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Double Bass MarkBass
- Thread starter macmrkt
- Start date
Yes. That 'hollowness' I heard was only pronounced on my S&D bass at very low volumes. At normal volumes or with different basses, it's not as noticeable. With a band, it's clean as a whistle. And it's not there on BG. The other thing about the CMD Mini is that it can cover a small club with a loud band or a medium club with any acoustic band (and that includes a big band with sceaming horns!) with no problem. And that's without PA support. I wrote about this on the BG side. Their stuff has just gobs of gain. This is one very loud and easy to carry combo.
I guess the other thing to say about Markbass is that I'm so satisfied that I don't even think about looking at any other amp companies. For me, that's quite an achievement. GAS dismissed.
I guess the other thing to say about Markbass is that I'm so satisfied that I don't even think about looking at any other amp companies. For me, that's quite an achievement. GAS dismissed.
A
appler
Guest
MACDADDYMRKT- thanks for all the honest, well-written review of the Markbass amps; love your posts.
If you don't mind, does the Mini CMD 121P have an extension speaker output like the GK Microbass? At only three pounds heavier, it seems like it could compete in terms of portability, though it certainly is a bit larger in size. Also, that "fatness" that you heard in the Walter Woods... can that be dialed in via EQ or the VLE thing? Thanks, man.
If you don't mind, does the Mini CMD 121P have an extension speaker output like the GK Microbass? At only three pounds heavier, it seems like it could compete in terms of portability, though it certainly is a bit larger in size. Also, that "fatness" that you heard in the Walter Woods... can that be dialed in via EQ or the VLE thing? Thanks, man.
Thanks for the 'love'.
The Mini CMD 121P basically has a full function LMII head built in with the extension jack too. I expect the Markbass would womp the GK, but it has been years since I had a Microbass.
On the EQ, I really don't use any of them so I couldn't say for sure. But I would guess that the VPF could do it.
One new piece of news on the Markbass front is that I'm using them 4-6 nights a week now mostly with BG and fretless BG in a blues/jazz band and a pop band. I think I actually like the way they sound on the floor of the stage better as opposed to up on a stand or chair. Makes my transport and setup even easier. This may not apply for acoustic settings, bad rooms or DB. I wondered why all the photos of Jeff Berlin playing had the 151P's sitting on the floor...
Also...the 121H cabinet's 'darker' and slightly deeper sound is preferrable in these 'electric' settings to the 102P's. I just got a second 102P so I'll be trying them in a stack soon versus the CMD121P/121H stack.
The Mini CMD 121P basically has a full function LMII head built in with the extension jack too. I expect the Markbass would womp the GK, but it has been years since I had a Microbass.
On the EQ, I really don't use any of them so I couldn't say for sure. But I would guess that the VPF could do it.
One new piece of news on the Markbass front is that I'm using them 4-6 nights a week now mostly with BG and fretless BG in a blues/jazz band and a pop band. I think I actually like the way they sound on the floor of the stage better as opposed to up on a stand or chair. Makes my transport and setup even easier. This may not apply for acoustic settings, bad rooms or DB. I wondered why all the photos of Jeff Berlin playing had the 151P's sitting on the floor...
Also...the 121H cabinet's 'darker' and slightly deeper sound is preferrable in these 'electric' settings to the 102P's. I just got a second 102P so I'll be trying them in a stack soon versus the CMD121P/121H stack.
No, but it's sooo easy to buy from Leon at ItalMelodie in Montreal. They take charge cards and get the order to you in a couple of days. Dave at Club Bass is also an outlet and a very easy guy to deal with. They'll honor all warrantee work and I hear the Canadian repair center is well run (maybe better than what we'll have in the states for a while).appler said:
appler said:
I got an email yesterday:
"We can be more than happy to say that you have to wait just a little while, in fact in the next days We'll start officially, We expect to have our products in US stores no later than May.
We're being submerged with emails every day from across the US with a very very high level of interest in our products.
Thanks to you for your patience, we really appreciate this.
Sincerely,
Markbass Staff"
But, nothing's final until it's final. I'll believe them when they are in the stores.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Nice little review of the LMII, 4x10 and 1x12 in BP (which just arrived in my mail box today).
Tom.
Tom.
tombowlus said:
Aha! Now I know why they were stalling the GC stuff. Review in BP and then they're "new" at GC a few weeks latter....nice timing to sell lots.
I'm puzzled as to why these Canadian shops are charging so much for MarkBass products. The Bass Centre in London will sell the AC101 for 1290 USD + shipping. ItalMelodie quoted me around 1650 USD + shipping.
Would shipping a 10kg package from London really cost 360 USD? I don't do very much international shipping but that seems steep.
Would shipping a 10kg package from London really cost 360 USD? I don't do very much international shipping but that seems steep.
Something is amiss. I've bought a bunch from Canada and the prices are usually the opposite - as much as a 1/3rd less than the UK (by the way, be careful about buying from 220v countries as I believe Markbass requires internal voltage changes). I think that either it's a misquote or the prices aren't set yet in Canada.
Something actually is amiss here....
ItalMelodie told me it's available for 1650 USD, but Club Bass in Toronto said they have no information on that model yet. And then The Bass Centre has it listed for a much lower price.
I'll wait a while and see if things settle down for this model.
ItalMelodie told me it's available for 1650 USD, but Club Bass in Toronto said they have no information on that model yet. And then The Bass Centre has it listed for a much lower price.
I'll wait a while and see if things settle down for this model.
Below is a field report I posted in the electric section. I thought it might also be interesting for the double bass forum:
I finally went to a store today to compare Eden & Markbass. Some of you (especially in the US) didn´t have the chance to try a Markbass product yet, so I thought I post this little fieldreport for you.
I spent 2 hours playing both my Gibson Ripper and my double bass (with a akg c411 into a Presonus TubePre) over a Eden WT550, a Markbass TA503 and a LittleMark2 into a Eden D112XT and 2 Eden CX110 cabs.
The volume on both amps is about the same and you can´t get an overdrive sound from the tube preamps. I compared the amps with the EQs flat.
I thought the Eden sounds fat, a lot of meat. Both of the Markbass heads sounded a like a hifi stereo, a little "thin" compared to the Eden, the TA503 being a little warmer than the LittleMark2. While you can say that you get out of the Markbass is what you put in I missed a little body on the double bass. On the Gibson, the Markbass sounded to sweet for my taste. Note that I currently play the electric over Tannoy Ellipse studio monitors at home (because I hate my SWR workingman12) and I love the pure sound of this bassguitar. But that´s just me, others might prefer the Markbass over the Eden.
About the VPF - cranked it made my passive rocker Gibson sound like an active bass, which some of you might like, but I don´t think I would have much use for it. Here I have to say that the sound of the LittleMark2 compared to the TA503 has a little less "life".
The VLE cuts mids and hi-s. You can guess what this sounds like.
There is only one thing that made me think about which amp I should buy - the weight. The Markbass both weighs and looks like a HiFi - cd player, while the Eden is a lot heavier. If you´re looking for a portable solution you should give the Markbass amps a try definitely.
About the cabs: as mentioned before I played over a D112XT and then 2 Eden CX110s. The shop didn´t have Markbass cabs, but they had a CMD102P combo, which is a LittleMark2 and 2 10s. I only plugged the Gibson in for a couple of minutes and I have to say that I don´t like the MarkBass cabs. They sound a bit "metallic" compared to the Edens. I can´t be more specific, as I really didn´t try them out for a long time.
Anyway, I will buy a heavy Eden WT550 and not the ultra-light MarkBass (although I was hoping a lot that it would be the other way round, I don´t have a car and travel by subway most of the time!) because I like the tone of the Eden a lot more and I get it for 200 cheaper.
To be fair I want to say once more that the Markbass amps aren´t bad bad products!
Hope this helps, it took me some time to write it!
I finally went to a store today to compare Eden & Markbass. Some of you (especially in the US) didn´t have the chance to try a Markbass product yet, so I thought I post this little fieldreport for you.
I spent 2 hours playing both my Gibson Ripper and my double bass (with a akg c411 into a Presonus TubePre) over a Eden WT550, a Markbass TA503 and a LittleMark2 into a Eden D112XT and 2 Eden CX110 cabs.
The volume on both amps is about the same and you can´t get an overdrive sound from the tube preamps. I compared the amps with the EQs flat.
I thought the Eden sounds fat, a lot of meat. Both of the Markbass heads sounded a like a hifi stereo, a little "thin" compared to the Eden, the TA503 being a little warmer than the LittleMark2. While you can say that you get out of the Markbass is what you put in I missed a little body on the double bass. On the Gibson, the Markbass sounded to sweet for my taste. Note that I currently play the electric over Tannoy Ellipse studio monitors at home (because I hate my SWR workingman12) and I love the pure sound of this bassguitar. But that´s just me, others might prefer the Markbass over the Eden.
About the VPF - cranked it made my passive rocker Gibson sound like an active bass, which some of you might like, but I don´t think I would have much use for it. Here I have to say that the sound of the LittleMark2 compared to the TA503 has a little less "life".
The VLE cuts mids and hi-s. You can guess what this sounds like.
There is only one thing that made me think about which amp I should buy - the weight. The Markbass both weighs and looks like a HiFi - cd player, while the Eden is a lot heavier. If you´re looking for a portable solution you should give the Markbass amps a try definitely.
About the cabs: as mentioned before I played over a D112XT and then 2 Eden CX110s. The shop didn´t have Markbass cabs, but they had a CMD102P combo, which is a LittleMark2 and 2 10s. I only plugged the Gibson in for a couple of minutes and I have to say that I don´t like the MarkBass cabs. They sound a bit "metallic" compared to the Edens. I can´t be more specific, as I really didn´t try them out for a long time.
Anyway, I will buy a heavy Eden WT550 and not the ultra-light MarkBass (although I was hoping a lot that it would be the other way round, I don´t have a car and travel by subway most of the time!) because I like the tone of the Eden a lot more and I get it for 200 cheaper.
To be fair I want to say once more that the Markbass amps aren´t bad bad products!
Hope this helps, it took me some time to write it!
Hmm, I've been thinking of trying a MarkBass AC 101 combo, and getting an extension speaker for when I need a bit more volume. Anyone have any ideas for what would sound good as an extension with it? Maybe the MarkBass 1x12 cabinet? That seems a bit overboard, though.
I wish Bag End still made a 1x10, I love that cabinet....
I wish Bag End still made a 1x10, I love that cabinet....
