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GK MB200 or Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0?

L

Little Rock

Aug 23, 2015
214
107
Montreal, Canada
#1
Hello, TBers!

I have a budget of around U$200 to buy an used amp head, and i am having a real hard time to decide between the GK MB200 and the Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0.

I play mostly in the bedroom (:)) and, in a near future, i may start playing in small environments.

In case You have experience with any of those or both, could You, please, share it with me?

Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Shuttle:

STL30_lg.jpg

it has more features & FET amps sound better & are also nearly indestructible

Once upon a time I owned a MB200 & the thing that bugged me about it was that I couldn't get any overdrive out of it.
 
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#4
Killed_by_Death said:
Once upon a time I owned a MB200 & the thing that bugged me about it was that I couldn't get any overdrive out of it.
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I own both and my experience is opposite yours. The MB200 has a nice unique "grind" to it at medium-high rehearsal/gig volume while the Shuttle 3.0 is very sterile sounding with no usable OD. The latter is a great practice amp as it will highlight all of your technique issues :wideyed: - and prized by acoustic players for its accuracy.
 
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#6
RoadRanger said:
I own both and my experience is opposite yours. The MB200 has a nice unique "grind" to it at medium-high rehearsal/gig volume while the Shuttle 3.0 is very sterile sounding with no usable OD. The latter is a great practice amp as it will highlight all of your technique issues :wideyed: - and prized by acoustic players for its accuracy.
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I had that same impression of the Shuttle when I played one (years ago) and thought it would be a great "clean slate" kind of amp for practice and to add effects to. It reminded me of the crispness/cleanliness I associate with Acoustic Image heads. I also think it's a touch more versatile in voicing options than the MB200, at least it was to my ear.
 
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#9
Killed_by_Death said:
Can't you turn up the input gain with that knob on the far left & get all the O/D you desire?

from the Shuttle 3.0 manual:

View attachment 1175683
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Yes, of course you can. It's not as comprehensive of an overdrive as in the larger Shuttles but works ok for enough players.
 
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#11
That Shuttle 3.0 was very tempting when I played it, but I just wasn't in the market for a new amp that day. I remember thinking how nicely voiced it would be for an acoustic guitar or bass player - and I'm not in a any way suggesting it didn't impress me as a fully capable electric bass head.
 
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#12
Al Kraft said:
That Shuttle 3.0 was very tempting when I played it, but I just wasn't in the market for a new amp that day. I remember thinking how nicely voiced it would be for an acoustic guitar or bass player - and I'm not in a any way suggesting it didn't impress me as a fully capable electric bass head.
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I've kept mine as my reference amp - I could certainly gig it with something to warm it up in front of it :) but I'm not a fan of clean-for-live these days so not the right amp for me otherwise. YMMV :)
 
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#15
I have both. The shuttle is a higher tier product. They both have advantages over the other but for the same price, the shuttle is the better deal. Plus the designer hangs out here and will service it if needed. (see post # 9)

If you want some hair on your tone, though, the gk has that. The shuttle doesn't do it very easy or pretty, but with it front-ended with something you're golden.
 
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#16
Untitled_zpsvqwnvlfb.png

Chiming in here with input from the man himself.

To the OP: My personal experience with the Shuttle has been nothing but positive, but it was ultimately too clean for my taste, and I moved onto an Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. As others have said, it's so clean that you're basically free to colour it whichever way you like it with pedals, so it's versatile that way. And yes, YouTube videos should give you a good idea of how each one sounds.
 
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#18
trowaclown said:
Untitled_zpsvqwnvlfb.png

Chiming in here with input from the man himself.

To the OP: My personal experience with the Shuttle has been nothing but positive, but it was ultimately too clean for my taste, and I moved onto an Aguilar Tone Hammer 350. As others have said, it's so clean that you're basically free to colour it whichever way you like it with pedals, so it's versatile that way. And yes, YouTube videos should give you a good idea of how each one sounds.
Click to expand...
That answer makes perfect sense to me based on what I recall when I played that head. Depending on what one plans to do relative to pedals and effects, a head like this can be exceptionally useful. And for those players who simply want a "wire with gain" type of amp, this one is hard to beat for the price,...in fact it's hard to beat period.
 
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#20
Mastermold said:
Both are quality products, I love my MB200 but Genz Benz is (was) my favorite micro amp maker. I don't have experience with the smaller Shuttles but the Streamliner is the amp I use when I don't want to haul out an SVT and I've enjoyed my Shuttle 9.0 for many years.
Click to expand...

The Streamliner had tubes though, didn't it? That'd have given it a different vibe from the Shuttle, which the OP is looking at. Such a shame Genz Benz is no longer in existence.
 
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