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How much drive does the GK MB800 have?

A

andyjanson

Guest
Oct 28, 2013
9
0
#1
Hi all,

In the interests of streamlining my gig set up, I'm looking to grab an MB800 and rack it along with a Line 6 G90 wireless. My main drive pedal at the moment is a darkglass B7K, but I'm wondering if I could downsize my entire rig into a 3U rack (amp, wireless + drawer for bits). So, does the MB800 have enough gain on tap to give me a bit of growl? I don't need a mega gainy sound, just something in the vein of Nolly from periphery.

Also if not, does anyone have any pointers for how I could implement my pedals into this setup? I only use a tuner and the B7K so I was thinking G90 into the pedals (possibly in a rack drawer?) then into the amp - has anyone tried something like this? How do you 'rack' the pedals?

Thanks in advance guys!
 
#4
NKBassman said:
IMO the MB800 doesn't really do drive. It excels at huge headroom cleans. You'd be best keeping the B7k for driven tones.
Click to expand...

I see. Do the RB heads do any better?

BassmanPaul said:
Rack drawers seem like a great idea at first blush. In reality my 2U rack drawers each weighed more than my lead sled power amp. I still have them unused stored in my garage.
Click to expand...

Ahh maaaan. Yea that's a shame.
 
#7
NKBassman said:
IMO the MB800 doesn't really do drive. It excels at huge headroom cleans. You'd be best keeping the B7k for driven tones.
Click to expand...

Yes, but my MB800 has a "B" channel in the pre-amp for distortion. From page 8 of the GK mb800 manual:

"Gain B/ Level B: Turning up the Gain B control will add a little growl to your tone by adding a small amount of ever order harmonic distortion. This is an unmistakable GK trade mark sound that you will surely grow to appreciate. Raising the Boost while lowering Level B will add more growl while keeping the sound level the same..."

Yes, it can do overdriven sounds, though as NKBassman said, it excels at "huge headroom cleans." Probably cleans the kitchen, too! :smug:

I agree the Fusion is a better choice for "drive."
 
#10
andyjanson said:
I see. Do the RB heads do any better?
Click to expand...

Yes. If you're after that classic GK "hitting the rails" thing, an RB is what you want. Best bet would be to consider an 700RB-II - if you'll be playing at anything resembling sane volume levels.

For truly high-decibel, deafening levels of volume, you might be able to hit the rails on a 1001RB-II. But you wouldn't want to stand right in front of the cab(s) without ear protection.

MM
 
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#11
Having both an RB400 and a MB800 I can say that:
They are not the same
The RB is warmer and has a different growl
The MB800 has a ton of umpf
The B channel gets darker and growls in a different way and not as much as the RB

All this assuming the same volume level meaning the MB is juts idling
The MB has huge punch that I don't get from an RB no matter what the power / not necessarily better but different
 
#12
Played the 550 fusion at a church this last weekend and it had some nice grit available, the mb800 does advertise it and it sounds alright. You could run a simple boost pedal in front to push it a little harder if you wanted, same is true for the mb fusion.
 
#14
If you want to get more grit out of it, boost the gain and lower the master volume. I did that and found my MB800 Fusion to give a nice growl. But most of my tone comes from a B7K as well, so I just run the A gain @ 9:00. Part of the reason I got the higher wattage was because I use pedals for most of my tone, so I wanted the head to be able to push clean headroom at higher volumes.
The lower wattage versions of the heads get that "ride the rails" GK growl better since you can turn them up higher without pushing so many watts.
 
#15
If you want grit, I'd say Orange is the way. I have the GK MB Fusion 800 and Orange Terror Bass 1000. GK=Clean, Orange=Orange! I've been a GK nut for a while, but I've decided I like the cabs better than amps. I'm replacing the MB Fusion with a Tone Hammer just to try out some different flavor. My vote is for Orange, but it's not as versatile as the GK, just different. Some people claim you can't get much of a clean signal from the Terror Bass. While I disagree, it's a very gain-friendly amp.
 
#19
Thank for the replies all, very helpful. Think I'm going to go with the MB500/800 as I want to keep things light and find a way to implement my pitchblack tuner and B7K into the rack...Ideally in a drawer of some kind, but if they're really heavy I may have to settle for a shelf. Will Velcro alone secure them on the shelf? I'm thinking Bass - Line 6 Relay G55 (racked) - pitchblack tuner - B7K - MB800. Also thinking of somehow fitting a power strip on the inside of the rack so I only have one power cable instead of 3, anyone done that?
 

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