• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Your Thoughts

B

Bass-4-God

Feb 19, 2007
240
0
Dallas, TX
#1
After reading through some of the comments posted here I see there are still some reports of loud fans and the high pitch whine connected with the Gallien Krueger MB800 and other GK micro heads. So I quess this is just the consensus with these heads and that's just the way it is or would you say there are still some that get through the cracks. Just wondering....any comments.
 
#4
I have an MB200 that intermittently has this issue. This is my second one, the first was returned to the retailer for thw same issue though in that instance it was persistent. This is the first time ive seen it discussed publicly. I thought i was having issues either with my other attached gear or my bass preamp or a cable...etc....but playing through other amps did not yield the same noise. After i got my exchanged MB200 unit and the same issue presented itself it became clear it was an issue with the amp. My newer unit only does this after being played for a good long time, so unless i am practicing for 2 plus hours its not an issue......my days of 3-4 hour practice sessions are long gone!!!
 
#5
I've owned an MB200 for a year now, and have never noticed fan noise with it. Others have complained about it having a noisey fan, and I think there was some discusion about what country it was assembled in that might have something to do with it. I have had other heads before with fan noise, but, to tell you the truth, once I got them on the gig, I never noticed the noise.
 
#14
I had a MB200 that I returned. There was no ignoring the high pitched whine on the one I had. It sounded good for about 5-10 minutes, then sounded like an air raid siren. I liked the sound of the amp before the whine started, and it got louder and louder.
I really can't remember now, but I believe mine was Chinese made.
I returned it and got an Ampeg Micro VR.
 
#16
Bass-4-God said:
I live in Dallas and there are no stores here that carry one so it's easier said than done.
Click to expand...

Guitar Center down here used to carry some but I don't know if they still do. I don't go there if I can avoid it. I need to pick up a set of strings today. Was going to go by Guitar Ressurection. We'll see what they have there. Mostly curious what they say about Genz stuff.
 
#18
bassgod0dmw said:
I'll say that my issue was not the fan itself making the noise, but more of an electrical interference that happened to get louder/softer with the fan.

It was annoying as hell and could be heard in a mix at gigs.
Click to expand...

Some of these types of noise issues can sometimes be with wiring layout inside the amp, meaning pushing wires around until you find a quiet spot, then tying them off there can take care of it.

Depending on the orientation of the wires to various components, they can pick up noise and put it in the signal path or reject it. It's why on some nicely built tube amps, you see wire layouts that look like a map, with straight runs and 90 degree intersections, or by having them twisted.


I haven't seen inside a MB micro amp, and of course, you shouldn't have to worry about that stuff with a new amp. That type of stuff should've been figured out in circuit board layout and/or wiredress.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back