Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

First off,I'm not a bass player.i'm a pedal steel guitarist since 1975.In my playing career,i've owned amps that were and still are "Standard of the industry"for steel guitar pickers.They often come in a large & heavy package.I came across some posts on the Steel Guitar Forum with high praise for this amp & decided to try one.A lot of us older players(I'm 60)just don't want to carry all that weight anymore,esp.if you play a not so lightweight steel or double on guitar & are carrying a guitar amp as well.(i take along a Fender Deluxe for my Tele)I'm running this amp with a 112 cabinet & a reverb pedal.This is the best pedal steel tone i believe i've ever had!Bottom end is deep but punchy with low notes well defined,mids are excellent,no "honkieness",highs are sweet and clear without being piercing.Overall,through the whole range of notes on my Rains SD-10,i get exactly what i'm looking for or should i say,listening for.Bass players,if you're using the MB-200 & play in a band with a steel player that's "fighting" their amp for the tone they want,please,turn them on to this!Just a note here,if you are looking for a way to safely transport your MB,the Musician's Gear Hardshell Harmonica case @$44.99 is a worthwhile investment.I already had one & discovered that it fits the MB as if it were designed for the amp.It fits snugly with room where the removable harp trays go to store the power cord,instrument/speaker cables & my reverb pedal comfortably!Thanks G-K and Musician's Friend for great products & excellent customer service !!!Bob Poole/Johnny Owens & The Rounders

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

I've always owned two bass heads so I'd have a backup.

Recently, I acquired a somewhat capable combo, so felt it was time to ditch the spare head.

This plan was a dumb idea, since hauling around a large combo with my rig, was not practical. I needed something small; like a doughnut spare that most cars have. It didn't have to be as capable as my main bass head, but had to be just enough to get me through any gig.

Enter the GK MB200

PROS:
-This amp is tiny, light, and will fit into the pocket of most gig bags.

-The tone is what floored me. It has an aggressive, punchy, tight sound that makes my main head seem ho hum.

-I'm in a KISS tribute band. This little amp got me easily through a gig when my main amp started having issues. It had plenty of juice, nicely powered one of my cabs, and I occasionally use it at rehearsals now.

-The EQ is simple, and easy to dial in on the fly.

-The price is right for a quality piece of gear.

-The fan is quiet.

CONS:
-Speakon is the only speaker output on this amp. My main amp has banana jack and ¼".

-My main amp has an efx loop that I use with my rack tuner for muted tuning. This amp just has line out and a return, but the return is 1/8" jack.

-The power cord that it came with didn't securely seat into the amp's electrical socket. I swapped out the cord, and no further issues.

-If you're one of those who likes parametric EQ's, this amp may be too simple for your taste.

-It can really only power one of my 410 cabs. My main amp can power both.

-The biggest advantage and disadvantage this amp has is its size. While small, light, and easy to transport, it can also be easily stolen at a gig. However, if rack ears are purchased, it can be racked. A nice idea, but placing this amp in a bulky rack defeats the purpose of owning a micro head.

I'm happy with my new spare amp. It gives me exactly what I need, and it is way more powerful than I anticipated. I am so impressed that I plan swapping out my main amp with the MB200's 800 watt big brother.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

I am a guitar player who dabbles with the bass, and wanted an inexpensive, but good-sounding amplifier. This amp does the trick. The only bummer is the Speakon output, you need a $12 adapter to use a 1/4" cable.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

I too can not get the 1/4 " jack to slip into the quickon lock. Suppose to be multi purpose but too tight. wish it was as staed, multi connection but so far works like a champ.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

Superb!
I used this amp (with an excellent mixer) to drive PA mains at a recent gig - I set all tone controls to flat - numerous audience members commented on the best ever sound quality.
Very loud for the rated power - I set the gain to '2' the whole night!
This amp has now joined the small set of sound essentials that never leave my car (except to be used in gigs). It's packed in the outside pocket of my mixer bag!
Two pounds and very small, but killer sound quality and clarity.
4-band tone controls w/ sensible center frequencies.
Contour switch and 10db pad switch are nice touches.
Switchable headphones/line out.
Switchable pre/post-EQ on XLR direct out.
Power light changes color during warmup or overload/short recovery - very nice.
One mistake - G-K *did* replace the former hybrid Speakon and 1/4" speaker output with a straight Speakon (requiring an adaptor for all older speaker cabinets) - the manual now comes with an errata page about this change.
Built like a fine sports car. Sturdy metal case. Solid knobs are very readable at a distance. G-K only makes good stuff.
Worth three times the price!

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

Playing though a black widow 15", sounds great smooth, responsive on highs and lows. Perfect for small to medieum gigs and proctice. And so light and small, its amazing, fits right in my gig bag. My only compaint is the speaker out. I read the manual before I bought which says it has a combo speakon & 1/4" speaker out. It only has speakon connecter. so you may need a spekon to 1/4" cable or adapter.
Not a lot of features on this one but does what its meant to do very well.
no problems,
Great Amp for the money.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

I purchased it as a backup and practice amp, but I dont hesitate to use this for gigs at small venues. Its nice to be able to pack light! I recommend purchasing a carrying case from GK web site.
*Plenty of power for the size. Used with an Ampeg 4x10 4Ohm cab and active bass for a band with four horns, and it worked out just fine.

*Nice to have four-band equalizer

*Has all basic controls and input/output jacks that you need for most applications.

*It only takes Speakon, no plug. GK recently changed this, and I had to buy an adapter to use it with older speaker cabs.
*The first unit had a problem of shutting down when it got hot, and I had to send it back for a replacement. I had a similar problem with my other GK RB head.

*Very small and light indeed. Its just unbelievable.

*Sturdy aluminum construction that can take beating.
Great value for the price.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

To get this much sound from something that nearly fits in your pocket is amazing, and for such a small investment.
The Gallien-Krueger MB200 is one of the best value purchases I've ever made.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

Overall, I love it. The MB200 emits awesomesause. It kicks hard for such a little guy.
I am completely satisfied with the sounds and tone I've been getting, the quality, value, and woopass-to-weight ratio. The only minor downside is a slight lack of features, but I don't really mind, and only so many features can be packed into such a small amp anyways.
-Simple and straightforward controls. Very nice features for the price!
-Its nice to have 4-band EQ for tighter tone shaping
-Contour switch adds a nice tonal switch quickly by scooping the mids.
-Great to have direct XLR output for recording with my band in the studio!
-Really nice to have a headpones jack (also line out capable) for silent rehearsal
-Aux in is nice for jamming along with my ipod
A few minor cons:
-Only has one output for a speaker cab, so it can't drive two cabs at once. (not a problem for me, only having one cab - Acoustic B115) Though now looking at it, the line out might be able to drive a second cab.
-The speaker output is Speakon only, not a 1/4 and Speakon combo, like the description says. I had to buy an adapter (Planet Waves) for my patch cable (Planet Waves 3'). At least the adapter works great!
Great quality
Very well built for how light it is!
Very Loud for its tiny size
GK has a great quality reputation, and they hold it up.
This is my first amp head, and I'm on a slim budget. The value is fantastic. I'm glad I decided to go with this new amp and not settle for a crappy used one for the same price!
200 watts and less than 3 pounds in weight is totally worth it! So nice not to lug a monster around!
No other head in the price range compares.

Comments about Gallien-Krueger MB200 200W Ultra Light Bass Amp Head:

In that I was ultimately dissatisfied to the degree that I decided not to keep the amp, again, I have to personally give it a "Terrible" rating. Again, setting aside the noise level issue I experienced, I took it a rehearsal and small bar gig, and it did well. I play classic rock next to a loud drummer, and in that situation, the MB200 was capable a produced a great sound. In terms of wanting to carry it as a back-up and use it at home for practice, I could not accept the noise level.
The feature set on this amp is nice, but expectedly and appropriately limited, considering its size and price class. The lack of a master volume or mute feels overly limiting in certain situations. The basic set of tone controls can be looked at as refreshing and offers a great range of usable sounds. The contour switch brings you immediately to a nice, fat, rich bedroom tone. Not so great in a band situation but a great sound for practice. A really nice feature is that the line-in goes through the speaker output, giving you the option to do heaphone or speaker practice. Other amps that I'm aware of limit line-in to headphone out.
I believe the overall quality of construction of this amp is decent, but I give it a "Terrible" rating due to the hiss noise level I experienced. I noticed a significant hiss noise was always present, whether cabinet or headphone, even with the gain at 0. I exchanged the first one I got and found the same problem with the second unit. I have returned the second one for refund.
Setting aside the noise problem, this is a great price.