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Markbass... Yes, they've started making basses too

I wonder if you know where is their Bass Factory? I asked because in the italian bassist group there was some discussion after that MB Boss said the mb gold had that price because is the TOP. Obsiously in a comunity of 14K people not everyone agreed with that.. so the company posted a video that at the end of the day didnt show a factory like for esample Kiesel... Gibson etc etc...
 
Hi all!

I've just found out with some surprise that Mark Bass is gonna present some basses at NAMM 2019. I'm pretty curious and I'll be on the fence. They make really good amps, lets see what they can do with basses.

One bass is the Richard Bona Kilimanjaro (kimandu).

View attachment 3281115

The other one is a 70s style jazz bass called Gold.

View attachment 3281114
I'd loooove the Gold if it had 2 or 3 less knobs...:laugh:
 
Somtimes you can have the best
Gear in the World, but if you dont know how to sell it it will newer
run half á mile, it seams like Markbass have people that know how to sell since they got their gear all over the world I dont know how manny diferent amps
they make?
I tried I gues 15-20 diferent mark Bass cabs & Amps, newer really wanted one, thoug RB plays
them, he makes annything Sound
Good just like Marcus M the two
big stars with the two Big Brands
Certenly looks like Mark Bass is in the footsteps of Fender

Ridchard Bona’s new Bass seams to have the body made by Zon & the neck made by Valenti, right?
 
I just played the gold one today. I can't believe how great it plays and sounds. I am 100% getting one. I've been on a jazz bass search and I've played at least a hundred jazz basses and this blew them all out of the water.
 
after actually reading the ad closely, i am even more pessimistic about this.

they're acting like what is effectively a fender knockoff is some sort of revelation.

also... am i the only one that thinks

the way the wrote this ad is really obnoxious. They chose to bold every few words to add excitement to an add for a bass none of us are going to pay whatever they are asking.
I played one today and I'm 100% getting it. Blown away and I'm not ever impressed by basses. I think fodera is just ok at best
 
Nearly two years on from the initial flurry of excitement about these basses and I still haven't seen the top of the line Kilimanjaro bass yet, not in stores, not in online retailers, not even on YouTube.

I was interested in a Kilimanjaro myself, I've got the full Markbass Richard Bona Ninja rig, so why not go the whole hog right? I contacted the biggest retailer in the UK for MB products, who probably sell more MB gear than all of the smaller stores put together, to ask about ordering one. They couldn't tell me where it was made, they didn't know the price but expected it to be upwards of £3500 / $4700 and ultimately they weren't even sure they'd be able to order one for me but were willing to try. This was about a year ago, so about a year after the basses were first revealed to the public.

Think about that for a second, the biggest retailer for MB in the UK didn't know anything about the thing and didn't even know if they could get one. If MB actually wanted to sell these things, they dropped the ball big time.

I still think that they are extremely ambitious on the pricing. I'd have considered £3500 acceptable of it was a made in a small shop in one of the richer countries in Europe, where business overheads necessitate higher product prices. However, given MBs lack of disclosure about where the Kilimanjaro is made, or was planned to be made, because I don't know if any existing outside of the NAMM bass and Richard's personal basses, I suspect they were either planning them to come from a factory in Asia or a shop in Eastern Europe. If they actually were made in Italy, you think MB would shout about it.

I have my theories about the production of the bass, mainly that wherever they were planning to get them built never panned out. It's a shame as I thought it looked cool, even if it was a knocked-off Zon with a wooden neck. I've moved on from the idea of owning one now.
 
They appear to be evaporating from the UK market. A lot of the major stores don't carry MB basses, only amplification. Thomann has only one in stock with a picture, and Bass Direct has two, both remaindered. Since the competition is very intense at this price point, it doesn't look like a great loss.

I wouldn't be in the market, anyway; no left-handers available. In the £1500-2500 price range for MarkBass's lower-end basses, I'm limited to Fender, Ibanez, Ric, Spector, ESP, Sire/Cort, Warwick, Sadowsky, Schechter, and if I don't mind waiting, MM.
 
Nearly two years on from the initial flurry of excitement about these basses and I still haven't seen the top of the line Kilimanjaro bass yet, not in stores, not in online retailers, not even on YouTube.

I was interested in a Kilimanjaro myself, I've got the full Markbass Richard Bona Ninja rig, so why not go the whole hog right? I contacted the biggest retailer in the UK for MB products, who probably sell more MB gear than all of the smaller stores put together, to ask about ordering one. They couldn't tell me where it was made, they didn't know the price but expected it to be upwards of £3500 / $4700 and ultimately they weren't even sure they'd be able to order one for me but were willing to try. This was about a year ago, so about a year after the basses were first revealed to the public.

Think about that for a second, the biggest retailer for MB in the UK didn't know anything about the thing and didn't even know if they could get one. If MB actually wanted to sell these things, they dropped the ball big time.

I still think that they are extremely ambitious on the pricing. I'd have considered £3500 acceptable of it was a made in a small shop in one of the richer countries in Europe, where business overheads necessitate higher product prices. However, given MBs lack of disclosure about where the Kilimanjaro is made, or was planned to be made, because I don't know if any existing outside of the NAMM bass and Richard's personal basses, I suspect they were either planning them to come from a factory in Asia or a shop in Eastern Europe. If they actually were made in Italy, you think MB would shout about it.

I have my theories about the production of the bass, mainly that wherever they were planning to get them built never panned out. It's a shame as I thought it looked cool, even if it was a knocked-off Zon with a wooden neck. I've moved on from the idea of owning one now.

Mohini Dey and her MarkBass Bass
 
...and I do hope to get the chance at some point!:)
guitar center in the chicago suburbs had one. i had to make a serious drive to play it. but i was going there to pick up some mini guitars for the kids and they were the only ones with the colors i wanted within 500 miles. it was worth it. i havent played or owned a 4 banger in 15 years and i can't stop thinking about it
 
guitar center in the chicago suburbs had one. i had to make a serious drive to play it. but i was going there to pick up some mini guitars for the kids and they were the only ones with the colors i wanted within 500 miles. it was worth it. i havent played or owned a 4 banger in 15 years and i can't stop thinking about it
That sure is not a bad sign! :)
 
Nearly two years on from the initial flurry of excitement about these basses and I still haven't seen the top of the line Kilimanjaro bass yet, not in stores, not in online retailers, not even on YouTube.

I was interested in a Kilimanjaro myself, I've got the full Markbass Richard Bona Ninja rig, so why not go the whole hog right? I contacted the biggest retailer in the UK for MB products, who probably sell more MB gear than all of the smaller stores put together, to ask about ordering one. They couldn't tell me where it was made, they didn't know the price but expected it to be upwards of £3500 / $4700 and ultimately they weren't even sure they'd be able to order one for me but were willing to try. This was about a year ago, so about a year after the basses were first revealed to the public.

Think about that for a second, the biggest retailer for MB in the UK didn't know anything about the thing and didn't even know if they could get one. If MB actually wanted to sell these things, they dropped the ball big time.

I still think that they are extremely ambitious on the pricing. I'd have considered £3500 acceptable of it was a made in a small shop in one of the richer countries in Europe, where business overheads necessitate higher product prices. However, given MBs lack of disclosure about where the Kilimanjaro is made, or was planned to be made, because I don't know if any existing outside of the NAMM bass and Richard's personal basses, I suspect they were either planning them to come from a factory in Asia or a shop in Eastern Europe. If they actually were made in Italy, you think MB would shout about it.

I have my theories about the production of the bass, mainly that wherever they were planning to get them built never panned out. It's a shame as I thought it looked cool, even if it was a knocked-off Zon with a wooden neck. I've moved on from the idea of owning one now.

Gab has a few videos of his on YouTube