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MarkBass.....

#21
Nice rig Beano! I'm headed the other way. I don't normally gig out, although I will later in July. I have their F500 head running into an Epifani UL310 cab. I also use the Markbass Compressore (which is always on) and their Chorus/Flanger pedal (which I use infrequently), as well as the Super Booster (when I DI at church). No complaints on tone, and as I'm getting older, prefer light weight gear.
 
#22
Beano_z said:
[...] the SD1200 sounded fabulous to me with all controls set completely flat, just the P-Bass straight into the amp. I was impressed by the much and balance of the sound, it really lets my P-Bass sound like a P-Bass should.[...]
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I felt that true for most markbass heads. My LMII is the same.
It lets my bass sound like my bass, no matter which i pick.
I always have the EQ between 11 and 1 o'clock.
This simplicity is great for gigging. Starting off flat, you just add a little or cut a little here and there and you're set.
 
#23
Grimborocks said:
There seems to be a distinct lack of chat about the use of MarkBass amps/cabs....

I've recently upgraded from a TC BH500 to the LittleMark III and I have to say the sound is overwhelmingly different!

I play a lot of gigs and quite often use house amps so I've been lucky enough to perform live with many different amps.

I tried some MarkBass amps in a shop and loved what I heard. Being a regular customer of this shop they let me try one at a 2 hour gig so I could gage the difference and many of the regular punters at this gig commented on how great it was sounding (without me asking).

So I bit the bullet and bought the LittleMark. Thus far, I have only great things to say about it.

Anybody else got any views on MarkBass?
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I bought a CMD102P and was blown away by the sound. I used to have an SVT and a fridge in the 80's, doing mainly smaller gigs now and the Markbass cuts it. Also have an Eminence 4x10 for bigger gigs. I love the Markbass.
 

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#24
I run an LMIII thru an Avatar 210 or two, and get unsolicited complements at almost every gig. My favorite was at our last show (one cab), where the soundguy said "I almost always run the bass through the board...when I saw you come in with that little thing I went to get your cable but I had to take a leak first...now that I hear how it fills the room I ain't touching it...."
 
#25
I've had my 121P for about 3-4 years now, and it is surely the best single bass item I have ever purchased bar none. It is tiny, it is LOUD and sounds great.

They didn't have the 121 extension cabs when I needed one, so I found a used Schroeder 1212L with 2x12s, and nearly as small and light as the 121P, with a similar sound. It makes a stack of 3 x 12s with 500 Watts, it is killer. Played an outdoor gig with it recently and shared it with another bass player and he was flabbergasted at the sound and power. Volume was set less than halfway, and it was TOO loud already.

As far as their popularity and marketing - My view is that
1. They broke the tiny and loud category wide open, and stimulated other makers to wake up and do the same, so now there is more competition in the same category.
2. MB is also getting a little fragmented IMO - going into pedals, modular amps and other areas that are just wasting their energy.
3. Being locked in to GC is another problem - GC is barely holding their heads above water trying to pay off the Bain Capital debt. We can only hope that the exclusivity agreement runs out soon.

Mini-Stack.jpg
 
#28
Bassamatic said:
I've had my 121P for about 3-4 years now, and it is surely the best single bass item I have ever purchased bar none. It is tiny, it is LOUD and sounds great.

They didn't have the 121 extension cabs when I needed one, so I found a used Schroeder 1212L with 2x12s, and nearly as small and light as the 121P, with a similar sound. It makes a stack of 3 x 12s with 500 Watts, it is killer. Played an outdoor gig with it recently and shared it with another bass player and he was flabbergasted at the sound and power. Volume was set less than halfway, and it was TOO loud already.

As far as their popularity and marketing - My view is that
1. They broke the tiny and loud category wide open, and stimulated other makers to wake up and do the same, so now there is more competition in the same category.
2. MB is also getting a little fragmented IMO - going into pedals, modular amps and other areas that are just wasting their energy.
3. Being locked in to GC is another problem - GC is barely holding their heads above water trying to pay off the Bain Capital debt. We can only hope that the exclusivity agreement runs out soon.

Mini-Stack.jpg
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Not to throw a fly in your ointment, but wouldn't Shro box be 4ohms? And isn't the Speaker in the 121P 8ohms?
I believe the LMII (III) head is a 4ohm max load and you're looking at closer to 2 or 3 ohms. Aren't you afraid of making nasty things happen to you head? Just sayin...
 
#30
Texan said:
The only thing that keeps me away from MB these days is that they only sell through GC and GC companies and the customer service/warranty is only through GC.
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Actually Markbass has fixed the support issues and taken GC out of the picture thankfully. Go here for service in the US: http://www.vstservice.com/t-markbass.aspx

So far they've done great work for me, warranty and non-warranty related.
 
#31
I bought a Little Mark head as a backup/small gigs amp, but I returned it within the trial period. It sounded great, just not so much better than other options that it was worth the price given that it wasn't going to be my main amp with my current band (I ended up with a Carvin BX500).

However, my Markbass 104HR cab is by far my favorite cab that I've ever owned. It sounds great and puts out plenty of power, despite being incredibly compact and lightweight for a 4x10. I may break down and buy a second before long, as I'm currently running it with a Carvin 2x10 that is nearly as big and heavy as the 4x10.
 
#32
I play a LMT 800 through a 610HLF and a GK Neo 410 (not at the same time!) and I love it. It freaks me out a little bit that it is so tiny and light, but I've never even come close to pushing it and it really puts out some sound.

Fantastic at low volumes at home and very large and smooth at shows.
 
#33
Bassamatic said:
As far as their popularity and marketing - My view is that
1. They broke the tiny and loud category wide open, and stimulated other makers to wake up and do the same, so now there is more competition in the same category.
2. MB is also getting a little fragmented IMO - going into pedals, modular amps and other areas that are just wasting their energy.
3. Being locked in to GC is another problem - GC is barely holding their heads above water trying to pay off the Bain Capital debt. We can only hope that the exclusivity agreement runs out soon.
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1 and 3 definitely. I would also add a 4: Very poor warranty service combined with outrageous repair charges for out-of-warranty stuff. I hear they got that under control now and I hope they have, but it was a little too late for me. America is a big and rather impatient country, and I'm no exception, and we have enough companies here that we can get first rate service.

2, I don't think is relevant, though. A lot of amp companies diversify into pedals and do very well with it. Plus I like to see that pioneering spirit, and I think the modular thing can be cool. Might seem like a waste of time to some at the moment, and to be honest, I currently have no interest, but in the future I think you'll see more of it.
 
#35
I've been using an LMT for about six months for wedding gigs. It sounds amazing for jazz sets, even makes me play better ;) I think because the note clarity and warmth makes every note sing equally, and my runs never get lost in our funk jams. +1 that it lets your bass sound like your bass, and sounds nice out of the box with everything at noon. Ultimately, I prefer a more organic tube sound and character even at the sake of the MB thump and clarity.
 

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