MB Fusion Review

This amp is fantastic. It has two channels which can be footswitchable. It has 3 12ax7 tubes in the preamp and a classD power amp.

Features:	8
Sound:	8
Reliability:	8
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.8
Reviewer rating:	8
Users rating:	9.5
Votes:	4

overall: 8

Reviewed by: jjburritt, on september 06, 2011

Price paid: C$ 750

Purchased from: Long and McQuade

Features: Ok this amp is fantastic. It has two channels which can be footswitchable. It has 3 12ax7 tubes in the preamp and a classD power amp. For the controls you have Gain A, Gain B, Contour, Treble, Hi-mid, lo-mid, Bass, a/b channel switch, Master A and Master B. Plus on the top of the amp you have a contour freq switch a presence switch and deep switch. It has 500 watts at 4ohms and 350 at 8ohms and it weighs only 6 lbs! // 8

Sound: I usually use this amp with an active Fender Precision Lyte or my active Precision special. I never change the eq on my basses. The clean channel (channel A) is impressive. With the gain setting low you can get a very smooth tube bass tone and if you crank the gain it distorts the tubes so you can get that Ampeg tone. Basically with channel A you can make your amp get any tone you want. Now Channel B is something else if you keep the gain low (9-10 o'clock) you get the classic gallien tone. Put it to 12 o'clock over driven Ampeg is there. Once you go higher it is pure tube overdrive but you never lose the bottom end. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I take good care of my stuff. It seems to be well built and hasn't let me down yet // 8

Impression: I was looking for a portable amp so I was trying Markbass, genz benz, Ampeg portaflex, Eden world tours and aguilar and the gk fusion. I found that the features and tone of Channel A could capture all the tones of the above amps I listed. But I also like the classic gk tone for many situations. I play in my church and also in a 90's style grunge band and have done some session bass playing and this amp has served me very well in all these situations. If it were stolen (I would never lose it) I would buy another or to save some money I might buy its solidstate brother the MB2 500. It sounds very similar but doesn't have tubes in the preamp and is 200 bucks cheaper. And I will never give a piece of equipment a 10 cuz there is always something different and or better out there :) // 8

Comments

[LeakyFlask]

So it's basically a hybrid amp? Are they as poorly regarded as their guitar amp counterparts or are they actually held as pretty good amps? It seems like there's a lot more tolerance when it comes to solid state bass amps, compared to guitar amps.

[Hail]

LeakyFlask wrote:

So it's basically a hybrid amp? Are they as poorly regarded as their guitar amp counterparts or are they actually held as pretty good amps? It seems like there's a lot more tolerance when it comes to solid state bass amps, compared to guitar amps.

Basses don't need the grit or force of tubes. Unless you're going for a particular tone, they're unnecessary, so hybrid amps are great for dialing in tube tones without being stuck with them for every situation.

[LeakyFlask]

Hail wrote:

LeakyFlask wrote:

So it's basically a hybrid amp? Are they as poorly regarded as their guitar amp counterparts or are they actually held as pretty good amps? It seems like there's a lot more tolerance when it comes to solid state bass amps, compared to guitar amps.

Basses don't need the grit or force of tubes. Unless you're going for a particular tone, they're unnecessary, so hybrid amps are great for dialing in tube tones without being stuck with them for every situation.

That's very true. I've never really thought of it that way but it makes a lot of sense. Solid state guitar amps usually have pretty nice cleans so I guess a bass amp would have as well!

[The Geddy Flea]

LeakyFlask wrote:

Hail wrote:

LeakyFlask wrote:

So it's basically a hybrid amp? Are they as poorly regarded as their guitar amp counterparts or are they actually held as pretty good amps? It seems like there's a lot more tolerance when it comes to solid state bass amps, compared to guitar amps.

Basses don't need the grit or force of tubes. Unless you're going for a particular tone, they're unnecessary, so hybrid amps are great for dialing in tube tones without being stuck with them for every situation.

That's very true. I've never really thought of it that way but it makes a lot of sense. Solid state guitar amps usually have pretty nice cleans so I guess a bass amp would have as well!

]

Very true; if you bottom this sucker out of corse you're going to get a very grumbley sound and if this was a solid state amp you would only get that unclear rumble, but with the tubes you can get that great low-end and that characteristic GK presision like- clarity without loosing any low-end. However if you throw more gain on and bring up the treble you can get that Lee- like tone that he got out of those 4001s he played, and even while using a low-end centred Music man.
Its just a great amp all- round and blends beautifully!