Markbass Mini Cmd 121p

I love this little beast. It is so lightweight, has enough power to drive external speakers and the sound is stunning. It cuts through two guitars with ease, not to mention keyboards and loud drummers. I also have an Ampeg BA115 which I like a lot, but the Mark is half the weight and sounds better. It's probably not what you want if you play metal or shred or other extremely loud stuff...you should have an SVT for that, but I play jazz, reggae and Latin, no rap/hip hop or reggaeton, so it's perfect.

I tried a friends older Italian made CMD 121 P and it sounded good. I bought one on line and soon discovered the newer version was nothing like the older one as the speaker farted out and distorted at play at home level way below gig level. I contacted MarkBass service to see what they could do. They explained they do not have local service centers and I would have to ship my new amp to California for them to examine it and I would be responsible for shipping charges! The seller said they have a B&C speaker and I found out that that MarkBass now uses their own "Yellow Line" speaker which was in my terrible amp. I paid a lot of money to buy a better amp and as time went on I just hated it more. I sold it and took a huge financial hit. Very happy with my Genzler Magellen 800 and Fearless F112 Greenboy cab. I would strongly suggest buy an older used Italian one and not a new one.

This combo gets alot of love here on these forums, and for good reason.

Surprisingly loud for such a small package. I use this routinely for rehearsals from acoustic trios to jazz ensembles with horns to dual guitar rock outfits. I have even used it in performance situations when a larger rig was just not called for.

This amp has great tone shaping tools that help dial in to your instrument and the room. The four band eq is pretty handy on it's own but the VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulation) and VPF (Variable Pre-Shape Filter) help with honing in the high end and midrange as well. Something you really have to try yourself to appreciate.

Some have said that Markbass is sterile but I disagree wholeheartedly. This thing reflects the liveliness of your instrument very well.

The small size and light weight has it's obvious advantages in transport and loading in and out. With my bass in a gigbag strapped to my shoulder I can carry this in one hand and still have another hand free for a six pack of IPA for a single trip into the rehearsal space.

After about 4-5 years with mine, it sounds as good as new and is holding up cosmetically except for the rubber on the carry handle which is starting to crumble a bit. The handle still seems sturdy but I will likely look to replace it soon.

The price of admission for a new CMD 121p is high, the used prices are a bit more palatable. Considering the reliability and superb functionality, this amp is well worth the cost if you can swing it.