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Markbass and Avatar

Steve K

Steve K

Supporting Member
Jun 20, 2007
223
150
Vancouver, BC
#1
Lately I've been thinking about purchasing a Markbass Little Mark II but I'm not quite sure which cab I should pair it with. I've been seriously considering Avatar cabs. So my question is which Avatar cabinet should I get? I can't decide between the Avatar B212 Neo and the B410 Neo. Which cab is better suited for the Markbass LMII ? I would mostly be using this rig for more rock oriented groups so I would need to easily cut through the mix. What other companies make good, relatively cheap cabinets that would work well for my situation?
 
#2
My current setup is the LMII with the Avatar B212. I think it sounds great. The 410 would probably be a touch louder but I haven't had a problem with volume on the 212. On our large/outdoor gigs I have PA support.

Tonewise I like the heavy mids of the LMII with the 212's. It sounds full and rich but still detailed and punchy. I like being able to get a somewhat old school tone and therefore tend to favor the 12's. I don't think either cab would sound bad though.

I was a little skeptical at first buying an Avatar cabinet, but I hadn't come across a single bad review so I went ahead and got one. The B212 is an excellent cabinet and the price is great too.
 
#4
My current setup is the LMII with the Avatar B212 and an Aguilar GS 210, but I have not gigged with it yet, only low volumes. Sounds good so far.

For gig on Saturday, I may run the 210 on the LMII and the 212 on a GK with an A/B footswitch from my bass to both heads.

Will keep you posted.
 
#8
I have not played my LMII through any 10's, I haven't owned any 10" cabs since I bought this head.

Before the Avatar I was playing through the Aguilar DB112 and GS112 and liked the LMII with the DB112 a lot but didn't want to spend another $400+ on a second DB112.

As far as the speakers being NEO... I was afraid that I might not get an old school sound, or that my sound would be too bright or harsh sounding but thats not the case at all.
 
#10
Last weekend another guy on the forum here (fenderhurtz) brought his Avatar 212 (with celestions) over and we ran my LMII through it. The amp/cab combo killed!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=465694


He had owned a Avatar 4X10 and did not like the sound through that cab, sold the LMII and then bought the 212.

We also compared it to my SWR cab's. It made them sound like they had blankets on top of them. To be fair, I have the horn disconnected in my cab. Just my taste. edit: (I forgot about that while we were doing the test or I would have hooked it up)

Overall it is a great speaker box, and I may be selling my SWR's to get an Avatar in the near furure.
 
#12
blmeier7 said:
I have not played my LMII through any 10's, I haven't owned any 10" cabs since I bought this head.

Before the Avatar I was playing through the Aguilar DB112 and GS112 and liked the LMII with the DB112 a lot but didn't want to spend another $400+ on a second DB112.

As far as the speakers being NEO... I was afraid that I might not get an old school sound, or that my sound would be too bright or harsh sounding but thats not the case at all.
Click to expand...

I'm looking at going down the 12" route and have heard great things about the Aggie GS112. Was it just cost that made you change to Avatar? How did you find the GS112? Demoing a lot of cabs in one place in the UK isn't the easiest thing to do (or possible sometimes), so personal recommendations are always welcome.
 
#13
I ran my LMII through an Avatar 410 Neo for a while. Here it is to the right of the kit:

l_d09b7ff4fd105b39632165e447e28b57.png


I didn't find them to be a great match. I could never dial in the high end the way I wanted it. It either sounded absent or harsh, depending on how I EQed. I had previously been running an EA iAmp 800, which sounded super-sweet through that cabinet, so I know it is capable.

Now I have a Berg AE410. It's very midrange-forward, but sounds much nicer all around with the LMII.
 
#17
Ezbass said:
I'm looking at going down the 12" route and have heard great things about the Aggie GS112. Was it just cost that made you change to Avatar? How did you find the GS112? Demoing a lot of cabs in one place in the UK isn't the easiest thing to do (or possible sometimes), so personal recommendations are always welcome.
Click to expand...

The GS112 is a good cabinet and I used it for several years mostly as a solo cab at home. After playing through other cabs the GS112 is not my first choice. It is very mid scooped. If you are playing acoustic bass or upright then it would be a great match. There are many EB players that like it but I think there are better 12" cabs out there for my style (ie. all types of rock, some country, funk).

It was not cost alone that caused me to give Avatar a try. I had been looking at the Epifani 410 and the Berg AE410 and decided to stay with 12's. The Avatar seemed like the best cab for the money. I thought that if I didn't like it I could keep it as a practice cab at our practice place and get something else later. I liked it enough to keep it and would buy another if something happened to it. I wouldn't mind having the Berg AE410 in addition to my 212, but at $1,100 it may be a while before I make that purchase.
 
#18
First practice with LMII and Avatar B212 Neo. Maybe the cab is still breaking in. I thought it seemed a little muddier and power hungry than the Aguilar 210 at comparable volume, but it was being played on a wooden stage. Not a bad cab, but I wouldnt mistake it for a Bergantino. Maybe I need to adjust my ears for the 12" vs the 10"s I have been using.

I am definitely considering bringing seperate heads for the 210 and 212 for this weekend's gig to get the max performance from each cab. Figure the LMII (gain on 1 O'clock) into the 210 and GK (clean setting) into the 212.
 

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