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Got my GK MB Fusion today!!!!
- Thread starter 77jazz
- Start date
Most studios want to use 'their' DI box straight from your bass. If you whine, sometimes they'll mic your cab and MAYBE even mix it in there a little.
Unimaginable... A guitarist would turn back on his toes and walk away if he could not use his favourite amp 
Anyone have some "power up" noise for the first 60 seconds or so after turning the Fusion on? Mine has some short bursts of static that decrease in volume as the amp warms up. Almost seems like tube noise. It is completely quiet once the amp warms up for a minute or so. Leaving mute on while it warms up kills the noise. It's not too loud, but is noticeable.
I played a pretty big room last night opening up for the English Beat. This round I paired it up w/ my avatar TB153 and played with my Warwick proline 5.
Absolutely slayed.
The band I was playing with doesn't call for any effects and needs a nice clean tone. I'm really impressed with the clean tones out of this little guy. I ran it with deep switch on, gain at 10 o'clock, bass @ noon, mids around 12:30-1 and treble at 11. Even with the gain lower I still only had the master around 10. Cut through like a knife and still had booty to spare. I don't miss my M9 a bit.
By far this cab has been my favorite with the fusion, they seem made for each other. I've had rigs that cost almost 3X as much as this one, and haven't been nearly as happy with them as I am with Fusion/TB153.
Absolutely slayed.
The band I was playing with doesn't call for any effects and needs a nice clean tone. I'm really impressed with the clean tones out of this little guy. I ran it with deep switch on, gain at 10 o'clock, bass @ noon, mids around 12:30-1 and treble at 11. Even with the gain lower I still only had the master around 10. Cut through like a knife and still had booty to spare. I don't miss my M9 a bit.
By far this cab has been my favorite with the fusion, they seem made for each other. I've had rigs that cost almost 3X as much as this one, and haven't been nearly as happy with them as I am with Fusion/TB153.
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
They were amazing. It was pretty much just Dave, From what he told me there is the "U.S" version of the beat and the "English" version. Sounded great, played all the classics. Slowed some of the stuff down a bit and gave it a more reggae vibe. I was too young to see them back in their hayday but it would be hard to believe they sounded better then.
Really fun gig, and was great to play with a band that has had such a big influence on me.
Really fun gig, and was great to play with a band that has had such a big influence on me.
maritimer said:
I don't have that with mine, but mine is normally muted when I power on. Maybe you have a bad tube.
Chef
In Memoriam
Mine's quiet, minus the loudish fan I mentioned earlier.
Funny tho: it seems to run cooler when in use, versus sitting idle on set breaks...
Funny tho: it seems to run cooler when in use, versus sitting idle on set breaks...
I forgot to mention... I took my MB Fusion to a worship service gig and there was a time where we all literally were silent for several minutes. I was about 5 feet from my amp and it was QUIET in the room. I could hear the fan, but it was not loud at all. I had to remember to listen for it.
FWIW.
Chef
In Memoriam
Depending on how bright the cab is, yeah. Just like other heads with the same kind of strong high end these heads have.
Chef
In Memoriam
With this head, I run horns way, way down.
Master at 3 o'clock? Never done that; that would be really, really loud.
Master at 3 o'clock? Never done that; that would be really, really loud.
Far from it. I have 5 churches in my roster, though I'm only active in 3 right now.Glad I'm not the only one that thinks about gear during quiet times at worship service.
I finally got to use the MB-F + MBE410 rig at my usual gig last night. Settings ended up somewhere around:
Channel B, Gain @ 12:00, Contour Off, Bass @ 11:30, Low Mids @ 12:30, High Mids @ 1:00, Highs @ 12:00, Presence and Deep Off, Limiter Off, Master...maybe 9:30.
This rig is noticably 'wider' sounding than the MB212 combo. It somehow doesn't feel as punchy to me. I think tonight I'll go a little higher with the Low Mids and see if that doesn't help. There is plenty of sizzle though, even with the tweeter off. The lows are all there and it grinds like crazy in the upper mids. Overall an outstanding performance!
If the cab had side handles, I could just velcro the head on there and call it an MBF410 combo!!
Channel B, Gain @ 12:00, Contour Off, Bass @ 11:30, Low Mids @ 12:30, High Mids @ 1:00, Highs @ 12:00, Presence and Deep Off, Limiter Off, Master...maybe 9:30.
This rig is noticably 'wider' sounding than the MB212 combo. It somehow doesn't feel as punchy to me. I think tonight I'll go a little higher with the Low Mids and see if that doesn't help. There is plenty of sizzle though, even with the tweeter off. The lows are all there and it grinds like crazy in the upper mids. Overall an outstanding performance!
If the cab had side handles, I could just velcro the head on there and call it an MBF410 combo!!
I don't buy amps often. Since '95 I've stuck w/my Nordschow-modified Eden WT-400, and before that used an old Acoustic for 20 years. Somewhere in between there was a 400RB, but it was not reliable and I ditched it, even though it sounded good. Still, along the way I've encountered lots of GK backline and borrowed rigs, and I have always walked away thinking that I really do like that sound. It's a contrast to my beloved Eden, but it's a good one.
But this week I made the leap, and tonight I gigged my new MB 500 Fusion for the first time. Man oh man, what an amp! It has a great full sound, thick and juicy down low but keeping that GK growl at every level. I ran it with my pair of Ag DB 112's, what a great combo... very satisfying.
I didn't need or use any of the low boost, presence or contour features, but I had no trouble dialing in a great sound just by rolling off a tiny bit of both low and high, and fattening up the low & high mids just a smidgeon.
After some of the comments in this thread I was a little concerned about the overdriven sound, but I found the B channel to have a wonderful grittiness once I found the sweet spot, and the footswitch did just what I hoped in letting me punch in that tubey thickness whenever needed. Just a touch of extra gain in that channel vs. the A channel was a wonderful experience, much like having a good grit pedal for boost. The A channel was my "go to" clean sound and I like it a lot.
Somewhat to my surprise, by careful tweaking of the gain/master settings with either channel, you can achieve some of that wonderful character that lives in the mids of an all tube amp. I know there's been a lot of hoopla about the Streamliner in this regard, and I wasn't sure from what I've read here that this amp would have that quality, but it really does, and it is a nice addition to the GK characteristic sound, which this has all the way.
I might as well also give GK kudos for silk screening the rear panel options on the top of the box where it's completely easy to see what you're doing... ingenious! It sure makes set-up quick and easy. This thing is very user-friendly.
And the volume is scary. Even with the gains in the 11 to 1:00 neighborhood, I didn't dare set the masters at all past 10:00, and this in a big club with a couple hundred in attendance. Oh, and I had PA support... the DI sounded fine. I'm not sure how much louder it would get, but I'm also not sure how much louder I would ever need except maybe outdoors unsupported.
About the only niggle I can come up with (and the power cord fit fine, BTW, nice-n-snug) is the brilliance of the red illuminated pad, mute and channel B buttons when engaged. Holy cow, are they ever bright! Magic marker, maybe? Has anyone tried that?
I spent a long time warming up to the micro idea, and then a long time deciding which way to jump. I'm convinced this was the right move. These 500 watt power modules are fantastic and this baby has one fabulous preamp to go with it. It's nice to be back in GK mode, and at less than 5 lbs too!
But this week I made the leap, and tonight I gigged my new MB 500 Fusion for the first time. Man oh man, what an amp! It has a great full sound, thick and juicy down low but keeping that GK growl at every level. I ran it with my pair of Ag DB 112's, what a great combo... very satisfying.
I didn't need or use any of the low boost, presence or contour features, but I had no trouble dialing in a great sound just by rolling off a tiny bit of both low and high, and fattening up the low & high mids just a smidgeon.
After some of the comments in this thread I was a little concerned about the overdriven sound, but I found the B channel to have a wonderful grittiness once I found the sweet spot, and the footswitch did just what I hoped in letting me punch in that tubey thickness whenever needed. Just a touch of extra gain in that channel vs. the A channel was a wonderful experience, much like having a good grit pedal for boost. The A channel was my "go to" clean sound and I like it a lot.
Somewhat to my surprise, by careful tweaking of the gain/master settings with either channel, you can achieve some of that wonderful character that lives in the mids of an all tube amp. I know there's been a lot of hoopla about the Streamliner in this regard, and I wasn't sure from what I've read here that this amp would have that quality, but it really does, and it is a nice addition to the GK characteristic sound, which this has all the way.
I might as well also give GK kudos for silk screening the rear panel options on the top of the box where it's completely easy to see what you're doing... ingenious! It sure makes set-up quick and easy. This thing is very user-friendly.
And the volume is scary. Even with the gains in the 11 to 1:00 neighborhood, I didn't dare set the masters at all past 10:00, and this in a big club with a couple hundred in attendance. Oh, and I had PA support... the DI sounded fine. I'm not sure how much louder it would get, but I'm also not sure how much louder I would ever need except maybe outdoors unsupported.
About the only niggle I can come up with (and the power cord fit fine, BTW, nice-n-snug) is the brilliance of the red illuminated pad, mute and channel B buttons when engaged. Holy cow, are they ever bright! Magic marker, maybe? Has anyone tried that?
I spent a long time warming up to the micro idea, and then a long time deciding which way to jump. I'm convinced this was the right move. These 500 watt power modules are fantastic and this baby has one fabulous preamp to go with it. It's nice to be back in GK mode, and at less than 5 lbs too!
