Markbass Indecision

Moe Vargas · #1 10-25-2012, 10:21 AM

I can't decide which of the following stacks will work best for me:

Little Mark III with:

1. Traveler 2 x10" 10p cab

2. New York 604 cab

3. New York 151 cab

or simply get the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin combo.

I only have $1,350.00 to spend & I play at small clubs (jazz, rock, reggae, latin, etc..)

any suggestion?

rpsands · #2 10-25-2012, 10:23 AM

I can't endorse any of the Markbass cabinets. Never liked a single one of them more than half the dollars in GK cabs.

**MostlyBass** · #3 10-25-2012, 10:25 AM

I LOVE my Jeff Berlin combo...I bought it last year... hadn't played through it in a while so I listed it for sale....then did a gig with it last week and removed the for sale ad... That amp rocks... I just played a large gig with it and didn't need more stage speakers.

KJung · #4 10-25-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moe Vargas

I can't decide which of the following stacks will work best for me:

Little Mark III with:

1. Traveler 2 x10" 10p cab

2. New York 604 cab

3. New York 151 cab

or simply get the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin combo.

I only have $1,350.00 to spend & I play at small clubs (jazz, rock, reggae, latin, etc..)

any suggestion?

While not a fan of a lot of the Markbass cabs (hate those little piezo tweeters in some models.... I'd avoid those), that Jeff Berlin combo is KILLER sounding IMO. Great 115 cab, and a great match to the LMIII. If you don't need the extended top end of a tweeter, that IMO is a very good option.

I would personally avoid the 'P' piezo loaded cabs. Those tweeters tend to blow after a while, and are pretty much only good for the very top of the upper treble sizzle IME.

**CL400Peavey** · #5 10-25-2012, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpsands

I can't endorse any of the Markbass cabinets. Never liked a single one of them more than half the dollars in GK cabs.

+1

I never met a markbass cab that sounded good to me.

rpsands · #6 10-25-2012, 10:44 AM

For budget small gigging I can't recommend the MBE Gallien Krueger cabs too highly. Nothing compares price to performance. They have some potential issues with bracing/batting but so do most commercial cabs. They sound OK as is and are super cheap and light.

The 2x12 and the 4x10 are the sweet spots, IMHO.

Moe Vargas · #7 10-25-2012, 10:50 AM

any other lightweight cabs besides markbass?

**Freddels** · #8 10-25-2012, 12:04 PM

I like the Berlin combo. If you want to get that with more versatility, get the LMKIII and the NY151. Even though the NY151 has a tweeter, you can turn it off. But I'd choose one of those two options (Berlin combo or the head and NY151 cab).

electracoyote · #9 10-25-2012, 12:06 PM

3. New York 151 cab

or simply get the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin combo.

mam1862 · #10 10-25-2012, 01:03 PM

I use a pair of the NY 604 cabs and I think they sound great. In small clubs I use one without pa support. For larger gigs I use both with pa support. I think the low end is big and full sounding and the mids cut thru nicely. I mostly use a GB Streamliner 900 as my main amp. At 18" square they are great sounding and very well built cabs.

Russell L · #11 10-25-2012, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddels

I like the Berlin combo. If you want to get that with more versatility, get the LMKIII and the NY151. Even though the NY151 has a tweeter, you can turn it off. But I'd choose one of those two options (Berlin combo or the head and NY151 cab).

+1.

There is also the Traveler 151P cab. That's what I gig with for now, and a LMIII head. I don't worry about the tweet.

Nothing wrong with Markbass cabs, IMO.

Biggbass · #12 10-25-2012, 01:11 PM

I play thru a LM3 with a 102P regularly. Gigged with that rig last night. Love it.
When I need more I add a 151P to it, which is more than enough.

TheGrateOz · #13 10-25-2012, 01:47 PM

I have been dealing with the same concern lately. I first looked at the Markbass 2x10 cabinets - very light, but as soon as you push them a bit they seem to "fart out" - hard to describe. I would think they would be OK for a very small club though.

Their heads didn't have the greatest tone IMHO either.

Ended up going with a GK 1001RB and NEO 4x10 cab.

I love the GK stuff because of how versatile the tones it can produce are.

**Freddels** · #14 10-25-2012, 02:05 PM

The smaller Markbass cabs aren't my favorites, but the larger ones, I think, sound very good. The smaller 210 traveler is really too small. The 102HF is much better. The 104HF is great. I like the 15's too.

ksandvik · #15 10-25-2012, 02:08 PM

I would go with any of the new GK MBE Neo cabs. Affordable, light-weight, sound good.

Jeff Scott · #16 10-25-2012, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moe Vargas

I can't decide which of the following stacks will work best for me:

Little Mark III with:

1. Traveler 2 x10" 10p cab

2. New York 604 cab

3. New York 151 cab

or simply get the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin combo.

I only have $1,350.00 to spend & I play at small clubs (jazz, rock, reggae, latin, etc..)

any suggestion?

Given your choices I would go with a 604.

Jeff Scott · #17 10-25-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

I would personally avoid the 'P' piezo loaded cabs. Those tweeters tend to blow after a while, and are pretty much only good for the very top of the upper treble sizzle IME.

The cabs sound much better once the ear bleeder device is taken out (blown).

hazmatt · #18 10-25-2012, 06:46 PM

i've used both a GK mbe15 and a markbass nyc121 cab with ampeg & mb heads, playing similar styles of music as you mention, and the mb cab sounds better to me. my recommendation to you depends on portability concerns. if you don't mind the bulkier and heavier 15 cab, i'd go with that, but if you mostly play smaller venues, it might be nice to get a smaller sized cab now (2x10, 1x12, can't speak about 604 from experience) with the idea of buying another comparable sized cab at a later time for venue appropriate modularity. i also don't like the piezo horns on the 'cheaper' markbass models, but the cabs should give you an attenuator, so my piezo is always off. my cmd121p combo doesn't have the attenuator (only negative mark in my book), and i'd check on the 151 combo if that matters to you...

Moe Vargas · #19 11-30-2012, 01:00 PM

I got the little mark III with a new york 604 cab, and I love the sound that comes out of these little monsters. I think it was the best choice.

Rockin Mike · #20 11-30-2012, 01:30 PM

I like the traveler 102p 2x10 cab. My priorities were very small and very lightweight. They sound really great to me too. At 400 watts they're OK for rehearsal or a small quiet club. Like any other speaker they don't fart out unless you overpower them or run too much gain into your amp.
A pair of them stacked vertically sounds much fuller and more present than a single.

Gallien-Krueger 210 MBE-II is 14.5" x 19" x 23"
Markbass Traveler 102P is 13" x 17" x 23.4"
both are rated 400w, both are listed at 33 lbs.
G-K has an on-off switch for the tweeter,
Markbass has a knob you can dial in just the right amount or none at all.

The Markbass is significantly smaller,
the G-K is about half the price (wow)
and if it sounds as good or better it would be a winner.

Does it sound better? I dunno I never played through one.
As with everything else personal preference is the way to go. Try them both and see what you like.

If possible play them with your band. What things sound like in the mix is not the same as what you hear in the music store or practicing alone.