GK MB 200: Part Two

[HaphAsSard]

Hey !
For those of you who use the phone out : is it good quality? No buzz or hiss?

I'd like to know before buying...
Thanks !

Some early, Chinese-era ones are hissy. Nope, no anti-Chinese sentiment here, it just so happens that some M-I-C MB200 amps from before production moved back to the US were hissy, as mentioned in this thread and its predecessor. Mine, for example, is hissy as frig -all three outputs. Oh well, I've never seen one around here come up for less than I paid for it, so... Also, my cab is tweeterless (actually lost its tweeter a couple owners ago). As for recent units and the quality of their line-outs, I don't know.

[EDITED - fixed quote and reply, too anal to keep it that way...]

 

[Stevorebob]

Hey !
For those of you who use the phone out : is it good quality? No buzz or hiss?

I'd like to know before buying...
Thanks !

Good quality. Dead silent.

I have a USA-made MB 200 and run the 1/4” line out into a mixer to practice with my iPad and headphones — MB 200 volume at 2:00, mixer above unity. I’ve also used the aux in and phone out directly to headphones; this setup picks up a tiny bit of hiss from my iPad, nothing problematic. I prefer the mixer, because it allows more control of my bass and iPad volumes and headphone level.

 

[willsellout]

Well I was shooting for another Mesa D800 after the first one wasn't working right, but it looks like I will be shifting my focus to an MB200 for now to go with me Mesa Subway 112. Always loved the GK stuff and if I'm going to support another company other than Mesa, it's going to be GK.

 

[willsellout]

Is there one place that's better than others to buy a GK head?

 

[seang15]

Is there one place that's better than others to buy a GK head?

Classifieds!!

 

[RoadRanger]

I actually ended up with two of them - anybody near the corner of CT, MA, and RI interested in one lemme know - especially if you have an interesting trade . They are both earlier models with the green combo output jack (speakon / 1/4").

 

[Mastermold]

Is there one place that's better than others to buy a GK head?

I like Sweetwater if you're ordering online.

 

[Mastermold]

Well I was shooting for another Mesa D800 after the first one wasn't working right, but it looks like I will be shifting my focus to an MB200 for now to go with me Mesa Subway 112. Always loved the GK stuff and if I'm going to support another company other than Mesa, it's going to be GK.

The MB200 is a great amp, really outperforms its small size.

 

[willsellout]

The MB200 is a great amp, really outperforms its small size.

Yeah I owned one a couple years back and it was awesome. Not sure why I got rid of it in the first place.

 

[rickbass1]

Mighty midget and 212 neo

 

[Hnz]

As far as class D amps go, the MB200 is unbeatable, sound wise imho. BUT sometimes I need a bit more power.
Does the MB500 resemble the MB200 soundwise?

 

[RoadRanger]

As far as class D amps go, the MB200 is unbeatable, sound wise imho. BUT sometimes I need a bit more power. Does the MB500 resemble the MB200 soundwise?

Somewhat - but it's reported that the MB200 has its own unique sound.

 

[Silverface]

Somewhat - but it's reported that the MB200 has its own unique sound.

It does. Having played a bit with both, IMO the MB200 has a warmer yet more "focused" sound.

 

[Hnz]

Ah!? So, if I need more power, the MB500 is not the solution.
In fact, nothing is!?

 

[Silverface]

Ah!? So, if I need more power, the MB500 is not the solution.
In fact, nothing is!?

No sound system for direct-inject? Honestly, my last few years of gigging (before some physical problems knocked my out of rotation) the amp was either a "club amp" or stage monitor. Never needed anything high-powered like my old Alembic preamp and Crest or QSC power amp rig.

Heh - if I needed MB200 tone and there was no direct-inject setup I'd just buy a second MB200 and run 'em in stereo!

 

[Hnz]

That's an idea, Mr. Silverface!

 

[tjh]

... Heh - if I needed MB200 tone and there was no direct-inject setup I'd just buy a second MB200 and run 'em in stereo!

.. or, just slave one with the other ... been doing it for two years now

 

[Hnz]

Does it get louder that way, tjh?

 

[tjh]

Does it get louder that way, tjh?

Yup .. you are using both power sections ... the little MB200 is not like my 700RB, where you push it and it just gets nasty/nice ... I don't like getting the little guy up much past about 1:00 where it just starts getting kinda nasty (and not in a nice way) ... I set one MB200 about noonish, and the other usually sits about 10-11:00/to taste ... can blend the EQ as well

 

[TomB]

That all sounds like fun, but I’d try out a 500 as well. They’re not identical but they share a certain GK-ness, I think. The only time I tried to get them to sound the same was in a music store, but I thought it was pretty darned close with a little fiddling. The 500 has some nice features like a gain/master set-up and a footswitchable boost channel, and you can use all of its power into one cab if that’s at all desirable - I’m assuming the “stereo” idea requires two cabs. ...just another perspective .