GK Combo Shootout...MB210 vs. MB212

[jp58]

Huh... That makes things interesting.

 

[Sparkdog]

So how well are these bad boys holding up after a few months? I may very well have left GC yesterday with one if the floor model wasn't in as rough shape as it was.

I've done more than 20 gigs with my MB212 so far and the only issue I've had was that some of the screws needed tightening...not surprising considering the monster low end this thing puts out (I can't set anything on top of it, it will be on the floor in short order)

I check the screws once in a while and snug them up if needed.

Other than that, she's been flawless and never fails to put a smile on my face from the first song of the night.

 

[rpsands]

I'd buy some rubber feet and check it for bracing on the inside (when your warranty's up). No reason for a cab to move around that much.

 

[tallboybass]

I've done more than 20 gigs with my MB212 so far and the only issue I've had was that some of the screws needed tightening...not surprising considering the monster low end this thing puts out (I can't set anything on top of it, it will be on the floor in short order)

I check the screws once in a while and snug them up if needed.

Other than that, she's been flawless and never fails to put a smile on my face from the first song of the night.

Ditto that, good buddy.

 

[bass4worship]

I put rubber feet on my MB210 and now the cab don't move around.

 

[Sparkdog]

Yeah, it's a new sensation for me really, meaning how easy it is to dial in this amp to any room. I keep the Master Volume and Boost at noon, turn up Gain to get to the level I need, and then just turn those 4 EQ knobs to make it happen, and it ALWAYS happens!

The EQ is so simple, but so effective, and I haven't really experienced that before. For instance, I have a Carvin B1500, and I love that amp too for it's simplicity...no parametric mids, no graphic, no "voicing" switch or any of that stuff...just 7 tone knobs, but it takes me considerably more futzing around with them to get the tone I want.

Lots of times I end up basically just running the MB212 flat, with maybe a slight tweak of the upper or lower mids, and that's it.

Plug in ye olde Precision with flats and it's showtime!

I can't tell you how much that has simplified my gigging life.

Well..I guess I just did though

 

[Sparkdog]

I'd buy some rubber feet and check it for bracing on the inside (when your warranty's up). No reason for a cab to move around that much.

To clarify, the cab doesn't move around, it just has so much OOMPH in the low end that stuff vibrates off the top if I park it up there.

No problem for me, just have to put my set list and car keys elsewhere.

 

[jp58]

Its becoming harder and harder for me to sit here and not pick one of these up.

 

[tallboybass]

To clarify, the cab doesn't move around, it just has so much OOMPH in the low end that stuff vibrates off the top if I park it up there.

No problem for me, just have to put my set list and car keys elsewhere.

My MB210 actually DID move around on a slick floor! I looked back one time and it was facing the drummer.

 

[jp58]

Well, I'm getting PA support (I believe) so the 210 should be more than enough for rehearsal, gives me the flexibility to play quiet in my apartment, and I could buy an extra cab if need be. Thanks for answering my questions guys.

 

[yamark]

I just ordered an MB212 combo.

Used from MF with 10% off coupon....$540 bucks!!

 

[mello_bedwetter]

I'm still waiting to get my MB210 back. I had to send it back to GK to correct a phasing problem. I hooked the combo to the 210MBE extension cabinet and it was horrible. I hope the problem is corrected when I get it back. They didn't want me to send in the ext cab but I'm not too sure that it wasn't part of the problem. I'm gonna have to buy another amp sometime this week. I have a gig next Saturday and nothing to play through.

 

[tallboybass]

I just ordered an MB212 combo.

Used from MF with 10% off coupon....$540 bucks!!

I'm hoping for the best for you, but these 'used' MB212s at MF are usually ones that got sent back because of problems. Again, I really hope this isn't true in your case!

 

[scubaduba]

Or returned because it wasn't what somebody expected or didn't want for some reason. Doesn't mean yamark is going to get used "problem" combo. MR checks them over first to make sure they are fully functional.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Wanted real badly to like these. Hooked up the MB210 w a 115MBE for a rehearsal in a small room last night. They're going back today. I'm happy you guys are all loving them, but what sounded too good to be true, to me, is. I don't think it's possible to get a sound (or the volume) I'll like out of a 30 lb. pound combo, or 60 lb. stack. I think I was expecting a lot more, perhaps unrealistically. :/ For small gigs, tight spaces, quiet drummers, and bad backs I think the combos alone could be worth it. But for a stack, it takes up more room in my car than my NV610, is actually a lot harder to transport, and the sound and output with the same amount of watts doesn't even come close. Felt I owed it to talkbass to put up my $.02.

 

[rpsands]

Another likely culprit of the lack of lining and bracing. Those things have the potential to be LOUD, but the mids are grossly lacking especially on the MB-210.

 

[scubaduba]

While I've not tried the combos I found the 210MBE much inferior to the 212MBE IMHO. I quickly returned the 210MBE. Just not enough "umph". Both have plenty of mids for me though. It was the bottom end that really suffered in the 210MBE. But now that I think about it maybe it was the low mids that really lacked. I'm very happy with my 212MBE.

 

[Joe Nerve]

While I've not tried the combos I found the 210MBE much inferior to the 212MBE IMHO. I quickly returned the 210MBE. Just not enough "umph". Both have plenty of mids for me though. It was the bottom end that really suffered in the 210MBE. But now that I think about it maybe it was the low mids that really lacked. I'm very happy with my 212MBE.

Same here. Mids were definitely not an issue. Umph was. Even with the added 15.

 

[audiomitch]

Wanted real badly to like these. Hooked up the MB210 w a 115MBE for a rehearsal in a small room last night. They're going back today. I'm happy you guys are all loving them, but what sounded too good to be true, to me, is. I don't think it's possible to get a sound (or the volume) I'll like out of a 30 lb. pound combo, or 60 lb. stack. I think I was expecting a lot more, perhaps unrealistically. :/ For small gigs, tight spaces, quiet drummers, and bad backs I think the combos alone could be worth it. But for a stack, it takes up more room in my car than my NV610, is actually a lot harder to transport, and the sound and output with the same amount of watts doesn't even come close. Felt I owed it to talkbass to put up my $.02.

There's something wrong here. My MB210 by itself can drown out a drumset. Maybe you got a "bad phase" pair?

You could knock it for not liking the tone or the aesthetics, but volume is little hard to knock.

 

[scubaduba]

Previously I had an SWR 12 pack (2x12) limited edition. Same wattage as the 212MBE. But the 212MBE is so much lighter and more compact too. The SWR was beefy for sure. Maybe more so than the 212MBE. But the the SWR really only did one tone well. The 212MBE just seems more "organic" or true to the tone of your bass. IMHO your bass and/or amp head probably makes a lot of difference with what kind of sound you'll get out of the 212MBE or 210MBE extension cabs.

With my SWR I found the sounds of all of my basses were more similar to each other than how they sound now through the 212MBE. I just get more unique tones that each instrument produces amplified more with the 212MBE over the SWR.