Double Bass GK MB150E-112 III: my first impressions

[MikeBarber]

It finally arrived today... my GK MicroBass combo. (Much thanks to the earler thread (re: S vs E), which helped me decide on going for the E!)

Up until now, I have been using a Hartke practice amp. It did well by me in some coffee shops, but it wasn't cutting it anymore and had to upgrade. I am playing a Knilling DB (laminated spruce top, maple back) with what I believe to be the stock "Super Sensitive Red Label strings" (according to their site) and a Revolution Solo PU ('R' facing downwards).

So far, I dig the sound... the combination of the GK MB and RS is giving me a pretty good "my bass, but louder" quality. I have the EQ flat (EQ and voice finlters at 12 o'clock); contour, limiter, chorus are all off. One thing is that I need to have both volumes (input and output) at 12 o'clock to get decent volume. I think this may be a problem with my PU setup? I'm going to try to play around with it a little.

Now, to borrow from Stephen Colbert, here come's the "Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger" part:

First, tip of the hat goes to the power cord. It is both dettachable and long (at least 8' by my estimate). Sure, that means it is "loose-able", but it is also "easy to replace-able" The kudos is really about the length... I hate my Hartke's 6" cord (I'm exaggerating, but it can't be more than 2' or 3')

A wag of the finger for the EQ pots not having a tap at zero (12 o'clock). Even my crappy Hartke has those! :scowl:

 

[ctxbass]

Congrat's on the new amp.

I need to have both volumes (input and output) at 12 o'clock to get decent volume. I think this may be a problem with my PU setup?

That doesn't sound out of line for volume settings with that pickup/amp combination.

You'll be really happy when you replace the "Red Labels". I remember large gaps in the windings on those strings.

 

[AMJBASS]

The GK doesn't really have enough headroom for the Revolution Solo. I had that same setup for a while and ended up trading the GK for an Acoustic Image Clarus. I like the Gallien Krueger a lot, but the RS would really benefit from a preamp.

 

[KJung]

A lot of players 'pooh pooh' those little GK combo's, but they sound pretty good out in the room. A lot of DB players seem to be going to 8" speakers to tighten up the low end. That very small cab on the GK seems to do the same thing. I'm an EB player who is a small amp fanatic (hence I troll these DB amp threads on occasion), but have many friends who play DB that I hear on a regular basis 'out in the crowd'. The little GK combo's project quite well and sound more natural out in the room than one might think.

One word of advice.... there's a 'limiter' control on those amps. It really doesn't work at all like a classic limiter.... it's more of a 'power cut' or something. The point being... the amp sounds much fuller with it not engaged at all.

Enjoy your new rig!

 

[Ric Vice]

For Me the Microbass has two things that make it a real winner
price and weight. Back in the days when I actually owned the MBE and I was using an Underwood Pickup, that combination was just to nasal for my tastes even with a buffer preamp, but there are so many other folks using these amps I have to conclude that it was just an anomaly of my pickup and instrument combination at the time. I did go to the local dealer and play through the GK with my Realist and it sounded nice. For the money it's the best value.

Ric

 

[speedster]

I've found on my GK150s that while playing my regular German Upright with Underwood pickup that the amp has more mid-range punch and growl with the low end switch punched on and the setting at around 12:00-1:00 oclock.

When playing my Ergo Electric I leave all the eq settings the same, all the contour settings the same but I punch out the low end cut switch.

This seems to sound the best for that particular instrument.

I've also seen quite a few guys not using the low end cut switch, I also didn't use it for a couple years until someone pointed out to me that the control knob works in reverse to what you think it does, I could never see a difference.

I would turn it all the way up but the sound wasn't changing. After discovering it works just the opposite I experimented and found that this control is really nice to have for the different stages and rooms we play in.

Just another great option that GK has added to an already amazing little amp !

My old GK 200 does not have a control knob for the low cut and I'm not a fan of the low cut with this amp however. Still a great sounding amp but not anywhere as clean, quite or powerfull as the GK150S.