Today I received my new Mark Bass CMD 102 P 2x10 combo amp. In many previous threads I have mentioned how I've had this combo many years ago and regretfully sold it. It had so many useful features like the tilt back for stage monitoring, XLR out to FOH, deep holes in the back to store cables, light weight and portable form factor which made it ideal for gigging. But I was hesitant to buy another one because they aren't made in Italy anymore. However over the past few years I've bought a few basses that were made in Indonesia and I was quite amazed at the quality of the instruments for such a reasonable price point. So my previous stance against basses manufactured abroad, especially Indonesia, has softened considerably and I decided to extend it towards amps as well. A couple of months ago at a backyard party a friend wanted me to play bass and he brought his Fender Rumble which sounded good and was really light and got my combo GAS going again. I considered the Rumble because it had a good price but when I saw the Mark Bass on sale at MF I pulled the trigger and I am glad I did.
Right off the bat while unpacking I could tell that this combo was a few pounds lighter than the original version I had, which is a good thing. The 58R head is totally new to me but I really like how easy it is to tweak the knobs and get a good viable sound right away. All the knobs and switches are on the front panel this time which is very convenient and they are well recessed and well protected. The effects loop and XLR out are also on the front but I would prefer to have those in the back to keep visible spaghetti to a minimum, even though it is still hard to get my hand in the cramped space behind the amp like before. When I stop playing I can really hear the fan which has more of a buzzy sound rather than a woosh sound like the Mesa TT800 head and GR Bass combos I have.
As is my custom with any new piece of gear that I get, I will play it to Exit...Stage Left in it's entirety to break it in tonight. My plan is to make the Mark Bass combo the primary grab-and-go gigging amp and the Mesa/Quilter/GR Bass rig my stay-at-home rig since it's getting more complicated with the pedals and all.
Right off the bat while unpacking I could tell that this combo was a few pounds lighter than the original version I had, which is a good thing. The 58R head is totally new to me but I really like how easy it is to tweak the knobs and get a good viable sound right away. All the knobs and switches are on the front panel this time which is very convenient and they are well recessed and well protected. The effects loop and XLR out are also on the front but I would prefer to have those in the back to keep visible spaghetti to a minimum, even though it is still hard to get my hand in the cramped space behind the amp like before. When I stop playing I can really hear the fan which has more of a buzzy sound rather than a woosh sound like the Mesa TT800 head and GR Bass combos I have.
As is my custom with any new piece of gear that I get, I will play it to Exit...Stage Left in it's entirety to break it in tonight. My plan is to make the Mark Bass combo the primary grab-and-go gigging amp and the Mesa/Quilter/GR Bass rig my stay-at-home rig since it's getting more complicated with the pedals and all.
