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Another Genz Benz VS Markbass Q. Say it ain't so!

Gordon of Eden

Gordon of Eden

Jun 3, 2008
303
16
Portland OR
#1
Sorry guys, I know it's been done to death but I am on the verge of getting either the shuttle 6.0, LM2 or the F1. I use Eden XLT cabs (big surprise) both the 112 and or the 210. I have a traveller 400 head that I love and the new head would actually be my back-up (maybe:D). So I guess the eternal question for all you who are experienced with these heads is what do Y'all think? I have tried all 3 and really loved them so I am just looking for some opinions regarding tone, versatility and reliability etc. Thank you in advance for your patience and informative answers.
P.S. would you believe that my username actually has nothing to do with my amplification or my actual name?
 
#2
If you love the Eden head, I think an F1 or Shuttle would be more to your liking. They're more traditional sounding SS and hybrid designs. The LMII is more for people who like warm round tubey sounds, IMHO. It's my favorite out of all of them, but you didn't ask that. You asked about something comparable to the Eden, which you love.
 
#3
LMII Pros

Louder than Shuttle
Clean, clean, clean
Bass-ier set flat
Warmer set flat
love the VLE

Shuttle Pros

Better DI
Parametric eq
tube grind if you like it
approx 2LBS lighter
Has mute switch
love the detents on the knobs

Conclusions:
Tonaly I prefer the shuttle WHEN eq'd to my fav settings. Both amps flat, the LMII is much fuller and warmer, but when the shuttle is properly eq'd it really is a beautiful tone. However, to get that tone you have to eq it quite a bit which eats up the headroom and therefore reduces its overall volume. You CAN set it louder, but it wont sound as good IMO. The LMII is definitely louder. People can argue with me on that point, but I know from experience that LMII is signifantly louder. So IMVHO the shuttle has better features and with proper eq'ing sounds better. The LMII is louder and much cleaner.

I own both these amps and I am planning on getting the best of both worlds by using the shuttle as the pre and LMII as the poweramp (though I wont be able to bypass the pre section of the LMII. Its pretty flat anyway.)

Which amp is better? Thats purely subjective... I love both.
 
#7
Gordon of Eden said:
Sorry guys, I know it's been done to death but I am on the verge of getting either the shuttle 6.0, LM2 or the F1. I use Eden XLT cabs (big surprise) both the 112 and or the 210. I have a traveller 400 head that I love and the new head would actually be my back-up (maybe:D). So I guess the eternal question for all you who are experienced with these heads is what do Y'all think? I have tried all 3 and really loved them so I am just looking for some opinions regarding tone, versatility and reliability etc. Thank you in advance for your patience and informative answers.
P.S. would you believe that my username actually has nothing to do with my amplification or my actual name?
Click to expand...

I was looking at the same exact choices and I'm getting a Thunderfunk 550A as well as a Carver/Clair Brothers Amplifier and a Radial BASSBONE... to replace my Walter Woods and I'll have 2+ setups! At way less $$$ :hyper:
 
#8
For my gig this last weekend I matched up my Shuttle with my 8 ohm Eden 410XLT and all I have to say OMG! EQed and set up with a dash of tube grind this rig is a monster! My sound guy was astonished! He couldn't believe it! And mind you, I was using an 8 ohm cab, so I was only using about 375 watts (According to Genz Benz), and still I was asked to turn down! I didn't even hit noon on my master. I got some nice "ping" action when I wanted it and nice round and warm tone when I backed off my attack. This is now my "go to rig" until I get my second Genz Benz Neo 1x12

As for Mark Bass I tried out there stuff and other than the wight I was not all that impressed. I could see how some people could dig it, but it was just not my sound.
 
#9
Coming from Eden, the Shuttle is a logical move. You get that hybrid tone you are used to with the tube front end and a semi-parametric EQ. It's also a big step up from Eden IMO because you also get excellent customer support and a company that is releasing new and exciting products which are more in keeping with today's technology. There no telling what the wtx500 will act like when it gets here. Although some like the wtx260, most non-Edenites see it is a very disappointing unit, if not a complete failure. I'd be leary of the wtx500 until it's released and enough people have tried them to get an opinion. I'm hoping it's a great product, but the wtx260's performance makes me scared to gamble on it.

Also, by the time the wtx500 comes out, there will be new products getting ready for release by Genz and Markbass. It has been seeded here by the Genz Benz guys themselves that there is a 3rd generation lightweight product that they will release at the January 09 NAMM. This product was originally slated for release this year, but was held off because of the Shuttle success. That could all be changing though. Both companies have had Neodymium products in the market for quite some time. That market experience means quite a bit IMO.
 
#11
Gordon of Eden said:
I have tried the WTX260 and absolutely loved the tone and features but you are correct in that it is a failure as a product as it cannot compete volume/performance-wise or price/value as compared to the other brands.
Click to expand...
You see, I don't mind the power rating of the 260 so much as they way it bites the dust when it runs out of power. I guess they didn't leave enough room in there to put in an effective limiter. All heads clip at some point even with the most experienced user just because. Gigs that start off at a good relative volume can get out of control as crowds build and volume needs go up. An amp that clips so horribly that your afraid it's going to blow up onstage isn't something I want to gig with. There should be some warning and a more gradual clipping that lets you approach the ceiling of what the head can do without having to baby it to avoid some god-awful distortion. IMO the wtx260 was only useable when it was at volumes around half of what it was capable of just because of the headroom needed for dynamic adjustments. It wasn't simply a power issue.

IMHO/IME.
 
#12
Of your three choices you have listed I prefer the tone of the LMII.
What you don't have listed in your choices is a Eden WT405, no, it's not as light weight as the others but it's still pretty compact and easily as transportable.
It will also operate to 2ohms giving you endless cab combinations, it has a great sounding compression circuit and just about every feature you would want on a bass head....
That's why I now own 2 of them :D
 
#15
i personally love the LMII the most, out of litterally any amp out there. the F1 has a differnt thing to it, not as warm. both amazing amplifiers. i say go for the LMII, its indestructible, loud enough, small and easy to move, always sounds amazing, very tweakable, ext ext.
 
#16
I like the LMII for alot of reasons but tonally, the shuttle is better to my ears. I just spent about an hour A/Bing them last night, hoping that I'd like the LMII better (because its louder and cleaner) and no matter what the shuttle definitely beats it. Please note that my tone is a P bass and flats tone, not J bass and rounds.

I have a feeling the LMII is easier to match up with cabs though. The LMII sounds much better with the Schroeder 1212R than the shuttle. Much, much better.

I have successfully linked the two amps together using the shuttle as pre and so far so good.
 

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