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GK RB vs MB rig advice

M

m0ntels

Jan 20, 2011
39
1
Quakertown, PA
#1
I've been playing for a few months now and not having an amp stinks. I've been playing through a 30W stereo mic input so far :rollno:

I've been trying a bunch of amps and I'm pretty sure I want the GK sound. Had my 2 future band mates with me yesterday and we ran my bass through a GK 700RB-2, GK Goldline, Little Mark III, Acoustic 400, and Ampeg BA115; I put those in the order we liked them if that helps any. I've also tried a GK MB115 before and liked the sound of that too.

Now here's my situation...I want to pull the trigger on a 700RB...but there's a few things stopping me. I want the sound and power of the RB, but I need TV volume levels for the time being due to us all living in apartments/condos. (Before you ask, drummer is looking at e-drums.) Can I get something workable from the RB and a small practice cab like the the one the Coffeehouse 110 thread and get a better cab (I liked the GK Neo at the store) when I'm ready to gig, or should I go with the MB500 or MB210 or 212 because they have a headphone out? I can't seem to find a MB head to try out. I did like the sound of the GK amps with a tweeter so I like the biamp option of the 700RB with the GK biamp ready cabs.

I'll shut up now so I don't make everyone TL;DR me, but if anyone has some sage advice I'm all ears. I'm planning a trip to the bigger GC soon, but they don't have any MB heads in stock either they say.
 
#3
I wouldn't buy a rig with the limitation that it needs to be quiet in an apartment....that's kinda up to you.

The GK 700RBII is a great, rugged, reliable amp that can convert 60 Hz power into a ton of bass Sound Pressure Level (SPL). I use mine with the well matched Neo 212-II cab (8 ohms) and have not yet felt the urge to add another cabinet just for sound level.

It's not a feather weight at ~18lbs but also not too bad to haul around. Huge range of tones available with all the controls and the bi-amp arrangement with separate horn channel, though I personally don't use too much treble in my playing....I'll sneak in a little sizzle to stay in the mix when my six-string brethern and the horns get loud.

Very satisfied customer....

Play hotel master ballrooms, airplane hangars and outdoor gigs with it.
 
#4
You might also want to look at the MB series. I compared a MB500 and RB700 for about a month. I ended up taking back the RB700 and keeping the MB500 as it was much smaller, comparable power, and $100 cheaper.

For what you described, I would recommend looking at the GK MB115 combo amp. Light weight. Should be fine at low volumes (as most amps are) and can go loud. And the price is pretty reasonable.
 
#5
DavePlaysBass,

Comparing the 700RB to the MB 500, were they sounding different or were they so much alike that tone wasn't a factor in your decision to buy one over the other?

I'm curious because I currently have a 700RB and I am considering adding an MB 500 for a light weight practice amp.
 
#6
That's along the lines of what I'm trying to find out too. I was able to try the MB115 a few months ago before I even bought a bass and liked it then, but now with a few months of practice now I can actually hear the difference between amps, but don't remember much about the MB other than I liked it when I didn't know anything. It sounds like the MB is more what I need in the immediate future, but if it was not as good as the 700RB, I'd rather deal with a little too much than not enough since I really only want to buy once.

I didn't play when I bought my condo originally so quiet wasn't so much the concern it is now and with the market tanking and the wife going back to college, I'll be here for a while longer, but I'll be able to buy something in the $500-1k range soon, but who knows when I will again so I don't want to buy some practice only rig I'll outgrow soon, but I also don't need something to blast out a stadium either. If you say the MB is as good as the RB, I'll seek another one out and if I still like it I'll order the head, but if the RB is substatially better, I think I'll end up with that.
 
#8
For starters I would say the 700RB-II is at the top of the list feature and cost wise. Next is the MB-500 head and then third would be the MB115 combo.

Comparing just the heads to start off with, the MB-500 is essentially the same preamp as the 700RB-II minus the Presence filter and 4 string / 5 string button. The MB-500 sounds like the 700RB-II with the 5 string button engaged. The older GK amps (400 and 800) were able to generate a lot of volume in a small package. They did this by rolling off the low end before it went to the power amp. Low frequencies consume a lot of power and for vintage 4 string basses and cabinets there was not a lot to be gained by amplifying low frequencies that most speakers would not handle well anyway. However as 5 string basses became more prevalent, econimc power amp stages became more powerful, and speaker enclosures started to go lower in frequency, this technique started to limit some players. So when GK released the newer versions of the RB series, on some models they put in a 4 string / 5 string switch option. In 4 string mode, it emulated the classic RB400 and RB800 sounds many were in love with. But they allowed for a bypass of the low frequency roll off filter by engaging the 5 string button. This does not mean that you can't play a 4 string bass with the 5 string button engaged. By today's standards, maybe they should have labled the button, "low frequency cut vs. full range" like you see on many vocal filters.

Another difference is the biamp option. The 700RB allows one to use a GK cab (neo series) in a biamped fashion where as the MB500 does not. Some players like this feature. Some think its no big deal. Use the search function and you will find lots of opinions. I like the idea on paper but never have played a setup with the biamped tweeter control.

So with all that being said, I found the MB500 sounded nearly identical to the 700RB with the 5 string switch engaged (full range) which was my preferred sound. The EQ is exactly the same. The power ratings seemed comparable and I really like the ability to put the MB500 in a laptop backpack along with a $100 savings. But that does not mean the MB500 is better. It just presented more value to me and I liked the portability after lugging around a 30lb two space rack for the 5 years prior.

I did pair it with a Neo Series 115-III cabinet and I am really happy with this cab. The Neo 115-III replaced my Aguilar GS112 as a single cab solution. And I have an Avatar B210neo I can throw in as a pair but I have yet to need the second cab with the MB500 / Neo 115 pair. However, most of playing these days is with in ears and no amps on stage. I used the MB500 as a preamp for its EQ and boost drive feature. And the occasional jams sound great with the Neo 115.

The MB115 combo is not as powerful as either the 700RB or MB500 power amps (but the MB212 or MB210 is). And none of the MB combos give you option of a DI that goes post EQ. Many really dig the MB combos and they appear to offer a lot of value. I opted for a slightly bigger cabinet because I thought it would sound better. The neo series enclosures have better tweeters than the MB enclosures and are bigger with high power ratings and higher eifficinciy ratings for a given speaker layout. I never ABed the MB115 or MBE115 vs. the Neo 115 though.
 
#9
DavePlaysBass,

Thank you for that very informative 2nd paragraph... my only experience with GK amps before I got my MB500 last June was in 1993, when I played through someone else's RB400, once. :)

I never knew about the 4 string / 5 string button, or that my MB500 is basically hardwired at the 5 string (full range) setting. You learn something new here every day!
 
#10
Gks customers service is terrible. I have waited for parts for my new (but still broken) amp, for a long time. I have contacted them several times..no answer/no parts. I shall never ever give more of my money to that company.
 
#11
I would respectfully reccomend that you not look to limit your rig by the fact that you are an apartment resident; after all, that's what the volume control is for, no?

IME, in all things, not just music - the requirements you have for your gear before you buy it are always much less than the requirements that evolve once you have it. So bear that in mind, and try to get more than you think you need.

I don't have a a huge amount of personal experience with the amps you've mentioned, but if I were looking for a rig in your position, I would be concerned with two factors primarily; those being perceived volume (louder = better), and tone at low volume. Just as an example, the Mesa Walkabout sounds just as good with the master down as it does cranked. If you manage to find an amp that can shake the walls but still sounds good low, you're a winner.

Hope that helps!
 
#12
Ended up ordering the MB500. Found a store that had a used 700RB and a used MB500. Ran them through the same cab and they sounded identical to me and my friend. Decided to go for the weight and money savings since the fancier DI and biamping weren't that important to me in the foreseeable future.

Used the $100 off Guitar Center coupon to order it and price matched some ATH-M50s headphones at the store (marked 179, I got them for 119), so I got killer phones and will hopefully have a nice new amp delivered to me in the next few weeks.
 
#13
Gks customers service is terrible. I have waited for parts for my new (but still broken) amp, for a long time. I have contacted them several times..no answer/no parts. I shall never ever give more of my money to that company.
Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree. I was able to get in touch with the techs at GK directly over the phone each time I called. They also fixed my 800RB and sent it back in about a weeks time. I couldn't have been happier with GK's customer service.
 

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