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MarkBass - worth the price?

#21
Even putting the yellow color aside, I coudln't really get a markbass rig to sound right for me. Now if I had to put up with that yellow color, It had better soudn not only like my tone, but better.
I think for a certain kind of player they are great. I bet with an active Jazz bass they are the shizzle. But I play Sterlings and Stingrays. The way the midrange piles up in the preamp from teh MM humbucker and the inherent wooliness to the markbass sound was not to my liking.
 
#22
I've played through a few different one's at various jam nights close to where i live. Usually the more egotistical players bring their own amps to share and show off. It's like some show and shine event, lolz. I just smile, keep my mouth shut and play through anything because it beats me humping the old SVT just to play a few numbers.

Personally i've found them all to be average / ok but very serile and flat. All I can do is compare to my 70's SVT and it's like going from the light into the dark. There is simply not the same dynamic, harmonic, tonemonic, valvemonic ness :D

Hey each to their own, a variety of choice i suppose.
 
#23
bigbottomend said:
I've played through a few different one's at various jam nights close to where i live. Usually the more egotistical players bring their own amps to share and show off. It's like some show and shine event, lolz. I just smile, keep my mouth shut and play through anything because it beats me humping the old SVT just to play a few numbers.

Personally i've found them all to be average / ok but very serile and flat. All I can do is compare to my 70's SVT and it's like going from the light into the dark. There is simply not the same dynamic, harmonic, tonemonic, valvemonic ness :D

Hey each to their own, a variety of choice i suppose.
Click to expand...

They don't indeed colorize your bass guitar sound -- that's how you bass sounds in the first place. It's easy to add valve/dirt et rest on top of it but harder to produce a punchy clean amp that shows the real bass guitar sound.
 
#24
To give a better example. If I use my ATK through a GK or Ampeg I get the GK rails sound or the Amped valve saturation sound which is nice, but I might as well use any other bass guitar to sound pretty much the same. While with a MarkBass setup I could hear -- amplified -- the ATK sound which is 70% Ray plus the ATK spin on it.

Or, if someone has a crappy bass with no characteristics, that's what they will hear on a MarkBass system. Same with sloppy playing, a MB system is brutal with less technical players.
 
#25
ksandvik said:
They don't indeed colorize your bass guitar sound -- that's how you bass sounds in the first place. It's easy to add valve/dirt et rest on top of it but harder to produce a punchy clean amp that shows the real bass guitar sound.
Click to expand...

What ? markbass amps colour the sound ? I think your right, they do have a flat woolyness. If i need any dirt i just turn up or run a pedal into ch2 and mix with the clean one. Very rare though as i like the clean tube sound from the SVT and it's plenty punchy enough.
 
#26
bigbottomend said:
What ? markbass amps colour the sound ? I think your right, they do have a flat woolyness. If i need any dirt i just turn up or run a pedal into ch2 and mix with the clean one. Very rare though as i like the clean tube sound from the SVT and it's plenty punchy enough.
Click to expand...

Yes if you just want dirt/colorization from an amp, most likely MarkBass is not for you, with the exception of the tube pre-amp versions. I need flexibility with my gigs so I can't just play with punk-dirt all the time.
 
#27
I have yet to try a MB cab, but I love the LM II..and it was definitely worth the money. I got it used in the talk bass classifieds about two years ago and I haven't used another amp since. My previous amp was a Walter Woods (Amber), so that is saying something for these Mark Bass amps..I use it with an Epifani 3x10..
 
#28
ksandvik said:
Yes if you just want dirt/colorization from an amp, most likely MarkBass is not for you, with the exception of the tube pre-amp versions. I need flexibility with my gigs so I can't just play with punk-dirt all the time.
Click to expand...

Well i don't want dirt, unless i drive it hard like i said. What i am saying is exactly that, from my point of view markbass amps do colour the tone to a flat woolyness. I have a straight forward P bass, their pretty standard things, can be quite dynamic. In most amps i've played through they sound quite similar, i've had fender amps, trace elliots, peavy's and settled on the ampeg. Like i said, each to their own.
 
#29
Reasonable priced, considering what you get for the $. There is a lot of buzz about the brand for different reasons and they have strong US sales through GC. Not for everyone, and as you will hear many times- "play what you like" If other amps in the same price range do a better job for you, then there ya go.

I have no brand "loyalty" and have no problem mixing/pairing different components to find the right feel, sound and weight at the right price point.
GK, TC, MarkBass, Genz Benz, Aguilar (and others) all have excellent offerings in the <$1000 zone that are gig-worthy. Go play!! Enjoy!
 
#30
bigbottomend said:
Well i don't want dirt, unless i drive it hard like i said. What i am saying is exactly that, from my point of view markbass amps do colour the tone to a flat woolyness. I have a straight forward P bass, their pretty standard things, can be quite dynamic. In most amps i've played through they sound quite similar, i've had fender amps, trace elliots, peavy's and settled on the ampeg. Like i said, each to their own.
Click to expand...

Talking about sound is like dancing with architecture. Anyway, the interesting thing is that MarkBass is known for it's specific mid-range sound. Some might like it, some not. So the best is to take a trip to GC and dance with a MarkBass rig for a while.

Not that the Markbass youtube channel is also a good way to check the sound, or:

 
#34
bigbottomend said:
Great playing, but i think that sounds horrible, flat and uninteresting.
Click to expand...
I don't see a mic on the amp anywhere, so I'm going to say you're hearing a DI.

I'm not too sure your P-Bass sounds more interesting than the bass Kennedy is playing. :)

I like my MarkBass rig a lot. I have a SA450 amp and a 104HF cab. I cut the upper midrange--a touch--at around 800Hz and use (just) a bit of the VPF to tame the mids. It always sounds better with a band than on it's own. It sounds GREAT with a band.
 
#35
Well again that's all down to what you "personally" like your own bass to sound like. Everyone has a different opinion. I'm being totally honest, the sound i like comes from my P bass, i think it's very interesting thats why i have one ...and it's a million miles from that Kennedy bloke, whoever he is. But i guess it fits the style of their music, again not my thing but i appreciate it.
 
#38
I've never played onstage with a Markbass, but whenever I pass through Seattle I always take a timeout to go to GC by the airport. Recently I was lucky enough to try out the 112 version and I have to admit, there was something very special about the sound. I wouldn't say it sounded like Geddy Lee or Jefferson Airplane, but it was round, full and very loud for a small combo. I was very taken by the sound. Some people are anti yellow but I think they look nice.

I think one great thing MB has done for the industry is it's raised the ante quite a bit. Remember not too long ago superlight powerful combos were only a dream. Even 210's were heavy. Now, everyone's scrambling to make superlight combos that rock the house.

I'm in the market to buy a new bass combo that's expandable with a detachable head or the ability to add an external larger speaker for loud shows. I like the MB systems but I think there are now attractive alternatives for two or three hundred dollars less.

But I will never forget that smile I got on my face the first time I turned that little Markbass combo up :-)
 
#39
I have literately clocked in "hundreds" of gigs using Markbass Heads.
(Not to mention they are used on a daily basis for years).

Usually the LMKII but the MoMark as well.

I don't find a distortion effect persay to them, but they do have there on take (like any amplifier company) on where their 'relative flat eq' should be at.

I have tried them with many cabinets they match up great with Bergs and Baers. I don't see myself using anything else anytime soon.
 
#40
I used to be a totaly MarkBass only person but I started getting bored with the sound, not sure why, anyhow, I sold all my Mark gear.

I owned the Mark Berlin 115 and NY 115 ext cab, also had the CMD 112p combo,,,,,,,, nowdays I am owning all GK combo's,,,, the MB212, MB210 and MB112.

In the last few days I had even been thinking about getting the MarkBass CMD 102P combo, so last night I took my Gallian Krueger MB210 into my local GC and compared it side by side with the Mark 102P combo,,,,, I am no longer thinking about getting the Mark combo,,,, I was actually shocked at how much better I thought my GK 2x10 was over the Mark 2x10 .

Yea,,, MarkBass is great stuff but I have found I like the sound of Gallian Krueger better,, plus GK is cheaper and even lighter than Mark.

The plan now is to order the GK MBE210 ext cab to run with my GK MB210 combo,,,,,,,, I might even go nuts and pre-order the soon to be released GK MB410 combo.

Ya can never have enough bass amps ;)

Cheers
Davyo
 

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