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Double Bass TC or GK?

jwbass60

jwbass60

Feb 13, 2011
69
81
Sacramento, Ca.
#1
Hey all, I'm looking for a worthy small rig for my upright bass. I see some people using the TC combos for upright but I worry about a class D amp not having character, and then I see a lot of old school guys swearing by there GK mb150s 1x12 combo for upright bass jazz playing. If anyone can hit me with some pro's and con's about either that would be great! Thanks in advance...
 
#3
I've never heard an upright player using a TC combo but plenty of them use GK and for years I used a MB150S. Sometimes I still miss it. The GK amps have a 1 MegOhm input impedance which means they work well with an unbuffered piezo pickup. The TC amps have a 500K Ohm input impedance and may require a preamp to achieve the best sound. The TC amps also seem a bit gimmicky to me. All of those "TonePrint" effects features are intended for electric bass players whereas the GK MB150S was designed with upright bass in mind.

- Steve
 
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#4
Excellent advise, I'm leaning toward the GK for sure, that exact model the MB150S! I also like that it's analog, not a digital amp section. Something to be said for good old transistors and transformers. How do you think a GK would stack up against a Markbass or one of those combos? Thanks again for the reply...
 
#5
jwbass60 said:
How do you think a GK would stack up against a Markbass or one of those combos? Thanks again for the reply...
Click to expand...

Well, I actually switched from GK to MarkBass. I sold my MB150S, 400RB-III and NEO 112 cabinets and bought a Markbass CMD 121P, a Traveller 102P cabinet and a MarkAcoustic AC 101. The CMD combo is my electric rig, although it also sounds good with my upright bass. To my ears it sounds warmer and punchier than the GK and can put out a lot more sound, especially with the extension cabinet. Set flat, it sound bit boxy and mid-heavy, but with the two filters it's easy to dial that out. The AC-101 is a two channel, rear ported combo with a 10" speaker and horn that is designed for acoustic instruments. This has become my upright/doubling rig and I'm very pleased with it.

That being said, I still like GK products and think they are a good choice for upright bass, especially the small MB combos. The MB150S has a nice, tight sound (probably due to the sealed cabinet) and it was just so convenient for theater pits, rehearsals and lower volume gigs. Sometimes I wish I had held on to it for these types of situations. I had the padded bag and I could wheel my bass and carry the amp for one trip from the car to the gig. If this amp has a downfall, it might be that it doesn't do that great a job of projecting it's sound into a room, although this can be overcome with PA support or an extension cabinet.

- Steve
 
#6
I like and use the GK MB150S for the reason that Steve cited: one trip from the car to the gig (and also the simplicity and ease of setup). OTOH the MB150S is anything but neutral sounding, and not everyone likes the sound. I know I didn't like the sound the first time I heard one. It took me awhile to figure out how to use it, and I almost never touch the controls now that I figured out what works for me. Another potential drawback is the MB150S can only get so loud. I had a GK 112MBX extension cab for awhile, but now if I need more amp than the GK combo by itself, I bring my Walter Woods amp and a small cab.
 
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