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Double Bass GK MB150E Vs Acoustic Image

#21
Greetings fellow bassists,
I wish to enquire further in regard to the GK side of the debate!
I can't comment on Acoustic Image as we here in Aussie Land DON'T have any outlet for purchase of this said Master Bass Amp! However,we have a HUGE array of GK products and , as I am in the mood for an upgrade from my Trace Elliot 15 Combo, I have visions of going back to GK... Had an RB 400 a number of years back and a Quad Box .... Worse thing I ever did was sell the mother!
So, as I have never heard the delights of AI. I feel that my upcoming purchase will more than likely be a GK.
QUESTION GENTLEMAN ,
I note that the above debate mainly refers to the GK150E the one with all the "bells and whistles".The 150E retails for $2200.00 Aussie where as the 210/115 combos I can pick up for about $1500.00 aussie... I feel that MY purchase is likely to be either 400 RB COMBO 210 or the 115.as I can add the extras as an add on if I so desire.
What I would like to hear from you all is any comments AGAINST the 400 RB Combos and secondly, who would go for the 15 over the 2 10's and why.... I might add I have only used 15's in my purchase of Bass amps over the last 20 years.But maybe the 10's might cover the job ! What do ya think?:confused:
 
#22
I own an older 400RB and a 2x10" cabinet, and also a 15" cabinet (This was my old plank rig before I updated). I tried it for DB and was not too satisfied with the results. The 2x10" definitely sounded better than the 15" (which took to long to "speak"), but I suspect the real problem was the preamp on the GK head. The sound was very "colored" in a way that didn't do much to flatter the DB tone. I've heard (All Hail) Bob G. and some of the other regulars claim that you can get a better sound by bypassing the preamp on the 400RB and plugging directly into the effects return, but I haven't tried this. Good luck.
 
#25
RE: the MB series, either the E or the S which is cheaper and just fine, the essential attractiveness of the amp to me is its small size and incredibly light weight. Plus, at 150 watts (with an extension speaker) it is loud enough for every upright gig I've ever played, including with a loud 18-piece big band. The unit is so compact that I'm taking mine in its padded gig bag to the UK next month and I'll simply throw it over my shoulder and carry it onto the plane. I've done this before and its fits easily into the overhead baggage compartments and passes through the airline "size" boxes. None of the other GK products come close to being this small and compact and yet still have the power of the MB series. Of course, as was pointed out above, there is a price for the engineering!
 
#26
Thanks to the 4 reply's regarding the GK series 10's against the 15".
Yes Chris , I note your remarks on the sound of the 10's being better than the 15 and Bob G(all hail) remarks regarding bypassing.
I just feel that the frequency of the bass feeding into a 15 is a lot more comfortable for the speaker than a couple of 10's.... I may be wrong. I can remember back in the 1960's when every bass player I knew headed straight for an 18inch speaker bin to feed their axes into.... I know times have changed!

Ok Lownote on singing the praises of YOUR MB series .Yes I must admit that the size thing is very attractive...and you say that it held up fine even when gigging with an 18 piece!!!!! That really is a great advert for the amp!
I think I'll take the DB into an outlet and try the both side by side and hopefully make the right decision.... Thanks Again Gentleman!;)
 
#30
Reviving an old thread because the AI Series III changes an important variable: weight.

I bought a Series II Contra a while back after being told it weighed 25 or so pounds. I really liked the sound, but carrying it away from a gig one day while wheeling the bass it seemed awfully heavy, so I weighed it after I got home. In the Levy's shoulder bag it weighted 35 lbs. That might not seem very heavy to folks with cars, but it made it hard to get around NYC the way I hoped to. So I bought a GK MB 150 and sold the AI.

The MB 150 is significantly lighter and more manageable in terms of portability than the Series II Contra, and I found a backpack at the Northface store that holds it nicely and makes it easy to carry.

I've heard it said, and I think it's true, that teh GK sounds better out front than right in front of it. That's part of the problem. You know what I miss about the AI? The downfiring speaker. I love that it's omni-directional, that the band and the audience and I are more or less hearing the same thing. With the GK, depending on which way it's pointed, one band member might think it's too loud while another can't hear it.

So I'm thinking about re-upping with the Contra Seies III. Bob says it weighs less than 20 lbs.! To tell you the truth, it's probably only a matter of time, and not very long at that.
 
#31
I think from reading some other threads that people have had the opportunity to try these new AI combos.

It sounds like AI has taken lots of steps to possibly overtake MB150 and claim total victory, any thoughts?

I'm in the market and have narrowed it down to these two. My main question would be, is the AI worth the extra money? Does it still sound worse than the MB150 out in the house?
 
#32
I had a GK 150E It was very portable. I used it for both EB and DB. I never liked the sound. I bought a Contra. I love it. It is heavier than the GK but I have it in a bag I sling over my shoulder. The extra weight is worth the sonic improvement. I am so glad I sold the GK and have the Contra. BTW I use a realist. I play in big bands and combos and the Contra works well with both EB and DB. When I play out doors or big rooms I use a WW with Acmes. I must admit, I am puzzled when people like the GK better. I hated the sound.
 
#33
My dad is a jazz guitarist who live in NYC. He says that all he sees up there are Walter Woods heads and GK MB combos. He told me he's see very few Acoustic Image rigs up there. What is the deal? Why does everybody trash the MB combos, but tons of NY pros still use them?
 
#34
Jake said:
My dad is a jazz guitarist who live in NYC. He says that all he sees up there are Walter Woods heads and GK MB combos. He told me he's see very few Acoustic Image rigs up there. What is the deal? Why does everybody trash the MB combos, but tons of NY pros still use them?
Click to expand...

IMO Pros players hate to move anything more than their bass, so they prefer most portable amps (one trip to car!), and learned how to handle MB combos. I sold my AI (bulky shaped) not only for that reasons.
 
#35
Shape is a big issue especially if you're trying to carry your bass and other crap at the same time. I'm quite happy with the sound of my Epi UL110 but it's so cumbersome to carry. I always found the AI cabs also cumbersome. Yesterday I started using an MB112 with a Focus 2 and it is great to carry but I definitely miss the tweeter. The Falk Audio 1 x 8 may be a way to go.
 
#36
Have you guys that complain about the shape of the Acoustic Image Contra or Coda combo amps tried the Series III? It does have a flat side and with the included shoulder strap (or the padded Mooradian case shoulder strap), IMO, it's not any harder to manage with a bass than any other combo amp of similar size. Twenty pounds!
 
#39
A few years back, when I played electric bass in a rock band, I did two band practices through an MB150. It was a drummer, a singer, a guitarist and me. I didn't feel like the amp really gave me what I needed, and this wasn't a particularly loud band. (I gigged back then with a GK 800RB with a Flite 15 and practiced at studios that had usually 4x10's or 2x12's or something like that.)

If you're playing through an SWR 400 now you might not be satisfied with the MB 150, but then again, if you play through a 1x12 then maybe the MB150 will be similar enough. Of course it will depend on how loud your band is and what your expectations are.

I don't know if the AI is your answer, since it's designed to produce accurate upright sound. I never thought of the Contra, with the downfiring woofer, as being something I'd use for bass guitar.

On a personal note, I ordered the Contra III last week and then played a gig, upright, with the MB150 and I'll be damned if the MB150 didn't sound really good. I'm still waiting for the Contra to arrive.
 
#40
Eh.. I've never gotten anything good out of my Contra with the slab. It's not really intended for that application. I used to have the MB150, and it's probably better for doubling. It always sounded kind of brittle to me, but it depends on a lot of factors.

If i need to get louder on either bass, I rely on my EA iAMP. Expensive, but it gets it done, anywhere.
 

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