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Topic: Gallien Krueger MB200 - Deceased or Just Resting? |
Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 1:59 pm |
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I plugged my MB200 it in after not having used it in a while - nothing; no blue power light, no sound, no red light. I plugged the power cords into different electrical receptacles: silence. I tried three different power cords: zilch. I opened the case and looked for broken cold solder joints or a cracked PCB: nada. I can't find a fuse anywhere. I worked the signal chain down to steel > GeorgeL cable > amp. The GeorgeL cable is good. The only sound I heard was a slight low pitched crackling when I had my volume pedal in the chain, and floored the pedal.
I kept the amp in its original box and packing while it was not in use. I haven't dropped it or loaned it out. It hasn't been exposed to heat or moisture. No settling of contents occurred during handling. I called Gallien Krueger. Their tech referred me to a service tech in my area, who recommended that I try different power cords or look for a fuse. I told him I already had. He had no other suggestions. The amp is out of warranty. The bench and potential repair costs would be as much or more than I paid for the amp.
I hate to throw the little guy away. It's too light to use as a boat anchor. Any possible solutions or similar experiences? |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 2:46 pm
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Pay your utility bill.  |
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Tim Marcus
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 2:56 pm
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its funny... just a few years ago I predicted this and now slowly all those MB200 amps are dying. As I mentioned years back, it will be hard to find a tech to repair it - might as well just get another. Or not, because it will just happen again once the warranty lapses.
They did it to TVs and VCRs and now its making its way into gear: Planned Obsolescence. Its a throw away society now.
Problem is, its not a throw away lifestyle. My advice is to spend a little extra dough and get an amp that will stand the test of time this go round. Either a vintage one, or one of the higher end options.
_________________
Milkmansound.com |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 5:45 pm
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| Erv Niehaus wrote: |
| Pay your utility bill. |
But I told 'em the check is in the mail. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 6:01 pm
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Sorry Jim. They only take online electronic payments.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 11:50 pm
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Yep, mines dying right now too. It's getting distored on the (ahem) bass notes. : ). And I've tried various speakers. Maybe I'll turn mine into an ant farm.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Joe Rouse
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 2:42 am Mb-200
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| This demise of your MB-200 is not good news for me. I bought mine in July and started playing through it in August and try to practice 2 hrs a day with no problems yet. How long have you played yours and when did it start going South? I hope someone comes up with a quick fix for you....jr |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 3:19 am
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We have two of them, the oldest (original model that has a combo 1/4" and Speakon connector) is at least two years old, maybe more. The oldest one is used by my wife for rhythm guitar and still working OK. The other has been replaced by a Carvin BX500 amp, for steel, so its just a backup.
Electronic items break. If they didn't or have the potential to develop problems there would be no need for techs or warranties. Repair is the issue for many items and many require sending back to the manufacturer for repair due to no schematic and/or proprietary components. Many new devices are "SMT" (Surface Mount Technology) and require specialized tools.
GK has authorized repair centers.
CLICK HERE |
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Joe Rouse
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 3:26 am Mb-200
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| Thanks Jack...jr |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 4:30 am
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You know Jack, I had seen that Carvin amp and thought it might make a good steel amp...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 6:53 am
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Tim: Thanks for weighing in. I bought the MB200 to use as a lightweight, practice/backup grab-and-go amp. It served the purpose well until that fateful day last week. I have other amps including a couple of vintage models. They are my personal favorites. I'm a tube guy (hint). Based on feedback I am receiving from others, your assessment appears to have at least some merit.
Joe: Mine is less than three years old. It's has a Speakon only connector-no 1/4" jack. I didn't use it on a regular basis but it was very well cared for. It looks almost new. I hadn't used it since last summer. It worked perfectly then, but was DRT when I plugged it in a few of days ago.
Jack: How right you are. If everything lasted forever, manufacturers would probably have a harder time selling new products. Sooner or later, stuff breaks. I spoke with the owner of a GK authorized service center before I posted here. He was not encouraging.
I appreciate everyone's input. In addition to finding a possible solution to my problem, I thought this posting might give some insight into the long term performance of these amps in general. Based on past forum threads, there are a lot satisfied MB200 owners. It looks like there might be one less now, but it's a small sample size. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 7:52 am
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Hmmm... interesting and timely post for me. My bass player used it at our last rehearsal and was getting distortion at various points, which I attributed to the speaker (which ticked me off cuz it was a new Eminence lightweight speaker I had recently installed). But maybe it's the MB200 crapping out instead of the speaker. Neither is welcome, but I'd better do a better job of diagnosing the problem before changing anything.
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 9:47 am
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| High AC Line voltage can cause some distortion problems. We worked a job at a location that the AC line voltage was a little over 130VAC and I noticed some slight peak distortion on my MB200. The lead guitar player was using a Fender Pro Reverb and getting some distortion too. We grouped several amplifiers including the Pro Reverb and MB200 on one AC power strip and the voltage dropped below 130 VAC on the power strip and the distortion went away. |
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Jim Priebe
From:
Queensland, Australia - R.I.P.
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 6:15 pm
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Low line voltage will do that too (distortion). Where I live the power can vary from 190 thru 258 (should be 230-240 in Oz). We are a long way from the distribution tranny and it's hell in summer with air cons running.
In IT we learned long ago that printed board components are better off with regular or constant use. Standing around seems to breed failure - bit like my knees I guess! My MB 200 gets used almost every day and (touch wood) after a few years it's still fine, but I like the sound of that Carvin Jack.
_________________
Priebs GFI ('09)Short-Uni10. GFI ('96)Short-Uni SD11. ('86)JEM U12
www.steelguitardownunder.com |
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Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 12:36 pm
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| So glad I clicked on this thread. I saw one in a guitar shop and thought "this would be the perfect!" Guess I'll have to look into something else to fill the super small amp void. |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 2:48 pm
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| Jim Priebe wrote: |
In IT we learned long ago that printed board components are better off with regular or constant use. Standing around seems to breed failure - bit like my knees I guess! My MB 200 gets used almost every day and (touch wood) after a few years it's still fine... |
I have more feedback indicating that some of the components in these Class D amp circuits need regular use. I wonder if that is true of all Class D amps including those that are much more expensive than MB200s and becoming increasingly popular. |
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Keith Hilton
From:
248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 3:18 pm
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| Tim, I'm with you. A guy gave me one that had quit. I checked it out and decided it was not worth fixing. What surprised me is that the fuse allowed a trace to burn out without blowing the fuse. |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 3:49 pm I have had good luck
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I had one that went out and I sent it back to GK and all it cost me was the shipping to get it there. They fixed it and returned it with a note saying if I had any more problems let them know.
Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Darrell Birtcher
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 4:23 pm
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I don't think it's really fair to knock an entire class of technology or a company based on such a small sampling. GK has always been great to deal with and will actually let an intelligent, english speaking human spend as much time as is needed on the phone to resolve issues, and they have always responded promptly and thoroughly to my emails.
Any new technology (surface mount devices, multi layer boards, class D amps, etc) usually solves some of the previous generation's problems and also creates new bugs. As a repairman, I love my old gear and despise throw away technology but there are benefits to some of the newer stuff too. For example, I find it more reliable and much lighter than my heavy old SVT, though I do often miss the sound of the old, heavy, unreliable stuff. |
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Len Amaral
From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 4:25 pm
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| So far so good with my GK200 playing bass out of an 8x10 cab. I also have the GK500 with 3 preamp tubes I use with steel and all is OK. As long as you can send it back to the factory without a hassle is ok with me. |
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Joe Naylor
From:
Avondale, Arizona, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 4:33 pm Not sure
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Without checking not sure how many I have sent out but the one that I had a problem with was within the first 10 minutes I think.
Just made a couple calls and all is will.
I agree Darrell
Joe
_________________
Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP |
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Jim Cooley
From:
The 'Ville, Texas, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 5:17 pm
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Equipment fails. My amp's warranty expired, so I understand the situation. There seem to be several advantages to Class D amps. I have been thinking about buying another one. I would like to feel confident that it would last longer than a couple of years, though.
Last edited by Jim Cooley on 13 Feb 2015 1:13 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bob Lawrence
From:
Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 5:32 pm Tone Block
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@Jim Cooley
Maybe you would like a Tone Block as a replacement 
399
The Quilter ToneBlock 200 is a next generation guitar head powerful enough to take on even the most heavyweight amp, but light enough and small enough to cozy up on your board with your favorite pedals. With rack mounting options, you can even build the ultimate stereo amplifier for your rack modelers. With all the tone of Quilter Lab's next generation solid state technology, it is going to feel like you plugged into a tube amp. All analog, no emulation, just amazing tone.
http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/products/toneblock-amplifiers/tone-block-200 |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 13 Feb 2015 3:38 am
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There is a current thread on the forum about the Tone Block and it requires an external EQ, according to the thread posts. Thus not the same as an amp that has tone controls such as the MB200.
I looked long and hard at that before deciding it wasn't for me. |
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Bob Lawrence
From:
Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada
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