NAD: G-K MB110- Mighty Mouse...

[Joe Louvar]

With the G-K 4-band EQ, it's pretty easy to dial back the treble and upper mids so that the top end doesn't give you a haircut.

Yeah IMHO, G-K amps have one of the easiest to use and best bass amp EQ's ever made.

 

[rolandm]

I believe that two feet is the half-wave point, where you are supposed to lose the boundary reinforcement from the floor.

IME, it's difficult to distinguish the difference between a loss of low end, and a gain in the highs because you're now "in the beam", and hearing more highs. Either way, all cabs sound brighter elevated or tilted.

With the G-K 4-band EQ, it's pretty easy to dial back the treble and upper mids so that the top end doesn't give you a haircut.

Regardless for me, the whole point of elevating a cab is to get out of the way of the sound guy, or to stop room boom. I WANT less low end in the house in that situation. If I wasn't giving FOH a DI signal, I'd leave the amp on the floor and crank it.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[dalkowski]

I haven't compared those 112 combo (size, weight, power, & cost) specs, but out of the three popular high powered 10" speaker bass combos (and the TCE 2x8"), the GK MB110 is the lightest in weigh and the smallest in size, affordable, and its great sounding and powerful - also money isn't wasted on unnecessary junk like built in effects, etc.

Gallien-Krueger MB110 - $299.99
Size: 14.5"H x 12.5"W x 11.5"D
Weight: 21lbs
Power: 100W
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MB110

Ibanez Promethean P3110 - $349.99
Size: 14.4"H x 17.7"W x 21.7"D
Weight: 37.4lbs
Power: 300W

Carvin MB10 - $269 + $25 shipping = $294.00
Size: 18.5"H x 12.75"W x 11.5"D
Weight: 26.1lbs
Power: 200W

TC Electronic BG250-208 - $499.99
Size: 18.3"H x 12.6"W x 11.5"D
Weight: 25.9lbs
Power: 250W

Wow, I found this thread at the perfect time. My Hartke A100 pooped out on me at last night's practice. Second trip to the repair shop in a year and a half -- think it's time to send it to the great pawn shop in the sky.

I was looking at the Carvin until I learned about the GK. Anyone have experience with it in the same kind of setting (Jazz/blues trio, usually low-volume cocktail-type gigs)?

Thanks!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

...My Hartke A100 pooped out on me at last night's practice.

...I was looking at the Carvin until I learned about the GK. Anyone have experience with it in the same kind of setting (Jazz/blues trio, usually low-volume cocktail-type gigs)?

The G-K could definitely work for cocktail gigs, depending on how loud your drummer is.

How hard were you pushing the Hartke? The MB110 has a nice tone, but I don't think it will move quite as much air.

The MB112 might be better competition for your A100. Still very light and compact, but able to push out quite a bit more in the low mids.

 

[AMJBASS]

Just played a piano trio gig last night with the MB110. Hard room sound wise. It sounded pretty good. Plenty of volume. My favorite part of the combo is the weight and form factor. In an ideal world it would have the same power amp as the MB112 at 200 watts for the head room. Still, for the money I'm not sure there are many other small 1x10" combos that can compete.

 

[dalkowski]

The G-K could definitely work for cocktail gigs, depending on how loud your drummer is.

How hard were you pushing the Hartke? The MB110 has a nice tone, but I don't think it will move quite as much air.

The MB112 might be better competition for your A100. Still very light and compact, but able to push out quite a bit more in the low mids.

1. It would actually be mainly a rehearsal amp, and maybe for some of the smaller-room/background music gigs we do. I'm blessed to play with a drummer who actually understands dynamics and appropriate volume (Thank you, Berklee!).

2. I've never pushed the Hartke even close to hard. It's done yeoman service for me for close to 6 years, but I'm starting to doubt its reliability. Also an amp with half the weight would be nice. No illusions about moving air 10" v 15".

3. I'll look at the 12-er. I like the idea of the GK or Carvin 1x10 because, honestly, it gets me into a serviceable rehearsal amp for under 3 bills.

THanks!

 

[steve_rolfeca]

1. ...I'm blessed to play with a drummer who actually understands dynamics and appropriate volume (Thank you, Berklee!).

2. I've never pushed the Hartke even close to hard...

From the sound of it, you could probably get by with the MB110. To my ear, it actually has a nicer tone than the MB112, and the form factor is fantastic for grab-and-go situations.

Either way, I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[Rob22315]

If you're in the market for a 1x10 cab, the Overton OB-110 is also nice and runs about $200 plus shipping. I got mine used from another TBer for less. I've paired mine 8 ohm OB-110 with a GK MB500 I got in a trade. It's a great lightweight combo.

It wasn't quite enough to deal with a 300+ person sanctuary but it almost made it. Obviously the speaker began to hit it's limits before the amp did. I was impressed with how much I was able to get out of it even at low E frequencies. I may get a second OB-110 at some point just to give me that extra oomph when I need it. The MB-500 will handle two 8 ohm OB-110's nicely.

I'm building a shorter version of the stand (~8") shown in this thread thanks to the pictures posted by the OP. I'm hoping to give the mids some breathing room while not completely losing floor coupling.

 

[Joe Louvar]

1. It would actually be mainly a rehearsal amp, and maybe for some of the smaller-room/background music gigs we do. I'm blessed to play with a drummer who actually understands dynamics and appropriate volume (Thank you, Berklee!).

2. I've never pushed the Hartke even close to hard. It's done yeoman service for me for close to 6 years, but I'm starting to doubt its reliability. Also an amp with half the weight would be nice. No illusions about moving air 10" v 15".

3. I'll look at the 12-er. I like the idea of the GK or Carvin 1x10 because, honestly, it gets me into a serviceable rehearsal amp for under 3 bills.

THanks!

If/when you get a G-K MB110 please post some eye candy a and a review. Thanks

 

[Blankandson]

I've played the 112 combo several times. It was the hardest to dial in my sound but once I was there it was really fun. I've played the 115 also and I could go with the 112 in that comparison. I haven't found a 110 yet to try out so can't A/B it with the 112. But FWIW the 112 works very nicely for small to medium gigs (again - with a sane drummer).

 

[Joe Louvar]

I've played the 112 combo several times. It was the hardest to dial in my sound but once I was there it was really fun. I've played the 115 also and I could go with the 112 in that comparison. I haven't found a 110 yet to try out so can't A/B it with the 112. But FWIW the 112 works very nicely for small to medium gigs (again - with a sane drummer).

The MB112 is nice too. How long have you owned your G-K MB112 combo? I have a G-K MB115 combo and sometimes its overkill, so that's why I got a G-K MB110 too.

 

[Rob22315]

Here's my take at a stand for my 1x10.

I haven't painted the bottom yet and it needs feet but it seems sturdy enough for a 23 lb cab and a 4 lb amp. It is only about 9 inches high and has a small amount of tilt back because I didn't want to eliminate floor coupling.

The paint is actually truck bedliner. I used black assembly screws from a local wood working store along with some titebond to hold it all together. The plywood is cheap hardwood from home depot. Unlike Baltic birch, the veneer on this plywood is too thin to sand and there are small voids in it. I was able to use 1/2 inch thick wood so the weight isn't too bad.

I left off the handle on the back because the top is small enough to fit between the front and back feet so the unroutered top front edge sits behind the front feet to keep the cab from sliding off. The center of mass of the cab sits just about in the center of the base because the top is shifted towards the back of the base.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

How does the cab sound at that height, vs leaving the cab on the floor and tilting it back?

 

[Rob22315]

How does the cab sound at that height, vs leaving the cab on the floor and tilting it back?

Don't know yet, I just finished painting the bottom this morning. It will take another day or two for the paint to dry to the point where I'm comfortable putting the cab on it. I'll post back when I can do a decent test.
I can take it to church on Monday night and give it a run in a big open room as well as my basement.

I also got a custom cover made from amplifiercovers.com. Fits great and they left an opening for the 'top hat' handle so I can carry the 1x10 with the cover on.

 

[Rob22315]

To avoid further hijacking of the thread, I will start a new one dealing with DIY cabinet stands sometime today. With the winter storm hitting the east coast, I should have some quality time with the NFL, talkbass, and my new cab stand this afternoon.

 

[Blankandson]

I don't actually own any amps - I rent 100% of the time. I've used the MB112 about half-dozen times over the past 9 months, mostly in small venues or foyers to businesses. Most of the audience is busy so very few ever notice the music - which is what the booking agents tell us is usual. So we (trio) play mainly for ourselves and have a lot of fun. The MB112 is very much about having fun while playing: small, quick setup, great tones and some nice lows. For that venue it works fine. We don't have drums so that is a consideration. If we did I'd just rent the MB115 as it gets a lot louder and goes lower cleaner.

 

[steve_rolfeca]

No offense to thos who like the MB112, but I test drove a Squier P5 through one last week. Sounded awful- middy and uncontrolled. Tried the MB115 as a reference, and disliked it even more. Had to roll the bottom off about half way, just to get something approaching a useable tone.

Went home, plugged the Squier into my MB110, and it sounded great!

YMMV, of course, but the only MB combos that turn my crank so far, are the 110 and the 212.

 

[Blankandson]

I had similar issues when I first began playing around on the MB112. Sounded crappy with my Warwick and a MIA P-bass - but great with a MIM Jazz. So I figured something is there - I just had to go looking for it. Took about an hour really but finally got a nice sound with my Warwick. So I have to agree with Steve - and if you don't have a lot of time to play with it, it's probably going to be frustrating. Most people want an EQ that gives them usable sounds anywhere you set it - different yes, but still pleasing and usable. And as I've said above, I've not had a MB110 to try out. SA here in Nashville doesn't have anything other than the MB115 and MB112. GC is too far to drive and I'm lazy.

 

[Joe Louvar]

They sound different, so YMMV. Personally, I like both the MB112 as well as the MB115 too.

Anyway, this thread is about the new tiny little G-K MB110 - which (so far) everyone seems to like. Personally, I'm liking my G-K MB110 even more now as I've used it more.

 

[starjag]

Reviving this thread just to say that I tried these "weird" settings and they both sound cool. Hard to make the little MB110 sound bad, but nonetheless I would have never tried these settings on my own

I ordered this on Thursday, and was told it would arrive in about a week. Long & McQuade called Friday, to say that it had arrived already!

First, if there ain't any pics...

[View attachment 2206515

With a bass, for perspective:

View attachment 2206516[/URL]

Construction and finish are very tidy:

View attachment 2206517

This is a great little low-volume amp, with the usual features you expect in this class, plus the chain output that lets it drive powered MBE extension cabs. I suppose that this could actually be the front end to a modular rig loud enough for outdoor gigs, if you so desired.

Sound-wise, it doesn't try to mimic the heft of a big rig, but unlike a lot of practice amps, it doesn't sound unbalanced at either end of the spectrum.

With the EQ centered and the Contour off, it has the same modern tone profile as the other MB combos- solid low end, and a little grindy and forward in the upper mids. However, the tweeterless cab does give it a little extra midrange push, with a sweetness in the upper register that the other MB Combos lack.

Like the other MB's, it's loud for its class, but with only a single ten and a hundred watts, it won't keep up with even a gentle drummer. However, it should be loud enough to compete with hand percussion in a coffee shop or small-group setting.

G-K wasn't trying for plump or pillowy with this combo. With the EQ centered, the overall tone is woody and acoustic. As you should expect from a box this size, it's not going to punch you in the chest.

With a little push in the low end, I think it sounds pleasingly full and solid with a 4-string bass, and it doesn't fart out early with my 5-strings. However it lacks a little heft on the B string. Boosting the lows doesn't fatten up the bottom string as much as I would like, probably because of the cab tuning.

This was not a huge issue for me. I wanted this amp specifically for a duo gig I do every week, where the hall has bad "room boom".

However, I still want a pleasing tone in other venues, so I started fooling around with EQ. Knowing that a little 100-watt ten can't go low AND loud, I decided to try cutting instead of boosting, with the hope of bringing the bottom string back in balance with the top four.

Sure enough, I found a couple of settings that still had some growl, but gave the amp more booty. The amp sounds surprisingly girthy with either of these settings:

View attachment 2206518

This one uses the Contour button as well, and has a distinctly dubby quality to it:

View attachment 2206519

With settings in this general range, the MB110's character changes dramatically. These are a deep, Ampeg-gy tones, very fat, with a nice bloom on the note decay.

NOTE: You have to rack the volume up pretty high to compensate, and it runs out of gain long before you can get it up as loud as it was before the EQ changes. Thankfully, the amp remains quiet, even with these extreme settings.

It's tempting to think that you could put a booster in front of the amp, to recover the lost gain. IMO, this would be a mistake, as the speaker can't put out that much sub-bass at higher levels.

To me, this is a perfectly acceptable compromise for a 21lb, $300 micro combo, but YMMV.

This is not my first go-around with compact combos. Here's how it stacks up to some familiar players, at least IMO/IME:
- Doesn't sound as big as the MB112. For my needs, the 112 is not better, just different. The 112 definitely plays a lot louder, which would be a concern for many.
- Fuller and more pleasing tone than the SWR Workingman's 10. Louder, as well. Much better weight and form factor.
- WAY more B-string friendly than the SWR LA 10, which sounded like a whoopie cushion with my active 5-strings.
- More open-sounding than my Line 6 Studio 110, which used to sound like it was under a blanket.
- Not as compact as the old Fender Rad Bass/Frontman 25B, but has a nicer top end, plays a lot louder, and is noticeably lighter.
- The Traynor SB110 tries for more of a "big boy tone" with its tweeter and bass boost circuit. If you want a pillowy low end, the Traynor delivers. However, it suffers from the same mechanical limitations as the G-K, and if you push it too hard with the low end boosted, it farts out very early. Heavier, as well.

Overall, I would rate the Traynor as the MB110's closest competition, and the MB112 a better choice if you need to keep up with a moderate drummer.
I'll submit a gig report after Sunday afternoon...