Mark Bass CMD JB Players School Combo Review

[TylerBass95]

To get the full 250 watts from one cab you would need a 4 ohm impedance cabinet or two 8 ohm cabinets ( That's what I run with the blackline to get the full 250 watts).

 

[BaticaBG]

Bought this amp two months ago..... tried it in a local store with a MIM jazz with maple neck, you can get great slap sound instantly , I dont think that a lack of a tweeter will harm the sound....

 

[freshbass]

I noticed that many have had questions about these combos based upon their price range and whether or not they have the capability to hold up in a full band/gig setting.
Also, I haven't seen an official review for the combo so I'll post my thoughts:

I bought my JB Players School combo used from GC last week. The original owner bought it and then swapped over for the actual Jeff Berlin signature combo. Not a bad choice but as I don't have $900+ to spend right now, the $350 used price tag caught my eye pretty quickly.
I used to run a Mark Bass LMII into an Eden 110 and a Peavey Tour 210. It was a really good set up and I regret ever deciding to move from MB to Ampeg. I got rid of my PF350 and the Tour 210 to get the JB combo.

At first glance, the amp and cab look good. Pulling it out of the box was hilarious. At 34.6 lbs it's easy enough to pick up and manhandle and really not feel like you're doing any work. I'm not sure anyone else can say they have a 1x15 combo that's as portable as the MB stuff.
A fun note: If you like this amp but aren't a huge fan of that big "Players School" sticker on the top left of the speaker grill, don't worry, it's just a sticker and peels right off for what, I think, is a more professional look.

As most of this forum probably knows, MB combos are generally just a stock MB head placed into a nifty package with a stock cabinet option and sold at a different price range.
This combo is no different as it's essentially the Little Mark 250 Black Line head coupled to a 151P cabinet without the tweeter.
The 250 Black Line will put out 150W @ 8 ohms and 250W @ 4 ohms.
The combo is set up to push the 150 W through the 1x15 cab.
It has the standard MB EQ knobs for Low, Mid Low, Mid High, and High. It also carries the VLE and VPF tone controls for shaping and contour, as well as Gain, Master and Line Out volume controls, and a balanced XLR port.

On the back of the combo there are two speaker outs. Conveniently, the head can be easily disconnected from the cabinet so you can run out to a different cab or run them in parallel.

Now for the real stuff.

Alone, it has more than enough power at 150W to hold up in a medium rehearsal setting. I can easily cut through an acoustic, an electric, drums and a keyboard and not feel like I'm over playing or pushing the amp too hard. Thus far, I haven't had to go any farther than 2 o'clock on the gain or master volume.

I will say that the VLE control should be avoided by anybody who hates losing their highs in an ensemble setting. Any kind of use of that filter totally destroys the treble characteristics of my two Jazz basses. The VPF would be of much more use to me if it didn't cut the mids. I'd rather have a mid/high boost than a low/high, but the rest of the amp totally outweighs that minor issue. I mostly just leave them off altogether.

In a gig or "full out" rehearsal setting I've run the combo through an Ampeg BXT210M cabinet.
The 210 will handle 400W @ 4 ohms so I never run a risk of the amp overloading the cab.
The full 250W that the Black Line head will produce can hang with any medium sized gig setting.
At a noisy restaurant/bar for an open mic night and an outdoor gig I never felt like I was getting lost.
The combo by itself at 150W can't produce in those settings though. If you're going to run it alone it would be best suited to acoustic or quieter settings. Think "MTV Unplugged" or something like that.

So, in short:

Looks: 10/10, not sure what else to give it. I think they're some of the most professional looking setups out there right now.

Features: 8/10, I've never been a huge fan of the VLE/VPF filters and it's purely personal opinion. I love that it has the XLR and easy to use speaker outs though. Could do with a mute switch also.

Quality: NR My particular combo had been rehearsed with and gigged at least once before I got it and it looks brand new. So kudos to the original owner and to MB for making a product that stands up to the rigors of actual use. Also, thus far I haven't had any issues with anything breaking. So hooray.

Sound: 9/10 Mark Bass produces yet another transparent combo that showcases you and your instruments more than it shows its brand name off. I love that I hear my basses and my playing style more than I have to worry about the amp getting in the way. I think that's why I'll be sticking with MB for a long while. The VLE and VPF are my only downsides to the sound.

Overall: 9/10


What are y'all's thoughts on this combo?
And feel free to ask any questions.

Thanks!

It's a ceramic magnet speaker correct? versus the neo they usually use.

 

[bassdog]

Could a GK Neo 112 be paired with it?

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Could a GK Neo 112 be paired with it?

I don't see why not. I think both use Speakon's.

 

[Syco_bass]

Interesting thread. Has anyone swapped out a MB LM III on this cab? Possibly replacing the speaker with a NEO style speaker. I have a Faital 15X400 NEO speaker that I would like to try in this cab, and possibly swapping out the amp to LMIII. Any info would be great before I pull the trigger on the LMlll.

Cheers

 

[Syco_bass]

Update for anyone interested. I replaced the Blackline 250 with a Mini Mark 3. Had to change out some internal brackets from one head to the other, which was no problem. The NEO Faital speaker fit right in and sounds amazing. Definitely and upgrade to tone/clarity/attack and volume/headroom. The new combo weighs about 7lbs lighter to boot. Win/Win/Win.

 

[Lfreitaz]

Hi all, this an old tread and maybe irrelevant now. I also took the head out of the combo and made a cover out of acrylic, used 4 standard M4 screws(I think) and now I use the head paired with the MB 1x15 original speaker plus a EBS 1x12 neoline. Also had to craft an extension cable ( don't use instrument cable). This way I have a mini bass tower with the full 250watt and it sounds great.
Taking the head out was a bit difficult the first time but after some tilting and some brute force it was out. It't also good if you need to get rid of those crancking sounds on the potentiometers. Will be easy to spray with contact cleaner or to take out the dust that accumulates during the years.
Peace out

 

[Daddy-R]

I have a Rumble 100, need more oomph. Looking and tried a Rumble 200 and it seems to do the job. About the same price as the Markbass - which would you choose? Pretty much play small clubs, senior resorts, small church and rehears.