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Markbass Megathread PART 3

#321
Vic said:
Hey, all "TB Blarney" set aside :) I am curious, especially since they don't have a regular bass guitar player in the band, what brought them up in your mind first... especially since, as great as they are, I don't consider them to be super unique. I know you're an accomplished bass player, so my first instinct would be you're a fan because you sat in with them at some point... maybe know some of them personally? Friends?

This is not to say we as bass players can't like bands that don't have them, of course, but just that generally we do tend to typically gravitate more to those that do.
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Nope, never met any of them.

As a bassist who's been around this stuff for more than thirty years, I got bored with the idea of focusing on bass guitar-driven projects a while ago. Two of my favorite groups recently have been Soulive and Joshua Redman's Elastic band with Neal Evans and Sam Yahel respectively on keys. It's just a different approach to the bass function and I like it.

Actually Soulive is a pretty old school approach to groove IMO, mixed with newer elements. Reminds me of Jimmy Smith, Eddie Harris, etc. back in the 60/70's. So no, they aren't "unique" but who else grooves like them?

That old school type of ensemble groove was what I was referring to.

BTW if you haven't already, check out Flea and M'eshell N'degeocello on Joshua Redman's last (IIRC) cd.

While I think gravitating towards bass players in bands is cool, I tend to listen to everything. I'm a big Jimmy Haslip fan but when I went to see the Yellowjackets (back when Marc Russo was still with them) I was fascinated with Will Kennedy's drumming.

I'm just more interested in how all of the pieces fit together.
:cool:

Guess I should mention that my appreciation for keyboard bass started with Stevie Wonder. Styill one of my favorite "bassists". I really don't distinguish between what instrument is filling the role.
:)
 
#322
I don't like Soulive as much as I [think I] am supposed to. We cover a few of their tunes - "Roll The Tape", "One in Seven", and "Take It Easy". The tunes are cool enough, but Soulive's sound is, to my ears anyway, so totally identifiable that their whole body of work sounds like many sections of one long song. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but you get my point?
 
#323
WJGreer said:
I don't like Soulive as much as I [think I] am supposed to. We cover a few of their tunes - "Roll The Tape", "One in Seven", and "Take It Easy". The tunes are cool enough, but Soulive's sound is, to my ears anyway, so totally identifiable that their whole body of work sounds like many sections of one long song. Well, that might be an exaggeration, but you get my point?
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You cover more of their stuff than most people;)

I agree, they sound like Soulive.
 
#324
Brad Johnson said:
You cover more of their stuff than most people;)

I agree, they sound like Soulive.
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True dat. All but "Take It Easy" were in our book when I joined this band though. I think we do so much Soulive because the tunes are easy to learn (many are modal with easy heads), and good fit for our instrumentation.

Ironically, and perhaps as a cosmic message, at the exact moment I clicked on this thread to read it, my iPod shuffled in a Soulive tune. It's the song called "Evidence", which makes it even more strange.
 
#325
Isn't it amazing how many people use MB amps to drive other cabs and they all say how you still get that sound? You guys have no idea how badly I want to go to my storage unit, drag out my early issue SVT cab, and drag it up a flight of stairs to try the LM II with it.

That might have to wait a while.
 
#326
So anyway, just thought I'd let you guys know about my first Bowzer gig with my Mini CMD121P. Small theater, about 650 people, two shows. It's a Christmas show, so I gussied up my combo with a big gold bow and a Snoopy Christmas balloon. That's important.

First thing I did when I plugged in was turn it up 3/4 of the way and play the bassline to "Lazy" by Deep Purple. I believe that served my purpose as an opening statement. Then I quickly turned down to oldies show levels. Everyone started trickling in and I annoyed them all immensely with constant demonstrations and cries of "Can you believe it?" Unfortunately, all I proved to them is that it could be loud so they got even more annoyed. And Bowzer's one of these guys who hates to hear the bass and constantly tells me to turn down when I'm barely on. So we rehearse, and everyone starts noticing the difference in tone. Bowzer, for the first time ever, actually came over and stood in front of my amp for a minute so he could get a direct shot. It was at a volume I could never live with out of any other amp, yet it still felt amazing. The beauty thing was it's so small I could put it 8 feet behind me and really hear the sound bloom. Afterwards, they all told me how great it felt and how it was never overbearing, even when I gradually cranked it to well past Bowzer-acceptable levels (just on the very first volume indicator dot). And he got pretty stoked when I told him I had the head from the combo to fly with.

I used my SX P copy and my Dean Rhapsody 8-string for a couple Phil Spector Christmas songs. I started out with the amp flat and the gain up halfway. But it wasn't quite old-school enough for doo wop and 50's rock and roll, so I experimented with the VLE treble cut knob, and found old school at 10 o'clock. When we did the Spector stuff, I turned the VLE knob off and pulled out a pick so I could hear my 8-string clang away. And clang it did, but with this unbelievable warmth that didn't sound at all out of line with the P.

I've got to try this amp on a lot of different music over the last three days on quite a few basses, including an upright. It hasn't let me down once. I am a dyed in the wool tube nut. The SVT, to me, was the amp that every other amp was judged by. No solid state amp ever came close before Markbass. Markbass beats Ampeg as far as I'm concerned, and the reason is its ability to sound great with next to nothing for volume or fully cranked.

BTW, there is only one place to put these little cabinets and combos to maximize their impact, and that's directly on the floor. So what if it's not hitting you in the back of the head? Put it as far back as it can go on the floor, and stand away from it. You'll hear it. It may not be what you're used to, but you'll hear it and you'll get used to it quickly. You really do its bass response a disservice by putting it on an amp stand (I'm assuming that despite evidence I've seen to the contrary, nobody would ever dream of propping it up on a lowly milk crate).

Also BTW (sorry), I tried the head's DI. Worked great. Would love to record out of it to compare a little, but I'm having a bit of a problem with that lately. I'll post comparison sound clips from it and my Microbass II when I get it working.
 
#329
WJGreer said:
We may be shooting at a different sonic target. I find the bass response to be acceptable with the cabinet on a stand. I understand, though, how you may find that the floor helps you achieve a warm, bloomy tone. To each his own!
Click to expand...
Bloomy...that's a good word. Yep, I'm definitely the bloomy kind. I love Marcus Miller but I'm not into that tone at all. But if you want it for yourself, you can easily get it with it.
 
#331
I have a SA450 as an Xmas present, and a Bergantino HT112 to go with it....so I get to look at two boxes for a few more weeks...

Luckily I went home sick one day last week...the same day FEDEX LEFT IT ON MY DOORSTEP in NOVA SCOTIA at the END OF NOVEMBER.
 
#332
Well, that isn't quite as bad as DHL leaving $15k of server equipment on my doorstep. no knock, no doorbell. I checked the status and it said "delivered". Huh. Great big "SIGNATURE REQUIRED" sticker on it too.

They don't really care.

Had similar problems with UPS and signature required things.

Have I ever mentioned I wub my markbass gear?
Love having gigs where I get to crank up and feel the bass!
 
#334
threshar said:
Well, that isn't quite as bad as DHL leaving $15k of server equipment on my doorstep. no knock, no doorbell. I checked the status and it said "delivered". Huh. Great big "SIGNATURE REQUIRED" sticker on it too.

They don't really care.

Had similar problems with UPS and signature required things.

Have I ever mentioned I wub my markbass gear?
Love having gigs where I get to crank up and feel the bass!
Click to expand...

Same here. Fortunately I live in a neighborhood of nice people... I've come home to find bass guitars boxes standing vertical at my front door, easily visible from the street. Signature required:rolleyes:

Then again, I was so tired after one gig that I took my rig out of the car, put it on the handcart... then went in the house.
:eek:


It was still at the back of the car in my driveway, right by the street when I got up the next morning.
 
#336
Sorry if this is a repeat question... I wasn't sure how to search it.

Has anyone had their MB amp for a significant amount of time enough to comment on the reliability & quality? I believe the first time I saw ads in BP mag was in 2005, has MB only been in the US for 2 yrs? I've read a few threads here of amps failing when they are fairly new - just making sure that it is simply the ratio of good to bad - that one out of every so many will be a bad one - and so far it's in our favor.

I love my CMD102P and dread of having to get rid of it because of a reliability issue down the line.

Thanks! :bassist:
 
#337
I just picked up a Mark Bass Little Mark II from GC and all I can say is WOW. I didn't believe that something so small/light could sound so big and warm. And the fact that GC throws in their 2 yr war. makes it even better. This little head smokes!!!
 
#338
YCBass said:
Sorry if this is a repeat question... I wasn't sure how to search it.

Has anyone had their MB amp for a significant amount of time enough to comment on the reliability & quality? I believe the first time I saw ads in BP mag was in 2005, has MB only been in the US for 2 yrs? I've read a few threads here of amps failing when they are fairly new - just making sure that it is simply the ratio of good to bad - that one out of every so many will be a bad one - and so far it's in our favor.

I love my CMD102P and dread of having to get rid of it because of a reliability issue down the line.

Thanks! :bassist:
Click to expand...

These have been in Europe and Canada for some time now. There have been some posts of some problems but it appears that they are being or have been taken care of.
 
#339
YCBass said:
Sorry if this is a repeat question... I wasn't sure how to search it.

Has anyone had their MB amp for a significant amount of time enough to comment on the reliability & quality? I believe the first time I saw ads in BP mag was in 2005, has MB only been in the US for 2 yrs? I've read a few threads here of amps failing when they are fairly new - just making sure that it is simply the ratio of good to bad - that one out of every so many will be a bad one - and so far it's in our favor.

I love my CMD102P and dread of having to get rid of it because of a reliability issue down the line.

Thanks! :bassist:
Click to expand...

Had my LMII for more than a year. 2-4 gigs per week (5 this week). No problems.
 

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