Looking for impressions and opinions on this amp. For a $249 practice amp I thought it sounded pretty good. But is there a better practice amp?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Mark Bass CMB 101 Black Line
- Thread starter DoctorZeus
- Start date
Better sound or bang for the buck in this price range. Reliability? I know nothing about Mark Bass. Just saw this amp at a local store.
Yes, the CMB 101 is a new model. Markbass as a brand has been around for quite a while.
With your post in mind, I actually tried the Markbass CMB101 today.
The combo is actually fairly boomy, with kind of a tuby tone when played on the floor with all control flat. I suspect having the amp resting on something above the floor would probably help it. If anything, I had to take out quite a bit of bass and low mid to get to a usable tone.
Other than that the combo is actually quite loud and sounds pretty good if you take the time to dial in the tone.
The Fender Rumble 40 has a lot less bass so it's easier to dial in a usable tone. It also has a distortion option the Markbass does not have.
I also tested the 112 version of the Markbass which for approximately $150 more sounded a lot better.
I hope this helps.
The combo is actually fairly boomy, with kind of a tuby tone when played on the floor with all control flat. I suspect having the amp resting on something above the floor would probably help it. If anything, I had to take out quite a bit of bass and low mid to get to a usable tone.
Other than that the combo is actually quite loud and sounds pretty good if you take the time to dial in the tone.
The Fender Rumble 40 has a lot less bass so it's easier to dial in a usable tone. It also has a distortion option the Markbass does not have.
I also tested the 112 version of the Markbass which for approximately $150 more sounded a lot better.
I hope this helps.
Last edited:
I own a Rumble 100 combo. I used it at a few rehearsals and quite a few, lower volume gigs.
I was surprised how much volume I could get out of it at med sized room gigs.
I loved the lightweight of it. I just never liked the tone it gave me. I then realized much later, for me, I had to cut the bass knob to 9:00-10:00 for a tone I could use. And I only use 5 string active/passive basses.
And I learned that I really miss a tweeter. In most rooms I used it, it was very boomy. I didn't try cutting the bass knob back then. It mostly stayed flat(knobs at noon). Thinking now. The Fender 10-3-10 setting or there abouts might've helped me.
I still have it but it stays parked, unused for other lightweight amps/cabs that give me way better tone; for me.
Maybe trying different settings on the Rumble may make it work for me now.
But I do prefer my GR-One-350 or Ampeg Micro VR head w a lightweight 112 or 210 is my go to now for easy schlepping. Many seem to like the Rumble combos w all the features they offer.
I was surprised how much volume I could get out of it at med sized room gigs.
I loved the lightweight of it. I just never liked the tone it gave me. I then realized much later, for me, I had to cut the bass knob to 9:00-10:00 for a tone I could use. And I only use 5 string active/passive basses.
And I learned that I really miss a tweeter. In most rooms I used it, it was very boomy. I didn't try cutting the bass knob back then. It mostly stayed flat(knobs at noon). Thinking now. The Fender 10-3-10 setting or there abouts might've helped me.
I still have it but it stays parked, unused for other lightweight amps/cabs that give me way better tone; for me.
Maybe trying different settings on the Rumble may make it work for me now.
But I do prefer my GR-One-350 or Ampeg Micro VR head w a lightweight 112 or 210 is my go to now for easy schlepping. Many seem to like the Rumble combos w all the features they offer.
I tried the Markbass CMB101 again in a different store. The amp appeared a lot less boomy than in my previous test. The first amp I tried was against a wall and near a corner which really seemed to amplify the bass frequencies. The second amp I tried was away from the way and nowhere near a corner. I still had to dial back some bass frequencies but I was impressed by the nice tone of this amp. It's warm and clear and it delivers a lot of power for the 40 watts it's rated for. The choice between the two combos you are looking at might simply boil down to what sort of tone you are looking for. I could personally use both amps at home as practice amps. The Markbass amp has more tonal characteristics Markbass is know for: big warm tone and the Fender amp offers a somewhat leaner more tone neutral sound with a distortion option. If anything small low what combos are often bass shy, it is certainly not the case here, particularly in the case of the Markbass. That amp could be used to play dub or reggae at moderate volume!
Reviving this, but do you recall what sounded better about the 112 version? That was also the Blackline I assume. Was it better balanced with more upper mid and high-end presence? Or was it something else? Thanks.
Yes you are correct, backline version with a 112 speaker. Better balance, more bass, more power and more tone. There's a big difference between a 40 watt combo and a 150 watt combo.
I have one and it's great. My wife uses it in the living room. I bought it for acoustic gigs but we're going to in-ears so I may not need it anymore. I'd rather have a cab so my Genzler head gets some use. So I'm thinking of listing the CMB 101 for sale but it's a very warm bassy little 40 watt combo. I like it better than any of the Fender Rumbles I've tried.
I finally pulled the trigger on the CMB 101 a few days ago.
My impressions of the tone:
I agree with Laurent’s posts in this thread that it leans toward being boomy. It is also surprisingly bright. I would have thought it had a tweeter in it!
The tone controls are centered at useful frequencies and seem to have a musical Q.
The low frequencies are pleasantly full and deep. I can’t speak about a B string, but the fundamental down to Drop D sounds well represented. Better than my 30W Ampeg rocket 108. Which was previously my favorite small lightweight.
This little Markbass is truly on another level. It sounds like a big cab and at least double the watts. (In tone, not volume.) And you don’t lose the bass response at a reasonable living room volume. Even with some bass and treble cut, it’s still has a hi-fi tone to my ears, if not a bit scooped. It’s loud, but I wouldn’t say it’s any louder than my Ampeg 108. It definitely has a better low frequency response though. The scoop switch is great for slap tone, really scoops the mids and boosts the lows at the right frequencies, but to my ears it’s overly bright. I left it on and was playing finger style and the sharp high frequency was impossible to dial out by fully cutting the treble on the amp and on my bass.
General impressions:
The amp is lightweight and feels sturdily built.
The pots have a nice taper with gradual increase from minimum to about 10 or 11:00, then increasing much more rapidly.
The pregain knob will not turn the volume all the way off even when it’s fully counterclockwise. Only the master volume does that. I wonder if anyone else experienced that with this amp?
Max volume before the amp starts to make vibrating noises comes at pregain and master volume both at noon. Push either one higher, and the amp begins to vibrate. It might be nothing, but it’s causing me concern about the quality of the build and/or the speaker. Also it has a quiet but noticeable idling hum. I was alone in the house, no appliances or HVAC or anything running. So it was dead silent before I turned the amp on. It isn’t loud enough to be troublesome, and the hum doesn’t get louder as you turn the volume up.
Conclusion: Deep, big amplifier tone in a very small package. Great for solo practice or with other instruments, not sure about keeping up with a drum kit. Feels sturdily built, but hum and vibration cause some concern about quality.
I think this is going to be a keeper for home use. I have bigger amps if I start playing in a band context again, so I’m hopeful that this little amp will hold up well for me!
My impressions of the tone:
I agree with Laurent’s posts in this thread that it leans toward being boomy. It is also surprisingly bright. I would have thought it had a tweeter in it!
The tone controls are centered at useful frequencies and seem to have a musical Q.
The low frequencies are pleasantly full and deep. I can’t speak about a B string, but the fundamental down to Drop D sounds well represented. Better than my 30W Ampeg rocket 108. Which was previously my favorite small lightweight.
This little Markbass is truly on another level. It sounds like a big cab and at least double the watts. (In tone, not volume.) And you don’t lose the bass response at a reasonable living room volume. Even with some bass and treble cut, it’s still has a hi-fi tone to my ears, if not a bit scooped. It’s loud, but I wouldn’t say it’s any louder than my Ampeg 108. It definitely has a better low frequency response though. The scoop switch is great for slap tone, really scoops the mids and boosts the lows at the right frequencies, but to my ears it’s overly bright. I left it on and was playing finger style and the sharp high frequency was impossible to dial out by fully cutting the treble on the amp and on my bass.
General impressions:
The amp is lightweight and feels sturdily built.
The pots have a nice taper with gradual increase from minimum to about 10 or 11:00, then increasing much more rapidly.
The pregain knob will not turn the volume all the way off even when it’s fully counterclockwise. Only the master volume does that. I wonder if anyone else experienced that with this amp?
Max volume before the amp starts to make vibrating noises comes at pregain and master volume both at noon. Push either one higher, and the amp begins to vibrate. It might be nothing, but it’s causing me concern about the quality of the build and/or the speaker. Also it has a quiet but noticeable idling hum. I was alone in the house, no appliances or HVAC or anything running. So it was dead silent before I turned the amp on. It isn’t loud enough to be troublesome, and the hum doesn’t get louder as you turn the volume up.
Conclusion: Deep, big amplifier tone in a very small package. Great for solo practice or with other instruments, not sure about keeping up with a drum kit. Feels sturdily built, but hum and vibration cause some concern about quality.
I think this is going to be a keeper for home use. I have bigger amps if I start playing in a band context again, so I’m hopeful that this little amp will hold up well for me!
D
Good news: I got a 5-string (Ibanez SR305E) not long ago, and found the CMB101 does respond favorably to that low B string.
Would agree with most of your observations. I am not sure about inherent hum/hiss, as I very rarely practice in a completely quiet house or room. Due to tinnitus, I almost always have a fan running for background noise.
For practice sessions, I almost always use a Bluetooth dongle to play back a metronome or backing track through the amp. The BT adapter, despite being battery-powered, has its own inherent noise, so I'm not used to the amp being totally quiet.
FWIW, I did play with a drum kit last week, and the CMB 101 had no trouble being "loud enough." However it was an electronic drum kit. The drummer used my other amp (SWR Workingman 15) for it. We kept the volume down, because we both already have some tinnitus, and don't want to get more.
I also noticed some rattling/vibrations when going much past half-max on Master volume on the CMB 101, but not yet at 1 o'clock position, and I rarely go past that, so it works for me. 50% of max seems like the sweet spot for solo practice. Much past that, and the volume level can get dangerous, so I don't go there.
I am still figuring out the best knob positions for slap & pop bass. The Mid-Scoop button does seem to help. Of course, it's going to depend on the bass used. With the SR305E I have a ton of possible knob and switch positions. It's much simpler with my Fender Precision bass.
