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Mark Bass Amps

#8
I've never tried a Markbass amp so my question is, how would you define the Markbass sound?

I've found some clips on You Tube but it seems like everybody is slap and treble happy these days and I can't judge an amp by that. For example, I have a GK MB115 and every clip I've heard online with someone playing thru a GK amp does the same thing....sounds like the treble is on 10 and they're slapping away, where as I play with more of a fatter tone. Clear, but fatter. Nothing at all like the clips I hear. Not saying I'm better (not at all) just saying that zingy sound isn't my cup of tea.

So, what's the Markbass sound? Maybe I just haven't found the right clips.
 
#9
Do a search for Jeff Berlin and Tom Kennedy on youtube and you'll get a good idea what they sound like.
You can also search for Michael Manring, Evan Marien and Hadrien Faraud.

I'm not a slapper and don't like treble.
 
#10
Mike M. said:
I've never tried a Markbass amp so my question is, how would you define the Markbass sound?

I've found some clips on You Tube but it seems like everybody is slap and treble happy these days and I can't judge an amp by that. For example, I have a GK MB115 and every clip I've heard online with someone playing thru a GK amp does the same thing....sounds like the treble is on 10 and they're slapping away, where as I play with more of a fatter tone. Clear, but fatter. Nothing at all like the clips I hear. Not saying I'm better (not at all) just saying that zingy sound isn't my cup of tea.

So, what's the Markbass sound? Maybe I just haven't found the right clips.
Click to expand...

It's hard for me to say because the sound of my LMIII and 151P cab are colored by my finger technique , choice of flats, and particular basses. But, I've heard others play my rig. In those cases, first of all it has a good tone for bass right out of the box, not boomy, not too bright, although it can go bright, if you have the right cab. This was with the eq set neutral, no filters. The shape filters are especially helpful, and are what most guys use rather than the eq knobs. All the controls respond well with just the slightest movement. Specifically, I'd say the Markbass sound is less mid-scooped than some other amps. It can do hifi modern stuff or vintage stuff. I play mostly classic rock, country, jazz,and blues. All of it requires an older-school kind of tone. That includes the Motown tone. I have no problem finding what I need, even using my Markbass cab (which is said to have a high-mid bump by some, but not by me, I don't think).

By contrast, I played my LMIII through an Ampeg 810. It sounded awesome. Clean, but also with some sponginess, kinda tube-like. It sounded as good as the Ampeg V4 head, just different, maybe more midrangey. Just an awesome little head. I don't mind the price. I'm surprised they don't cost more.

One small thing I like about my LMIII is that the knobs have some resistance when turning them. Makes it all feel solid. And I'm one of those kind who LIKES the yellow/black color scheme.

Hope that helps.
 
#11
Mike M. said:
I've never tried a Markbass amp so my question is, how would you define the Markbass sound?

I've found some clips on You Tube but it seems like everybody is slap and treble happy these days and I can't judge an amp by that. For example, I have a GK MB115 and every clip I've heard online with someone playing thru a GK amp does the same thing....sounds like the treble is on 10 and they're slapping away, where as I play with more of a fatter tone. Clear, but fatter. Nothing at all like the clips I hear. Not saying I'm better (not at all) just saying that zingy sound isn't my cup of tea.

So, what's the Markbass sound? Maybe I just haven't found the right clips.
Click to expand...

My P Bass with TI flats sounds fantastic through my Minimark with the VLE turned to about 3 - - -> PA. I roll the volume off the bass just a touch, and I get a warm but clear and focused sound. I don't do "zingy" :)
 
#12
Thanks guys! Most helpful, indeed.

Sometime this year I'm going on the hunt for something and I know it's going to be something with 12" speakers. I used them a long time ago and for me they really hit the spot. I'm pretty much an "old school/meat and potatoes" kind of player who seems to like (for lack of how to describe it) an old school sound while embracing some of the new tonal offerings from amps. For example, thru my GK MB115 I tried active basses that I have and while it sounded nice it really wasn't my thing. A few weeks ago I bought a Fender American Standard 5 string Jazz bass. Passive pickups thru an "amp of today"......okay, now we're getting somewhere! Much better! By the way, I never use the tweeter in the amp. It's always off.

That's the best way I can describe it. I like a sound that's fat but clear without the zing.
 
#13
One with with MarkBass amps is that if your bass sounds crappy, it will sound crappy. If good, it will sound very good. Unless you tweak the VLF and VPE filters it pretty much provides the original sound of the bass in most cases.

Personally I like this as the starting point as you could add grunt, distortion, tube saturation and growl with effects if needed.
 
#14
Mike M. said:
Thanks guys! Most helpful, indeed.

Sometime this year I'm going on the hunt for something and I know it's going to be something with 12" speakers. I used them a long time ago and for me they really hit the spot. I'm pretty much an "old school/meat and potatoes" kind of player who seems to like (for lack of how to describe it) an old school sound while embracing some of the new tonal offerings from amps. For example, thru my GK MB115 I tried active basses that I have and while it sounded nice it really wasn't my thing. A few weeks ago I bought a Fender American Standard 5 string Jazz bass. Passive pickups thru an "amp of today"......okay, now we're getting somewhere! Much better! By the way, I never use the tweeter in the amp. It's always off.

That's the best way I can describe it. I like a sound that's fat but clear without the zing.
Click to expand...

Pal, I am doing exactly what you're talking about with my LMIII head and 151P cab.

I use a Fender American Jazz with flats, and a jazz Bass Special with flats, usually on the P pickup. Lovin' it.
 
#15
ksandvik said:
One with with MarkBass amps is that if your bass sounds crappy, it will sound crappy. If good, it will sound very good. Unless you tweak the VLF and VPE filters it pretty much provides the original sound of the bass in most cases.

Personally I like this as the starting point as you could add grunt, distortion, tube saturation and growl with effects if needed.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's pretty much the way it is. I have a friend who is scared to play through mine, LOL, because it's so accurate.
 
#16
To clarify a little bit more that I wrote (sorry so sleepy, got home 2:30am...), the MarkBass default settings also don't mask out all kinds of sloppy playing, hitting wrong places on the fretboard, sloppy right hand techniques and so on. So it's a dual-edge sword, you could get all kinds of nuances out if you have techniques, if not MarkBass does not exactly hide the mistakes. Seen this the times I've taken my MarkBass rig to jams where various bass players have used it.
 
#18
Russell L said:
Worth every penny, IMO.
Click to expand...

Russell L said:
It's hard for me to say because the sound of my LMIII and 151P cab are colored by my finger technique , choice of flats, and particular basses. But, I've heard others play my rig. In those cases, first of all it has a good tone for bass right out of the box, not boomy, not too bright, although it can go bright, if you have the right cab. This was with the eq set neutral, no filters. The shape filters are especially helpful, and are what most guys use rather than the eq knobs. All the controls respond well with just the slightest movement. Specifically, I'd say the Markbass sound is less mid-scooped than some other amps. It can do hifi modern stuff or vintage stuff. I play mostly classic rock, country, jazz,and blues. All of it requires an older-school kind of tone. That includes the Motown tone. I have no problem finding what I need, even using my Markbass cab (which is said to have a high-mid bump by some, but not by me, I don't think).

By contrast, I played my LMIII through an Ampeg 810. It sounded awesome. Clean, but also with some sponginess, kinda tube-like. It sounded as good as the Ampeg V4 head, just different, maybe more midrangey. Just an awesome little head. I don't mind the price. I'm surprised they don't cost more.

One small thing I like about my LMIII is that the knobs have some resistance when turning them. Makes it all feel solid. And I'm one of those kind who LIKES the yellow/black color scheme.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Mike M. said:
Thanks guys! Most helpful, indeed.

Sometime this year I'm going on the hunt for something and I know it's going to be something with 12" speakers. I used them a long time ago and for me they really hit the spot. I'm pretty much an "old school/meat and potatoes" kind of player who seems to like (for lack of how to describe it) an old school sound while embracing some of the new tonal offerings from amps. For example, thru my GK MB115 I tried active basses that I have and while it sounded nice it really wasn't my thing. A few weeks ago I bought a Fender American Standard 5 string Jazz bass. Passive pickups thru an "amp of today"......okay, now we're getting somewhere! Much better! By the way, I never use the tweeter in the amp. It's always off.

That's the best way I can describe it. I like a sound that's fat but clear without the zing.
Click to expand...

Everything that's been said is close to the way I feel about the amp (BP magazine even featured it in their Dig My Rig section about 4-5 months ago). I played a GK RB1001 with GK cabs for a couple of years, but have been a Markbass fan since early 2008. Not long after my local Guitar Center had them, I traded my old gear towards the purchase...and have been very satisfied. Since purchasing my Markbass, CMD102 P, 151HR, and Markbass 104 HR (4x10), I've played in a metal band, modern rock band, variety (60's through current), and a punk band. It's never let me down, and I always receive compliments on my tone, but also happen to do a good job of dialing in a good "live" sound no matter what amp I'm using (at least I've been told...by a couple of bassists I've played with). It's a somewhat transparent sound....and can sound a little dark at times, but it's easy to dial in a good tone in no time flat. The filters are great for an on-the-fly eq adjustment if a particular song on your setlist requires it.

I like the head so much, that when I wanted a separate head in case I wanted to run either one of my 4x10 cabs ( a Markbass & an old Peavey), I bought a LMIII. It's basically the same head that's in my cmd 102p.
 
#20
I dig my F1, and have resurrected it for DB-duty. KJung has nothing but good things to say about this amp and its fraternal twin, the F500 -- he has lots of YouTube clips through various cabinets.

Markbass' smallest amp, the Micromark, is 50 W -- I've never come across a 30 W version.
 

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