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mini Rig with GK MB200,BH250 or PF350

gommer

gommer

Nov 20, 2004
39
9
48
Greece
#1
Hi mates,

Recently i bought an TC RS212 cab (8 ohms) in order to build my mini rig.

Now the time of the micro head has come.

I had these three in mind

GK MB200

TC BH250

AMPEG PF-350

They are all around the same price and i cannot buy anything above that price.

I heard:
the BH250 is louder but currently i am not interested for toneprints.

the GK MB200 is loud with many good reviews.

PF-350 seems not so loud compared to other although it will probably have more headroom due to its more watts(?)

I want my rig for punchy vintage sound and not so for slap.I do not use overdriven sounds since i play vintage soul/funk.
And I want this rig for small gigs lets say 100 ppl audience max

So what would you recommend?

Finally can i connect the Aguilar Tone Hammer pedal to any of those? And will that provide me apart from the sound any boost or anything else?
 
#3
I would go back and play through the PF-350. One of the key things to remember is that to get the most out of the head is to leave the -15 db off, and run the gain right up until the clip light comes on for your hardest hits then back off a bit. It should still flicker on and off from time to time.

Also consider that the master volume knob has no correlation with how much louder an amp can get. Some amps are already maxed out when their volume knobs are at noon, some dont really open up till after that.

The most important thing is which sounded best to you? In the end that is the one you should go with.
 
#4
Definitely try them with your cab and go with what sounds best.

IMO, if you want vintage tone and don't need a lot of volume in a loud band, go with the ampeg. The PF350 sounds amazing, though there is some potential baggage with it, as some people have had experiences with the clipping system shutting out certain notes completely at higher volumes (while others gig with theirs regularly with no issues).

I own an MB200 and love it. Crisp and clear, can be crazy loud with insane low end for something that weighs 4lbs LESS than the portaflex. Plus, the EQ section can dial in old school warmth...with the right cabinet. I've never played through a TC212, but I don't really like my MB200 through my GB double 1x12 stack. LOVE it in my ampeg 1x15.
 
#6
Just recently purchased the BH250 which drives an Epifani PS112 cabinet. I'm loving it.

I would not discount the TonePrints option. I look at it as a way to test-drive pedal effects without commitment to particular hardware. I find the most useful to be the SpectraComp TonePrint that just makes the sound so rich and clear. It's early days, though, so I expect to find other TonePrints useful.

I find the voicing of the BH250 + Epifani to be rather nice, as I want to hear all my faults when practicing (I'm a hobbyist/beginner bassist, not a hard-gigging working musician). I can shape the tone to get many different sounds without too much difficulty. I looked at GB and Carvin options. The pricing (coupon at GC + rebate of TCE Corona Chorus pedal) was perfect for me and passed the 'wife test' without too much damage.

If you're set on classic tones, another option might be a VT Bass pedal into the microamp of your choice. I would consider that the RS212 with a BH250 would be optimized and not in a middle-of-the-road way.
 
#7
I have both the MB200 and PF350. Can't go wrong with either IMO. The MB200 has that GK sizzle and is amazingly loud for 200 watts. Also it's super portable.
The PF350 has that great warm "Ampeg" tone. Both have simple effective EQ and you can dial in a good tone pretty easily on either.
I'd probably go with Ampeg if you're looking for a more vintage tone.
 
#8
Keep in mind that the MB200 is 140 watts at 8 ohms and the PF350 is 250 watts at 8 ohms. I had the MB200 and sold it as I felt I got a bit more out of the PF350 and for me, the MB200 was too bass heavy in its voicing. The PF350 seems good all around and is plenty loud for my needs, with either one or two 1x12 cabs.
 
#9
I've owned an MB200 and PF-500 and used both with an TCE RS212. I currently have a BG250 (amp section speaks to the BH250).

I think the RS212 is a great cab, all the way around.

I believe the PF-500 is effectively an up-powered PF-350, so most impressions would apply. First, I think loud enough is loud enough, and any of the three you're considering should be loud enough for your application.

Although I didn't keep either the MB200 or the PF-500, I can say good things about both. I gigged each a couple of times and used them at a few rehearsals. I didn't keep either because I was looking for a back-up/ and wanting to experiment with different heads. I might have kept the MB200, but I got one (well, actually two) that had an unacceptable hiss level. The PF just didn't make me do cartwheels.

I think the MB200 has a very characteristic/colored sound. I felt it had an outstanding bedroom tone. With contour on, even more so. Very clean and bright. Alone, it's seemed very rich. In a gig setting (classic rock) it sounded good, but the brightness was a little more than my tastes called for, not unpleasant at all, just a taste thing. One thing I didn't like was the lack of a mute button.

The PF was like its polar opposite in some ways. Alone, it seemed completely unremarkable and plain. In a band setting though, it showed its strength. The whole "sitting in the mix" cliche was there. Straight up utilitarian, bread and butter bass.

From my experience with the BG250, right now, I'd probably pick the BH250. The sound is warm, fat and punchy. You can keep it pretty clean, or give it some grind with all the punch still there. As was pointed out, don't discount the TonePrint feature because you're not interested in built in effects. One of the tone prints is SpectraComp, and with the what's available now, you have three flavors of compressor to choose from.The sound that I'm getting is obviously tied to the overall combo design, but I don't think the RS212 would be worlds different, and should arguably be better in some ways. I think the eq design, with the dynamic center/shelving frequencies, is fantastic. It takes a powerful capability and boils it down to a completely simple twist-and-go implementation. The flip-side is that the simplicity removes control of the center points from the hands of a major tweaker.

Bottom line is that any one of the three could make the same person happy. From what you describe, the only concern I'd have is that the natural brightness of the MB200s character might be something you'd have to actively work at tamping down…why bother?

I can't comment on the Tone Hammer.

Good luck.
 
#10
Another MB200 lover here. I use it with a Genz Benz Focus 115 - even sounds good with a *pair* of Focus 115's. Also it's a great head to haul around to practice spaces which already have a cab present. I have a Hartke 115 I leave at the practice space for my main band, just started practicing with another band and use it with an Ampeg 410 there. Have even powered an SVT 810 with it.

I kinda bought it on a whim and expected it to be for practice only, but it's turned into my go-to head for almost everything. I also have an old Hartke 3500 but it weighs 25 lbs vs 2 for the MB200:eek:
 
#11
Well, it's time to resurrect this thread just to give you my impressions since i got the bh250 to match my rs212 cab.:hyper:

First of all, i would like to thank all the previous posters in this and to other related threads for the valuable advice.

My first tests were at home.But there i figured that i was pretty limited to what i could hear and the volume levels were also limited since my living room has many objects around and many neighbours next to it!!
So i took my small rig to a rehearsal with my band, anxious to see how it will sound.
Within five to ten minutes i was able to dial the sound i wanted. Clean and punchy with great mids and tight lows. My eq was Bass 11 o'clock, mids 2 'o clock and tremble almost nothing.I know the eq in this head acts differently than the classic ones.I controled the highs with my bass knob (Fender Mexican Fretless Jazz).Also i had the spectracomp turned on. The rig was placed having behind a wall at around 1 feet distance.The whole studio is about 30 square meters.
You have to believe, i never had to turn the volume more than 12 o'clock. I was very surprised. I know that the room and the type of music plays a big role but from my experience this small rig will do great for small-medium gigs for the type of music that I play (funk-soul). After of 3 hours rehearsing the head was still cold as when i turned it on.
Now, this small rig is more than i had expected it to be.
It may not sound like my Orange ad200 with my 4x10s cab, but i like it very much!!!

Luckily this day we were doing a live recording also so i will post one or two links for you to hear.
 
#13
Just a few recordings done with mic in the cab of the bh250



These are not in anyway promotional videos and they are put in the amp section to get an idea of the tone of the bh250 with a Tc rs212 cab.
Recordings were made with a fender mexican fretless. I do not know about you but i am happy about the tone:cool:
 
#14
gommer said:
Just a few recordings done with mic in the cab of the bh250



These are not in anyway promotional videos and they are put in the amp section to get an idea of the tone of the bh250 with a Tc rs212 cab.
Recordings were made with a fender mexican fretless. I do not know about you but i am happy about the tone:cool:
Click to expand...


Good stuff Invalid Link Removed

The who band sounds great, and your singer is fantastic.
 
#15
Those are all three great heads. The feature set varies a bit from head to head, so that can guide your choice a bit. FWIW, comparing the MB200 head to head against the BH250, I actually find the GK to seem a bit louder, but they are quite close.
 
#16
The band is called "On Stage the Band" . As for the mb200 yeah i remember from previous posts that it is louder but i am quite happy with the volume of the bh250 combined with this cab. My volume never exceeds 1 o'clock. But i guess this has to do also with the players and the type of music.
 
#17
I LOVE the Bh250 with the "Just a little grit" toneprint- Ab'ed it against my all tube head and it holds up VERY well tone wise, actually is quite a bit punchier with all the tube growl as well.

Running it through a SWR golight 210 now for practice but am also considering a 212 if I start playing out more with my band for extra volume.
Just curious, Can you run two cabs from the Bh250? It only has one output, if you can run two cabs how do you do it>
 
#18
I have been using a BH250 with an Ampeg B410he, and it works well for the clubs we play with small audiences. I line out to FOH.

My question is this, I am looking to downsize my cab and bought a TC Electronic RS212 to match up with my TC BH250. Is anyone running this combo? if so, how is it? I am currently playing a MIM Fender Active Deluxe P-Bass. Any info would be appreciated.
 

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