Gallien-Krueger 200MB 112 Combo

My little black friend was built in 1986, so it seems tome that I may have one of the oldest MBs still alive ...

I bought it to substitute a VOX 125 rig that just was too much a hassle to lug around. As there was no real music shop near my home I had to travel a couple of hundred miles by train to find one, and taking the combo back home by train was my first test for portability.

And, yes, this is the main feature for me: Portability. I really have *WALKED* to gigs with EB, DB and combo. It is absolutely versatile, unintrusive on small stages, with a sweet straightforward sound. I can effortlessly play with a big band, it has more than enough power for that kind of gigs.

I love that sound. It is somehow limited in terms of brute force, earthshaking lows and eardrum-cutting highs, but it does exactly what I want it to do. As with any amp I have played so far (that's quite a lot over the last 30 years), you can produce some noise if you crank it up, but that would be a severe mistreatment of the amp. If you don't push it beyond its limit, it's dead silent.

I have played some 1,200 gigs with it, most of them without any backup. It never failed me, even if taken out of a frozen car into a overheated club, dropped of stages, spilled with drinks, ... until one of the last gigs, when it started to make some weird noises. This leads straight to my next point. Customer support:

As there are some unreplaceable autographs on my amp (the late Mr. Ray Brown used it and signed it for me), i didn't want to send it in, so I mailed to customer support and asked for a wiring diagram. Just a couple of hours later I was asked for the part# of the board. When I sent that in, I received the diagram only 10 minutes (!) later. Great!

Due to the autographs on my amp it is just irreplacable. But if it got stolenor wrecked, I'd replace it right away, at any price.

I bought mine in early 1987. It was the ideal portable (26 lbs.) 1-channel solid state combo amp both for acoustic and electric jazz bass - great sound, compression, chorus, XLR dry line out, 1/4" line out for an extention cab, effects loop, internal speaker cut-off option. Over 19 years, I've used all of its features in venues from small clubs (duos, trios, quartets) to outdoor big band concerts where I've patched into a sound system.

The combination of portability, great sound, versatility, and affordability made it a winner. Nineteen years later, I now can add "reliability" to the list of characteristics.

At 1/3 the cost of a Walter Woods 100w amp head, any respectable bassist will appreciate the value of the MB200. The MB200 is great for acoustic bass, even with a passive transducer pick-up (Underwood, Shadow, Realist). It's plenty powerful and the EQ controls are very responsive. It provides a wide sound spectrum from very treble to boomy bass. Dialing in the sound in any given room is easy. Noisy? Nah. A slight hissing is audible when the gain is set above 12 o'clock.

I used this amp exclusively for 15 years from 1987 to 2002, playing about 1,750 gigs with it. Remarkably, it never failed in any way. Just this year, 2006, on about its 2,000th gig, the speaker went ka-blooey. For $150, I was able to have the speaker restored ("refoamed") and it sounds great.

Never dealt with them

35 years on acoustic bass. Started out with an Ampeg B-12, then an Ampeg B-15. When the MB200 came out, I couldn't pass up something that sounded so good and was so small and affordable. Bye-bye Ampegs. In 2002, my main rig changed to the Acoustic Image Clarus head with a Raezer's Edge Bass 10 cab. Affordability be damned - I'm getting old and am going for tonal perfection now. To this end, I further have added the Clarus-SL head and Raezer's Edge Bass 12 to the arsenal. This year, I went for the big enchilada. I added the Rolls-Royce of bass amps to my gear: the AER Basic Performer.

But I still take the MB200 to the outdoor gigs, hook up one of the Raezer's Edge cab's to it, and patch it into the sound system.

No point listing all the features 'cos all the info is above. I've never wished it had a feature that it doesn't have

I love the sound of this little thing. I had a GK400rb with a 4 by 10 cab and prefered the sound of the 200mb. It sounds great when you drive it at full volume. A real full bodied naturally compressed sound. It never really distorts at high volume, just becomes more compressed. The built in chorus is a nice addition, but I rarely use it. I've used my 200mb for many styles (rock, folk, funk, jazz, metal) with a variety of basses (including upright) and it has done all I have asked. It's not a loud amp (100 watts @ 4 ohms) but I just take a DI from the back into the PA. I assembled a cabinet with a built in power amp to get some extra power, but I've never had cause to use it. All in all it sounds great

I severely abused my first 200mb for over 15 years before it finally went on fire at a gig! The only fault it developed was a crackle from the DI output, but that was just a dry solder joint. While I toured, it went in the cargo hold of planes with no cover or case. The only ever damage was a couple of scratches to the paintwork. It's so small that you can take it onto a plane as hand luggage. These amps are almost indestructable!!! That's why I just bought another one on eBay recently (for an over inflated price, but it's worth it)

PS a friend of mine bought the newer model (MB150E I think) which kept blowing fuses. He sent it back for repair countless times before giving up on it

Only had cause to use customer support once when I needed a circuit diagram, which they faxed to me within minutes. So based on that I'll give them 10/10

I truely believe this is the best amp I've ever used. It's loud enough for small gigs, completely portable (I regularly cycle to gigs with the amp and a bass on my back), rugged and reliable. I know several people who have bought one after using mine. The only problem is the price here in the UK. It's extortion!

Overall, I can't praise this little amp enough. I would even go so far as to say I love it!

Bought new in 1987. Built-in compressor, chorus and filters. 2 Balanced XLR outs for stereo and one for dry mono out. Effects loop and phone jack. I bought this amp for practice and to have something to fit in the back of an RX7 for jams. Now haul it in the trunk of a Z3 with room to spare. I LOVE this little bastard!

Have a '64 Jazz Bass, old Yamaha fretless, and a Spector 5 string.
It loves the Fender. The built in compressor works great with the fretless. Also took to playing guitar through it. Here's a fun setup: Took a Princeton 65 (my guitar practice/studio amp) and the G-K amp to a gig and set them up in stereo. It was like a Twin Reverb on steroids. Huge guitar sound. G-K delivers clean guitar and bass with strong low-end. Not ideal for 5 string, but what combo is? No overdrive, but that's what stompboxes are for, right? Built-in 4 knob parametric EQ gives a wide variety of tonal possibilities.

This sucker has been bouncing around the back of sports cars for more than 16 years and has NEVER let me down.

I imagine they're good, but who knows? They never break! I had the speaker re-coned last year and it's as good as new. Warning: There are a bazillion little screws holding this metal tank together. Take the speaker out yourself, or be prepared to pay more in labor than the actual reconing fee.

I've been playing both guitar and bass since the Johnson administration. My main amp rig is a rack system with a vintage Mcintosh 75 tube amp, Dean Markley preamp, Chandler Tube Driver, and a pedal board with a variety of stuff, depending on the gig. I use two 2-10" speaker cabs (one with EV SROs, one with Eminance speakers). The GK is primarily used on small gigs, some studio work and jams. I have also used it in larger clubs to drive the the 4-10s when I didn't feel like hauling the rack out.
If I ever lost this one, I'd get on EBAY and get another a.s.a.p.
Warning: I DID go on EBay and I picked up a G-K 250 RL. It doesn't compare to the 200 MB in sound, strength or reliability. Then again, maybe it was traumatised by a previous owner.

My Gallien-Krueger 200MB 112 was manufactured in January 1988. This amp is the most versatile amp I have ever owned. I play bass, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar. I have also used this amp for keyboards and as a monitor. It has one channel with: pre-amp volume, a compressor, Hi boost, contour, four band eq, and a built in chorus and master volume. It has a single 12" speaker and is rated at 50 watts rms into 8 ohms/100wrms into 4 ohms. I have been playing in a band for 20 years and have played all types of music. Rock, Gospel, Country, Metal. For big gigs, when used for bass I bi-amp the highs through 200MB and put the lows through an additional 300watt power and single 15" cabinet. For guitar I use the 200MB with the single 15" at 100watt rms/4ohms. There is a direct out if that's not big enough for you.

I have used this amp so many ways. I have yet to stump it. It has become a stable asset to me. This amp is very clean was no distortion. I use it like a power amp, and then work the tone and effects using an external per-amp.

My amp is 15 years old and the electronics has never failed. I recently had the speaker re-foamed but that was reasonable considering it age. This amp has never failed me.

Gallien Krueger's customer support is awsome. I have contacted them on several occassions with great results. I'm am an electical design engineer and all my buddies know it. Needless to say I get plenty of repair work on the side.

This is hands down the best amp I own. If I get a call for a gig this amp will be there. I love it. Wish all amps were this good.

Mine is an earlier model- these were first made in 1986, I think, and mine certainly has the road miles on it. Scratched up and a few dents, but recently serviced and good as new. G-K has improved and expanded this amp over the years, but all the basic ingredients were there at the beginning: Compact size, roadworthiness, plenty of tone control, line outs, chorus, limiter, compression and the abilility to drive external speakers. There's just one channel, as this was designed as a studio/small club amp, with a particular eye on upright players. No fuzz, chgannel switching, etc. Dial in the tone and leave it.

I bought my GK 200MB specifically to use with my Azola BugBass. I have a SWR Workingman's 12, which is similar in size and power, but I wanted something small enough that I could easily carry the BugBass in one hand and the amp in the other, but still be loud enough to be heard in a small group. With the tone controls set flat the sound was not at all what I wanted- too thuddy and flat- but hitting the contour button delivered exactly the tone I wanted from the BugBass. I've also used it a bit at home with my upright, using a microphone and preamp, and with the tone controls set flat it does a good job of amplifiying the bass sound as-is. It's not surprising so many upright players use this amp.

I haven't had it long enough to personally evaluate the reliability of the unit, but but I know a bit about the history of this particular amp. It's been serviced a few times over the last decade, but it's been gigged pretty continuously in that time, too. From what I can tell it's delivered above-average reliability.

For what I bought it for- upright and electric upright playing- it's been great, and it also turns out to be great used with my P-bass. The only other amps I'd consider for sound and compact size would have cost me three times as much new. For practice, recording, or small rooms it's an excellent choice.

100 watts into internal 12 unch gk paragon speaker
4 band eq that is easy to use and produces a wide variety of tones
built in compression that works well
built in chorus that absolutely kicks ass
2 voicing filters: 1 high boost and one contour
The contour switch "rounds" out the tone by putting a dip in themidrange frequencies and boosting the bass and treble. The high-boost switch boosts the high frequencies for a brighter sound. Also can be used to "liven" up old and worn strings.

the sound is as good as you can get from a single 12 inch speaker... this thing rocks

its built like a tank

gk has a good reputation, i havent dealt with them yet though

this thing rules... i never thought i would dump my fender bassman 400... im not in a band and im going to move soon so i really dont need it but it sounds too good to part with... this amp doesnt sound as good but it only has a 12 inch speaker as opposed to 2 10's and a horn in the bassman... that being said the small size of this amp, the loud output and the overall versitility of this amp have me thinking i can let the bassman go... the thing that really sold me on this amp were all the onboard effects, all of which are good... i picked this up in a package deal from ebay from a guy who used it as a guitar amp... it came with a hammer slammer explorer style guitar and a boss ds-1 pedal... all for 300 bucks, the guitar im selling but the pedal and this amp i will keep... i played the newer version of this amp the mb150 in a store and it didnt impress me... neither did this when i 1st got it... i plugged in for 2 minutes and i didnt play with any of the controls... i unplugged quickly and i decided that i would resell this... then i played around with it some more later in the day and i fell in love.