GRAHAM SG1

I think I am sold on the GK MB210 with the possibility of adding an extension at a later date, a 4x10 mini `tower`sounds just right, I also like the weight of these amps, find it hard to believe its in pounds and not kgs, thats half the weight of my Marshall so my back will like it . I have just one reservation though, I read that GK amps are made in China, in my experience stuff made in China is poor quality so are these amps good quality ?? Thanks

Re the KG combo amps you guys mention; •350W @ 8 ohms/500W @ 4 ohms (with extension) They all say the above so the question is, is it worth paying the extra for what is essentially a 350 Watt amp without extension cab, would the extra £200 cost over my Marshall would be justified by better quality and better loudness ?? The KG MB210 looks like a goer as its available now, I would like the 2x12 but if its not out yet . I must say I appreciate you knowledge and experience guys, I am a bass newbie !

The problem I keep finding is that they advertise the power as say 500 Watts etc but that is only when an extension cab is used, if no cab then back to 300 Watts and the scenario I now have !! I am trying to avoid having an extension cab because I have to carry around all the PA (being the singer) and my bass gear so no room for an extension . If I was not the singer then I would have a lot more choice ! I want preferrably a head of no less than 500 Watts when used with one 2x10 cab . I can get a Marshall 1x15 extension cab for £179 which would boost up to 450 Watts, this would be the cheapest option and enable me to keep the tones I like from my amp, just a pain having an extension - doh

I am considering getting a credit and buying another amp from the place I bought this from, I have seen an Ashdown MAG 600 H EVO2 head, what 2x10 cab do you guys recommend bearing in mind my budget is about £250, it requires a minmum of 4 ohm impedance for the cab .

Thanks for the replies fellas . Its difficult one, I agree now that 300 Watts for bass is not a great deal, I use a 30 Watt Laney LC30 valve guitar amp which is way louder than this Marshall . My situation is that I have only recently taken up bass after many years on guitar so still getting the band up to speed, no gigs for at least 3 months, I like this amps tones, I prefer a vintage sound so the nice warm classic channel is great, another problem will be that we use a 400 Watt PA which could be overpowered by a much louder bass amp, there are quite a few issues as you can all appreciate . I think I have four options; 1, Use an extension speaker cabinet with this amp so it goes up to 450 Watts 2, Return it for a refund, their policy is that all the packaging must be as new which after transit it clearly is not, even if I got a refund I do not have any cash to upgrade to a much better amp, I would have to pay courier so that increases the amount I have to find for something else . 3, Keep it and see if it is ok at gigs, the suggestion of placing it in a corner is good, small venues may well be fine and use an extension cab for the bigger venues, if not ebay it and go the finance route on a bigger amp 4, Upgrade the speakers for some better ones . Its a difficult one, I guess its like buying a car then finding out its not fast enough, you dont know till you try it, but the product is still fit for purpose . Thanks for your input

I have tried every adjustment, this amp just does not have a lot of headroom in my opinion, I had the master volume on max and modern, classic and blend volumes between half and three quarters and I am still not impressed with the power, I noticed that it is almost pointless going much further than half on the individual channel volumes as no significant gain in volume . Shame as I love the tone this amp gives, especially the classic channel . In a way though, its not so bad as it limits the level the band can play which may save my hearing form too much damage !

THanks James but SG1 is because my bass is a Gibson SG I tried the MB4210 with my band this evening and it was ok, still not as loud as some may say (IMHO) but the room we play in has a very high ceiling and is a very large classroom so the accoustics dont help, maybe in a pub or club with low ceiling will be good . I am a bit annoyed with the company I got it from, their advert for this amp is nothing short of blatant misleading, it states `sends booming signals thudding through the chest of anyone within a 200 yard radius` it is utter rubbish as my guitarist was about 10 foot away and his chest is fine LOL, maybe when combined with the extension cab is loud but the 2x10 certainly is not that loud, however, I think the tones from this amp are very good . You get what you pay for and I like the sound of this amp but am a bit concerned about the potential lack of headroom for larger venues, I can get a refund but will have to pay the postage to send it back, also I dont have any more cash to buy a more powerful amp at the moment so looks like I will keep it for a while . How much extra headroom would I get if I changed the speakers for some higher quality ones ?

Well I have got my new replacement and first impressions are that it is no louder than the first one, I have not tried it with the band yet but I dont think it will be powerful enough to play with fingers only, I will see at the next rehearsal . Maybe 300 Watts is not powerful enough for a rock n roll band ??

Thanks for that Prime_BASS, I did wonder about cables but I use Award Session instrument cables with Neutrik jacks, always have as a guitarist so why not for bass, I had a mad moment and wondered if you need bass specific cables LOL I will see how the replacement goes and report back, hope its good as I really like the amps versatility and tonal range .

Right about the tones in the 4210, mine has to go back with a volume fault after just one play, its not got much ! I look forward to getting a replacement with some decent volume because the amp has some very nice tones .

Cheers guys, I have been near you this evening BurritoBass, in The Dolphin pub in Newbury My atittude to playing is to just go with the flow and enjoy, I could not be one of those clever and disciplined players who sit down and study properly, I like to play a song I like on CD then try to pick out the bass by ear, I can get fairly close, I think !! I am 47 years old with two kids to prevent me from totally enjoying life but I do my best My other hobby is quad biking, I have a road legal Yamaha Raptor 700cc sports quad, I partly run a local quad forum website where we arrange rides and meetings, it keeps me out of trouble, if anyone is interested in quads give me a shout, sorry to go off topic but its part of my introduction

I recently bought a new 2009 Gibson SG faded cherry finish bass . Its my first bass so I wanted to get something a bit decent and having been a guitarist since 1990 knew that it is false economy to buy a cheap/budget starter bass . I tried a Fender Precision mexican bass first which I did not like at all, so it was off to the shop, I tried several makes and found the short scale SG to be perfect for my short arms and fingers When I first saw it I did not like the faded finish but after a bit of use and several polishes it looks great and is starting to get some shine back . It plays really nicely, the action is spot on, its very comfy, light and nicely balanced, I like the sound and control set up, the only thing I am not too keen on is the height of the bridge pick up, it seems too close to the strings and I occasionally hit it with my pick, maybe its my technique that needs to improve as I have only been playing a few months . I give it a 10/10

Just joined, nice site . I am from Basingstoke in Hampshire and have only recently begun my bass carrer having been a guitarist/singer since 1990 and also a drummer, I fancied a change and was kind of pushed into bass due to our bands bass player becoming very ill . I have really taken to bass and love it for the feedback you get from the instrument compared to guitar, the tone and power are awesome . My band is a fairly typical 3 piece rock/blues covers band playing gigs in local pubs and clubs . My influences are mainly punk/rock inspired in general, my bass influences have to be Jack Bruce, John Entwhistle type players for the older music and I really like New Model Army`s bass and drum style, particularly their older stuff, if you have never heard it, give it a go, some nice bass lines Bye for now

Thanks for the feedback guys . I have spoken to the dealer who agrees it is a fault so is picking mine up monday and sending a new replacement, I bought it from DV27 on the internet and they seem fair . Regards the gain being turned up, I had it on half on the classic channel, but the volume on the modern channel without a gain was the same when fully cranked, its a shame, they offered me a refund but I really like the general tone of the amp, the classic channel is really nice, the blend facility is excellent, I am the bands singer so have to carry the PA which leaves no space in car for an extension cabinet . I hope this resolves this issue as I dont have more money to add to a refund for a different amp anyway . Will keep you informed .

Hello all you bassists out there I have just joined this site and think its very good . I have recently bought a Marshall MB 4210 and am disappointed with its volume level, I played my first band rehearsal with it last night, we are a 3 piece rock/blues covers band, the guitarist uses a 30 Watt valve amp and the drummer is nearly 60 years old, so we are not a really loud band, I had all volumes on the amp up to maximum and the amp was only about the same level as the other two, this gives me no extra headroom should I need it, for a 300 Watt amp it is not very powerful, is this right for this amp or could there be a fault with it, either way its going back for a refund and I will have to look for something more suitable . I must say that the amps actual tones are very good, its just the lack of power that bothers me . My bass is a Gibson SG faded so I dont think the guitar is lacking in power. Has anyone on here experienced a similar problem with this amp and what would you recommend I replace it with, I have thought About the Ashdown MAG 300 2x10 combo . Thanks in anticipation