The Steel Guitar Forum

I got this for upcoming road gigs where I'll be renting/borrowing amps. I'll take the MB200 as a backup- I can plug whatever speaker is available into it. Even if it doesn't become my main amp, I can keep it in my seat as a spare. Amazing!

As many others have noted, this is a great sounding amp. For a reverb I'm running through a digitech RV-7 hardwire reverb pedal.

I was a little apprehensive about the minimalist tone controls on the MB200- no parametric for one thing. But it just happens to work out that with the contour switch on, I get exactly the scoop eq that I would dial in with a parametric like on a peavey amp. The tone controls they provide suit me fine. I think this is just a happy accident with this amp, since it was designed for bass.

At the moment I'm playing into a single 8 ohm black widow (in a vegas 400) and it has plenty of volume- I'd say similar to my Nash 112. I plan to rig up a 2nd 8 black widow and that will give me a 4 ohm load and the rated 200 watts.

BEWARE: As been noted here before, the new MB200s do not have the combo 1/4 and speakon jack. Mine is speakon only and likely all new ones will be as well. I had ordered some speakon connectors ahead of time and I'm glad I did.

I am borrowing a Sarno black box and I rigged an A/B switch so I can switch it in and out. With the BB in, I do like the tone a little better, but the tone is just fine without it as well. Now, this is in my living room- I hope to try this on an upcoming gig.

Lynn,after you get comfortable with it please post the settings you feel are to your liking and if they change with the different speaker and enclosures.Thanx Bert

I'm using an MB200 (almost a year) and an Eminence EPS-15C speaker.

I find the MB200 settings will change from venue to venue. I play two regular gigs and have to change the EQ for both. I didn't have to do that with my Peavey Nashville 1000 or 112 - I rarely had to change EQ settings.

I've looked at the MB200 settings of the others that are using the MB200 at our steel guitar club jams and the settings vary quite a bit.

I suspect one commonality is the use of the contour switch. For me, I can't get what I like unless it is on. I max the bass and treble and the two mids are lowish.

I don't use the contour switch. Too bright for me.

I have a Franklin with Lawrence 710 pickups and use a Hilton VP.

I don't use the contour switch either. Mine has a combo 1/4 speakon jack. Love the amp with my Sica 250 watt 15" 4 ohm. Wish I had it over here in Europe.

Dave Harmonson wrote:I don't use the contour switch either. Mine has a combo 1/4 speakon jack. Love the amp with my Sica 250 watt 15" 4 ohm. Wish I had it over here in Europe.

I have the same exact set-up as Dave. I've heard this combo and it sounds great! In addition to pedal steel, this combo sounds great with keyboards, too!

In my practice room at low volumes, it sounds best to me with the contour switch on and treble and bass at about 12 oclock.

However, on stage, this didn't sound right somehow. I did notice that with contour on, I could max out the bass capabilities of the speaker and get distortion if I turn up the bass control.

I played about 8 gigs with it last week and really like the combination of the MB200 and a 4 ohm SICA 15".

Sounds like a great backup, at the very least. Might have to get one. I started thinking about how my cabinets have only 1/4" inputs, looked around and found this:

http://www.goodbuyguys.com/catalog/prod ... cts_id/516

This would solve the Speakon only problem, would it not?

Steve

Steve French wrote:Sounds like a great backup, at the very least. Might have to get one. I started thinking about how my cabinets have only 1/4" inputs, looked around and found this:

http://www.goodbuyguys.com/catalog/prod ... cts_id/516

This would solve the Speakon only problem, would it not?

Steve

Yes, or just use a speaker cable with 1/4" on one end and speakon on the other. If you already have a good 1/4 to 1/4 speaker cable, you could use an adaptor, or simply cut off the 1/4 on one end and attach a speakon connector. They use a robust solderless connection that you tighten with a screw. I bought the connectors and an adaptor on ebay quite cheaply.

I have the MB 500 and i like that the contour is ajustable, it seems to have a sweet spot when you do have to make any ajustments to your EQs. I just wish they would have made this amp to except 2 4 OHM speakers as well as 2 8ohm. I've been using one 12" 4ohm cab and my nash 112 together since i've discovered that the BW 1203-4 sounds realy good with this amp. Eventually im going to try to find some older 1203-8s if thats possible, but for now the 2 sound great together, and the telonics PUP prob helps too

I just put an Alumitone in my Millenium using MB200 and found it to sound totally different at the "Steve English " settings, up till that point the contour switch had been off, now have contour on to get rid of boxy type sound, have not gigged it yet still experimenting with settings.Anyone find anything similar and if so what settings did you end up using?