GK MB200 and Markbass cab

[casualearner]

Hi

Thinking about buying GK MB200 head and a Markbass cabinet. Particulary fond of Markbass Traveler 102P - 4Ohm. I need an amp that is small, light and powerful so these look like the best options. Does anybody have experience using GK and MB together? I have heard that the speakon cable that comes with GK heads doesn't work well with other cabinet brands.

What are your opinions???

 

[Kro]

Hi

Thinking about buying GK MB200 head and a Markbass cabinet. Particulary fond of Markbass Traveler 102P - 4Ohm. I need an amp that is small, light and powerful so these look like the best options. Does anybody have experience using GK and MB together? I have heard that the speakon cable that comes with GK heads doesn't work well with other cabinet brands.

What are your opinions???

Welcome to the forum!

So, while that combination will definitely be light, powerful is a relative term. What kind of music do you play, or more importantly, what's your drummer like (if you have one)?

I don't see anything inherently wrong with that combination though if you have those available to you. Are you able to test them by any chance to see what you think?

If you have an existing rig, what is it, what do you think about it, and what are you most looking to change?

As for the the speakon cable thing - the special 4-conductor SpeakOn cables come with appropriate GK cabs, not heads - you'll likely need to pick up your own speaker cable to use in addition to the amp and cab (not sure if the MarkBass cab comes with one, but it's unlikely).

If you have any other questions, ask away!

 

[casualearner]

Welcome to the forum!

So, while that combination will definitely be light, powerful is a relative term. What kind of music do you play, or more importantly, what's your drummer like (if you have one)?

I don't see anything inherently wrong with that combination though if you have those available to you. Are you able to test them by any chance to see what you think?

If you have an existing rig, what is it, what do you think about it, and what are you most looking to change?

As for the the speakon cable thing - the special 4-conductor SpeakOn cables come with appropriate GK cabs, not heads - you'll likely need to pick up your own speaker cable to use in addition to the amp and cab (not sure if the MarkBass cab comes with one, but it's unlikely).

If you have any other questions, ask away!

Thank you for the welcome

I really like playing jazz, latin and funk, but most of the times in a gig we play mainly pop songs and dancing music(tango, waltz, jive), and sometimes there is a sax and a trumpet player as well.

No, I am not able to test them. Here in Estonia there is not a wide variety to choose from, so my plan is to order from Thomann.

MY only bass amp is Roland Cube 20XL , which I only use to practice at home, but i frequently borrow Markbass Minimark 802, which is quite good in my opinion.

Also, 90% of the gigs are with PA, so I probably wont be needing multiple cabinets, will I be fine with MB Traveler 4 Ohm?

The right SpeakOn cable I can probably pick up at any music store?

 

[Kro]

I really like playing jazz, latin and funk, but most of the times in a gig we play mainly pop songs and dancing music(tango, waltz, jive), and sometimes there is a sax and a trumpet player as well.

No, I am not able to test them. Here in Estonia there is not a wide variety to choose from, so my plan is to order from Thomann.

MY only bass amp is Roland Cube 20XL , which I only use to practice at home, but i frequently borrow Markbass Minimark 802, which is quite good in my opinion.

Awesome, all very helpful information. If you were able to get by with the Minimark 802, then I’d wager that combination that you proposed will likely work very well in similar situations, with a bit more flexibility even as far as power is concerned.

Also, 90% of the gigs are with PA, so I probably wont be needing multiple cabinets, will I be fine with MB Traveler 4 Ohm?

For some of the rock drummers I work with, it can be a challenge to hear bass just over acoustic drums depending on the setting, hence my note about your drummer (though I’m well aware of how loud trumpets can get)! As long as you can hear yourself well on-stage, then you should be set to let the PA do the rest. Now, if you were to tell me that you were usually struggling to hear yourself in your situation with the Minimark 802, my thoughts might be slightly different.

The right SpeakOn cable I can probably pick up at any music store?

As for the SpeakOn cable, I wouldn't expect them to be that hard to find, as they have many uses including professional audio. You’ll just need the standard 2-conductor/pole variety.

Good luck!

 

[Dominic D]

For a while I used a GK MB500 Fusion with a Markbass Traveler 151P cab. Fantastic setup. Always got compliments on my sound. The GK speakon cable will work but I found it to be a little tight and sometimes struggled to unlock. In general, I would always recommend getting a speaker cable with real Neutrik brand plugs.