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GK vs Acoustic - Which amp/cab/head should I buy?

MetalSearGolid

MetalSearGolid

Cyperpunk Cowboy
Aug 29, 2013
116
2
Michigan, USA
www.facebook.com
#1
Hey guys, this is my first time posting on these forums, you guys had some great posts when I was comparing the BP355 and the Zoom B3, so I'm hoping someone can help me pick an amp that I'm looking to buy today.

My practice amp is on the verge of going, so I've been shopping around for a few gig quality amps at Guitar Center (about time I replaced some of my stolen equipment). These are the three that I've landed on at my local store:

Acoustic B300H 300W BASS HEAD W/ DISTORTION + Acoustic B410MKII 4x10 BASS SPEAKER CAB BLACK (600W)

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Total: $626.64 (with a 15% off coupon for the head, amp is on special for $329.99 for the labor day sale)

Gallien-Krueger MB112-II 200W 1x12 Ultralight Bass Combo Amp

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Total: $339 (using the same 15% off coupon)

Gallien-Krueger MB210 2x10 500W Ultralight Bass Combo Amp

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Total: $599

I'm not sure which one I want to go with because both sound great. I used to own the GK MB210 and loved it, but it was stolen from my car a while ago. The MB112 definitely has less power, but I don't know if I really need more than a 200W amp for the smaller venues we are going to start playing soon. In addition, our guitarist only has a 150W amp (been trying to get him to get a head for his Marshall cab though), so I want to make sure I don't overpower him. GK has a good track record for the lower cost and I'd like to find a reason to stay with GK. I may even go with another MB210 500W instead since my local Guitar Center has one, however, it's priced at $599, a little less than the Acoustic head+cab.

As far as the Acoustic equipment goes, I've never used Acoustic brand gear (only used Peavey and GK at this point), and I've never used a cab+head before. I don't really know what their track record is compared to GK, but the Acoustic head + cab I posted really sounds sick. Since i'd only be spending a couple hundred more for 3x the power than the GK 112MB-II, I'm wondering if it's worth it to go with the more powerful equipment. Carrying multiple pieces of equipment is a non-issue for me, so this is not something I'm worried about.

Any expertise is greatly appreciated. As an fyi, the music we play is more 90s-2000s alternative, though we are starting to become a bit darker with more of a metal sound, so I don't know how this should factor into my final decision. I'm looking for something to accentuate a brighter tone of my bass, and I really like how all three amps accomplish this. Thanks in advance for the help, guys!
 
#4
If you like the GK tone, but get the 2-12 combo.
It's light, but loud enough for most gigs that other combos might struggle with.

The new Acoustic stuff........not impressed with the quality,
time will tell.
 
#6
If I had the money, I'd easily go for a GK cab/head. The acoustic cab/head just seems like a good deal because of the labor day sale, and I do like how it sounds. I just don't know the longevity of the Acoustic brand (e.g. I don't want to be replacing my equipment for a couple years because i thrashed it too hard)

And our guitarist's amp isn't that great. It's a pretty decent practice amp, but in a large room filled with people, it's just not enough. He traded drumkit for with our drummer for a used Marshall cab, which is exactly what he needs, but he won't buy a head for it because "why would he do that when his amp sounds good enough as it is?"
 
#8
decentbassbreh said:
G&K more versatile more applications, plus you can get an extension cab
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That's one of the things I forgot to check the Acoustic gear for, if I can add an extension to it. I don't have any experience with head+cab setups, I was assuming I could add another cab to the head if I needed (though I doubt I'll be needing more than the one cab for a while)
 
#10
Although my posts are consitantly pro Acoustic, whether vintage or GC brand, my experience with both has been great.

In 2008, after trying nearly every brand, including boutique brands..ALL of them farted-out on B-String of my ZON. I thought the only way I could ever hear my Zon would be through headphones.

In 2009, I tried again at local G C. I was in market for a combo, as I am older, with lower back issues, etc.

I brought in my ZON, plugged in to each and every combo and amp in their BASS Room.

This time, I only thumped B-String, as that was THE test.

One-by-one..each and every combo and amp failed, including the mighty S V T.

Last and certainly not least, I plugged into the Acoustic B-200 combo..B-string rang true..loud and clear...SOLD..

If it wasn't for B-String issue, I preferred the delicious tone of MARK-BASS combo, but when I played the
B-string..I couldn't turn that amp off fast enough....I never saw a speaker beg for mercy before...THAT ONE DID! and Mark Bass was 4 times more in cost than Acoustic?? NO WAY!!

In 2012, I realized that seperate head/ cab was better for me..2 loadsvs one load with combo.... but one load combo was just a little on the heavy side, so I bought a B-200 head/ cab. I love both my combo and seperates.

If GK..Mark Bass..Whatever brand works for you..GREAT.

G C Acoustic works for me.. with tons of tone and best bang for the buck in the market in my opinion and experience.

Still I suggest you let YOUR ear have the vote and your wallet gets the veto.

Good luck and let us know what you chose.
 
#12
Hands down... GK all the way! I own Acoustic and have been sorry I bought it soon after I had bought it. But fortunately for me, I only bought it for practice, so I don't worry TOO much about it, though I sure would like to trade it in some day when I get the extra funds.
 
#13
Hey, get the gear that you like. If that's Acoustic, so be it. Plenty of people do use acoustic and enjoy it. GK is a favorite around here, because the tone is well liked, the equipment is light weight, customer service is very good (esp. in the States), and prices are very competitive. Resale will be higher for the GK equipment.

And remember, this will not be the last rig you buy.
 
#14
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and feedback. I ended up going with the Acoustic head + cab over either Gallien-Krueger combo for three reasons:

1. The Acoustic amp + head produced the exact heavy but bright sound I am looking for, the MB112-II didn't quite get there.
2. They didn't have the MB210 in stock anymore (would have waited for this since 1. applied to this amp as well, but my practice Peavey is unusable right now)
3. Since I'm still young and not really established as a musician yet, I know I'd like to get as much experience as possible with different equipment. This way I can make more educated assumptions based on my prior experiences with different brands.
 
#16
AstroSonic said:
GK is a favorite around here, because the tone is well liked, the equipment is light weight...
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The tone and light weight are the main reasons why I prefer GK, but I was able to get the Acoustic to be pretty similar in output when I tested it last night.

AstroSonic said:
And remember, this will not be the last rig you buy.
Click to expand...

This reminded me that I don't want to be asking 8 million questions in a few years about whether to go with one brand or the other, so it's probably good I'm getting experience with a new brand.
 
#17
MetalSearGolid said:
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and feedback. I ended up going with the Acoustic head + cab over either Gallien-Krueger combo for three reasons:

1. The Acoustic amp + head produced the exact heavy but bright sound I am looking for, the MB112-II didn't quite get there.
2. They didn't have the MB210 in stock anymore (would have waited for this since 1. applied to this amp as well, but my practice Peavey is unusable right now)
3. Since I'm still young and not really established as a musician yet, I know I'd like to get as much experience as possible with different equipment. This way I can make more educated assumptions based on my prior experiences with different brands.
Click to expand...

Congrats on the new rig, and on actually listening to the gear and choosing what you liked (instead of to what others think you should like). Auditioning the gear yourself is the single best thing you can do for gear selection.
 
#18
AstroSonic said:
Congrats on the new rig, and on actually listening to the gear and choosing what you liked (instead of to what others think you should like). Auditioning the gear yourself is the single best thing you can do for gear selection.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Unfortunately, not everyone shares in this opinion, and will swear by their equipment choice even if there are better options out there out of stubbornness/refusal to try new things (amongst other reasons, I'm just speaking on a few indivuduals I know personally)
 
#19
Back in the early 1980s I compared ACC amps to GK amps and I thought they sounded pretty much the same. The were both top notch in terms of quality and tone. Then ACC went out of business but GK continued to prosper and has maintained a good reputation. The new "Acoustics" don't impress me as being anywhere near as good as the old ACC stuff, and with their track record for failures I wouldn't consider them. GK in comparison, has maintained a solid rep.

If it were me, I wouldn't consider Acoustic, I'd buy GK. And I'm not even a GK guy -- I play an SVT.
 

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