new GK day for me too!

[hieronymous]

Haven't been posting here at the Outpost much - haven't been able to get anything new! But the other day I stopped by Bananas At Large in San Rafael. I just wanted to look at some of the 5-string Fender P & Jazz Basses, maybe check out a combo. I started out playing the new American Standard 5-string P-Basses through an SWR Spellbinder Blue combo amp (Stanley Clarke connection) - it sounded alright, though I can't afford $1000 for an amp right now. Then I noticed a couple of black GK combos - we plugged into one of them - night & day! It was the MB112 II - nice fat bottom, clear sound, and so light! Couldn't get it out of my head, went home and started checking online. It's a redesign of the older ones with the silver grill, assembled in the USA, 200 watts. I went back today and checked it out with an American Standard Jazz 4-string:



And took it home for way under the advertised price! I thought maybe because of the Labor Day Weekend sale but the sales-guy (who actually seemed more like a manager or even owner) said he just matched the lowest price they found.

So I took it out and plugged it into one of my outdoor power outlets and had fun with my fretless Guild M-85 II that I recently had fixed up:



Sounded really nice at low volume. Looking forward to playing with some other people - maybe just a guitarist first, build up to playing with a drummer. Seems plenty loud, but if not loud enough, that could be incentive to pick up one of the powered extension cabs when they come out...

[Dave W]

Congrats. Looks like it's not designed for a non-powered extension. Maybe it will have enough power for your needs as-is.

Love that M-85.

[Highlander]

+1 on the Guild...

Gonna post any clips of the Guild/GK combo, Harry...?

[GonzoBass]

Did they turn the XLR jack?

[hieronymous]

Did they turn the XLR jack?

Good question - I saw that it was an issue in some of the discussions on talkbass. Was the problem with the DI out or with the extension cab out?

[hieronymous]

No recordings yet of the GK - I might have a chance to try it out in a rehearsal space with drums bass & guitar - I'll try and record something then with just a portable recorder and see how it comes out.

In the meantime, here is a cat & amp pic:

[Highlander]

 

[GonzoBass]

Good question - I saw that it was an issue in some of the discussions on talkbass. Was the problem with the DI out or with the extension cab out?

It was the DI
(the XLR release tab was against the cab).

The first generation has no Extension Out.
 

[hieronymous]

Looks like they took care of it:

[Thornton Davis]

I'm seriously considering selling my big 300 watt tube head and 810 cabinet and replacing them with a G-K MB410-II and MBP410-II. Each one weights only 50lbs thanks to G-K using Neodynium speakers and a class D amp. Flexibility is the name of the game for me which is why this is so attractive too me. The MB410-II outputs 350 watts as a standalone and 500 watts when connected to the MBP-II which itself outputs it own 500 watts making for a 1000 watt 810 rig and capable of being split into two pieces for smaller gigs. Power, flexibility, reduced weight and tone are what it's all about for me.

I'm told the MBP-II Series won't be available until January, so i'll have to wait until then before I can test this configuration out. Like most of you guys, I just can't move around a big fridge cabinet anymore along with a 50+ pound tube head. The past 60 yrs have taken their toll on my body.

If the new G-K MB Series stuff is as good as I hope, i'll be all over this.

TD

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I'm seriously considering selling my big 300 watt tube head and 810 cabinet

Traynor?

[Thornton Davis]

Traynor?

Yup!

TD

[hieronymous]

So I finally got to hear the GK MB112 II with drums - I think it did a great job! It was only a rehearsal studio situation, with me on drums no less, someone else playing my Alembic Stanley Clarke (with flats), but the bass had a nice full deep sound.

[copacetic]

Me too! Harry brought his by my shop in San Francisco last month and we plugged in my Epiphone JC Prototype and my Celinder fretless and whoa and behold real nice all around response, lows, mids and highs. The natural tones of the instruments were all there. Also put a double bass through it. Hey GK is onto something with this series. There is no tweeter which is fine with me. GK is coming out soon with  external powered speakers for this series. My daughter borrowed it for a perfomance (trio) in a 500 seat (well yeah the audtorium was state of the art) and played both electric and double bass with no need for miking. I'm surprised and happy. Thanks for the heds up Harry.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Hopefully tweeters in bass cabinets will become extinct. There is much less actual need for them than 99% of players require. A good small midrange driver is a much better option, and modern bass woofers used in most cabinets have more than enough accurate upper midrange and high end extension to start out with.