Gallien-Krueger MB212-II 500W 2x12 Bass Combo Amp with Tolex Covering

Good solid combo. Constructed well. Control knobs are solid. Carry handle and cloth grill seem good. Very light weight as advertised. Very attractive minimalist look. Tolex could be a little thicker though. Controls are simple and effective. E.Q. is great. Contour and Boost circuits work well and add scoop or grind as you wish. Very clean articulate tone, but warmth and punch can be added with some EQ twiddling. Very modern, clear GK sound, but not too colored, my Jackson bass still sounds like a Jackson. The only negatives are, as in some previous reviews, if you have a poorly shielded phone cable for the aux in, or get your phone too close to amp you will get some interference and crackling..the other is that this thing is such a beast it's almost too crazy loud!..this is a full band rehearsal amp for sure! Quiet practice in your bedroom is only possible with headphones. This amp really opens up when your at about 9 o'clock on the master, and it really cranks while still retaining its clarity..be warned, it's a monster!

Big "Made in the USA" imagery on this website, but a closer look on the back of this amp clearly says "Manufactured in China." I'm ok with that, but I think the "Made in the USA" is very misleading and should be removed. I mean - either that or put a big GK "Made in China" graphic in it's place - which I very much doubt will happen.

This amp is all you'll need, I've owned one for about 8 months now, it does everything I need it to. So far I've played a few club gigs and 3 large outdoor events (car show, Astoria's seafood festival & Long beach kite festival), and 2 large indoor events at the Portland Expo center, and it works great and sounds awesome. and the best part is, it weighs 40 pounds. My GK MB212 has replaced My 2 previous amps, a Carvin RL6815 combo, that weighs 103 Lbs, and a Hartke 4-10 cab & 500 watt head that weighs 138 Lbs... The day I bought the MB212 at GC I was trying it out against the GK MB210 (which I think sounds better than the 212) with all the knobs at 12 0'clock position there was a noticeable difference in volume, and tone, the 212 is louder, but the 210 sounds better.(I know this is just splitting hairs at this point) a huge selling point for me was the size and weight. The MB212, bass guitar, guitar & mic stands all fit in the trunk of my Maxima with room for a couple overnight bags, I can take the wife & kids to the coast and play a gig. I love my new amp and I'm completely satisfied with it's performance.

There is nothing bad I can say about this unit. I had the older model and the company allowed me to upgrade to last years model for $100.00 and shipping. This was due to a motherboard issue that could not be resolved. And that motherboard issue is this... DO NOT... LET ME REPEAT....DO NOT.....LAY YOUR CELL PHONE ON TOP OF THIS CABINET FOR ANY LENTH OF TIME OR IT WILL BLOW THE ELECTRONICS. The buzzing and crackling that will occur will be permanent. Other than that, this is really a great combo and highly recommendable.

All I've done at the moment is play through it every time I go to Guitar Center. No matter what bass I play, it sounds awesome. I've played the Fender Jazz Deluxe 5-string, Musicman 5-string with double humbuckers, Squier 4 and 5-string Jazz basses, ESP, Schecter, Ibanez,, and a used Brubaker Brute that happened by. Slapping, fingering, chords, harmonics... everything rang true. For the money, I think it's a great deal. I will certainly be purchasing one of my own. Plus GK also has the powered speaker units that match whichever rig you decide to buy.Talk about augmentation!! I recommend you try one and decide for yourself. P.S. The only thing that comes close, in my humble opinion, is the old Ampeg BA150 100 watt combo. Love 'em... nice tight sound.