The Woods surely has the power. I did finally use the MB 200/Crazy 8 and
the Headway. The situation was playing Free Jazz with
Guitar/Tenor/Drums....with whom I had not previously played. We were in a small basement and I was behind the amp/speaker just slightly.
Considering the space constraints of room, being behind the speaker puts you at a slight disadvantage since the sound coming to your ears is usually reflected back to you. Free Jazz can get pretty loud at times, so that probably put you at a disadvantage as well.
My initial observation is that I'm still underwhelmed by the output capabilities of the MB200. To me my MB150 combo is so much more capable. My sound was clear and all....just the volume level wasn't there. If I had pushed the MB150 to that level, it would have been way too loud and
there surely would have been feedback issues.
True, that little amp isn't going to push very hard, before it folds, even with it's nice EQ, it just doesn't have the power to do that, especially if the cabinet you're using is 8 ohms. Since the MB150 has it's own custom designed 12" driver in a sealed enclosure, it works more like a car stereo and can produce a more sound than you'd think. The original 200MB had speakers that were manufactured by Pyle, a company that primarily built components for car stereos.
I have to remember to state that I did get this with the intention of seeing if it was viable as a small amp (i.e. one trip from car to venue) for lower volume gigs. That said, even though I would have liked to have been a little louder, my sound was fairly clear and natural...though I
think I may have been over driving the GK head at times. Not sure but will need to see where/what was distorting.
Always good to run a system check, but your most likely scenario would point to the amp just not having enough power to get the job done.
The guys at the session asked if I could turn up (which I did, a little)....but usually, when it gets to that point, the more you (i.e. the bassist) turns up, the louder
the rest of the group plays anyway. Would have been better to have replied, "Can you guys come down some?" I think this amp will work well for the low volume gigs but will grab a bigger amp/cab if I think I need
cut more.
Yeah, it's the new order of the day. Rather than listen to each other, players tend toward thinking that you're their own personal home stereo. As far as their concerned, all you need to do, is reach over and turn the volume knob. They
just don't realize that when you increase the volume, adjustments have to be made in the EQ, to compensate for that rise. Usually, you have to lower the bass proportionally, for each level increase.
Ric
