As a noob, I will admit that I was a little surprised that both MarkBass and Orange weren't praised unanimously here on TB. But I think the real reason quickly became obvious to me: Neither brand is a good value. Nothing wrong with them, quality gear, just priced way higher than LOTS of other great sounding quality gear. My $.02
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Markbass ? Why the dislike ?
- Thread starter PeaveyPlayer
- Start date
The Little Mark series may have reached its logical conclusion. I believe the Ninja line is the next progression from what I've seen. And some of that stuff is amazing, if you like MarkBass. I've been doing some subbing on guitar, which gives me a new perspective on checking out bass rigs. One of the bass players I work with has a Ninja head and 2X12. Um, wow. Yeah. Plenty of headroom to spare on loud-ass stages and great transparent MarkBass tone.
But alas, the Ninja line has a lime green and yellow aesthetic, so I'm sure that will immediately turn off about 80% of TB'ers.
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I don't get any hype on anything produced in Italy. My father is Italian as is my last name and most of my family, yet I know it's one of the worst manufacturing qualities in the world. Now, don't any of you read the JD Power or Consumer Reports anual surveys on car reliability i.e.? Don't any of you know about FIAT/Alfa/Lancia, (F)is (I)t (A)gain (T)ony, the worst cars produced in the world? I'd get Indonesian or even Chinese over Italian any day of the week. Anybody claiming something Italian made as the real thing vs. any other manufacturing country sounds totally laughable to me. I mean, Italy man, from cars to home appliances they'll crap on you, easily, that's what they do, it's sorta like the norm.
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Don't get me wrong, I am happy for products to be made ANYWHERE as long as it's good quality. I have some Mexican Fenders that are better than USA Fenders (the higher end Mexican Fenders). I have an Epiphone Casino that is pretty damn impressive and it's a Chinese instrument, although I had to get a few to get a good one.
My complaint with Markbass is a confusing product line and what seems like no real 'deal' for the consumer in moving manufacturing, plus it seemed to happen very suddenly. I would want proof that the latest LM3 is as good as a LM2/3 from say 5 years back.
My complaint with Markbass is a confusing product line and what seems like no real 'deal' for the consumer in moving manufacturing, plus it seemed to happen very suddenly. I would want proof that the latest LM3 is as good as a LM2/3 from say 5 years back.
Well, I was playing on a jam session lately and the rig was a Markbass 410 (can't remember the Markbass head). No matter how I tweaked the tone controls I couldn't get a usable sound out of it, the 410 has such a colored sound that it puts it stamp on it no matter what you do. Even changing the pickup setting on my bass didn't do much, it all sounded sort of the same....Definitely not my kind of cabinets...
If the filter controls were up that was probably why. They add a mid scoop or a high cut depending and which you're adjusting.
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Yeah, very common for those to be straight up thinking that's the neutral position. At least from the amps you see in stores.
Personally I never had the chance to play neither their cabinets or amps.
So can't really comment on that one.
When that is said, even if I love the color orange, the Markbass logo is ugly in my opinion, way too big, and have an ugly shade of orange.
Not that it would keep me from buying a Markbass product, if it really was what I wanted sound wise, even if I most probably would remove or cover up the logo.
However from what I heard they are not exactly what I am looking for.
I like the Trace Elliot SM series and similar when it comes to solid states, Galien Kruger possibly, from what I heard, even if I haven't ever personally tried a Gallien Kruger either, and the Ampeg B-15 sound when it comes to tube amps.
And then, unlike Markbass's amps, I love the look of the older Trace Elliots and B-15s as well.
So can't really comment on that one.
When that is said, even if I love the color orange, the Markbass logo is ugly in my opinion, way too big, and have an ugly shade of orange.
Not that it would keep me from buying a Markbass product, if it really was what I wanted sound wise, even if I most probably would remove or cover up the logo.
However from what I heard they are not exactly what I am looking for.
I like the Trace Elliot SM series and similar when it comes to solid states, Galien Kruger possibly, from what I heard, even if I haven't ever personally tried a Gallien Kruger either, and the Ampeg B-15 sound when it comes to tube amps.
And then, unlike Markbass's amps, I love the look of the older Trace Elliots and B-15s as well.
I have played many hundreds of gigs in the last few years using -almost- exclusively Markbass. Depending on the gig I use one of:
Cmd 151P Combo
Cmd 121 P Combo (this is also my home practice amp)
LM II -> 2 x 102P cabs.
All these are essentially the same amp.
I've used them and been happy plugging everything from passive, actives, fretless, piezos. Someone will prove me wrong, but I have not found anything to compete with the 151 Combo in terms of spl:weight in a one handed lift. The VPE works great for me. Plenty of power, the tone stack is simple and makes sense, built well, and mine do not have easy lives, often handled by "helpers", days on end in the back of the truck in all kinds of weather. Also, the stuff is light, and I am carrying a bunch of old rugby injuries, so if it's not light I basically have to stay home.
Stuff I don't like but have tolerated: Color, Rat fur, Price (although mine have well and truly paid their way over the years). And for the love of ..... a properly implemented mute switch seems not too much to ask.
Mike
Cmd 151P Combo
Cmd 121 P Combo (this is also my home practice amp)
LM II -> 2 x 102P cabs.
All these are essentially the same amp.
I've used them and been happy plugging everything from passive, actives, fretless, piezos. Someone will prove me wrong, but I have not found anything to compete with the 151 Combo in terms of spl:weight in a one handed lift. The VPE works great for me. Plenty of power, the tone stack is simple and makes sense, built well, and mine do not have easy lives, often handled by "helpers", days on end in the back of the truck in all kinds of weather. Also, the stuff is light, and I am carrying a bunch of old rugby injuries, so if it's not light I basically have to stay home.
Stuff I don't like but have tolerated: Color, Rat fur, Price (although mine have well and truly paid their way over the years). And for the love of ..... a properly implemented mute switch seems not too much to ask.
Mike
A couple of years ago, i had a Tonehammer on order and a few weeks to wait for it. It was gigging season and i needed a replacement. I figured i'd buy the first amp that pops up second hand for a good price so I can sell it off with no or minimal loss when the Tonehammer arrives.
The amp i got was a Little Mark II.
The Tonehammer arrived, but i could not bring myself to sell the LM.
It is such an easy amp. Tiny, loud, and super easy to set up. All my EQ is between 11 and 1 o'clock. Just set it flat, try it out and make some minimal adjustments. Some VLE for oldschool or some VPF for midscoop and go.
The amp feels quite aggressive. The lows are aggressively dry, the mids have an aggressive punch and the highs add aggressive sparkle that pierces eardrums.
I kept it because it is everything the Tonehammer is not. But I can absolutely see why this is not everybody's cup of tea.
The amp i got was a Little Mark II.
The Tonehammer arrived, but i could not bring myself to sell the LM.
It is such an easy amp. Tiny, loud, and super easy to set up. All my EQ is between 11 and 1 o'clock. Just set it flat, try it out and make some minimal adjustments. Some VLE for oldschool or some VPF for midscoop and go.
The amp feels quite aggressive. The lows are aggressively dry, the mids have an aggressive punch and the highs add aggressive sparkle that pierces eardrums.
I kept it because it is everything the Tonehammer is not. But I can absolutely see why this is not everybody's cup of tea.
SD800 with 410 & 115 has been my workhorse for the past 9 years with very few problems and Im happy with my sound.
Yep, from top craftsmanship to laughable in 3 centuries. Sad, I know ;-)
I've owned some Markbass gear in the past (104 HLF 4x10 cab, Little Mark 800 head, 121p combo, and the 151 Jeff Berlin Combo). The 4x10 cab was very light and sounded ok. I personally did not like the sound of the cab. I sold the LMT800 and the 4x10 cab to fund the 121p. The 121p had this hiss from the piezo tweeter that I could not get rid of. I owned it for one day then I returned it and got the 151. I played one gig with the 151 and it sounded good, but I need something a little bit louder on stage. So I returned the 151 the next day and ordered a Mesa/Boogie Traditional Powerhouse 2x10 cab with a GK MB500 head and have never looked back. I love the sound of the Mesa/GK combo.
I have an old LMK II and my main gripe about Markbass is their EQ choices. I forget the actual numbers (of course!) but Low is around 40hz, while Low Mid is something really quite high – 400hz? Anyway it means that the Bass control is really only useful as a high-pass / low cut, and you can't boost the "punch" zone of 80-250hz except by cutting other frequencies.
That said, it generally sounds fine
and it's lasted ~10 years of being shoved in and out of backpacks and generally slung around the place on the way to gigs and studios.
That said, it generally sounds fine
and it's lasted ~10 years of being shoved in and out of backpacks and generally slung around the place on the way to gigs and studios.
I didn't know the brand until a short time ago and was quite astonished as they fit my sound goal: something warm sounding with quite wide variability between vintageish aka dull and at least the possibility to go on the bright side of sound for slapping. Just yesterday I spent a lot time in a local music store to check out what exactly it would be to fit my taste and purse.
It was (is) actually a Markbass 121 Alain Caron combo!
I seem to hate clinical sounding amps (alike TC) and did not want to got walk the 'too heavy to carry it alone' path again.
Intended up checking which damn tweeter is built into the cabs - none was a no go for me because of variability. Piezos hurt my ears, horns too (even they say in a listening distance of a few meters it's fine - but I am not on stages and especially not big ones in the moment).
The 121 AC combo has a compression driver with no (or maybe minimal size) horn and sounds very smooth in the highs. Default sound is nice in the highs (not annoying as long you push the treble on an active bass), warm/punchy because of the built in low mids bump and more than enough depth. Power? Yes! Take 500W for the base and another 300 afaik for the tweeter - should be enough to get deaf fast and shake the house. In fact it's a kind of smooth fatty sounding active speaker with a bass Preamp - and I luv it
And the weight tag says 15 something kg^^
No chance to say no
It was (is) actually a Markbass 121 Alain Caron combo!
I seem to hate clinical sounding amps (alike TC) and did not want to got walk the 'too heavy to carry it alone' path again.
Intended up checking which damn tweeter is built into the cabs - none was a no go for me because of variability. Piezos hurt my ears, horns too (even they say in a listening distance of a few meters it's fine - but I am not on stages and especially not big ones in the moment).
The 121 AC combo has a compression driver with no (or maybe minimal size) horn and sounds very smooth in the highs. Default sound is nice in the highs (not annoying as long you push the treble on an active bass), warm/punchy because of the built in low mids bump and more than enough depth. Power? Yes! Take 500W for the base and another 300 afaik for the tweeter - should be enough to get deaf fast and shake the house. In fact it's a kind of smooth fatty sounding active speaker with a bass Preamp - and I luv it
And the weight tag says 15 something kg^^
No chance to say no
My only gripe is no direct control for 80-250Hz on my LMIII and CMD 121H combo. Low mids are centered at 360Hz. BUT...darn thing still sounds good. I get different tones by turning my bass volume down a tad and turning amp volume up. Normally, I have the eq knobs at noon, VLE sometimes up to noon, and VPF off. The LM series comes with a good built-in sound out of the box. Sometimes I have turned the low knob back to 10:00 to manage some venues.
