MarkBass -Am I the only one who dislikes?

[80'sRocker]

Why are these so highly rated? Most TBers seem to love them. I bought a MarkBass F1 head about 2+ years ago and I was not impressed. I tried it again and again (about 3 hours), different cabs (Mesa, Fender, Ampeg) etc. I sampled it through roughly 8 basses as well. I sold it, did nothing for me, even as backup head (my original intention). Simply put, it was lacking great tone - period. Have they improved since? Did I get a lemon? Ampeg/Mesa man at heart. Thanks

[JtheJazzMan]

Just the head? Leaving a markbass cab out of the equation is a pretty significant dent in your opinion is it not......?

[fenderhutz]

No. I didn't like the Little Mark II until I played it through the right cab. It just happened to be an Avatar 212. I couldn't stand the way it sounded through Markbass or GK cabs.

With that being said it still wasn't the sound I wanted and I sold it.

Edit: My current setup is Eden and I was a fan of Trace Elliot and GK before. Markbass just wasn't the bees knees for me, even though through an Avatar 212 it was a good sounding setup.

[6jase5]

I mainly use Ampeg. Some people don't like the sound at all and some of them use Markbass. When you find the sound that you like, that's the gear that is best for you. Different strokes for different folks. That wasn't your stroke.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

No. I didn't like the Little Mark II until I played it through the right cab. It just happened to be an Avatar 212. I couldn't stand the way it sounded through Markbass or GK cabs.

With that being said it still wasn't the sound I wanted and I sold it.

Edit: My current setup is Eden and I was a fan of Trace Elliot and GK before. Markbass just wasn't the bees knees for me, even though through an Avatar 212 it was a good sounding setup.

Wow, you came back from the dead.

[And I]

it's all subjective. i personally don't like ampegs, and i think GK is the bomb. when i listened to markbass stuff in the guitar center, i think it's all kinda flat and boring sounding... but i borrowed my friend's NY 151 cab for a gig one time and LOVED with with my gk head... all about the right combination for your own personal tastes...

[Doug Parent]

I feel that way about Genz Benz Shuttle. MarkBass F-1 has the density and thickness down low I like. What matters is that you KNOW what you like, because then you can find it. Screw public popularity polls. Everybody agrees with me on that and that's all that matters to me.

[My name is Mudd]

Cab-wise, I hadn't even considered Markbass until I went cab shopping a couple of weeks ago with my Trace Elliot AH130SM and came home with a Markbass Traveler 102P...that pairing gives me the EXACT tone I'd hoped to find. I plane on adding a second one in a few months (hopefully).

[plangentmusic]

Now I find Trace Elliots distort when pushed. GK's are thin and the higher strings of the bass always sound weak.

The MARK is pure, flat power -- but I like that. I can color with EQ, the guitar settings and my hands. I don't want the head to give a pre determined color or false EQ.

[BigOldHarry]

I have very mixed feelings about MB... I'll break them down based on my experiences/impressions...

PRO: The heads seem to sound pretty good with some warmth - and they appear to be a decent value.

CON:
Only sold at GC
Speakers sound awful to me.
UGLY!

So, unless I can get great deal on a used MB head (assuming I might need one), I'm not in the MB market. I think they are a bit of a "flavor of the week" thing - This too shall pass.

[Doug Parent]

MarkBass speaker cabs do nothing for me. Although the 406 is a cool little cab. MarkBass F-1 paired with Epifani or Bergantino sounds very passable.

[nostatic]

I have been *very* happy with my LMTube head, and it had a tough act to follow with my previous Ashdown AMB-500Evo (UK built - awesome head). The LMTube is actually one of the more subtle looking MB heads (a plus), it sounds great through my Berg cabs, is light, and wasn't stupid expensive.

But there is a reason that more than one brand exists in the world...and I haven't heard a MB cab that I liked so go figure.

[80'sRocker]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

I have very mixed feelings about MB... I'll break them down based on my experiences/impressions...

PRO: The heads seem to sound pretty good with some warmth - and they appear to be a decent value.

CON:
Only sold at GC
Speakers sound awful to me.
UGLY!

So, unless I can get great deal on a used MB head (assuming I might need one), I'm not in the MB market. I think they are a bit of a "flavor of the week" thing - This too shall pass.

I definately hear ya on all the cons, especially the GC thing :'(

[rdpbass]

I bought a MarkBass II on a Saturday gigged that night and took it back Sunday.
It didnt have the tone or the balls my other heads have. But it was light. and I try not
to even go in GC.

[R. Laevinus]

I kinda sorta like Markbass. It's pretty decent. I mean, if somebody gave me a rig I'd be happy to have it, but I'm not saving my pennies to go buy one, you know?

I think it's pretty darn good gear, to be honest - but I think it's waaaay overpriced. Their Traveler 102 is what, $800+ smackers? And Ampeg's 210AV is $300? What gives?

[B String]

Originally Posted by Doug Parent

MarkBass speaker cabs do nothing for me. Although the 406 is a cool little cab. MarkBass F-1 paired with Epifani or Bergantino sounds very passable.

I agree. The F1 with my Epi UL310 is great. Although, I haven't found many amps that don't work with that box. However, my Shuttle 9.0 sounds better with my Berg AE210 than my LMII. Don't have an F1 right now.

[leigh22]

I have never really liked them, usually someone in the shop pushes them on me after i have tried a few basses out with a Mesa Mpulse, SWR, or Ampeg rig, and i end up finding them really lifeless by comparison. "Everyone who comes in here LOVES THEM" they say, and i usually just don't get it.


However this weekend i plugged a particularly snappy sounding Skyline JO through a Little Mark head, into a 2x10 traveler Markbass cab... I was pretty impressed, very responsive, first time i have heard "the sound" they seem to be referring to. Do i think they are worth spending a good half hour in a shop dialing in? Yes, i do... Do i really, really want one after my experience this weekend? Nope, i still don't.

I think they are worth giving a chance, but so far they still don't provide the initial sound i am going after, with enough of something else to make me open my wallet. How ever Bang for the buck, Seems high enough... If i didn't have my Eden rig, and i wanted a Head, and 2x10 cab and NEEDED to save some dough, they do have that going for them.


Pros, and Cons, Pros, and Cons... They need to be weighed out by the individual.

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by 80'sRocker

Why are these so highly rated? Most TBers seem to love them. I bought a MarkBass head about 2+ years ago (I forget the model) and I was not impressed. I tried it again and again, different cabs (Mesa, Fender, Ampeg) etc. I sold it, did nothing for me, even as backup head (my original intention). Have they improved since? Did I get a lemon? Ampeg man at heart. Thanks

Expecting a Mark Bass to be an Ampeg may be at the heart of your problem. I play through an SVT/8x10 pretty regularly (but I don't own it), but my main rig is Bag End/Alembic. Like the Ampeg/Mark Bass divide, there is a similar one between the Ampeg and Bag End/Alembic. I don't expect the Ampeg to sound like my rig, or vice-versa, which I think is important to keep in mind.

[Kwesi]

Markbass is awesome. If you don't like it... well then you're clearly not as awesome as Markbass .

[Infidelity]

I don't like the LMII/LMIII even the tubes version and then I tried a F1 that changed everything..