Orange 50 or MB110

C

CajunQueen

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Oct 30, 2016
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#1
Hi all. Going to buy a little amp for livingroom gigging only by myself.
I think narrowed down to these two. Both similar price (and both probably overkill for the livingroom, but that's fine)
Orange Crush 50, and GK MB110
Orange = 12"/50w, GK=10"/100w.

Mostly good reviews on-line for both of them. Struggling to think why I would choose one over the other. Someone help me decide! :)

thanks all
 
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#2
Hi @CajunQueen! Welcome to TalkBass and good first post and question. I am not a fan of small solid state Orange amps. They just don't sound good to me no matter how cute they may be. GK's are OK, but their EQ controls are passive and interactive with each other. Tweak one control and it's neighbors also change somewhat. This makes sculpting your tone a very fiddly affair.

Do yourself a big favor and audition a Fender Rumble 40 and also Rumble 100. Be sure to compare them back-to-back with the Orange 50 and GK110.
Then just buy the one the sounds best to you. For livingroom volume level and personal practice, tone and overall sound quality is the most important factor. Wattage, volume, and woofer size all take a back seat. Best of Luck to you and Happy Amp Shopping!
 
#3
>>I am not a fan of small solid state Orange amps. They just
>>don't sound good to me no matter how cute they may be.

Sure, that might/might not be the case. But I don;t think it matters as much in your livingroom, with only wifey listening. Neither of these amps will suck, probably. (And, am not really interested in Fender. I've narrowed it down to the two amps I mentioned)
 
#4
>>Do yourself a big favor and audition a Fender Rumble 40 and also Rumble 100.
>>Be sure to compare them back-to-back with the Orange 50 and GK110.

Yeah, i should have mentioned.....*none* of these amps we are talking about are available in a local store to try. So I just have to make my best guess, along with advice from this forum. :)
 
#6
I have zero experience with Orange bass gear, but GK equipment is something I have a lot of experience with. The MB110 is impressive for its size and will be more than adequate for living room practice and acoustic jams with friends. I've had good luck with GK gear over many decades of use and feel comfortable with their quality, performance and customer support.

The other cool thing about the GK is that if you decide you need a bigger bass rig you can expand by buying an MBP powered cab and "chain out" from your 110. That may not be important to you today, but never underestimate what "just playing a little bass in the living room" might lead to...the urge to jam with friends and then play at parties will eventually surface...trust me!

Good luck with your choice.
 
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#7
They are both quality amps for their respective size and price. However, I find the GK to be more versatile than the Orange. The GK can be dialed in brighter, with more treble or presence emphasis than the Orange, and the GK'S knobs are very responsive as its an active eq. The Orange is analog based, and the eq knobs provide a very smooth, gradual change in comparison. The Orange does provide a more tube style overdrive (only in comparison, but NOT to be confused with real tube overdrive) where the GK provides its typical growl, which is a much tighter, almost buzz-saw style overdrive full up.

They are different beasts, but could both equally fit the bill for a solid combo really. My vote is GK however, as their active eq section is really beneficial on a single speaker combo.
 
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#8
I've been researching for a similar sized amp for some time now with both of them being on my list. Personally i'd go for the GK for a few reasons. One, it has a DI out so if you do want to take it to a small acoustic type gig you can use the amp as your monitor and send your signal to the FOH. Secondly, as mentioned above, if you do find that you want some more power you can easily buy the GK 112MBP which is a powered cab that you can hook up to the MB110 amp to create a mini-stack.

The only reason I didn't get the GK was something different popped up on Ebay and I took a chance on what may turn out to be a bargain......
 
#10
I forgot to mention, go to YouTube and search both amps. Also search different Orange and GK amps, as they both have a specific brand tone that carries a theme across their respective models. Put in some earphones to get a better idea of what you're hearing. Best of luck!
 
#11
Do you plan on jamming with friends or playing out? Or are you set on being a living room player? I ask because sometimes it can feel like the present is the now forever. If you have any notion of playing with other musicians, even in an informal/just-for-fun context, look at something in the at-least 100 watt, 1x12/1x15 range. That'll get by in a lot of those instances. If you're not sure, buy a used Peavey 1x10 (like the Minx) or similar for $100 or less and set aside your money for a decent set-up if you need it down the line. Al Kraft's notion on the MB110 is a good one, too. Allows you to scale up (a bit, perhaps not enough) if you need to down the line. With that in mind the GK 1x12 combo might be a better option.
 
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#12
Al Kraft said:
...actually "may turn out to be the bargain of the century" is more accurate BAG. :)
Click to expand...

I'm hoping so. It's certainly a LOT less than most will pay for a similar amp.
Although it will be hard to beat the bargain I got with my Godin Shifter Classic when I picked that up for under $400 Aussie pesos and it still looks almost brand new.
 
#14
BAG said:
I've been researching for a similar sized amp for some time now with both of them being on my list. Personally i'd go for the GK for a few reasons. One, it has a DI out so if you do want to take it to a small acoustic type gig you can use the amp as your monitor and send your signal to the FOH. Secondly, as mentioned above, if you do find that you want some more power you can easily buy the GK 112MBP which is a powered cab that you can hook up to the MB110 amp to create a mini-stack.

Nope, just gigging in the livingroom, so don't expect to need a DI or more power. i.e. So these aren't deciding factors for me, probably. It would be nice if they were available locally where I am, but alas I have to make a choice and order it in
Click to expand...
 
#15
I have no orange experience. But I'm very impressed with GK MB 110. The DI out is convenient. It doubles for me as a practice amp and stage monitor. I've had it cranked to 80% plus at an outdoor event just to get it above stage level. It was clean consistent and did NOT fart out or annoy the sound guy.
 
#17
I'm a big fan of Orange stuff in general (have a Terror Bass 500 combo) but all things considered I would recommend the GK MB110 in this case. Happy living room playing or whatever might develop beyond that and welcome to TB!
 
#18
I've got the Orange 50 and have no complaints with it for what it is. A built in tuner, line out, headphone out and a 1/8th Aux in covered my needs for living room practice. I've had it for a few years now without any problems.
 
#19
deathness said:
Do you plan on jamming with friends or playing out? Or are you set on being a living room player? I ask because sometimes it can feel like the present is the now forever. If you have any notion of playing with other musicians, even in an informal/just-for-fun context, look at something in the at-least 100 watt, 1x12/1x15 range. That'll get by in a lot of those instances. If you're not sure, buy a used Peavey 1x10 (like the Minx) or similar for $100 or less and set aside your money for a decent set-up if you need it down the line. Al Kraft's notion on the MB110 is a good one, too. Allows you to scale up (a bit, perhaps not enough) if you need to down the line. With that in mind the GK 1x12 combo might be a better option.
Click to expand...
Good advice, and certainly worth considering. A good 112 combo won't be that much bigger or more costly than a quality 110. Once you've got a bass and an amp, opportunities to play will simply show up...not sure how that happens, but there is a whole website full of bass players here who in many cases started with equally modest intentions. :thumbsup:
 
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