I bought too much amp. :(

[Noshtero]

I poorly estimated my power needs. I bought a GK MB800 and I have it to set the master to JUST about off or I blow my ears apart. That's with the -10 pad on. I need to find a -40 speakon pad or something. It's like I bought a Lamborghini and now I can't drive in a school zone because if I touch the pedal I fly up to 60mph.

 

[samson3382]

EQ?

 

[Nev375]

What cabs are you using?

 

[rufus.K]

Buffer pedal with volume control.

 

[Noshtero]

Don't really want to change my tone with the eq. Smallest cab I have is a Glasstone lil'g. Would the buffer pedal be in the chain just before the amp to drop the overall volume going into the amp?

 

[MCS4]

Do you have the gain cranked up all the way? If not there is probably something going wrong... I've owned several amps of around 1,000 watts or more, played through large cabs, and have never had a problem setting a volume as quiet as you could want.

 

[Downunderwonder]

If you are serious I would suspect it is faulty. But what about the input and drive knobs?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

You could try just rolling back the volume on your bass.
I see no reason to buy anything new, but if you're able to return the MB800 for a MB500, that might be a good idea.

 

[Noshtero]

Bass volume full. Active bass.

If I set amp gain to noon, then the slightest turn of the master volume gets a decent bedroom volume. Jusssst barely turn that master volume and wham! Blasting volume. If I back the gain way off and back the master to about 9 o'clock, it's about right. Maybe I'm just old.

 

[rufus.K]

Don't really want to change my tone with the eq. Smallest cab I have is a Glasstone lil'g. Would the buffer pedal be in the chain just before the amp to drop the overall volume going into the amp?

It could go there. As long as it's got a volume knob

 

[Noshtero]

I'll just say I have ample headroom

 

[Eidolon0274]

Amp gain to noon? Holy hell, thats unrealistic. Amp gain at 9 oclock tops, generally (unless you want alot of "tube grind") the gain should never be higher than the master. Even then, try master at close-to-off and use the gain to push the amp. Ive had my gain at noon....never, actually. Not even my SVT can handle that with the master all the way open. but i like a "clean tube" sound.

 

[Noshtero]

Yeah and the GK manual says the cleanest tone is master volume at 3 o'clock. I can barely tap the gain with the volume that high. I'll stick with both volume and gain at about 7 o'clock, and feel good that I'm using like 2% of my amp power

 

[Latitude94941]

Yeah and the GK manual says the cleanest tone is master volume at 3 o'clock. I can barely tap the gain with the volume that high. I'll stick with both volume and gain at about 7 o'clock, and feel good that I'm using like 2% of my amp power

Sorry, but where in the manual does it say that "cleanest tone is master volume at 3 o'clock"?

 

[arbiterusa]

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

 

[ofajen]

You can turn down an active bass without appreciable effect on the tone of the output. You can also reduce the amp's preamp gain. Any combination of those two will let you turn up the master, but of course you will have less overdrive from the preamp stage (if you care).

Otto

 

[fakeneckplate'65]

I asked the same question awhile back about an Ampeg B50R that I couldn't set soft enough for home practice use.

The general consensus was " turn down the bass volume dummy! "

However, my SWR Strawberry Blonde can be set considerably softer even though the wattage is higher WITH the bass volume all the way up.

 

[PikeoftheLake]

You could get on of these and put it somewhere in your signal chain:[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[samson3382]

Yeah and the GK manual says the cleanest tone is master volume at 3 o'clock. I can barely tap the gain with the volume that high. I'll stick with both volume and gain at about 7 o'clock, and feel good that I'm using like 2% of my amp power

The master isn't scratchy is it?

 

[two fingers]

Bass volume full. Active bass.

Why? What would be the problem with turning it down a bit? Particularly on active basses that tends to have very little affect on tone, if any.

Also, forgot numbers. Dial in what sounds good at reasonable volumes. Forget the manual or online "suggested settings". Unless they are in your jam room or on your stage those setting are useless.