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GK MB200

#41
An Anvil flight case it's not, but for $15, hard to go wrong with something like this. Line it with foam and Bob's Your Uncle.
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Or this one for $30, already has the foam and room for amp, cords, and tools.
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#42
I don't leave it in the car, but yeah, a small amp had completely changed my gigging life before gigs stopped.
I picked up a super cheap Warwick LWA500 that easily fits in either a gigbag or backpack. Gigs became a dream, and the amp became my main rather than a backup!
 
#43
john m said:
I bought an MB200 for that purpose.
Then bought an Elf. Not were bought used at a good price.
Sold the GK, kept the Elf. Liked the voicing of the Elf more (also a bit smaller).
I do theater gigs with a Markbass 1-12 combo. The Elf is always within reach at showtime. I can do a quick swap and only miss 1 or 2 songs if failure happens.
My Markbass has been running for about 10 years, problem free. Hope to use it soon when COVID restrictions allow.
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate on why you prefer the ELF? I've heard negative comments about the built in compression and I'm trying to decide which to buy. TIA
 
#44
Old Fart said:
I hope I am not bending a rule here, but there is one of these things available locally for very small coin and I just want to reiterate my thought for gigging amp strategies. Many gigging amps are very reliable (I am still itching to get a WD800) but failure is not impossible and this happens at gigs that are two hours away from home. So....I propose to find a small Class D amp that fits under the passenger seat, and just leave it there and forget it. If the gigging amp fails, then I will remember.

I'd much rather have a Streamliner for this but they are more spendy and what if the car got stolen or fills with water or whatever... This GK200, theoretically, makes 2/3 the power of an SVT. As Mr. Lennon said...whatever gets you through the night.

Does anyone have a small backup amp under the passenger seat of their car?
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I gigged with the mb200 as my main amp many times. I didnt keep a backup amp but did keep a backup di/preamp just in case, but never actually needed it.
The one amp that did let me down on gigs was markbass, it would intermittantly cut out for a second many times each night.
 
#45
I play in a very loud punk rock band and I use the MB500, mounted in a rack, as my main head. I also keep a MB200 velcro’d on inside back of the rack for emergencies. I have never had to use it in an emergency, but I do run it from time to time at shows just to give it a little love. The MB200 is a solid amp that packs a definite punch. You can’t go wrong with it.
 
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#46
#47
The MB200 is one of the best micro amps out there. Sounds great and is very reliable. Has plenty of power for most applications and is small and light. I used to have mine mounted on a pedal board but now it resides as a backup. A lot of people seem to use as a backup so you can usually pick up a very good used unit for a great price and be confident it will work.
I also have an ELF micro amp. It is very nice as well, the only thing that bugs me about the ELF is that I have to use a 1/4" speaker cable or an adapter with it, but that's it.
 
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#48
I had an MB200 that I bought mostly as a backup amp, although I did use it home most of the time just so it got used. I love G-K amps and eventually realized that I owned the MB200, *two* MB500s, and an MB800. That’s in addition to my 1001RBII that I retired but just can’t part with as well as an MB150 combo.

And besides all those G-Ks, I also had a Mesa D800+, a Genzler Magellan 350, and a Trace Elliott ELF. :eek:

I finally realized I had absolutely NO reason for that many amps and sold off the ELF and all of my MBx00 heads except for the MB800. Of the ELF, MB200, and Genzler, I kept the Genzler as my low power / backup amp. I decided I liked having a different tone flavor in my stable and that one also had slightly more power. That being said, it was hard to get rid of the MB200. I really like G-K’s 4-band EQ, their reliability, and overall tone. If I had to come up with something I didn’t like about it, the only thing I can come up with was a lack of a master volume control.

Great little amp!
 
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#49
Old Fart said:
I hope I am not bending a rule here, but there is one of these things available locally for very small coin and I just want to reiterate my thought for gigging amp strategies. Many gigging amps are very reliable (I am still itching to get a WD800) but failure is not impossible and this happens at gigs that are two hours away from home. So....I propose to find a small Class D amp that fits under the passenger seat, and just leave it there and forget it. If the gigging amp fails, then I will remember.

I'd much rather have a Streamliner for this but they are more spendy and what if the car got stolen or fills with water or whatever... This GK200, theoretically, makes 2/3 the power of an SVT. As Mr. Lennon said...whatever gets you through the night.

Does anyone have a small backup amp under the passenger seat of their car?
Click to expand...


Yes sir I do!

A G.K. MB500.

It rides in a water tight, over padded, laptop case on the rear floor board of our CRV.

About every 10th or so gig I'll use it for the job we're playing, (make sure everything's good and working, give my main gigging head, a Mesa Subway 800+, alittle break!
 
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#50
Old Fart said:
I hope I am not bending a rule here, but there is one of these things available locally for very small coin and I just want to reiterate my thought for gigging amp strategies. Many gigging amps are very reliable (I am still itching to get a WD800) but failure is not impossible and this happens at gigs that are two hours away from home. So....I propose to find a small Class D amp that fits under the passenger seat, and just leave it there and forget it. If the gigging amp fails, then I will remember.

I'd much rather have a Streamliner for this but they are more spendy and what if the car got stolen or fills with water or whatever... This GK200, theoretically, makes 2/3 the power of an SVT. As Mr. Lennon said...whatever gets you through the night.

Does anyone have a small backup amp under the passenger seat of their car?
Click to expand...

No, I have a fully functioning intergrated head as a spare. I also have an Eden WTDI pedal so push come to shove, with a bump up in the monitor mix, I could get through the gig if I had too.
 
#55
Doug Parent said:
The screws I have but I need the ears ......????
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896E3B10-3BE0-49F5-BF5C-809139130880.jpeg
F4A5FF16-3F00-4669-A5FA-F28848245D09.jpeg
 
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#58
StayLow said:
Great idea!

Any idea if those huge feet unscrew without something in the amp going loose?

The feet on these almost double the height. Odd choice given size is a main feature.

I’d prefer shallower screw-on feet, or just stick-on feet might be easier.
Click to expand...
But the fly-weight MB 200 won’t dance off your cab with those big feet.
 
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#59
StayLow said:
Great idea!

Any idea if those huge feet unscrew without something in the amp going loose?

The feet on these almost double the height. Odd choice given size is a main feature.

I’d prefer shallower screw-on feet, or just stick-on feet might be easier.
Click to expand...
I’m pretty sure they come off easily. But I elected to leave mine on in the rack for a little cushion and support.
A98D82C5-0EF9-4378-BE47-4A15BACC73C1.jpeg
 
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