Tried out Phil Jones gear

[hb3]

Lol, Kent, you're probably right. I'm spoiled by my Genz Benz combo.

[sonicus]

I tried a PJ suitcase once. Nice sounding but I already have 2  little GK amps for small units, the MB150E  and the older version  200MB.  I just installed new GK OEM speaker replacements in them about a year ago.  I would have liked getting to try a PJ  6PACK.

[JuancarlinBass]

Been loving my 200MB for so long... love its tone shaping and connectivity possibilities, nice comp and chorus. However, I've been curious... how would you compare it to the newer MB150?

[sonicus]

Hello Juan,
                   I had to replace  BOTH of the OEM speakers in the 200 MB and the newer MB 150E because  of the foam speaker surround deterioration in both units and after having read the various BASS PLAYER blogs and searching the internet with other persons experiences I was convinced to replace both units with GK originals  .      Access to the front mounted MB150E speaker was VERY easy and I was able to do that very intuitively without any obstacles in the way . This was NOT at all the case with my 200MB !  I remember that after very careful inspection of the 200MB that it was required to disassemble the enclosure  to replace the speaker. EVEN after disassembly the GK OEM replacement need to be carefully guided in. Take special care if your unit has the power transformer in the bottom of the chassis.  During reassembly it is important to reseal the metal chassis the same way with caulk sealant or it will rattle. Replacement of the speaker in the GK 200MB is MUCH more of a big job then in the MB150E , even for a seasoned tech.  Other persons experiences will confirm this as well.
 
             Sound wise they both sound great . I might venture to write that the 200MB has a slightly warmer sound, however the input stage is more easily overdriven with an Alembic Series I or II instrument then the MB150E because the MB150E has a  -10 dB input pad . The EQ section in the MB150E is also a bit more flexible. the MB150E also has a little more output power.  ALL IN ALL I love them both but I hope that I will NOT have to replace the speaker in the 200MB for a long time , the  foam surround on the original lasted close to 20 years maybe. I would have replaced it with an accordion edge type or a butyl rubber surround type but others have done this already not everyone has like the results in sound. I decided to replace with identical parameters .
 
             I completely agree with you about the tone shaping and connectivity of the 200MB . If you acquire a MB150E you will experience even more of the same and an easy to replace speaker.  The input pad will work well with your Alembic Series I/II electronics.
 
    Sonic Regards ___
                                 Wolf

[JuancarlinBass]

Dear Wolf: Thanks for the update!. Unfortunately, I've already had to replace my 200MB's speaker. Twice in fact, because the first time I replaced it by an accordion-type cone edge one, and also disliked the result. I ended talking to a music student of mine, who also happens to be a wonderful speaker repair guy. So he completely rebuilt the OEM speaker (which, as I've found out on the internet, happens to be a Pyle Pro, same case on GK's ML250 guitar amp -same series, even same year!-, which I also own and love) taking extra care of using the best materials around, and it ended sounding fine. Then I had some trouble with a faulty external speaker cable (I like to use it, for mid-smaller venues, in 4ohm with a custom external, Eden loaded 1x10 front slot- vented cab), and blew up something in the circuit. Again, found the schematics and took it to a repair guy who gave it to me working as a breeze... except for the caulk sealing, which was all gone, so it rattled all the way. AGAIN... had to disassemble it, and reseal every corner -I used silicone for this-, and voil?!. A nice tip: The 200MB has a rubber stop that screws unto the back panel and presses against the speaker's magnet. Mine shrunk a little, and changed the sound a little bit, so applying silicone to both ends of the rubber stop helped a lot.  
 
It's a bliss to know the 150 has the speaker front-mounted!. I'll make sure to get ahold of one whenever I can, since the time I spent with my 200MB in repair shop, I really missed it a lot (have other rigs to work with, but are either too heavy, too big, or too complicated for what I like to do with the 200MB).
 
However.. . I laid my eyes and my ears on one of those newer SWR Headlite amps, and yummmmm...! Maybe one of those, with the lightest of my 2x10 cabs -certainly NOT my MesaBoogie RoadReady, which sounds delightful but weighs A TON!- or the Eden-loaded 1x10 would make one of my small venue jazz gigs a dream... Just have to set some dough apart . Anyone using one of those?
 
JC

[dannobasso]

My trip to the Phil Jones showroom with the 10 string.