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New Markbass Vintage Pre

#61
Sub'ed.

I preordered in the fall from MF with a coupon so it was $360 shipped. It finally shipped Tuesday and arrived Thursday with a shattered tube. MF didn't package it; the MFs just slapped a shipping label on the product box. :rollno:

It was smaller than I expected but pretty fugly. I don't get hung up on aesthetics, but I notice. :D

Can't wait to actually hear it someday.

I have a Shift Line Olympic and an Arkham Oracle. Both sound amazing but a little subdued in the mids. Hence my willingness to give the MarkBass a try.

Sixx 006 said:
Also I've been obsessing about the Ashdown tube pedal
Click to expand...

I had the Ashdown pedal. It sounded good and I liked the EQ. It's not a tube preamp, though. The tube is only for the distortion circuit. I didn't love the distortion (I wouldn't call it bad--just not my flavor) so I moved the pedal on.
 
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#62
shwashwa said:
Does this tube operate at high plate voltages or is it starved plate?
Click to expand...

I don't see anything in the design that indicates it runs the tube high. So my guess is starved-plate. That shouldn't really be a problem for this though. It doesn't rely on the tube solely for distortion - It just brings it in on top of the distortion circuit. I have a couple of SP tube preamps - they can get pillowy without engaging specific distortion.

Still waiting for mine to ship...
 
#65
scubaduba said:
25065775[/URL], member: 37553"]I did put mine in the classifieds here if anybody wants one quickly for a little less money.
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jmbjandfam said:
25065786[/URL], member: 191633"]I compared mine against my SLO and for me, I much prefer the SLO. My Markbass will also be up for sale or maybe just going back to MF....

Edit to add: I am not using the pedal into an amp / cab. IEM only.
Click to expand...
thanks for trying the pedal out. I was doubting between a SLO and the markbass, and I now have a SLO on the way. Seems like the correct choice :)
 
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#67
Jason Schulhz said:
Scubaduba, I’m assuming you didn’t care for it if you’re already selling it? Well, thanks for the audio clips. I am in search of getting tube tone through my solid state.
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It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. Gotta keep the big shootout going though and I can’t keep them all. Tube Preamp/DI Sound Samples — Noble, Oracle, P-15, Super Stack, REDDI, Tonecraft, Jule...

It has a lot going for it with tube tone, flexible EQ, aux in, headphones out, two kinds of drive etc. I just can’t keep them all.
 
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#68
Deleted member 132197 said:
thanks for trying the pedal out. I was doubting between a SLO and the markbass, and I now have a SLO on the way. Seems like the correct choice :)
Click to expand...

Hmm, I don’t know. I prefer the EQ stack on the Markbass. It is far more versatile than the SLO. The boost switch is handy to. I also like the amount of available gain before crazy breakup too. That’s a challenging flaw in the SLO IMHO. Not to mention two different gain types.
 
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#69
scubaduba said:
Hmm, I don’t know. I prefer the EQ stack on the Markbass. It is far more versatile than the SLO. The boost switch is handy to. I also like the amount of available gain before crazy breakup too. That’s a challenging flaw in the SLO IMHO. Not to mention two different gain types.
Click to expand...
sssst. I don't wanna know that. Just agree with me :laugh:
 
#71
scubaduba said:
Hmm, I don’t know. I prefer the EQ stack on the Markbass. It is far more versatile than the SLO. The boost switch is handy to. I also like the amount of available gain before crazy breakup too. That’s a challenging flaw in the SLO IMHO. Not to mention two different gain types.
Click to expand...

Having owned both, I tend to agree and disagree. The Markbass EQ is definitely more versatile and powerful than the SLO and the boost switch is one of the main reasons I wanted to give it a try but the overall sound of SLO won out for me. To my ears it has more clarity (richness), depth (3D'ness) and is a much more alive, vibrant sound. The Markbass was definitely a duller, more generic sound to me.
 
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#72
So I got mine about a week or so ago... Absolutely love it.
My question is.... am i the only one that got it with a sticker on the tube right in front where you can see it through the window? Kinda ruins the visual effect since it's all lit up pretty but has that sticker on it. lol.

Chris
 
#75
Some of the Markbass Vintage Preamps have Ruby's installed which do have a sticker. Does it look something like this?

RUBY TUBES-12AX7AC5-ACCLAIM-DI2.jpg
 
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#79
bonin in the boneyard said:
I preordered in the fall from MF with a coupon so it was $360 shipped. It finally shipped Tuesday and arrived Thursday with a shattered tube. MF didn't package it; the MFs just slapped a shipping label on the product box. :rollno:
Click to expand...
I should have bought scubaduba's when it was in the classifieds.

The fourth order I tried to place through MF went to the wrong shipping address (my fault of course, but I am still convinced that MF is cursed, as I haven't worked at that address in 13 years and at this point I'm quite familiar with MF's order process). I placed the first order last year.

I called GC and asked if they would honor the MF price without the coupon and they said yes.

Fifth time is the charm...
 

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