

Huh?

Genz is an American company, currently owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, if I remember correctly. Staffed in Arizona. The amps are "put together" in Taiwan, but they are serviced in the US. They also inspect everything that comes in from Taiwan, I believe. They also have a presence here on TalkBass. If you want to ask a question, they're happy to answer it. I've even heard of people talking to Jeff Genzler personally. Support should be the LAST reason you look at Mesa over Genz...

Seriously, I could care less about where my amp is "put together". I tried out a BB750. Really wanted to like it. Really ended up not liking it, FOR WHAT I PLAY. It wasn't a bad amp AT ALL. Just not my sound. Genz was better for that, FOR ME.
 
#14
sevenorchids said:
Huh?

Genz is an American company, currently owned by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, if I remember correctly. Staffed in Arizona. The amps are "put together" in Taiwan, but they are serviced in the US. They also inspect everything that comes in from Taiwan, I believe. They also have a presence here on TalkBass. If you want to ask a question, they're happy to answer it. I've even heard of people talking to Jeff Genzler personally. Support should be the LAST reason you look at Mesa over Genz...

Seriously, I could care less about where my amp is "put together". I tried out a BB750. Really wanted to like it. Really ended up not liking it, FOR WHAT I PLAY. It wasn't a bad amp AT ALL. Just not my sound. Genz was better for that, FOR ME.
Click to expand...

I have to echo this post. GB has great customer support. I spoke to Jeff Genzler this morning over an issue I am having with my Shuttle 6.0. The problem was solved in about 10 minutes by Jeff.
I have played both amps and previously owned the GBE750. Both are great amps but the GB line is what I need for my kind of music.
Plus, GB cannot be beat for Customer Service. The whole Taiwan thing is a red herring. That is like saying someone shouldn't buy Ampeg because they're made in Vietnam now.

Check out the Genz line and talk to others here about their customer service. They really stand behind their gear. IMHO
 
#17
See if we can bring this back to life............

When set flat which of these two amps (M6 vs GBE750) is warmer.

With any other Mesa I think I know the answer but the M6 seems the odd one out!

I own and love my GBE750 btw but would also be interested in the M6. Don't know if there are any here in the UK yet?
 
#18
Flanker said:
See if we can bring this back to life............

When set flat which of these two amps (M6 vs GBE750) is warmer.

With any other Mesa I think I know the answer but the M6 seems the odd one out!

I own and love my GBE750 btw but would also be interested in the M6. Don't know if there are any here in the UK yet?
Click to expand...

Hey Steve - what do you think now?
 
#19
BillisCool said:
I owned and gigged a BB750 for about 150 shows... and I owned a GBE750 and gigged it for about 25 shows... until I sold it and got a shuttle.

The BB750 and GBE750 are TOTAL OPPOSITES in terms of tone.

The BB is WAY warmer.

The GBE is WAY tighter.

You can dial warmth into the GBE, but not anywhere near the BB750's warmth... and you can dial a little bit of tightness into the BB750, but not anywhere near what the GBE can do.


For the original poster... I played a Carbine last week at the music store for about an hour and a half... and I would rate that and the GBE750 very similar in tone. Very similar. Oh and I mean with both of the channels on on the GB.

Both are extremely tight and clear... and the volume (loud) of both amps are very similar. I don't think that I would miss not having a parametric mid on the Carbine... the mid knob does work very well.

Still... in terms of a compromise between punch and warmth... I have to give the slight edge to the Carbine... However the GBE really is a blast to play tight jams.

So... if someone said to me "here... use one of these..." it would be tough for me to pick... either way... it'd always be on top of my Neox212t. :)
Click to expand...


+1 BB750 is a totally different thing. The M6 is closer to the vibe of the GB750, and the M6 totally kills it IMO in headroom, punch, volume, and 'plug and play' simplicity (i.e., it sounds great set flat). No comparison between the Genz and the M6 IMO and IME.
 
#20
I would like to clarify the inaccurate service comment made earlier by johhnydi...

All of our products are serviced here in the states by factory techs as well as a network of independant service centers. The same guys that design the amps also personally oversee the service department. On occassion, I have personally serviced a TB forum member's amp.

For our international customers, our international distribution partners are equipped to handle all of your service needs, personally supported by Jeff, Roger, Scott and myself.

If any of you have questions or concerns about your GB product, I am always available to you via PM. Jeff, Roger, Scott and I ARE the actual guy who design your amps. Jeff and Roger develop the concepts, I do the hard-core engineering and Scott does the layout backchecking, final tone, feel and playability. We are an American team that has been working together for a very long time.
 

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