The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Bass Amps & Effects => Topic started by: Denis on August 05, 2010, 10:49:41 AM
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Anyone tried one of these out? I know the Backline heads have a good reputation but haven't heard anything about these.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Gallien-Krueger-MB212-2x12-500W-Ultralight-Bass-Combo-Amp-581054-i1474943.gc
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WOW!
500W and a 2x12 combo at 37 pounds?
Dang-o, dang-o. That's remarkable!
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I've got an MB115 combo that I bought in June. I had tried the MB210 before and just did not like the tone as much as the 115. I've not seen any MB212's in the stores yet. I bought mine for $399 and had a 20% off coupon too. I put it up on an amp stand and I can carry it with one hand while I carry my bass in the gig bag in the other. This is the rig I use for local (Austin) gigs. I have a road rig that is in a 4 space rack case while the 410 cab is also in a road case. That stuff stays at our storage facility.
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Never played one , but it certainly intrests me. I'm not a real big fan of combos but I'd give it a try. GK stuff is a good bang for the buck. It sounds like there is a tweeter in there too, based on reading the reviews. I was never a big fan of tweeter cabinets either, but I've got one. Once you get the hang of them and tweek in your sound while keeping the tweeter on, but dialed down to somewhere around 20-30% and do the rest with your EQ and tone control on the bass , they really give a nice edge to your sound. I don't know what brand of speakers are in there , but Eminence 12" neos are great. They give you a very 15" type of depth , move a considerable amount of air and fart less than a 15". They also work very well with a tweeter ( once you do your tweeter tweeking). I will be on the lookout for one of these ;D.
Rick
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I have the GK MB500 head and love it. I would have gone with the combo, but already had a 112-II NEO cab. It sounds great like it is, but I do want to pick up a second cab to utilize the full 500 watt potential.
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I agree with Pilgrim - wow! 500W and 37 lbs has my attention. This sounds like the perfect bar gig amp though probably not the right amp if you're playing numetal ;D
http://www.gallien-krueger.com/products_mbCombos.html
The manual mentions a tweeter and their schematics show a tweeter but the specs don't call it out. From what I can tell the only control you have over the tweeter is to turn it on or off on the control panel. I would probably have it off anyway.
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I was a bit confused about the tweeter control too ???. On and off only means you're probably going to blow a tweeter pretty quick. You really need a separate control. I went from being very anti-tweeter to pro-tweeter once I did a little tweeking. I hope we're both wrong about the tweeter switch, because if that's what it is , I'd leave it off too >:(.
One of the features they have on this amp is separate inputs for active and passive pickups , and that is a really nice thing, particularly if you are an ABG player.
Overall, I like GK stuff a lot. Very nice sound and the controls make it pretty flexible to fit a lot of different tastes. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one of these :)
Rick
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I leave the tweeter and limiter on with my MB115 but keep the contour button off. I love being able to carry it with one hand with my bass in the other. Will be gigging it tonight and have a couple of more gigs it 2 weeks.
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I'm not familiar with the newer GK stuff, what the heck is a limiter?
Rick
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My SWR Studio 220 head has the limiter as well. Sort of like a compressor where it evens out the notes and limits sharp peaks that may damage the speaker. At least that is my take on it. :-[ I just know that it sounds great. And the DI is wonderful too. The sound guys have no problems getting a good sound out front. My only gripe with the DI is they should have flipped it around the other direction. I have to use my car key to push down the release because it is too close to the cabinet to fit your finger in there to push the release button in order to pull out the XLR cable. Last night after picking it up our lead singer Tony said "I can't believe that is a bass amp!"
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I play a Demeter tube preamp (essentially a HiWatt front end with a Jensen DI) thru an SVP 1500 power amp into an assortment of crappy speakers depending on the need. The SVP weighs 38 lbs. This 9 lb. Peavey thingie has me intrigued, IPR 1600. Not a Genz but the price, weight and 30 day return policy are tempting. There, I said it. ;D
It won a product of the year award, has had some good reviews and some horrible ones. I can believe Peavey will get this sorted out. Does look like it dropped off a spaceship...I'm thinking after Christmas or so I might try one.
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-IPR-1600-Power-Amp?sku=476311
http://www.peavey.com/news/article.cfm/action/view/id/464/cat/1/Peavey%20IPR%201600%20Wins%20%27Best%20New%20Power%20Amp%27%20in%20Music%20&%20Sound%20Awards.cfm
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Anyone play on one of these new GKs yet?
I'm really looking forward to learning more about this thing :P
Rick
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I can't say enough good things about my MB115. It is my local rig (I have a separate rig for road gigs) and has held up very well in the 3 months I've had it since purchasing it new. We played at Cool River this past Saturday night and the soundman complimented my sound. I think some of that has to do with the DR Heartfield 5 string bass but the GK got a great board mix sound when we played back the recording of the gig. They have them for 15% off this weekend during the GC Labor Day sale. (I got mine for 20% off :mrgreen:)
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I had to bring this thread back to life because I'm really curious about this thing. Has any had an opportunity to play one of these yet? They haven't landed in my neck of the woods yet.
Rick
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Haven't seen them in my neck of the woods either. I'd venture up to Sam Ash or GC, but today? Noooooo....
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Yesterday I ventured up to GC to meet a buddy and walk around. They had a couple of GK's other new light weight combos but not the MB212. I asked the salesman if he had one but he told me that it was something they wouldn't carry "but let me show you this Fender Rumble 350 . Hands down it's the best one out there, even better than the GKs".
I didn't WANT to hear the Fender and got the distinct impression if it didn't have Fender on it he didn't like it.
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I got a similar story at my local GC, I could order one but they had no immediate plans to bring one into the store. However, they had several pieces of GK equipment sitting around, including the 2 10" model with the same power. The salesman I was talking to was a bit more helpful than the guy you talked to and actually guided me to a store that had a couple. I haven't had a chance to take the hike accross town to check them out. It's the place that I bought my Olympia ABG a few years ago.
He also informed me that he had a buddy who picked one up and had done a few gigs at fairly large clubs and was absoluetly thrilled with it. It will probably be after Christmas before I get a chance to get out that way to check them out.
Rick
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I have a feeling that at least among the "mature" bass players. the lighter weight cabs and amps are starting to displace the older, heavier systems. I know it didn't take me long to decide it was worth the cost.
Of course, those who love the full tube amps and older cabs will not be swayed.
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Well, I still have not seen the 2 12" GK model but I did play the 2 10" model that is supposed to be the same 500 watt amp with all the same controls.
Boy, was I ever underwhelmed :sad:. Too many buttons instead of knobs. The horn control is an on/off button (I knew that going in ,but I still don't like it), and the contour control is also an on/off button instead of a knob. The sound was a bit buzzy and lacked fullness. In short, it just sounded cheap. Price wasn't too bad at just under $600.
I plugged in to a 2 10" Markbass combo that was sitting right next to it at almost double the price. WOW ;D, that little 2 10" Markbass has got some juice. Very strong and capable of a REAL nice deep ,full sound. I was impressed :o. If they keep those two amps right next to each other I suspect they will sell a lot of Markbass, even if they are twice the price. Amazingly strong for a 2 10" set up.
I'd still like to see the 2 12" GK in action ,but I'm certainly not as excited as I was. I'm a big fan of GK stuff but this 2 10" piece sure missed the boat. Just plain cheap sounding for a GK. If the nameplate would have said Silvertone or Airline I think I would have been OK with it because that's the kind of vibe I was getting from it. Definately not worthy of GK and defiately not to be compared against a Markbass. Not a fair fight .
Rick
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In that case, if you haven't already, slide down the aisle to Genz-Benz and start playing mix n' match. They have a new Streamliner amp that's supposed to be hot-cha-cha.
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I would be very interested in hearing a Genz Benz with that same power range (500watts or so) and a pair of 12" speakers. The GC store I was in had nothing that said Genz Benz on it except a used 4 10" speaker cab.
Rick
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GC doesn't carry Genz Benz, and no one except GC has Markbass.
I have no idea about the GK MB212, but I recommend trying to compare it to something else at a place other than GC. The way GC pushes Markbass so hard makes me suspicious of the way they set up the other amps for comparison.
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I'm still extremely happy with my MB115 that I purchased new last May for $320 (it was $399 minus a 20% coupon) I use it for all the local gigs and for smaller rooms. It is only 200 watts and a single 15 but I liked it a lot better than the MB210, which I bought first and used for 1 gig then took back. I tried a Markbass 210 combo last year and was underwhelmed with it in a live setting. Not enough balls for me. I put the 115 on an amp stand so it is basically a monitor for me. I never use the contour button and keep the horn on and the limiter on as well. Controls are basically flat but I keep the master on 3/4 full and never go past 1/2 on the gain. I use my master volume on the bass to control overall volume. Here is a video of the band (a not very decent one) where you can hear it in action. It was filmed on a cell phone so the sound is not all that great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kto8pQSUzPg
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GC doesn't carry Genz Benz, and no one except GC has Markbass.
I have no idea about the GK MB212, but I recommend trying to compare it to something else at a place other than GC. The way GC pushes Markbass so hard makes me suspicious of the way they set up the other amps for comparison.
Yeah. They take seconds and broken returns and put them out on the sales floor as new.
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Why am I not surprised at that?
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I haven't thrown in the towel on GK yet :). The MB 210 just didn't have what I was looking for. The Markbass 2 10" was really strong but I'm not a big fan of 2 10" rigs. !0" speakers are great but they seem to work best in groups of 4 or more or they just don't seem to fill a room. I've always been a fan of 15" speakers but the new neo 12" stuff has changed my tastes a bit. A good 2 12" neo cabinet can outperform most of the late great 2 15" cabs of yesteryear with a whole lot less size and, more importantly, weight. The GC I was at wasn't really trying to push anything. The guy just handed me a new American P Bass and a cord and told me to have my way with anything in the room ;D.
Rick