Little Mark II Problem...

[Tony G]

Again, all speculation at this point. Let's give them some time, and see what they have planned. Whenever you roll out a new product to a new country, much less a different continent, there are going to be some growing pains (like the initial GC staff confusion on the pricing).

Let's see what experiences the few who have had problems have, and what the Markbass guys say about it

Yup, that seems fair to me.

 

[Foamy]

I was a very early adopter of this guy. I've played it in 110-plus-degree outdoor gigs and toss it around in the back of my truck. I have zero concerns about it, and the amount of problems I've read about here are in such microscopic proportion to the joy they've provided.
Bummer yours is not working though. I hope beyond hope that you just didn't have a flaky cable (a flaky cable CAN work in one head and not another) or something like that, or that you were not excessively clipping it which caused an apparent (but false) failure.
I've opened mine up to look at the build, but I do not remember if there were user-replaceable fuses. Can you check that out?

 

[KJung]

So at present count (of failed units) we have:

1 - Here at the begining of this post

2 - One with a bad fan and is running hot

3 - One that failed upon arrival at my local GC

4 - One that I saw fail at Bx3 (Jeff Berlin's)

5 - Wasn't there one other one here on TB a while back ?? It was either a total failure and I think there also may have been another one that was failing in the sun outside on an outdoor gig (thermal shutdown)?

If the above list is correct, 5 or 6 total failed units (which may be an acceptable number)?

It's all about the ratio of failure to the units out there. As I've often posted (and since I do product satisfaction consulting as part of my day job), no product has a 100% success/non failure rate. The key is, are .5%-1% failing, making the probability of any individual having a problem very low and 'acceptable', or are 10%+ failing, making the probability of an individual having a failure high enough to call the quality of the product in question.

Who knows, but there seems to be just a ton of these in use, so nothing seems out of the ordinary to me (versus some other products that had minimal early sales and thread after thread of 'great service and support' threads in fixing failure after failure after failure). Time will tell!

K

 

[Tony G]

So at present count (of failed units) we have:

1 - Here at the begining of this post

2 - One with a bad fan and is running hot

3 - One that failed upon arrival at my local GC

4 - One that I saw fail at Bx3 (Jeff Berlin's)

5 - Wasn't there one other one here on TB a while back ?? It was either a total failure and I think there also may have been another one that was failing in the sun outside on an outdoor gig (thermal shutdown)?

If the above list is correct, 5 or 6 total failed units (which may be an acceptable number)?

Yeah, that sounds about right. Considering there are about 100 of us here that own the LMII, and we only know of 4 or 5 members that have had problems so far, I'd say that is a pretty fair percentage. Nothing is ever going to 100%, but if you can keep it above 95%, that is pretty decent.

edit: looks like Ken beat me to it.

 

[Vic]

So at present count (of failed units) we have:

1 - Here at the begining of this post

2 - One with a bad fan and is running hot

3 - One that failed upon arrival at my local GC

4 - One that I saw fail at Bx3 (Jeff Berlin's)

5 - Wasn't there one other one here on TB a while back ?? It was either a total failure and I think there also may have been another one that was failing in the sun outside on an outdoor gig (thermal shutdown)?

If the above list is correct, 5 or 6 total failed units (which may be an acceptable number)?

Yeah, Roscoe5 had one fail on him and he is currently going thru a warranty exercise. It did not start well, but Peter is involved and I think helping out.

 

[xlows]

IMO, it's too new of a product or even a company to call any definitive numbers yet. Companies like Hartke and SWR seem to get bashed quite a bit, but think back to how amazing they seemed when they came out. I'm not saying that Markbass is a bad company or that they make bad products, but I am saying that it needs some time and it needs some buzz to die down before anything is 100% for sure about them. Look at your wife after the honeymoon, ya dig?

 

[asad137]

IMO, a 5% failure rate is pretty dismal.

Asad

 

[DocBop]

my concern is if your unit frys when out on a gig... you cant have it repaired just anywhere.. the MB gear would most likely have the whole PC board replaced which requires some central repair facility... i dont trust the snot nose kids at GC to do a worthy repair..... heck they might even electrocute themselves in the process..
its a high frequency switching power design so not every repair guy in th USA is going to have parts or knowledge to get er done... just my .02

That is the story of everything these days no one fixes anything any more, things are too complicated. That goes for cars, computers, anything electronic except simple tube amps. It's all specialized chips so all the "repair" people do is run diagnotics and see what board they can replace. Sometimes I wish they'd replace the whole thing instead of me waiting while they replace and board, nope, replace another board, nope and on and on. You want an amp you can get fixed on the road buy a simple tube amp and carry spare tubes with you.

I would say these days you have to have a backup amp or head. Buy some small used head that you can leave in the trunk, better safe than sorry.

BTW I spend the last 15 years in IT and even with $100K+ 24/7 support contracts for the best lines of servers it the same thing. They ran diag's, replace a board till problem is fixed. Trouble is most the boards had to be flown in from the parts depot adding to the delay. That's why we ran redundant everything always a backup.

 

[GRoberts]

Here's the history: My LMII head died and won't turn on. I filed a warranty repair request on the website that was suggested on the performance guarantee paperwork. The website indicated I would be contacted in 24 hours. It took two days to get a response and when I did, it indicated I needed to call the 800 number. (which I could have done in the first place) Sigh That was frustrating.

Then when I called the 800 number, I was told that GC had not yet identified a warranty repair center. They didn't know where to send it. They said they would call me back in a couple days. But that was Friday. So four days were wasted. And now I was facing a weekend.

I emailed Peter Murray from Markbass and he was exceptionally prompt in getting back to me. Peter was simply awesome. He escalated my Markbass LMII issue to the attention of the Product Manager at Guitar Center. I received two phone calls the next business day from Brian, the Product Manager at GC Corporate assuring me that I would be taken care of.

Brian, from GC called twice to let me know that my issue was being addressed. He was very professional and courteous. I was impressed.

I got a call from the Warranty perforance group the next day wand they gave me all the info; the location of my nearest UPS store, and the name of the warranty service center. They found the UPS store closest to my home. Cool. I took the Markbass LMII to the UPS store where they boxed it for me. They shipped it to Hi-Tech Electronics (New England) at no charge. Unfortunately, I am in Arizona and that is all the way across the country, so it took 5 days to get there. Such is life.

In the meantime, I got a call from John, the tech at the service center (Hi-Tech). He was just checking in with me to confirm that my amp was sent. He is also a bass player! He is a very cool guy and we had a very pleasant conversation. I checked out his band website. He's a tasty player and his band kicks butt too!

My LMII arrived at Hi-tech today. How do I know? I received yet another call from Hi-Tech informing me that they received my amp. They were verifying what the issues are with my LMII before diagnosing and repairing the amp. Very very COOL service! I am impressed. Tomorrow will be two weeks from the start of my warranty claim. Being a stready gigging professional musician, I wish it would go faster. (Is a repair issue ever resolved quick enough?) All in all, things are moving along quickly and efficiently.

I feel comforted and am satisfied that I am in very good hands and that my amp will be repaired.

I want to also add that I LOVE my Markbass LMII amp! I accept that electronic parts sometimes fail. If they are going to fail, they usually do so in the first year. It's called Infant Mortality. I fully expect my amp will live a long, happy life after being fixed and I plan on playing it regularly. I love it pure and simple. In no way do I mean to discredit Markbass in any way. The delays in gettings the amp shipped to the repair center was unfortunate, but not catastrophic.

I am very impressed with Peter Murray at Markbass. GC also went the extra mile as soon as they were notified that there was an issue initially in determining where to send the amp for repair.

I'll keep everyone posted. I have to say that once the ball got rolling, I am quite impressed with the service .

Kudo's to MarkBass, and Kudos even goes to ... GC. Who knew?
Gary

 

[Foamy]

All in all, a very good experience considering you're apparently blazing new trails for us. Thanks for the whole story as it can only serve to improve the experience others may have - but we hope they don't.
One thing I'd like you to answer though is this.... You say you are a steady gigging professional musician. What are you doing in the meantime? What is your backup plan? I hope that your answer here will help us understand just what a reasonable expectation is for any piece of kit, and how one should plan ahead for the unthinkable.
Thanks again!

Also, what so you recommend others do to avoid the initial 2-3 day delay, and that does not mean we have to contact Peter every time?

 

[Tony G]

I am very impressed with Peter Murray at Markbass. GC also went the extra mile as soon as they were notified that there was an issue initially in determining where to send the amp for repair.

I'll keep everyone posted. I have to say that once the ball got rolling, I am quite impressed with the service .

Kudo's to MarkBass, and Kudos even goes to ... GC. Who knew?
Gary

That's great to hear Gary! I am currently in email conversation with Pete and Brian trying to find out for sure if the warranty is transferable. He believes it is, but said he would check into it to make sure and get back to me.

 

[GRoberts]

All in all, a very good experience considering you're apparently blazing new trails for us. Thanks for the whole story as it can only serve to improve the experience others may have - but we hope they don't.
One thing I'd like you to answer though is this.... You say you are a steady gigging professional musician. What are you doing in the meantime? What is your backup plan? I hope that your answer here will help us understand just what a reasonable expectation is for any piece of kit, and how one should plan ahead for the unthinkable.
Thanks again!

Also, what so you recommend others do to avoid the initial 2-3 day delay, and that does not mean we have to contact Peter every time?

Thanks. I am using a Bergantino IP112/EX112 stack. So I can plug straight into that rig in the meantime. I also have a Mesa Scout 1x12 combo that works for smaller jazz gigs.

But I MISS my LMII. that head just nails the tone and vibe I love.Gary

 

[Vic]

IMO, a 5% failure rate is pretty dismal.

Asad

I also think that would be kind of a high FRP, but keep in mind that's derived from a LOT of assumption. We really have NO idea how many of these have been sold, and really, at its price point, and with GC's market presence, that number could potentially be VERY large, which would drastically alter this value for the better, as well.

Just a thought.

Bottom line, be careful about the TB thing where sometimes a relatively small problem can seem much larger than it really is. Not necessarily saying that's the case here, but it's happened before, so I strongly advise reserved judgment until all the facts are in.

 

[Eublet]

BTW I spend the last 15 years in IT and even with $100K+ 24/7 support contracts for the best lines of servers it the same thing. They ran diag's, replace a board till problem is fixed. Trouble is most the boards had to be flown in from the parts depot adding to the delay. That's why we ran redundant everything always a backup.

OH, gosh don't get me started. I've spent more time on the phone with Cisco, Microsoft, HP and IBM over the last 2 years than I spent in the entire 8 years before. Especially Cisco, since they keep buying everybody up that has something cool to offer. NOBODY makes things like they used to it seems.

 

[KJung]

Here's the history: My LMII head died and won't turn on. I filed a warranty repair request on the website that was suggested on the performance guarantee paperwork. The website indicated I would be contacted in 24 hours. It took two days to get a response and when I did, it indicated I needed to call the 800 number. (which I could have done in the first place) Sigh That was frustrating.

Then when I called the 800 number, I was told that GC had not yet identified a warranty repair center. They didn't know where to send it. They said they would call me back in a couple days. But that was Friday. So four days were wasted. And now I was facing a weekend.

I emailed Peter Murray from Markbass and he was exceptionally prompt in getting back to me. Peter was simply awesome. He escalated my Markbass LMII issue to the attention of the Product Manager at Guitar Center. I received two phone calls the next business day from Brian, the Product Manager at GC Corporate assuring me that I would be taken care of.

Brian, from GC called twice to let me know that my issue was being addressed. He was very professional and courteous. I was impressed.

I got a call from the Warranty perforance group the next day wand they gave me all the info; the location of my nearest UPS store, and the name of the warranty service center. They found the UPS store closest to my home. Cool. I took the Markbass LMII to the UPS store where they boxed it for me. They shipped it to Hi-Tech Electronics (New England) at no charge. Unfortunately, I am in Arizona and that is all the way across the country, so it took 5 days to get there. Such is life.

In the meantime, I got a call from John, the tech at the service center (Hi-Tech). He was just checking in with me to confirm that my amp was sent. He is also a bass player! He is a very cool guy and we had a very pleasant conversation. I checked out his band website. He's a tasty player and his band kicks butt too!

My LMII arrived at Hi-tech today. How do I know? I received yet another call from Hi-Tech informing me that they received my amp. They were verifying what the issues are with my LMII before diagnosing and repairing the amp. Very very COOL service! I am impressed. Tomorrow will be two weeks from the start of my warranty claim. Being a stready gigging professional musician, I wish it would go faster. (Is a repair issue ever resolved quick enough?) All in all, things are moving along quickly and efficiently.

I feel comforted and am satisfied that I am in very good hands and that my amp will be repaired.

I want to also add that I LOVE my Markbass LMII amp! I accept that electronic parts sometimes fail. If they are going to fail, they usually do so in the first year. It's called Infant Mortality. I fully expect my amp will live a long, happy life after being fixed and I plan on playing it regularly. I love it pure and simple. In no way do I mean to discredit Markbass in any way. The delays in gettings the amp shipped to the repair center was unfortunate, but not catastrophic.

I am very impressed with Peter Murray at Markbass. GC also went the extra mile as soon as they were notified that there was an issue initially in determining where to send the amp for repair.

I'll keep everyone posted. I have to say that once the ball got rolling, I am quite impressed with the service .

Kudo's to MarkBass, and Kudos even goes to ... GC. Who knew?
Gary

Very cool!

K

 

[KJung]

IMO, a 5% failure rate is pretty dismal.

Asad

It's not 5%, even making all the assumptions. At least two of the 'failures' were not from the TB sample (Jeff Berlin quite a while ago, and an in Store). So, the based for those are in the hundreds and hundreds.

It sounds like we are all in pretty good shape on these great little amps.

K

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Plus, people are 100X more likely to post problems on forums rather than, "Hey my amp works."

 

[Vic]

Plus, people are 100X more likely to post problems on forums rather than, "Hey my amp works."

Absolutely. A VERY good point, and a big part of the reason behind my "cautionary note", and whose side-effect is one of the most significant negatives of ANY forum/board.

Of course these amps aren't for everyone, that's cool, but I do think they have something special going on, and for those people that something special would really work for, I'd hate to have them avoid the amp from a very likely unfounded perception of unreliability.

 

[dave_bass5]

I can see we will get a few more Threads about MB gear failing very soon (IMHO).
Its like a trend. The same people post in every thread that has anything to do with the gear they own and soon it looks like lots of people are having problems (again, IMHO).
Im not disputing that MB heads can and will go wrong though, just that it will look like a higher % than it really is. And of course we are a small minority here on TB anyway.
For the record ive had my SA450 just over 19 months and gigged it every week without any problems other than it getting a bit warm on some gigs and i put that down to the fact that its running in its gig bag.
Maybe ive now jinxed it though.

 

[kevbassman]

I also dealt with Peter Murray. He's was a big help to me over a GC overcharge concern. He answered all my questions, was very prompt & professional which means allot to me. Of course I wish I could say the same with the Guitar Center individual, who I've yet to hear from on this matter. Of course now that GC is owned by the company that owns Toys R US...well, I think you get my drift.

IMHO...I feel the LMII may be a generation or two in getting some minor problems resolved. I had the same thing happen when I purchased the CD10 , 2 x 10 comob. Used it on a gig, with a Epifani 2 x 10, both 8 ohms, which = a 4 ohm load. The combo amp completely shut down. That's when I went with the head & returned the combo. The LMII sounded great with my Epifani cabs.

Also, Tony, you're making the assumption you can sell that amp in a month or two for what you paid for mine. The only problem with that is is more negative reports are issues on the LMII, the demand will go down...or the price...or both.
If 1,000 units are sold in the US, and 5-6 are bad...that is only 5-6% which isn't a bad stat, but on a 100 or 500 sold.........that stat is totally unacceptable. Going from 5% to 20% is a huge difference. Again, IMHO I see the demand exceeding the supply....and when that happens sometimes the product is "too mass " produced.
I again I think the amp is a great idea, great sound.......but it still has to be around for a year or so to get a real outlook on it. Time will tell. I sold mine to Tony because I was able to purchase a Thunderfunk 550....plus I just bought an Aguilar SC500. So , I really don't see where I lost anything.