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Markbass F500 vs Little Mark III

soaf

soaf

Jul 27, 2013
150
7
#1
The difference in features is obvious... what I am looking to know is the difference in tone. I recently tried a Little Mark III and was beside myself with how amazing it sounded! I currently play a Genz Benz ShuttleMAX 9.2 and have owned an Ampeg PF800. I much preferred the Ampeg over the Genz Benz tone-wise. The GB is made like a tin piece of crap with cheap plastic knobs and lacks in treble. The Ampeg sounds amazing but was totally unreliable (cuts out mid-song), even after a $160 repair trip to an Ampeg Service Centre, and no help from Ampeg company to rectify the problem. Thanks Ampeg!

I want to try Markbass but before I take the plunge on a Little Mark III should I consider a used F500 (now discontinued) or even the Momark Black 800? I like the parametric mid controls avail on each unit. Will the F500 have the same tone circuit as the Little Mark III?

Thank you.
 
#3
I used to have a SA450 and LMII. I first went for the SA450 for the better EQ but found most of the time I would use it almost flat, and mainly use the two filters.
For me either head worked just fine most of the time.
I now have a F1 head and although I would love a F500 I still don't think I would use the EQ much. I should add I use a Darkglass VMTD and before getting that a BDDI that did most of the tone shaping. I find the MB heads a bit bland and have needed these to liven things up a bit. not for distortion, just more warmth.

Anyway, back to the question. To my ears the F series heads still have a warmth to them, still have that MB tone, but are a bit more definded in the low end. They seem to have a bit more attack and articulation to the notes, without quite as much heft and warmth to the. I've used pretty much the same cabs with the different heads.
For me the F1 was the best of the lot, as long as I didn't need the extra EQ. I did miss the low mid boost I had from my old SA450 at first but I can get by and to be honest that was a legacy from my Ashdown MAG.

I should add I've never played a LMIII, and I think these sound slightly different to the older LMII so my post might not help anyway.
 
#4
I've owned both. Definitely prefer the LMIII over the F500. Much fuller and warmer tone. I now use a Little Mark 800.

btw, The Made in Italy stuff sounds better than the Made in Indonesia.
 
#10
soaf said:
I'd jump all over the Little Mark III if it only had a mute switch and parametric mid control.
Click to expand...

Then what is the point of starting this thread? Tone should trump anything else IMO. The F500 did not sound as good IMO as the LMIII even though the F500 had the sweepable mids.
 
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