• 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.

MarkBass LM 800

jnewmark

jnewmark

Just wanna play the groove.
Supporting Member
Aug 31, 2006
10,120
7,019
NW Ohio
Disclosures
Third St. Cigar Records staff musician.
#1
Had a chance last night to play through a MarkBass LM800 ( not the tube ) head. From what I remember about the Little Mark II, this one seemed louder, but not that much louder. This was not on the gig , but over at a friend's house, out of a 115 cab ( I think it was a generic TL606 with an Emi 15 ). Anyways, did a search here, but most threads seem to be about the LMTube 800, and not much about the LM800.

Anybody own this head? I'm mainly interested in the increase in volume when using a 4 ohm cab. One poster said the LM800 is vastly different than the LMT 800 head, but I could'nt find any other comments. Any thoughts would be appreciated ! Remember: not the LMTube 800, just the LM 800 ! Thanks !
 
#3
Hey, I'd like to know, too. I sometimes wish I had gotten it instead of my LMIII. I don't really need all the watts, but it might be good to have so much headroom, I dunno. All I can remember is someone somewhere saying that it had a little different tone than the LMII/III . Sorry I don't remember better.
 
#4
It seems like the LMTube 800 got most of the play and attention. It's hard to believe that the LM800 was'nt jumped on as hard. :eyebrow:
 
#6
jnewmark said:
It seems like the LMTube 800 got most of the play and attention. It's hard to believe that the LM800 was'nt jumped on as hard. :eyebrow:
Click to expand...

If you didn't dig the 1200, my guess is you would like the LM800 (with its less powerful EQ) even less. However, this is the only of the 800 series amps I haven't owned or even tried. Given my experience with the other 800's, I had no interest in even trying this one. IMO there. There was one post saying the LM800 sounds signficantly different from the LMT800 (which I hated), but who knows. Don't care at this point!

I did not really notice a volume difference between my SD800 and my F1/F500, just a deeper low end and a different upper midrange response. Through most cabs, you would not really notice much of a difference once you get beyond 500 watts, but you probably will notice a bit more open low end, for better or worse.
 
#7
KJung said:
If you didn't dig the 1200, my guess is you would like the LM800 (with its less powerful EQ) even less. However, this is the only of the 800 series amps I haven't owned or even tried. Given my experience with the other 800's, I had no interest in even trying this one. IMO there. There was one post saying the LM800 sounds signficantly different from the LMT800 (which I hated), but who knows. Don't care at this point!

I did not really notice a volume difference between my SD800 and my F1/F500, just a deeper low end and a different upper midrange response. Through most cabs, you would not really notice much of a difference once you get beyond 500 watts, but you probably will notice a bit more open low end, for better or worse.
Click to expand...

So, you are saying that the " 800 " series of MB amps sound different than their little brothers ? I was kinda hoping the LM 800 would just be a louder LMII, but I'll be danged if I can find any comments on it, compared to the LMII.
 
#8
jnewmark said:
So, you are saying that the " 800 " series of MB amps sound different than their little brothers ? I was kinda hoping the LM 800 would just be a louder LMII, but I'll be danged if I can find any comments on it, compared to the LMII.
Click to expand...

I have not played that amp, so can't say. All I know is that the other two 800 series are in NO way a higher powered LMII, or even a higher powered F1/F500.

I don't buy that the LM800 is 'massively different' from the LMT800... doesn't make any sense. However, that one poster seems to think they are very different amps. As you know, still VERY different descriptions of the SD1200 also, so I've kind of given up on the whole thing.

I again found that neither the SD800 nor the LMT800 had any similarity to the LMII or the F500, and they are two of only a handful of heads that I literally could not EQ to work at all for my sound.
 
#10
The big difference between the LMIII and the LM800 is that the LM800 uses a digital power amp, whereas the LMIII has an analog power amp. I don't know the technical details behind why the analog one sounds better, but I tried both out, and the analog amp just has a warmer sound.

Very honestly, the difference in volume is negligible. I'd go with the LMIII if I were you. Pair that up with an original Sans Amp Bass DI pedal, and you've got a perfect bass tone every time.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back