Whether you realize it or not, we are in the middle of a revolution. Over the past few years, bass amplification companies have been using new technologies to bring more compact bass amplifiers to the market. These “micro amps” are outfitted with relevant, useful controls, as well as efficient designs, and they pack a punch with wattage output similar to their bulkier old-school cousins. Today’s smaller, more load-in friendly amps have carved a deep niche for themselves in a very short period of time.
Gallien-Krueger has been building bass amps for more than four decades now, and it’s already solidified its place in history with the legendary RB series. Further, in many ways, G-K is arguably one of the companies that’s been downsizing heft while increasing quality and practicality for the longest. Always moving forward, G-K has now augmented its line with the MB series and its flagship MB800. Featuring a discreet, FET-driven preamp and a backsaving weight of just under 5 pounds, this little beast delivers 800 watts at 4 Ω—pretty incredible for something no bigger than a history textbook.
The Lighter Side
We’ll get to the impressive output of this
amp in a moment, but for now let’s talk
construction: The MB800 is housed in a
metal, fan-cooled chassis that’s the height of a
single-space rack unit, and about half as wide.
Though the slenderness of the amp allows
you to carry it in a laptop bag or the like,
there are screw holes for optional rack ears.
Because the knobs are made of a lighter plastic
and the housing isn’t super heavy-duty in
order to keep the MB800’s weight down, the
option to rack the amp for protection against
road wear is a welcome and wise option.
Even with its small footprint, the subway- friendly MB800 possesses many of the same features generally found on larger (and heavier) amps. There are two available gain modes, a -10dB pad, mute switch, contour control, and a 4-band EQ. Other features include a level control for gain B, as well as a master volume and a push-button limiter. The back panel boasts a balanced DI, dedicated tuner output, effects-loop jacks, and a switchable line out/headphone jack.
Front-panel controls are illuminated, a boon to any player stuck on a dark stage. Not only that, the knobs’ lights actually change color to indicate operation status, as well as whether the amp is clipping or overloaded. This isn’t just something that makes life a lot easier—it’s something every amp manufacturer should look into. Big thumbs-up to G-K for this smart touch.
Beef Aplenty
When powering up the MB800, the first
thing you’ll notice is that it’s a powerful,
powerful amplifier. The skeptical side of me
wondered if such a little amp could move
air. Not only did I quickly find that it could
move air, but that it could get the dust out of
the rafters as well! The MB800 generated the
kind of dBs that make your neighbors call.
One person shouldn’t have this much power,
but it is nice to have. But how does it sound?
Hopping between a Warwick 411 Pro 4x10 and a Warwick 115 Pro, I put the amp through its paces with both passive and active basses. Starting with the 4x10 cab, I used a ’78 Fender P and a ’75 Jazz reissue to test the MB800 with passive electronics. I set all controls to 12 o’clock, and while the tone wasn’t especially inspiring at that starting point, it began to take shape after rolling off the treble and hi-mid knobs. After an A/B test with the 1x15 cab, I found the amp really liked to be paired with the 4x10—it produced punchy, modern tones that could work for just about any genre of music. The amp nicely maintained the character of each passive bass, while providing just a little of its own color.
Ratings
Pros:
excellent portability, power, and tone.
Cons:
no tube warmth.
Tones:
Playability/Ease of Use:
Build:
Value:
Street:
$699
Gallien-Krueger
gallien-krueger.com
With a ’76 Music Man StingRay and then a StingRay HH (both of which have active electronics) plugged in, the MB800 really came alive—the voicing was fantastic! Again, starting with the controls at noon, I found the amp to be bright, yet solid—great for slap and fingerstyle playing alike. Switching to gain B mode (by hitting the footswitch or pressing the front-panel knob), yielded higher input gain, which really brought out the G-K mojo. When I dug in, the signal would break up just enough to get gritty and mean, but without fully distorting. This controlled chaos was, for lack of a better word, perfect— especially with the StingRays. And the tone maintained its dignity while pushing the envelope at the same time.
But the real secret of the MB800 is its contour control. This effective feature decreases mids while boosting high and low frequencies. It’s a great one-knob tone-shaper that can take you from thin to beefy in one turn. The beauty of the contour is that it enables you to, say, smooth out a bass that’s throaty and midrange heavy. And when pushed to 2 or 3 o’clock, it scoops out all the mids in a way that will make any funketeer rejoice.
The Verdict
I’ve used G-K amps in backline situations
over many years, and frankly, it wasn’t until
now that I was truly impressed. The MB800
has raised the bar in micro-amp technology,
and has pushed itself into a new classification.
With its impressive features and extremely
compact package, this amp has few equals. If
you read the specs on this amp before you lay
eyes on it, you will be impressed. When you
see its small footprint and hear this monster
roar, you will be amazed. The MB800 packs
the punch of Tyson, the power of a Mack,
and the grit of an asphalt sandwich. So if your
back is tired of carting around a huge amp
head, your search for a lighter alternative may
have ended here.
Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Billy Gibbons is an undisputable guitar force whose feel, tone, and all-around vibe make him the highest level of hero. But that’s not to say he hasn’t made some odd choices in his career, like when ZZ Top re-recorded parts of their classic albums for CD release. And fans will argue which era of the band’s career is best. Some of us love drum machines and synths and others don’t, but we all love Billy.
This episode is sponsored by Magnatone
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
