Why is the Little Mark II so popular?

crow01 · #1 09-22-2010, 05:44 PM

I sold this amp this week.

Most that I see on classifieds is Little Mark II for sale.

A lot of people must have bought this for a reason and don't want it anymore.

I bought it because of size. Didn't see anything wrong about the amp that made me sell it. Just needed the $

What's your excuse?

jasper383 · #2 09-22-2010, 05:49 PM

Lightweight, reliable, easy to get a good, workable sound. Surprisingly loud, especially into 4ohms.

Lots of them in the classifieds because bass players are fickle gear sluts, and have moved onto the next big thing.

MichaelVee · #3 09-22-2010, 05:52 PM

Good point. LMII's were big several years ago, like Shuttle 6.0s were at the time. More bigger better lighter louder keeps happening.

rodl2005 · #4 09-22-2010, 06:28 PM

I've still got my LMII & still think it's as good as when I got it.
Tho I did recently grab a 2nd hand Mesa Walkabout scout 12" combo, & while not AS light -or as powerful- has more of an 'old-school'vibe I like, so the LMII hasn't seen much use lately. I'd always wanted a WA scout & after a cuppla yrs of looking I found what I wanted at a good $$

My LMII is ALWAYS in my van to take to gigs- as it's so small , good sounding & powerful, I KNOW I've got a GREAT back up if I EVER need.

But yes most of us ARE indeed fickle & will sell up & buy the 'next new thing'

I think the LMII is totally as good as the LMIII just hasn't got the mute & pre/post DI option- but I changed MY DI to pre a yr or two ago.. & mute doesn't worry me- so a LMIII is superfluous to MY needs.

pasta4lnch · #5 09-22-2010, 06:39 PM

it sounds good, it's reliable, it's small and it is reasonably priced! Love mine!!

JimmyM · #6 09-22-2010, 06:41 PM

i liked the lmii i had a lot. i only sold it because i liked the vt pedal better for my small rig preamp and i got my tube amps repaired so the lmii was a little too expensive of a backup power amp.

::::BASSIST:::: · #7 09-22-2010, 06:47 PM

I go thru a lot of gear, but I still have my LMII after 3 years. That says it all right there. I do like trying out other amps, but for one reason or another I end up going back to the LMII. I really like it with my VT Bass. Not saying I wont try out other amps, but I will not sell my LMII.

steamthief · #8 09-22-2010, 06:48 PM

I'd say a large part of the popularity is due to excellent distribution and display space throughout the Guitar Center chain.

Sartori · #9 09-22-2010, 06:49 PM

It's so popular because it's light, loud enough for a lot of people, and sounds good.

Too expensive for me, though.

Tony G · #10 09-22-2010, 06:52 PM

I loved the LMII, but ultimately preferred the sound and slightly better portability of the F1, so I sold my LMII.

StuFordBass · #11 09-22-2010, 06:53 PM

Who doesn't love the yellow/black color scheme?

I do enjoy them as amps though. I never got into the VLE or VPF but you can get a great sound either way, with lots of power.

blues.bass · #12 09-22-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sartori

It's so popular because it's light, loud enough for a lot of people, and sounds good.

+1 on this.
What else is there to know...?

**nutdog** · #13 09-22-2010, 07:11 PM

My 20+ pound trace head fried. Discovered the new world of lightweight powerful heads and decided on the LMII. Loved it. Bandmates were amazed (as was I). Had two heavy cabs. Wasn't playing loud gigs so I thought I would boil it all down to a lightweight combo. Sold the rig including head.

Saw a NV215 on craigslist nearby. Called. Asked what he powered it with. Also had a TF550 for sale. Tried it. Had to have it. So much for small combo. Unless I'm going broke I don't ever see selling the TF or Berg.

I do use a 1x12 cab with the thunderfunk for most gigs and practice. I was never happy with this cab prior to using it with the TF. I actually had two. Sold one. Wish I had it back. The TF sounds fantastic with very little EQ no matter what cab I use. Usually just takes a tweak on the timbre knob. I had to fiddle a lot more with the LMII. Makes it worth the weight (12 more lbs), along with being made in the USA and a good rep for service.

Can you tell I like the TF? I really, really like the TF. Instant tone with no fuss.

Oh yeah, this is supposed to be about LMII's. I liked it, too. Glad I sold it.

PDGood · #14 09-22-2010, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nutdog

My 20+ pound trace head fried. Discovered the new world of lightweight powerful heads and decided on the LMII. Loved it.

This sounds like my story. My Acoustic 370 head fried after 35 years of faithful service so I started looking at what was available and was shocked at how much lighter and cleaner amps had become. Lots of power in a tiny box.

The LittleMark really stands out to me for these reasons and because it can get anything from warm to deep and clear. That pretty much covers all the possibilities as far as my needs go.

The reason you see the LMII available a lot is because (A) there are lots of them out there and (B) the LMIII is now available and people like to trade up to the latest greatest thing.

Corey Y · #15 09-22-2010, 09:24 PM

I bought mine because I wanted something easier on my back for lugging to and from band practice that could keep up with the volume of my Sound City B120. I go back and forth, there are some thing the LMII beats the pants off my tube amp for, some areas it falls short, but it's definitely workable tone wise and the volume versus the size and weight is great.

I do agree, when any brand/model becomes a trend, fad, flavor of the the month/year/whatever there's bound to be a lot of used units around no matter how good it is. There's no accounting for taste and whatever amp boasts the most cutting edge of any feature is going to be outdone and some people will move on to the next big thing.

rodl2005 · #16 09-23-2010, 12:49 AM

BTW the LMII sounds GREAT thru the Berg NV215!!!! then again - so does the MESA Walkabout, & the YBA200 & the SVTII -p'raps all amps sound great thru this cab.....???

KJung · #17 09-23-2010, 06:11 AM

Still have mine, although I primarily use the F500 now. Amazing head, and of the thousands sold, the used sale rate seems relatively low, especially given that the new LMIII has been introduced.

Revolutionary head IMO, regarding quality and tone at that price point (especially when it was first introduced quite a few years ago... maybe 4 now?). And a unique execution of a 'traditional' class A/B power amp with a switch mode power supply.

Industry changing classic IMO.

jnewmark · #18 09-23-2010, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony G

I loved the LMII, but ultimately preferred the sound and slightly better portability of the F1, so I sold my LMII.

Same here. I sometimes use the F1 as a preamp only into a Crown power amp and it sounds great. I have it racked along with a BBE 383 preamp and an XLS Drivcore power amp. Best of both worlds, imho. I owned the LMII, but did'nt really like the tone, sold it, and tried the F1.

Doug Parent · #19 09-23-2010, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Same here. I sometimes use the F1 as a preamp only into a Crown power amp and it sounds great. I have it racked along with a BBE 383 preamp and an XLS Drivcore power amp. Best of both worlds, imho. I owned the LMII, but did'nt really like the tone, sold it, and tried the F1.

I use my F1 occasionally the same way. Do you get adequate gain from the DI to drive the Crown in all cases?

jnewmark · #20 09-23-2010, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Parent

I use my F1 occasionally the same way. Do you get adequate gain from the DI to drive the Crown in all cases?

I was going out the Send, not the DI. That loses the Master volume, but I did not notice any lack of gain, in fact, I had the gain usually where I have it using the head alone. But, cranking the power amp really gets it going !