small 110 combo amp. GK, PEAVEY, TRAYNOR, FENDER?

[SeayBass]

hi all,

I am in the market for a small combo amp that I can schlep and sounds good. I don't want to spend $1k. I was at Guitar Center yesterday and checked out the markbass, tc, gk, peavey, orange, and acoustic amps. The only ones I liked there were Peavey and GK. I didn't care for the sound of the rest of the stuff I tried. However, this GC did not have the 110 peavey or GK in stock for me to listen. I heard the Peavey 112 and the GK mb115.
The peavey stuff is cheaper, but heavier. The GK 115 was incredibly light, and the mb110 is only 21lbs.
I want to hear the fender v3 and the traynor amps, but I may have to order them just to hear them...

My question=

Has anyone tried the Fender V3, Peavey, Traynor, GK 110 combos? What can you tell me about them?

 

[SeayBass]

all,

I've really narrowed this down on paper to the GK MB110 or the Traynor SB110 based on the weight, size, and reviews. I've not heard either yet. Has anyone out there had a listen to the Galien-Kreuger MB110 combo and/or the Traynor SB110 combo?

thanks in advance

 

[Sturg]

Before I went the head/cab route, I was seriously considering a Traynor combo amp. If you go to the search function and type "Is Traynor a goob brand of combo amp" it will locate the thread I started about this.

 

[MakoMan]

While I have not owned either of the 110s, I have owned both a GK MB115 and still own a Traynor SB115. I much preferred the tone of the Traynor and it has much more volume to boot. Plus I blew up the GK and the Traynor is still going strong, so obviously I'm a little biased.

 

[SeayBass]

Thanks makoman and sturg. I'll give trAynor a shot

 

[MuthaFunk]

I only tried out the SB110 in the store when they were first released and I thought it sounded great. A real winner in the market of little light affordable combos. It's more of a meat and potatoes old school tone to my ear but without distortion.

The Traynors in general have a long history of top quality construction and a seemingly unbreakable legend. Although I'm sure someone has managed to break one, I can honestly say I've never seen it. They're plenty of them that look like they've been to hell and back in the Toronto area.

I think you'll be pleased with it.

 

[SeayBass]

I ended up getting a Traynor SB110. I chose it for one reason only- it's the lightest combo out there. It ended up sounding better than anything (to me) in its price range. Plus its preamp/EQ section offers a wide variety of sounds.
I liked the Peavey combo I tried at GC, but the Peavey was at least twice the weight of the traynor, and bigger in size. Nothing else really compared or competed to my ears.
PS
That little amp gets loud as $#!%.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I ended up getting a Traynor SB110. I chose it for one reason only- it's the lightest combo out there. It ended up sounding better than anything (to me) in its price range. Plus its preamp/EQ section offers a wide variety of sounds.
I liked the Peavey combo I tried at GC, but the Peavey was at least twice the weight of the traynor, and bigger in size. Nothing else really compared or competed to my ears.
PS
That little amp gets loud as $#!%.

It also has a tweeter, which most of its direct competitors (Fender, GK, Ampeg, Peavey, TC with their 2x8 model) don't come with, except for the Ibanez Promethean P3110 and the Carvin MB10 - FWIW to a prospective buyer.

 

[basscooker]

Glad to hear you love your new combo. I must have missed this thread.

My suggestion wasn't one of your active choices, and you didn't specify that used gear was off the table, but I was going to suggest a Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0-10t.

So, well, it's at least added to the thread now. For not much more than a new (good but not amazing) amp like this, the 3.0-10t is strides above in every aspect I can think of. IIRC 17 pounds, basically a foot cubed, 175 watts honest rating. And in addition, it is separable. The 10t is not your average combo amp speaker box, either. It is a perfectly capable stand-alone small 110.

Like I already said congrats on finding the right amp. I just felt the Shuttle should be on folks' radar if they're reading this thread.

 

[SeayBass]

Shuttle is good- I have a buddy who uses one. I own several GB heads, too.
But Genz Benz is gone. Their parent company was bought by Fender, and GB was basically disbanded. I didn't have the used market at my disposal.
I will add that this traynor gets louder than the shuttle 10. It seems a lot louder to me.

 

[quickfix]

Traynor.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I too say Traynor. They're as Canadian as Back Bacon eh!

 

[John Conte]

Last month I spent a good 2 hours auditioning small combos (up to 250 watts) at GC and choosing a winner between Ampeg, Fender, Acoustic, Markbass, GK, TCE and Peavey was practically impossible. IMO, the true performance of a bass amp should be evaluated in the context of interaction with other players, particularly a drummer. I used a PJ 4 and an Ibanez 5 to evaluate the B string response out of a 10/12 inch driver. All handled that very well. In the end it boils down to price, weight and looks as all combos have a decent tone. The Fender 200 seemed very light.

 

[quickfix]

I too say Traynor. They're as Canadian as Back Bacon eh!

Traynor...yes. Back bacon...no. No Canadian I know eats that stuff.

 

[GrapeBass]

all,

I've really narrowed this down on paper to the GK MB110 or the Traynor SB110 based on the weight, size, and reviews. I've not heard either yet. Has anyone out there had a listen to the Galien-Kreuger MB110 combo and/or the Traynor SB110 combo?

thanks in advance

I personally own and use a Traynor SB110. It sounds marvelous and is easy to carry. I'm NOT a fan of tweeters in general, thank goodness you can turn it off.

 

[BassmanPaul]

Traynor...yes. Back bacon...no. No Canadian I know eats that stuff.

I do!

 

[BassmanPaul]

I personally own and use a Traynor SB110. It sounds marvelous and is easy to carry. I'm NOT a fan of tweeters in general, thank goodness you can turn it off.

Didn't you just get irradiated? LOL

Don't blame me for Pickering. I only worked on the site security system.

And I'd still love a tour of your plant. I keep driving past it.

 

[GrapeBass]

Didn't you just get irradiated? LOL

Don't blame me for Pickering. I only worked on the site security system.

And I'd still love a tour of your plant. I keep driving past it.

Let me know, I can do a casual tour pretty much any time I'm at work

Sayin' that... If you could swing by mid February onward, that would be better than now.

 

[BassmanPaul]

Let me know, I can do a casual tour pretty much any time I'm at work

Sayin' that... If you could swing by mid February onward, that would be better than now.

Mid February would be fine - it'll give time for the radiation level to fall! LOL

 

[Turnaround]

all,

I've really narrowed this down on paper to the GK MB110 or the Traynor SB110 based on the weight, size, and reviews. I've not heard either yet. Has anyone out there had a listen to the Galien-Kreuger MB110 combo and/or the Traynor SB110 combo?

thanks in advance

About this time last year I went out to buy a GK MB110. The store was out of stock and suggested I try the Traynor SB110. I was skeptical but gave it a try. As soon as I played a few notes I was sold. I didn't expect that. I had played the GK earlier in the week so it was not a side-by-side comparison. But I am sure of my choice.