My Worthless review of my new Markbass gear

napawino · #1 01-10-2011, 03:10 PM

I'm just starting to learn to play, and I wanted to get some gear that could hang onto a while, and not have to upgrade in six months.

So I picked up a Markbass 104HR cab from a fellow local TB'er yesterday. It pretty light for a 4x10. Lighter than anything I've seen in my local browsing of music stores. Easy to carry and small for having 4 tens.

Today I used a gift certificate I got for Christmas and purchased a Markbass Little Mark Tube 800. I went in to buy the LMIII and decided on the 800 just because it had more power, and the gift cert, made the cash output not so painful.

I really had no idea what to expect when I got home and hooked them together. They didn't have my cab at the store, but they did have some other 4x10's I tried out. All I can say is WOW. Very impressive. It sounds so crisp and clear at every volume level. At normal room volume, its very full and what I would call "tight" for lack of a better word. I gave it some juice, and I really do think I could break things over at my neighbors house if I wanted to.

Being a noob, I don't have much of anything to compare this rig to, but I am very impressed with it. I'm playing my Fender CS Active Jazz, and I can get just about any of the bass tones I could possibly want or need. I've only begun to fiddle with the knobs, but I can tell it will be very versatile.

Like I said, it's a pretty worthless review, since I don't have anything to really compare it to from my experience. But this new guy is going to be having some fun with this gear.

JimmyM · #2 01-10-2011, 03:59 PM

hey man, have fun with it and practice your butt off!

rodl2005 · #3 01-10-2011, 04:00 PM

Cool to hear- so def. not worthless. I'm assuming your 410 cab is 8 ohms - so I imagine you'd be able to break object at the neighbors over the next block if ya add another 410 for max power of your amp!!! :-)

Congrats on your new gear!! & what IMO would be all the rig you'd ever need !!

napawino · #4 01-10-2011, 04:15 PM

The cab is 8 ohms. I'm like a kid on Christmas morning, with my new bass gear.

Don't laugh at my pink towel. My cat already thinks the top of the cab is her spot. The towel will keep the hair from getting on the whatever you call that carpet like stuff on the cab.

Mirios · #5 01-10-2011, 04:33 PM

Wish i would have put a towell on my Eden Head but i didn't think my cat would sleep on it. Almost like i forgot she was a cat or something.....

But sweet rig and enjoy

p.s. the towell looks white on my comp.

napawino · #6 01-10-2011, 04:39 PM

I'm not sure what exactly the two knobs on the right are, but they do change the tone nicely. VLE and VPF?

Cats seem to KNOW whatever their hair will stick to best.....

dalkowski · #7 01-10-2011, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napawino

whatever you call that carpet like stuff on the cab.

Rat Fur®.

Mirios · #8 01-10-2011, 05:00 PM

I don't own markbass but have played a friends rig. If i remember the VLE is a vintage loudspeaker emulator as they market it. Think it's used to roll out the treble. The VPF i can't remember what it stands for but i think it scoops out the mids and gives more bass and treble in the fore front. Many people EQ like that for some slappage. I would assume it functions similar to my Eden's "Enhance" Knob.

Yes cats know....they just know. So cute yet....so Evil

Zaq · #9 01-10-2011, 05:22 PM

Nice! Thats the exact setup Im wanting to go with.
I played the Tube 800 on a markbass 102 the other day at guitar center and loved it so I cant imagine what its like with the 4x10.
Now if only I can find a damn job around here and get this stuff!
Im sick of my Peavy 115!

JimmyM · #10 01-10-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napawino

I'm not sure what exactly the two knobs on the right are, but they do change the tone nicely. VLE and VPF?

Cats seem to KNOW whatever their hair will stick to best.....

vle cuts off treble frequencies gradually as you turn it. good for distorted or fat tones without highs. vpf is a mid scooping knob, which some people like but i have no use for.

napawino · #11 01-10-2011, 05:41 PM

Like I said, I don't have much to compare it to, but I know good sound when I hear it. I play all of my music though vintage audio gear, vinyl, etc. Stuff from the good old days.

This is good sound.

BurningSkies · #12 01-10-2011, 06:00 PM

Start by turning both your VLE and the VPF all the way counter clockwise (the 6 or 7 o'clock position). That equals OFF for them. From there, try them out very SPARINGLY. A little goes a LONG way on those filters.

With them in the noon position, you're hamstringing your amp by scooping most of the mids and boosting your extreme highs and lows...then rolling off most of the highs and the rest of the lows (with the VLE).

lomo · #13 01-10-2011, 06:05 PM

You may be new to bass, but it looks like you've been bitten by the low end bug. Enjoy!

napawino · #14 01-10-2011, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dalkowski

Rat Fur®.

Is that really what it's called?

It seems super durable, but it does pick up hair, lint, etc.

JimmyM · #15 01-10-2011, 06:42 PM

it's really called ozite, but the name rat fur has stuck over the years.

Illinimax · #16 01-10-2011, 06:58 PM

Sweet rig! Looks like the VLE and VPF are turned up quite a bit. Counter-clockwise turns those off. Have fun with your new rig!

Illinimax · #17 01-10-2011, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Start by turning both your VLE and the VPF all the way counter clockwise (the 6 or 7 o'clock position). That equals OFF for them. From there, try them out very SPARINGLY. A little goes a LONG way on those filters.

With them in the noon position, you're hamstringing your amp by scooping most of the mids and boosting your extreme highs and lows...then rolling off most of the highs and the rest of the lows (with the VLE).

Oops, sorry for the repeat info

napawino · #18 01-10-2011, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illinimax

Sweet rig! Looks like the VLE and VPF are turned up quite a bit. Counter-clockwise turns those off. Have fun with your new rig!

I now have them turned way down. There are so many tweaks available to me, with the amp controls, and the controls on my Active Jazz, its kind of mind boggling.

brotherbassj · #19 01-10-2011, 07:14 PM

I have to say this............for someone that is just started playing bass, I assure you that you are starting with a higher quality of gear than I am pretty sure 97% of us had to work up to owning! So you already have tone tools we dreamed of in our early years (i'm 40 SMILE). That's about 10 steps ahead of the game............plus you have started up on the mid range of the scale so there will maybe be less transitioning(between gear)? Haha

PS-enjoy your new gear, practice hard and welcome to a wealth of information........talkbass!

napawino · #20 01-10-2011, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brotherbassj

I have to say this............for someone that is just started playing bass, I assure you that you are starting with a higher quality of gear than I am pretty sure 97% of us had to work up to owning! So you already have tone tools we dreamed of in our early years (i'm 40 SMILE). That's about 10 steps ahead of the game............plus you have started up on the mid range of the scale so there will maybe be less transitioning(between gear)? Haha

PS-enjoy your new gear, practice hard and welcome to a wealth of information........talkbass!

Its one of the percs of being both retired and divorced at 56. So I need something to do with my spare time.

This is definitely a great forum.