Markbass Megathread PART 3

[DavidRavenMoon]

I was amazed how good the EQ is on these amps. Very musical center frequencies, and they interact nicely. I was able to get a vast amount of tones with little effort.

I saw the VLE as a special effect. I'm not sure when I would use something like that... the sales guy said "it makes it sounds kind of like an old Ampeg..." which is exactly what the amp isn't! (thank goodness)

 

[tombowlus]

Tom, I'm pretty sure the MB cabs had a lot to do with whatever you're hearing, so another cab test would definitely be good.

Yes, my previous experience with their cabs had me leaning that way, which is why I caveat'd my initial findings.

 

[BassyBill]

As is my custom, I've just ordered myself a sweet new bit of gear for Christmas.

It's a Markbass Traveller 151P, to go with my superb CMD102P combo. Nice and portable. I got a good deal as well, looking at UK prices elsewhere. I've paid £405, delivered (absolutemusic.co.uk £415, minus £10 for using Google checkout - cool).

I occasionally use a Hartke 115xl as an extension cab, but the dang thing is just too heavy. The sound of a 15 with the 102P is just great, though, and at 37lb for the Traveller compared to 63lb for the Hartke cab, I may be inclined to inflict this awesome combination on people at a few more gigs.

I toyed with the idea of a 151HR, but it's only 10lb lighter than the Hartke. If I was going to lug that around, there's no real advantage as weight is the issue here, not tone. I don't really know how a small and light 115 like the Traveller will compete with a hefty beast like the Hartke. Despite the stick some Hartke stuff gets on here, the 115xl is a really good unit (as is the equally heavy 2.5xl I was using with it before I got the Markbass combo).

But a 1x15 cab at 37lb plus a 2x10 combo at 44lb should make a super light rig for that speaker configuration, and as long as it's somewhere close to what I've been using I'll be very happy with it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Vic]

Hey Vic, can you go into more detail on why the MB cabs aren't that great? (I haven't been able to check them out yet.) I've seen a bunch of people that didn't care for them, but I haven't seen a review or reasons why they aren't great. I know they use B&C speakers like the Epifani S1 line, so is there a problem with the tweeter/crossover? Or is it with the construction of the boxes? Is there an overall quality issue or moreso a design flaw(s)?

I wouldn't say they're "flawed", just their tone isn't my thing. Not to dis' anyone diggin' these cabs, 'cause I do think they're made well, but they just seemed kinda' dull and lifeless to my ears. I'd really have to go back to a GC and really scrutinize to try and give more specific tonal detail, but it's like, I plug the LMII into one of their 210 or 410 cabs and go "yeah, it sounds pretty nice", and then I plug into an Epifani 410, and go "HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO HAVE ONE!".

 

[GCool]

And if a GK was dead on the floor of GC, then what?



Just asking... I've never based a purchase on what was not working on the floor of a busy store. IMO it makes no sense.

I bought a pair of Eden D210XLT cabs from GC. I had seen Eden cabs in stores with blown tweeters before, yet amazingly enough mine never blew.

It does make sence!
I gig a lot so if a lill amp head can’t even hold up in a store cabled up (unable to move). That’s a bad deal..... Any way I’m not a MB hater. I just stated the fax.

 

[greenboy]

Hey Vic, can you go into more detail on why the MB cabs aren't that great? (I haven't been able to check them out yet.) I've seen a bunch of people that didn't care for them

Perhaps in the grand scheme of things that's just forum inertia, and some people with opinions just as valid will find that some particular MB cabs suit them entirely. Not important that it be a concensus {though I'm sure MB would like a majority ; } - Oar not. Anyway, the price/performance package of the heads is so attractive that it would be easy enough for some to be underwelmed by almost ANY speaker cab approach unless it were much like what they already individually favor. (Yeah, just playing devil's advocate since I have my cab needs met and then some).

I know they use B&C speakers like the Epifani S1 line

Note that OEM commissions or different models/designs could make two drivers from the same company quite different sonically (brand names usually aren't the entire story). Anyway, I believe someone mentioned that at least some of the current lineup were using drivers designed by Invalid Link Removed. I'd give some credence to that: MarkBass is lsited on the PARTNERS page there.

 

[Vic]

Wow - different strokes for different folks. To my ears, turning the VLE all the way up would sound like placing the amp behind a thick door and playing in the next room. I can see how that might deliver a big thumpy dub tone, but it would just kill me to miss out on the nice, clear, crisp high end this head delivers.

+1 Definitely would not be my thing at all.

 

[Vic]

...I know they use B&C speakers like the Epifani S1 line,...

Note that OEM commissions or different models/designs could make two drivers from the same company quite different sonically (brand names usually aren't the entire story).

BIG +1!

In other words, "I know they use B&C speakers" is clearly true, but
"like the Epifani S1 line" could VERY well be way off the mark.

 

[greenboy]

It does make sence!
I gig a lot so if a lill amp head can’t even hold up in a store cabled up (unable to move). That’s a bad deal.....

As a guy who has worked in a couple of music stores (and one who has been in a lot more) that doesn't mean much: every company has its occasional bad unit that makes it past QC, and that's true of parts from many electronic components suppliers as well.

And then there's DUMB employeees and customers who plug the wrong things into each other and bring bad juju.

And so on.

 

[GCool]

As a guy who has worked in a couple of music stores (and one who has been in a lot more) that doesn't mean much: every company has its occasional bad unit that makes it past QC, and that's true of parts from many electronic components suppliers as well.

And then there's DUMB employeees and customers who plug the wrong things into each other and bring bad juju.

And so on.

True... but when I went to test thats what I found....

 

[greenboy]

So you are saying no brand of product is to be trusted?

 

[vision]

I wouldn't say they're "flawed", just their tone isn't my thing. Not to dis' anyone diggin' these cabs, 'cause I do think they're made well, but they just seemed kinda' dull and lifeless to my ears.

Gotcha, that was really my question - if it was a quality issue or a design goal/preferred tone typ of thing going on.

Perhaps in the grand scheme of things that's just forum inertia, and some people with opinions just as valid will find that some particular MB cabs suit them entirely.

Very true, I myself have probably said on these forums something like "people don't seem to care for the MB cabs as much as the heads" but I have no experience myself to back that. I need to check them out for myself!

Note that OEM commissions or different models/designs could make two drivers from the same company quite different sonically (brand names usually aren't the entire story).

Certainly - I didn't mean to imply that as an assumption. I was moreso talking about quality (and wondering if it was a quality issue with MB cabs or a design issue). I simply meant that B&C speakers are good quality speakers so it's not like MB is using cheapo parts.

 

[greenboy]

Again though I'll point out that SICA has been mentioned by others as a supplier of OEM loads to Markbass, as well as being listed on their Partners page.

 

[vision]

So you are saying no brand of product is to be trusted?

The point is that you can't make an assumption of quality or lack therof based on one piece of gear not working at Guitar Center. Over the years I've seen individual gear from SWR, GK, Mesa, Korg, DW, Mackie, and many more brands have issues that were on the floor at GC. It doesn't make me think any less of any of those brands.

 

[tombowlus]

Hey, just to add to the confusion, I'll throw out that the new "Classic" line of sealed cabs (4x10, 6x10, 8x10) from Markbass sound quite different from the rest of their lineup, so if you have heard one of their ported designs, and for some reason it was not your cup of tea, you might want to check out their sealed cabs. From the little bit I heard them, I'd say that they are promising, and again, yet another flavor from Markbass to consider.

Tom.

 

[bugbass]

Hey, just to add to the confusion, I'll throw out that the new "Classic" line of sealed cabs (4x10, 6x10, 8x10) from Markbass sound quite different from the rest of their lineup, so if you have heard one of their ported designs, and for some reason it was not your cup of tea, you might want to check out their sealed cabs. From the little bit I heard them, I'd say that they are promising, and again, yet another flavor from Markbass to consider.

Tom.

+1

 

[Peter Murray]

Perhaps in the grand scheme of things that's just forum inertia, and some people with opinions just as valid will find that some particular MB cabs suit them entirely. Not important that it be a concensus {though I'm sure MB would like a majority ; } - Oar not. Anyway, the price/performance package of the heads is so attractive that it would be easy enough for some to be underwelmed by almost ANY speaker cab approach unless it were much like what they already individually favor. (Yeah, just playing devil's advocate since I have my cab needs met and then some).

Note that OEM commissions or different models/designs could make two drivers from the same company quite different sonically (brand names usually aren't the entire story). Anyway, I believe someone mentioned that at least some of the current lineup were using drivers designed by Invalid Link Removed. I'd give some credence to that: MarkBass is lsited on the PARTNERS page there.

FYI, SICA makes our compression drivers and horns. And Le Son makes our piezo tweeters. Neither of these companies make any speakers for us.

Marco De Virgiliis was the first person ever to use neodymium speakers in bass enclosures! He is one of the pioneers of this technology and has been working closely with B&C for many years to refine the design of our speakers. The speakers that B&C makes for Markbass cannot be used by other companies.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Peter Murray]

Hey, just to add to the confusion, I'll throw out that the new "Classic" line of sealed cabs (4x10, 6x10, 8x10) from Markbass sound quite different from the rest of their lineup, so if you have heard one of their ported designs, and for some reason it was not your cup of tea, you might want to check out their sealed cabs. From the little bit I heard them, I'd say that they are promising, and again, yet another flavor from Markbass to consider.

Tom.

Thanks Tom.

Just as another FYI, the neodymium speakers in our Classic cabinets are NOT the same as our standard yellow speakers. They are also made by B&C, they are black, and they are voiced differently to compensate for the lack of bass ports in the Classic cabinets.
Our engineers decided to include a 1" compression driver and horn in these Classic cabinets, but with an on/off switch, so you can decide whether to go for a more vintage closed-cabinet sound (with a frequency response that goes up to 5 kHz) with the horn off... or a more modern, hi-fi sound with crisper highs with the horn on (raising your frequency response to 20 kHz).
The choice is yours with the flick of a switch.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Brad Johnson]

It does make sence!
I gig a lot so if a lill amp head can’t even hold up in a store cabled up (unable to move). That’s a bad deal..... Any way I’m not a MB hater. I just stated the fax.

I gig a lot too and that still doesn't make sense unless you know why it failed. Maybe it was pulled off the top of a double stack by a boisterous customer. Maybe it was cranked with less than the minimum load. And so on.

Back to my question... if a GK was dead on the floor of GC, then what?

What does that really prove other than the product CAN fail? It certainly doesn't prove it WILL.

That makes sense.

True... but when I went to test thats what I found....

I went into a store once and played a bass with dead strings. As a result I'll never buy that model bass. That really is about how much sense this makes but by all means if it does makes sense for you, roll with it.

 

[Brad Johnson]

So you are saying no brand of product is to be trusted?

Apparently GK can.






Sorry.