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Is Markbass really all that??

#141
If a crunchy tone is desired, it's not happening straight into a Markbass, or SWR, or Trace, etc...
I really like my 121P combo because it's loud, clean, and much easier to tote around than just my older Eden WT500 head (which I had as my 'clean' amp), let alone the extra trip for the cab. My BOSS BC1X adds all the grit I need to these clean machines.
I have a GK 400RB, Peavey Century 200 and TC BH250 with a gritty toneprint for my dirty amps.
As for the color, it helps you keep an eye on it in a dark club, it won't get lost in a dark corner of the stage during a multi band night.
 
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#142
paul5string81 said:
First time poster here and I apologize off the bat for a somewhat negative start but here goes - I have never had a single positive experience with Markbass gear. Am I missing something? I've owned MB gear on multiple occasions (Why? Because it kept getting recommended and i'm a sucker for yellow and black) and I've always been left disappointed by the sound i've gotten. I've owned combos, separates , pretty much every combination and i've sold it all. I recently moved to Epifani gear Pic 999 head with the TOUR 4 X 10 and I absolutely love it - Punchy , clean and tons of headroom. I would say definitely in the same price point as MB but really just blows MB away IMO. Tell me MB users - What's the big deal? Sacrilegious, i know :)
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FWIW: Sorry you don't like MarkBass, but glad you found something you do like. I'm no Latin scholar, but I think the phrase is something like "de gustibus no disputandum es," or matters of taste are not disputable. You like what you like and that's fine. Why dump on someone else's choice? I have a MBII and like it a lot through an Acme Low B1. Why? It's clean and has enough tone control for me. I've had Ampeg and GK in the past and in that order. I like the MB for the same reason I play guitar through a GT Soul-O 45, AI Clarus 2r with Raezer's Edge speaker, and a TA 100R. They all do CLEAN extremely well. If you like an amp that has a particular flavor or a preferred inherent distortion, then please, play that. My view continues to be you can always find a way to dirty up a clean amp, but you can't really clean up a dirty amp. Rock on, amigo, and play what you like ... and so will the rest of us. Peace.
 
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#144
I'm not keen on the MB amps but I do like the cabs, perhaps mainly because they are small and light. I currently have a 1x15 and a 2x10. However I hate furry cabinets - whoever thought that was a good idea? I originally bought two 1x15s and immediately had them recovered in black Tolex.
 
#145
I had the MB combo with the 112. Didn’t like it much but my 59 P with flats sounds just fine through MB 800 and MB 410 cabinet. I must add I don’t have the money to experiment with boutique stuff. I’m sure there is something out there that sounds better but on the gigs I play that little bit of improvement probably wouldn’t be noticed. The audience is hearing me through FOH anyway.
 
#146
byrdland said:
FWIW: Sorry you don't like MarkBass, but glad you found something you do like. I'm no Latin scholar, but I think the phrase is something like "de gustibus no disputandum es," or matters of taste are not disputable. You like what you like and that's fine. Why dump on someone else's choice? I have a MBII and like it a lot through an Acme Low B1. Why? It's clean and has enough tone control for me. I've had Ampeg and GK in the past and in that order. I like the MB for the same reason I play guitar through a GT Soul-O 45, AI Clarus 2r with Raezer's Edge speaker, and a TA 100R. They all do CLEAN extremely well. If you like an amp that has a particular flavor or a preferred inherent distortion, then please, play that. My view continues to be you can always find a way to dirty up a clean amp, but you can't really clean up a dirty amp. Rock on, amigo, and play what you like ... and so will the rest of us. Peace.
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What Byrdland said!!

I've never enjoyed playing through a rig more. I've never seen so many people put a downer on a product and talk as if their amps are made of gold where MB is made of cheese. Maybe they do look odd but maybe GK cabs look like drinks cabinets or that weird box Grannie keeps her china in. Someone spends six weeks burning off the rat fur - I prefer to waste that time practicing, thank you very much!!! Every amp breaks down but when it's a Markbass amp it's God punishing you. Every amp sounds crap in the wrong space but if it's a MB it's because you were born with one ear and a mental disability.

I remember the eighties/ninties when everybody in England complained how noisy GK were. If you wanted something sturdy you bought H+H(remember them??!). If you wanted something special you bought Trace Elliot. Since Trace Elliot were bought out and and destroyed by some other company, nothing for me (except maybe Messa and I still can't afford them) has set the market alight since. Until Markbass that is. Perhaps there'd be less vitriol if it was American. Since American companies are outsourcing too that just adds to the lack of logic. I love Markbass and I don't give a s^%$ how wrong I am.
 
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#150
Stevorebob said:
I’ve heard many players get great tones out of MarkBass. But I just have an issue with a product exclusive to Guitar Center. I don’t know — that just says something to me. Maybe I’m shallow.
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It based in (possibly deserved)prejudice about GC.
Markbass is not made by GC, only distributed by them.
From a business standpoint it was a very smart move by MB.
They were having trouble finding distribution in The US and there’s no denying that their association with GC gave them a massive market presence
 
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#151
The GC thing is weird to me too. In the UK it would be rare to walk into a shop with a bass department where there wasn’t a Markbass display. Not all carry Ashdown, Ampeg or Orange but you’re pretty much guaranteed Markbass, even in the independent music shops.

*edit*
That explains it.

Don’t let the GC thing put you off. If the bass Gallery in London (where the famous folk go, like Pino, Guy Pratt and Victor Wooten) sell Markbass, it has to be a good product.
 
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#153
paul5string81 said:
First time poster here and I apologize off the bat for a somewhat negative start but here goes - I have never had a single positive experience with Markbass gear. Am I missing something? I've owned MB gear on multiple occasions (Why? Because it kept getting recommended and i'm a sucker for yellow and black) and I've always been left disappointed by the sound i've gotten. I've owned combos, separates , pretty much every combination and i've sold it all. I recently moved to Epifani gear Pic 999 head with the TOUR 4 X 10 and I absolutely love it - Punchy , clean and tons of headroom. I would say definitely in the same price point as MB but really just blows MB away IMO. Tell me MB users - What's the big deal? Sacrilegious, i know :)
Click to expand...

I've had a little MB head for years and recently bought a MB 2x12 to replace my old 4x10. They are so bloody light and easy to transport that any minor misgivings about the tone are irrelevant to me!
 
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#154
Would love to have an Aguilar TH 350 but my MB black line 250 was the right price and does what I need it to do. The VLE and VPF knobs are simple and work well when you have to switch from your mid boost to high/low boost. I hate the color scheme and I feel like a douchey fanboy when I gig with with my matching head and two yellow speaker cabs but my ears do the decision making and it sounds good enough to me. I get where OP is coming from though. Markbass is kinda expensive and definitely flashy and as someone who likes to keep things simple I understand how one might not care for the brand.
 
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#155
I agree with @Killed_by_Death, regarding the Italian-made 2x10 cab. I had one, too, beat the ever-living crap out of it for years and years, and then also foolishly sold it. A ton of people couldn't believe that the cab was so loud for it's size. I haven't heard the same comparisons about their Indonesian and Chinese stuff, though, and frankly the cheaper manufacturing made me frown from the initial change. I look for vintage Italian stuff here and there, but that's it.

Regardless of the point of manufacturer, I tried a few Italian MB amps in the beginning, finally got a limited-edition F1 head, and ended up selling it. I then got a GK 1001 RB-II, and my woes were cured.
 
#156
IPRAYB4IPLAY said:
I mean you cant go wrong with a amp that is both solid state and tube.
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Yes I agree. My best recent amps have been hybrids. A Hartkd LH-500 & the G&K Fusion.However, with the class D amps I've tried out (only 3 including the "Little Marcus 800", I would dscribe the sound: as veiled & forgiving. The 2 hybrids I've owned (G&K & Hartke) have been so much more detailed, bringing out the upper overtones of my round wound strings--especially the G&K, which is off the charts detailed & unforgiving, but so full of life. It reveals low level ground hums in my Marcus Miller bass that my luthier can't fix. With this particular MB amp you hear no buzz at all. The highs aren't very crisp, & I must have new, clean strings, EQ the heck out of it, really boosting ithe treble (& the volume) to get a convincing Marcus Miller sound. It" s sufficient, but the G&K does it so much better,--but it also magnifies mistakes & sloppy playing.

When picking up the bass after a 40 year layoff, I wanted to woodshed & rebuild myself from the ground up. Instead of getting back to fundamentals, took a gig offer when I wasn't ready. I chose the Hartke over the Aguilar Tonehammer, but I can tell you there were times when I would've been better off playing the Aguilar until I was more secure. With the tonehammer I could do a rapid scale figure, miss a note & I couldn't hear it. With the Harke the missed note was obvious. For that same reason maybe I should keep this amp as a back up.
 
#157
Hmmm. So many haters. What a shame. Someone said "Tame"... WHAT??
My Little Mark Tube 800 is all that and more. I haven't owned a MB cab, but I run my Tube 800 through 2-Mesa Subway Ultralite 12's and it just can't be beat for a med club rig. Any bigger of a venue and I just go post pre through the main board, simple.
Try one, you'll love it.
Oh, btw, just received a Source Audio AFTERSHOCK bass distortion and I can easily emulate any old amp I want w/the perfect amount of overdrive OR crank it up. Best Bass Distortion pedal I've ever heard or used. So versatile!
Just a nice setup, IMO.
 
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#158
I wouldn't quote call myself a MB hater, as I'm enthralled with my 122 Ninja cab. The Little Marcus I have does come to life with the volume cranked up & transient response becomes more obvious. Unwanted & extraneous crap like ground hums, finger noise etc still remain less apparent at high volumes so I am leaning towards keeping it. Enough said, I've posted too much on this thread, & it was enlightening for me.
 
#159
Bought a Little Mark Tube 800 to replace my road worn Carvin, from GC . Worst decision I've made in purchasing an amp. The amp thermoed out ( completely shut down until it cooled down,then back on) in the middle of the song- three different gigs. The 'tube' state sounded no different than the 'solid' . The mute switch was a push/pull switch on the master volume control which was totally inconvenient. So sold it for CHEAP on CL and put it towards a Mesa 800 + and have been GOLDEN since! ! ! So in my Experience Mark Bass is a BIG P.O.S. ! ! !
 
#160
Kokoman said:
Bought a Little Mark Tube 800 to replace my road worn Carvin, from GC . Worst decision I've made in purchasing an amp. The amp thermoed out ( completely shut down until it cooled down,then back on) in the middle of the song- three different gigs. The 'tube' state sounded no different than the 'solid' . The mute switch was a push/pull switch on the master volume control which was totally inconvenient. So sold it for CHEAP on CL and put it towards a Mesa 800 + and have been GOLDEN since! ! ! So in my Experience Mark Bass is a BIG P.O.S. ! ! !
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Kind of like my experience with Ampeg back in th 90s
 
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