About to go for a gk mb112. Any others to consider?

#21
I've had both the MB112 and the rumble, and have gigged the MB extensively. Both are great amps. I have a slight preference for the Rumble, mostly because of the "vintage" mode. Audience likely can't tell, but I like the voicing of that with my P Bass/TI jazz flats.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BboogieXVII
#22
I run a Mb115 and a mbp112 and have used it both for rehearsal and gigs. Very happy with the tone and power. Gets used twice a week for the last year with no problems. Been a GK fan since the early 80's when I purchased an 800rb. Pretty bullet proof
 
#23
I'm the proud owner of a MB112 since 1991, and it's been my only amp (I used to play jazz club gigs mostly) for double bass, and also for bass guitar when I took it after a long hyatus. It's not a hard rock amp (you'd better get an extension cabinet to enjoy its full 150w) but it's hard as a rock. Versatile, incredibly small for its power, I think it's one of the best combos ever made. Expensive, I know: the new GK MB combos are less pricey, but that's another story.
A personal experience: here in Italy everything was fine (I think: never an issue) when it was still in warranty, but now finding spare parts was very hard, but everybody in the US says that GK customer service is very fine.
 
#24
I had the MB112 before I switched to the Rumble. I really liked the GK combo, but when playing with a loudish drummer, I soon found that it didn't have enough volume to keep up (while retaining the tone I wanted, with some EQ twisting it did get louder, I just didn't like the tone).

I didn't plan on getting rid of the GK, but when I got the Rumble (500C BTW) I just didn't use it anymore and someone offered me near enough what I paid for it (3 years before).

As always, your mileage may vary, I am just giving my personal opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ColdEye
#27
A 210 is a better choice than a 112. A single 112 is fine for small gigs, but not so good for Medium let alone Large gigs. Two 212's will handle most gigs if you have an amplifier with enough power to drive them well and that's a versatile set up.

Buying a separate amp and speaker cab is much more expandable and upgrade-able than trying to do do an upgrade from a combo. Bad news is that it's a more expensive starting point because you are usually getting a more powerful amp and better speakers than you do in a combo. Good news is you get a lot better rig that you can easily upgrade another year or so down the road by adding another speaker cab or upgrading the amp or both...lots of choices. A combo ties you into the amp it comes with and sometimes the speakers too.

But, if you have a combo on your mind as the way to go, then take a look at the Eden EC210. It's 180-watt amp with two 10" speaker and is a great choice for small to medium size gigs. Street price is $399 so it's just slightly more than the GK combo. Lots of nice features on it. Here's a link:
EC210 | EDEN Amplification
 
#28
Rip Van Dan said:
A 210 is a better choice than a 112. A single 112 is fine for small gigs, but not so good for Medium let alone Large gigs. Two 212's will handle most gigs if you have an amplifier with enough power to drive them well and that's a versatile set up.
Click to expand...

Even though the OP already bought and paid for his 112 combo, I'll second this quote. Although, I use a GK MB210 with bands as large as 7 people and I usually get asked to turn down a bit. GK amps are louder than they seem on paper. I used to use a Markbass 115 and even that was plenty loud (just not the tone I wanted).

I think that based on what the OP has stated is his goal, the 112 will be perfect and since it's a modern GK product, it's easily expanded with the MBP series cabinets.
 
#32
superheavyfunk said:
Even though the OP already bought and paid for his 112 combo, I'll second this quote. Although, I use a GK MB210 with bands as large as 7 people and I usually get asked to turn down a bit. GK amps are louder than they seem on paper. I used to use a Markbass 115 and even that was plenty loud (just not the tone I wanted).

I think that based on what the OP has stated is his goal, the 112 will be perfect and since it's a modern GK product, it's easily expanded with the MBP series cabinets.
Click to expand...

I don't believe he's gone with the 112 yet, at least from his original post. If he hasn't done that, then either a 210 or getting two 112's would be a better choice. Running two 112's is really a good choice if he can afford it because you can just take the one for small gigs and take both for medium to large gigs - very versatile set-up. But if he currently has nothing he can use for gigs and he's looking at a $400 budget cap, the 210 combo is more versatile for gigs than a 112 combo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BboogieXVII
#33
Rip Van Dan said:
I don't believe he's gone with the 112 yet, at least from his original post. If he hasn't done that, then either a 210 or getting two 112's would be a better choice. Running two 112's is really a good choice if he can afford it because you can just take the one for small gigs and take both for medium to large gigs - very versatile set-up. But if he currently has nothing he can use for gigs and he's looking at a $400 budget cap, the 210 combo is more versatile for gigs than a 112 combo.
Click to expand...
ColdEye said:
Well just made the jump. $350 shipped for a brand new unit, makes me happy. The horn player I play with is definitely more of an issue than the drummer most of the times :roflmao:
Click to expand...

He bought the 112.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ColdEye and Rip Van Dan
#36
ColdEye said:
Small update, got it a few days ago, tried with the drummer and the horn player. Man this thing is awesome. It sounds so "clean". And it's light! First impressions are good, will try it out in a medium sized hall this weekend and see how it goes. Used it with a solid body uke bass and a mustang pj.
Click to expand...
Awesome! Glad your enjoying it. GK amps are excellent at being "clean" but they are also famous for their "growl." A little bit can go a long way to get you to stand out in a mix. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 10cc
#37
CaseyVancouver said:
I gig with a GK MB112ii all the time, although on upright. I use it for gigs without drummers, when there is a drummer I usually use an Ampeg portaflex 15". Lately I've been using it with drummers cause it is SO easy to haul. A bit less volume than the tube amp but great sound.

The GK also sounds very good with my fretless Alembic. Great amp, very high quality. I have 4 amps to choose from for gigs and it fits in nicely.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back