MarkBass Whats all the fuss?

[jar546]

have been "hearing" and "seeing" information about how great the MarkBass stuff is. I know it is lighter and smaller but what is all the fuss? What about tone, quality, durability, etc.?

What type of genre is best for the MarkBass stuff?

I don't want to hear about other stuff but preferably from those who have and use MarkBass. How did it compare to what you were using? I would love to have some of these questions answered.

 

[kayneex]

Just get up, get out n go try...

 

[jar546]

I don't feel like driving 5 hours just to try one out since MB boned the US by giving GC the exclusive to this. This is why I am posting this thread.....to get info before I decide to drive that far.

 

[TSanders]

If youre considering buying, why not go ahead and call the closest GC. Theyll ship to you and you have 30 days to see "what all the fuss" is, or isnt about.

 

[kerrsedbass]

They really are nice amps. Well priced and PERFECTLY voiced for our EB stuff. I remember the first time (and only time ) that I played a Markbass, I went all out and tried an SD800 into their 6x10. Of course I played through a Bongo, and all I can say is that the sound that rocked the foundation of GC was downright AMAZING. I have played around on alot of stuff from cheap to top of the line stuff. It is most easily described as being in the realm of GK and Epifani. The reason I lump these amps together is because they all seem to have the same mission statement of producing an amp that can cover classic tube warmth to zingy hi-fi.

As for me, I like combos and 12s, and unfortunately Markbass doesn't have a 2x12 combo, so I will most likely end up with a GK rig.

 

[Psycho Ward]

I don't see it as MB "boned" the US, they are not a huge company and the GC was a business choice to get their products in the US market. BP played a big role in this deal and as mentioned any GC can order you one, that's how I got mine.

I would say the fuss is about the way they sound, they sound great! The power, light weight, and small size is an added plus. They can sound warm and punch your lights out. Words just can't explain it, you have to hear it.

 

[syciprider]

I want an MB610 to go with my SVT.

This combi should be fatal to small animals up to 15 lbs within a 2 mile radius.

 

[RitchieDarling]

They are by far the best amps I have played through in the last 35 years!

I've used stacks of them.

Kustom, Peavey, Eden, GK, Trace Elliot, Fender, Tube Works (Whatever happened to those guys?), Ampeg......etc......etc........

BP raved about MarkBass. And I wondered what all the fuss was about as well.....

Went to NAMM and was told they only had a couple items available in the US, and they only sold to GC.

I have to admit I wondered why they bothered to show up!

Then I heard Jeff Berlin playing through one, and thought I had better give them another chance.

Stopped at GC one night, not intending to buy anything.

Saw the CMD 102P. Plugged in a Sterling HH. And never played my Ampeg SVT again!

Simply put? They are great! Thanks BP and Marco!

Ritchie

P.S. Plus, it matches my car!

 

[MrMusashi]

you drive an alfa romeo?

MrM

 

[mani]

I have a SA450, which is essentially a LMII with semi-para mids and in a normal 2RU box. I run it through an SVT610AV. Forgetting about the weight, they are a good sounding amp and I agree that the voicing sits very well with Stingray basses. I don't think it's my 100% ideal tone, but compared to my 8RU Demeter/Crown rig that weights 10 times as much I almost always go for the MarkBass, and it cuts very well. I have never heard myself so well.

 

[oddjob]

I have the CMD102P and the Traveler 102P extension - great stuff here. Honestly, I like my GK setup better - it is just more me. HOWEVER, the MB rig is lighter and a ton less$ and has some killer sounds the GK can't touch (and it really cuts through the mix with EBMM gear). You can ask here all you want but until you actually hear it with your ears/judgement you are just guessing. IMO, MB gear is suited for everything but again the tone has to be "you." There is a ton of new and old stuff out there. The new Trace stuff is cool, Ampeg is, well, it is Ampeg, EA has some cool stuff, and the list goes on and on. If you want to seriously invest in higher end gear you owe it to yourself to try out as much as possible - then pick what you like (I picked GK AND MB )

 

[jar546]

I really want to try out the CMD102P so I may have to take a drive down to the Philly area to test one out. I am stuck between the CMD102P and the LMII with another brands 410 to be determined. I am thinking the CMD102P just might be plenty but I am worried that a 210 may not be enough for my 5 string EB MM SR5HH. I see that MB has another combo that is a 3x10 specifically for 5 strings.

Thoughts?

 

[AnthonyD]

I have a LMII and absolutely love it...

Tonally it's very 'pure' - I play it completely flat and my Bongo sounds great.

It is very versatile - I use a bit of the VLE and VPF filters to dial-in my preferred sound and these filters are generally all you'll need for a wide variety of tone shaping.

Something like 6 pounds and 500 watts at 4ohms is an intoxicating combination. And we're talking 500 good, clean watts. It's a marvel of modern engineering!

 

[Aussie Mark]

I was a died-in-the-wool boutique preamp + heavy, high output power amp nazi, and after buying a Markbass LMII head (and an Acoustic Image Focus 1 head, both under 7 lbs) I sold my Demeter (great preamp) and highly regarded Yamaha power amp. Really transparent tone, easy to tweak if you are so inclined, using the tone shaping controls and EQ, light weight, reliable.

 

[DTG]

just pick from the words that have been used here like "pure,tone ,clear,light...."
they are pretty amazing amps,wipe the floor with my swr rig.i went for the 4 ohm front ported 4 x10 and i am so glad.

I play a gig last night,its was a very old crowd who really did not want a loud band so we tippy toed around.now normally i would use my LMII head and a swr 1 x15 but i had my 4x10 with me from the night before so i used it.Again it was great,so it works well al high volume as well as low,its just that whole pure tone thing.

In one of the songs we do i have to paly a bit of slap,and in a few songs i play very high on the fret board,and both times it sounded better than any other amp i have used.

i am now going to buy the 2x10 for small gigs and sell the swr rig.

Customer support is also a major factor here,and Mark bass have been great Peter Murray and Riccardo are very quick at getting back to you.

 

[tombboy]

I was a believer that 'bigger was better' (ooer missus!) having owned huge Trace and Ampeg rigs. I, like you will do eventually, was sold on MB by comments on this forum and bought the set up below. The other rigs were out the door. By FAR the best bass rig I have ever owned... period. As someone mentioned above... perfectly suited to EBMM too.

 

[cij]

MarkBass LMII

Hello all
Just joined up on this forum while surfing around.
Well as far as the MarkBass equipment goes, I'm using a Lil Mark II head with 2 Lopo Line cabinets. One that is 18"H X 18" Wx 14"D with an Emenince KappaLite 3015LF 15" speaker [weight 38 lbs] and a 15" H X 17 W X 11" D cabinet with an Emenince Delta Pro A 12" speaker[weight 36 lbs]. The 2 cabinets with the MarkBass sound good to me and are super light and easy to move by yourself, especially at 3 am.
I run the amp tones flat [at 12 o'clock] and use the VLE & the VPF to shape my tone, [ from that Ol School Motown sound to a more modern tone], along with the tone controls on my bass, [usually set flat] which is usually a Warwick Bleached Blonde 4 String Thumb Bass.
I guess you could call the MarkBass the poor mans Walter Woods.
Easy to use and easy on the Ol' Back !!

 

[oddjob]

I really want to try out the CMD102P so I may have to take a drive down to the Philly area to test one out. I am stuck between the CMD102P and the LMII with another brands 410 to be determined. I am thinking the CMD102P just might be plenty but I am worried that a 210 may not be enough for my 5 string EB MM SR5HH. I see that MB has another combo that is a 3x10 specifically for 5 strings.

Thoughts?

2x10 by itself seems a bit thin to me and didn't really like my low D (tuned down 1/2 step on top of that) - it can handle it, just didn't seem "right" - add the 2x10 traveler and all is right with the world and it truly thumps

 

[Rano Bass]

Light weight, clean pure sound, relatively cheap, powerful, small, etc. What's not to like about Markbass?
I was a GK fan for years (6 or 7) and from the first time i played a Markbass i was sold with the sound.
The light weight is just a plus.

 

[SharonG]

LMII and single 15 w/ a horn. I run it almost flat w/ the Bongo - everything is clean - from big fat bottom end to crisp highs. And I can lift it!!!