GK MB vs Markbass LM

[ExurKun]

Hey guys,

I'm looking to venture into the world of micro heads, and these both seem to have about the right amount of watts and price point (300-400 usd)..Now I'm not gonna ask a vague "which one of these is the best" question, but I'm wondering how you guys would identify the pros and cons of each of these, tonal characteristics, response, reliability, or anything else that comes to mind. I play a fender jazz with active pickups if that matters. And for those who say try em out, my local stores dont carry em haha.

Cheers!

[AMJBASS]

Well there is a ton of info on both amps here on the TB forums. Do a search and you will find a lot of info. Basically though, the GK will have a lot of low end, and top end. It tends to have a scooped upper mid range sound with a very bright high end. The Markbass is very flat sounding. It is still deep sounding, but doesnt have the same boosted low end the GK will have. Honestly, you need to play them both to see which you prefer. I like them both. I personally find it easier to get a sound with the Markbass on a gig, but YMMV.

[craig.p]

The GK gear has a smiley-face EQ only at its nominal flat tone settings. You can set the tone controls to get a reasonably flat response.

GK bass controls run at 60 Hz. In my book, this is ideal. MB bass controls run at 40, which IMO is too low. But check the specific model you're looking at -- it may be different. (And you may be able to get around it with "intelligent cutting," with a view toward the center frequencies of the other tone controls.)

Even at low volumes the GK gear has a grunt that's almost impossible to get away from. I love it, but you might not.

Also compare warranties. I really don't know what they are. They might even be the same. But go through the exercise. Warranty length reflects the manufacturer's assessment of the product's long-term reliability, and it's 100% statistics/probability-based. (In other words, not just smoke.)

[Russell L]

Sorry, I haven't tried the GK. But, for the LMIII I can say it is amazing, tone-wise. I have gotten the best results in a mix with the amp set flat, or almost flat. The VPF filter creates a smily face eq, and the more you turn it up, the deeper the grin gets. The VLE filter just cuts the highs. Or, you can just use the four eq knobs. They will alter the eq at different frequencies than the filters. Altogether, it makes for an infinite number of eqs. I usually run mine with the VLE at around noon to 2:00, the VPF at about 9:00 and the upper mids rolled off enough to cut out some clacking from my fingernails. Lately I 've tried boosting the lows, but usually end up turning it back to noon. I like that the amp doesn't have any more controls than it does. Great sounding head, I must say.

[Jerry Ziarko]

I've owned both, but let me start by saying, I've been a GK fan (and it's inherent tone) since the mid 80's. While I really liked the LMII, the one thing I could never get my head around was it's politeness. Very clean, almost reference type tone is how I would describe it. If that is what you are after, the LMII is a match made in heaven. It has plenty of punch and headroom, and plenty of flexibility in the eq section. I would agree that the 40hz bass shelf is a tad low, but many find that very desirable. In the end, it never made go wow when I heard it. The MB500, from the first time I plugged it in, set it flat, and gave it some boost, made me go ah, that's more like it.
Either way, the mkt price for a used one here on TB is really good. If you buy one or the other for a good price, and decide it's not "the one," you could always flip it, and grab the other when it comes along.

By the way, Rochester MI or NY?