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New Markbass 102P speaker problems?

B

Brady4

Apr 4, 2013
14
0
Lancaster Pa
#1
Hey,

I just sold my SWR/Ampeg SVT 410he rig. It was WAY too heavy to be lugging around. I started my search for a decent combo to play small gigs and for jam/rehearsals. Most of the time I go direct on stage and just use my pre-amps so I don't really need a huge amp/cab stack. I bought and returned 4 GK MB210 II's. LOVED the tone, but they are just too flimsy and rattled like a can of bolts when you turned it up at all. I ended up spending a little more and getting the markbass 102P. LOVE it. played the crap out of it with my stingray to make sure...no rattles...very pleased. I decided to try my UEB tonight and the speakers make this "clicking sound" when I play a low E? It's not terribly loud, volume wise, but the lower frequencies make the speakers "click"? I've never had this trouble with any other rig? What's going on? Anyone have any experience with this? do I need to return yet another amp to GC? UGH! thanks in advance for any insight.
 
#4
Def. not fingerboard rattle. It's def. coming from the speaker...specifically sounds like the right speaker. I've never played through a 2x10...always used 4x10 cabs before this. Maybe I'm just asking too much of it? Doesn't seem to be too much bass though? I can deal with the sound, I guess I just wanted to make sure I didn't get a "bad" unit? The stuff at GC can really get beat up, ya know? Also, want to make sure I'm not damaging the speakers. thanks for the replies.
 
#8
I've been reading up on this. It seems that I've never had this issue before because I've always used 4x10 cabs? I get that. the "clicking" isn't horrible, you have to really be listening for it. I'm just concerned that I'm hurting the speakers? As for the GK and a screwdriver...man, i tried. I gotta tell ya for for the $600 I paid for that combo, I LOVED that thing. It sounded AMAZING! I actually preferred the tone of it to the Markbass, but I knew from the get go that it was gonna rattle. The back panel of it felt like it was made of recycled beer cans. VERY thin. Even tapping on it with your finger tips made it "rattle". I bought 4 of them and returned every one after about a week. So, when I go this home and discovered this little "quirk", I was very frustrated to say the least. I think I'm just gonna need to get a 15 for underneath this one? But then, there goes my "amp in one hand, bass in the other" goal that i had set when I sold my Ampeg 410/swr head rig? LOVED that rig...should have hit the gym and kept it I guess?
 
#11
Are you referring to rattling of the exposed metal of the amplifier chassis, on the top/back of the combo? If so, did you try tightening the 4 screws that fasten it to the combo (2 per side)?

I have the first style MB115 and have never had any rattling. When played loudly it did vibrate a fair amount. The bottom corners were slightly uneven, so it was slightly tippy. Added 4 rubber feet on the bottom - problem solved. Rock solid and no vibration, although I do not drive it into audible clipping/distress. The cab itself is more than adequately built and braced. Works very well within the capabilities of the included speaker and 200w amplifier.

So you had problems with 4 GK's and now a Markbass. Maybe you are still used to the old SWR/Ampeg rig, and are just expecting too much from these combos (perfectly understandable). Most of these combos just will not perform to the same level. If that's the case you should try a Mesa Walkabout Scout 15 or the Markbass Jeff Berlin 115.
 
#12
I've gigged my NS EUB regularly through a 102P cabinet with no problems.
I personally think however, that turning the bass up too high isn't a natural sound for an EUB if you're trying to make it sound anything like a DB. I always keep the bass and treble down to get a more middley tone which replicates more the acoustically undersized body of a double bass.
I always found my 102P to be perfect for this.
 
#13
Thanks for the input. As for the GK, it definitely has a design flaw. it buzzed so badly that it changed the tone of the sound coming from the speakers. I thought at first I was expecting too much from the combos, but I just got back from GC where I played a different 102p. It did not make the "click" sound. I swapped the bad one for a good one...problem solved. I too like my EUB to sound "middy", but what I was experiencing was no bass at all in the eq. Problem solved. Hopefully this one holds up. I do love the sound of it. now that I have two good speakers, I am finding that it is REALLY versatile. Especially when I run my Sansamp BDDI with the Stingray and the Fishman Platinum Pro EQ with the NS! BTW, I took the NS into GC to demo the amp and you would have thought I walked in with the holy grail! I LOVE the attention I get with that thing, both on stage and off! :) THAT was a good buy for sure!
 

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