Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I had a 400RB which was a great amp for upright. Unfortunately those bricks aren’t the most convenient to drag around.
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Double Bass GK MB150s discontinued. What to replace it with?
- Thread starter 834federal
- Start date
I totally hated the way the MB150 combos sounded, and greatly preferred the MK200.
I think a Genzler Magellan 350 combo would be fairly comparable in size, but probably sound way better to my ears...YMMV.
Per the specs: The Genzler is a bit larger but weighs 3lbs less.
Magellan 350 Combo - Genzler Amplification
for comparison
MB 150S112 Specs — Gallien-Krueger
The Genzler puts out 350W at either 4 ohms, or 2.67ohms. So if you have higher volume needs you can add a second or third 8 ohm cab.
I think a Genzler Magellan 350 combo would be fairly comparable in size, but probably sound way better to my ears...YMMV.
Per the specs: The Genzler is a bit larger but weighs 3lbs less.
Magellan 350 Combo - Genzler Amplification
for comparison
MB 150S112 Specs — Gallien-Krueger
The Genzler puts out 350W at either 4 ohms, or 2.67ohms. So if you have higher volume needs you can add a second or third 8 ohm cab.
I use a Magellan 350 and its an excellent head, compact and easy to dial in a good sound with DB. You might try the amp with the extension cab you have and see hw you like it. If not, the 350 head with Genzler's 10-2 bass array cabinet is a great combo. I have one as well as an extra 10-2 cabinet that I use when bigger gig call for it.
One thing to anticipate - the newer amps all use Speakon connectors and I'm assuming that your old cab uses 1/4". You'll need to be prepared with a SpeakOn to 1/4" cable.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I had the opportunity to buy that Magellan amp at a significant discount and seriously considered it. To date, it delivered the most natural tone I’ve ever heard from my bass. Truly MBOL.
MBOL isn’t something I personally invest in because it tends to get lost in the mix, on the gigs I play. I want a bit more bottom and punch.
A friend tried it on at least one gig and passed as well.
Yes, it may be the polar opposite of the GK. One of the drummers I play with asks for the GK and recommended it to another bassist, who purchased it and loves it.
I either use the GK or a small 10” which has a similar tight, punchy tone.
YMMV, YMTIS (you might think I’m stupid), whatever.
MBOL isn’t something I personally invest in because it tends to get lost in the mix, on the gigs I play. I want a bit more bottom and punch.
A friend tried it on at least one gig and passed as well.
Yes, it may be the polar opposite of the GK. One of the drummers I play with asks for the GK and recommended it to another bassist, who purchased it and loves it.
I either use the GK or a small 10” which has a similar tight, punchy tone.
YMMV, YMTIS (you might think I’m stupid), whatever.
So...I'm trying to remember the MB150 sound...would you say it works in the mix because it is "quacky"? Or, why DOES it work in the mix? What sound quality did (does) it have that other instruments want to hear? Can other instrument players have words for what they want to hear in an amped string bass sound?
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
I’ll try.
The 150S has a very tight tone with the impression of a rise in the upper bass region and a quick drop off below that. I suspect it is due to putting a 12” driver in a very small, sealed box.
However, the MBX 112 extension cabinet doesn’t quite sound the same when driven by other heads so I’m sure the amplifier is voiced to work with the speaker.
the EQ is good at getting a usable tone in situations that other amps (AI combos) fall short. An Fdeck HPF helps to warm up the tone.
As an added benefit, I was on an outdoor gig mid summer which generously provided power via a very long extension cord and my class D BAM 200 wouldn’t run. Although it powered up, the sound it produced was what I would expect from an old handheld AM radio with weak batteries. The thirty year old GK powered up and I was very happy with the sound. Those amps are workhorses.
The 150S has a very tight tone with the impression of a rise in the upper bass region and a quick drop off below that. I suspect it is due to putting a 12” driver in a very small, sealed box.
However, the MBX 112 extension cabinet doesn’t quite sound the same when driven by other heads so I’m sure the amplifier is voiced to work with the speaker.
the EQ is good at getting a usable tone in situations that other amps (AI combos) fall short. An Fdeck HPF helps to warm up the tone.
As an added benefit, I was on an outdoor gig mid summer which generously provided power via a very long extension cord and my class D BAM 200 wouldn’t run. Although it powered up, the sound it produced was what I would expect from an old handheld AM radio with weak batteries. The thirty year old GK powered up and I was very happy with the sound. Those amps are workhorses.
The head sounds pretty much like vintage GK RB series amps, which have a full-range response but are a bit mid scooped.
Many years ago I compared an MB150E head to either a 400RB or 800RB using a Genz Benz 212T. I believe the two amps were voiced almost exactly the same. I thought the MB150E sounded slightly better, but it was a bit low on power.
So my dislike of the combo is due to the voicing of the speaker. The main thing I remember is it could not reproduce the smooth, extended highs I like. If you cranked the treble, it produced plenty of gank in the high mids, which I strongly dislike
. This is the same exact problem I have playing through an Ampeg 810. Apparently smooth extended highs are very important to me. Of course YMMV.If I remember correctly, at some point GK updated the driver. My guess is I was using the original driver.
I was big fan of the previous generation of the GK Microbass combo (the 200MB), I’ve also used the 150 on many gigs over the years.
Like you, I still had the extension cab leftover when the combo fonally died. Now I pair it up with the MB200 head. Super portable and sounds good. Not as hi-fi as other modern rigs, but it would be hard to find something better in this weight class and price range.
The head sounds pretty much like vintage GK RB series amps, which have a full-range response but are a bit mid scooped.
Many years ago I compared an MB150E head to either a 400RB or 800RB using a Genz Benz 212T. I believe the two amps were voiced almost exactly the same. I thought the MB150E sounded slightly better, but it was a bit low on power.
So my dislike of the combo is due to the voicing of the speaker. The main thing I remember is it could not reproduce the smooth, extended highs I like. If you cranked the treble, it produced plenty of gank in the high mids, which I strongly dislike
If I remember correctly, at some point GK updated the driver. My guess is I was using the original driver.
The original driver I believe was made by Pyle for the 200mb, then was replaced by the Paragon, made by GK. I agree with both of you. Low mid emphasis without extended highs. The specific bass and player's sound conception really comes into play here. Contrary to your experience here, I remember years ago needing to use my MB150 for a head for my Goliath 4x10 on salsa gigs while my head was being repaired. In true GK fashion I was totally surprised by how loud it was with a different cab.
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
Despite the temptation to blame an amplifier for the sound coming out of it I remind myself that the tone starts with me. Usually, a slight tweaking of EQ and approach set things right.
We put way too much time and interest into these things, IMO.
We put way too much time and interest into these things, IMO.
Isn't that the truth! The more I practice, the better my amp always sounds.
The classic MB150 unidentifiable rattle is almost always a $15 speaker surround that needs to be replaced. I wonder how many of these amps have sold for $50 because no one could find the $15 rattle?
It was worth it for me to get a whole new woofer from GK. That got me another 10 years of light duty enjoyment, until finally something blew on the amp board.
I was hoping my unit from the 1990s would be old-school enough that my tech could just replace a few dried out components (like he's done with my tube amps - and my old Kenwood stereo receiver). Alas, that was not the case.
Oh, well - 24 years was a pretty good run for a unit I bought used for $250! There's a combo amp hole in my life right now, but I can wait till next year to see what they're rolling out. (Also have a bit of a G/K hole - I sometimes miss that sound my MB150S had...)
I was hoping my unit from the 1990s would be old-school enough that my tech could just replace a few dried out components (like he's done with my tube amps - and my old Kenwood stereo receiver). Alas, that was not the case.
Oh, well - 24 years was a pretty good run for a unit I bought used for $250! There's a combo amp hole in my life right now, but I can wait till next year to see what they're rolling out. (Also have a bit of a G/K hole - I sometimes miss that sound my MB150S had...)
The main thing I remember is it could not reproduce the smooth, extended highs I like. If you cranked the treble, it produced plenty of gank in the high mids, which I strongly dislike
I would agree with this based on my experience with the combo amps and with the extension cab powered by a separate head. The 12” driver in a small sealed box concept definitely does not lend itself to much of anything other than focused midrange. It doesn’t bother me but if you are looking for a more full range sound you will most likely be disappointed even if you use a different head.
@Jeff Bonny If I remember right, I replaced the driver with the stock Paragon from GK and it didn't fix the rattle. I ended up putting it in a 200mb that had a driver that literally fell apart. I used weather stripping from the hardware store and it's been solid as a rock!
That makes perfect sense. Weather stripping is all that speaker surround is. And weather stripping from the local hardware store is cheaper and waaaaay more readily available. I love quick and dirty fixes that are better than the stock part. Good one!
The rattle in mine was a crack in the aluminum body. Checked everything.. was driving me nuts, then saw a light gap on the casing. Pretty rough with that amp.
