Grand Wazoo
Well-known member
A couple of days ago, I've got a call from a London Bass store informing me that the amp I so wanted to try was finally in stock, the amp in question is the new Mark Bass "Little Mark Tube" which you can see here: MARKBASS
Thankfully, today I had a day off work from the ship at last, so I've decided to take that opportunity to go to Tin Pan Alley (namely Denmark St. WC2 London) to give this amp a lil' test ride. I realized that I didn't fancy trying that amp with some unfamiliar make of bass I don't care to own or play, such as warwick, Esp, Ltd and other similar bland basses that pollutes these stores these days. So I decided to take one of my MM bass along for the ride. But which one? Well that decision didn't take long, I immediately said to myself, Of course I'll take the Venetian!
I've put it into my sturdy tribal planet gig bag and off I went to Central London by train... took along a Jack Higgins book to read on the way. Crime Fiction, can't beat it, parking in London is near impossible hence the train journey.
When I finally got to the store the chap said "Hi! can I help you?", I said "yep, you phoned me on Sat saying the Little Mark Tube arrived and I was welcome to come and test it". "Oh yeah he says, follow me... " I said where?" the shop is tiny and full of gear from the entrance to the back.
So he set me up right by the main window, with the amp plugged into a Mark Bass 4 x 10 speaker cab model 104HF
He then asked me what bass would you like to try it with, and I said, errrr. I've got my own here in this gig bag. "Oh ok" he said "I'll leave you to it then". Don't mind if you do, thanks
Soon as I wipped out the 25th he said: "**** me! You ain't half tooled!" - "Oh yeah I am today, as it goes!" I replied with a modest smile.
It turns out that from the time the 25th's have been launched to the time they were discontinued none of the stores in Denmark St. has ever had one on display so it is a bit of a rarity around there.
Today the place was buzzing with revellers and tyre kickers and within 20 minutes, the majority of passers-by were quickly walking back to the shop window with a HUH?? look on their faces, and quite a few of them walked in then store thinking the bass was in stock and available for them to try. I could hear them asking the staff, how much is that bass, can we try it? With the shop assistant having to repeat no its not our bass it belongs to that man, etc etc.
and then... Excuse me Sir, where did you get this bass? are they going to be available somewhere? How much, do they make 'em in other colours? I thought to myself "Oh! For goodness' sake, I am here to try an amp, all I want is some peace and quiet...
Anyway I patiently told them, these were only available up to 18 Oct '09 and now they'll have to wait for the Reflex model available from mid 2010 ad I wasn't not sure what colours they would come in.
I couldn't help but think that if only more stores would have stocked these basses they would have probably sold a lot more, recession or not, there's still people out there, who are well enough to afford them. Let's hope the Reflex does get a wider appearance.
-------
Going back to the Mark Bass amp: the Little Mark Tube, oh boy what fantastic thing this is! And this one was only the 500W model, I understand they also make an 800W version of it, and having tried this one, I am frightened to think at the damage the 800W would cause, this one was sooooooo loud it shook the window panes of that store and the one on the opposite side of the road!!
Mark Bass have nailed the Tube vibe thing, the sound it gave when the knob called "Solid S / Tube" was turned fully to Tube, makes you hair stand on the back of your neck. There is no way in words to describe that experience but it's really is close to those 90's Mesa Boogie 400+ and if ever you have tried one, you will appreciate.
I really liked it through the 4x10 with the high freq horn, but the man in the store said if you plug it through a 2 x 10 at 4ohms it gives the full 500W otherwise on a 4 x 10 in 8 ohms its 300W. Go figure! I thought that was loud enough, can you image the 800W they do? Jezzzzzzuz!
So in conclusion, would I buy it? the answer is definately yes. But not just yet, I am enjoying my CMD102p combo which I've only just bought last year, and if there was a retrofit version of this head that could slide in the combo cabinet I would do it in a heart beat. I can't justify losing money selling the combo which I am loving and then having to spend more on finding a cab to go with the new head.
But if you are starting from scratch and need a super amp I would recommend you try one of these and see what pleasure it is to play it.
There are many other features I didn't mention but are worth knowing: if you are familiar with the mark bass control layout, aside the bass/low mid low/high low/high pots, you have 2 gain controls: Gain 1 and Gain 2, one for the 1/4 inch input and one for the balanced speakon type input, a phantom switch for the balanced input, a line out volume and the master volume, so there's a lot more to get accustomed with, but this amp could be carried to a gig in a small bag, without a cab and plugged straight into the mixing console if you really want to travel light, this is ideal.
Go try one, you'll love it.
Oh and Jack.... you can get your trademark cowpilot sound with this amp without needing flats, trust me.
Thankfully, today I had a day off work from the ship at last, so I've decided to take that opportunity to go to Tin Pan Alley (namely Denmark St. WC2 London) to give this amp a lil' test ride. I realized that I didn't fancy trying that amp with some unfamiliar make of bass I don't care to own or play, such as warwick, Esp, Ltd and other similar bland basses that pollutes these stores these days. So I decided to take one of my MM bass along for the ride. But which one? Well that decision didn't take long, I immediately said to myself, Of course I'll take the Venetian!
I've put it into my sturdy tribal planet gig bag and off I went to Central London by train... took along a Jack Higgins book to read on the way. Crime Fiction, can't beat it, parking in London is near impossible hence the train journey.
When I finally got to the store the chap said "Hi! can I help you?", I said "yep, you phoned me on Sat saying the Little Mark Tube arrived and I was welcome to come and test it". "Oh yeah he says, follow me... " I said where?" the shop is tiny and full of gear from the entrance to the back.
So he set me up right by the main window, with the amp plugged into a Mark Bass 4 x 10 speaker cab model 104HF
He then asked me what bass would you like to try it with, and I said, errrr. I've got my own here in this gig bag. "Oh ok" he said "I'll leave you to it then". Don't mind if you do, thanks
Soon as I wipped out the 25th he said: "**** me! You ain't half tooled!" - "Oh yeah I am today, as it goes!" I replied with a modest smile.
It turns out that from the time the 25th's have been launched to the time they were discontinued none of the stores in Denmark St. has ever had one on display so it is a bit of a rarity around there.
Today the place was buzzing with revellers and tyre kickers and within 20 minutes, the majority of passers-by were quickly walking back to the shop window with a HUH?? look on their faces, and quite a few of them walked in then store thinking the bass was in stock and available for them to try. I could hear them asking the staff, how much is that bass, can we try it? With the shop assistant having to repeat no its not our bass it belongs to that man, etc etc.
and then... Excuse me Sir, where did you get this bass? are they going to be available somewhere? How much, do they make 'em in other colours? I thought to myself "Oh! For goodness' sake, I am here to try an amp, all I want is some peace and quiet...
Anyway I patiently told them, these were only available up to 18 Oct '09 and now they'll have to wait for the Reflex model available from mid 2010 ad I wasn't not sure what colours they would come in.
I couldn't help but think that if only more stores would have stocked these basses they would have probably sold a lot more, recession or not, there's still people out there, who are well enough to afford them. Let's hope the Reflex does get a wider appearance.
-------
Going back to the Mark Bass amp: the Little Mark Tube, oh boy what fantastic thing this is! And this one was only the 500W model, I understand they also make an 800W version of it, and having tried this one, I am frightened to think at the damage the 800W would cause, this one was sooooooo loud it shook the window panes of that store and the one on the opposite side of the road!!
Mark Bass have nailed the Tube vibe thing, the sound it gave when the knob called "Solid S / Tube" was turned fully to Tube, makes you hair stand on the back of your neck. There is no way in words to describe that experience but it's really is close to those 90's Mesa Boogie 400+ and if ever you have tried one, you will appreciate.
I really liked it through the 4x10 with the high freq horn, but the man in the store said if you plug it through a 2 x 10 at 4ohms it gives the full 500W otherwise on a 4 x 10 in 8 ohms its 300W. Go figure! I thought that was loud enough, can you image the 800W they do? Jezzzzzzuz!
So in conclusion, would I buy it? the answer is definately yes. But not just yet, I am enjoying my CMD102p combo which I've only just bought last year, and if there was a retrofit version of this head that could slide in the combo cabinet I would do it in a heart beat. I can't justify losing money selling the combo which I am loving and then having to spend more on finding a cab to go with the new head.
But if you are starting from scratch and need a super amp I would recommend you try one of these and see what pleasure it is to play it.
There are many other features I didn't mention but are worth knowing: if you are familiar with the mark bass control layout, aside the bass/low mid low/high low/high pots, you have 2 gain controls: Gain 1 and Gain 2, one for the 1/4 inch input and one for the balanced speakon type input, a phantom switch for the balanced input, a line out volume and the master volume, so there's a lot more to get accustomed with, but this amp could be carried to a gig in a small bag, without a cab and plugged straight into the mixing console if you really want to travel light, this is ideal.
Go try one, you'll love it.
Oh and Jack.... you can get your trademark cowpilot sound with this amp without needing flats, trust me.
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