Other MarkBass Heads

[jnewmark]

I was on the MarkBass site and noticed a bewildering array of bass heads , 18 or so, and was wondering if anyone uses heads like the TSA 500, the LMRocker,the R500, TA501,503, SA450, etc. ? I realize some have been discontinued, but its eems like, at least here on TB, it's all about the LM III, or F500. Anyone use these other MB heads that don't get discussed too much here ? I have tried the SD1200, the LMII, F1, and TA501. The F1 was my fave so far.

 

[dave_bass5]

My first MB head was a SA450. I loved that head, and had it for about 5-6 year. I only got rid of it because i switched to using a Genz Benz Streamliner. This lasted about 2 months and i went back to MB, getting a (red, special edition) F1 Head, that is still my main gigging head.
I also had a LMII for a few years as a back up and used in another band but the SA450 was always my main head. I do prefer the F1, i came to realise that although the SA450 had more EQ (the reason i got it over the LMII originally) i was using the head mostly flat, so those extra EQ knobs weren't needed.

 

[KJung]

I was on the MarkBass site and noticed a bewildering array of bass heads , 18 or so, and was wondering if anyone uses heads like the TSA 500, the LMRocker,the R500, TA501,503, SA450, etc. ? I realize some have been discontinued, but its eems like, at least here on TB, it's all about the LM III, or F500. Anyone use these other MB heads that don't get discussed too much here ? I have tried the SD1200, the LMII, F1, and TA501. The F1 was my fave so far.

There is a reason IMO that most of those heads were discontinued. Not that they weren't good, but the price/features didn't seem to speak to the market versus the mainstream LMII/III model. Given my liking the Markbass heads very much, I tried/bought quite a few of the models just to check out. Always went back to, at the time, the LMII and the F1 (or F500 later on). It seems the sweet spot for them is the LMIII and new Big Bang.

The SD1200 is a good example of 'impressive, but who needs that sort of wattage'. Of course, some do (or think they do), but I would think that is a 'small seller' for them and will eventually go away.

IMO!

Edit: Of course, most of the heads that have been discontinued can be replicated with the MoMark system, which is another reason why they really streamlined their product line over the last few years. Can't really get myself interested n the MoMark... too much plastic!

 

[murphy]

Number one is my SA450...since it came out
My back up, practice is LMll

Still love them

Not my Alembic F2b, SWR stereo 800 sound....but I do not care in the band situation

 

[KJung]

Number one is my SA450...since it came out
My back up, practise is LMll

Still love them

Had the SA450 for a short while. Very nice. I actually replaced it with the F500, since the front end was identical, and the F500 wumped a bit harder at a fraction of the size. The SA450 is still available as a 'pre-built MoMark'. Nice box!

 

[dave_bass5]

I always wanted a F500, still do i guess, but since getting in to using a BDDI, and more recently a Paradriver in front of my amp i now mostly use the Eq on that and leave the F1 flat, so i suppose i really dont need the F500 now.

 

[jnewmark]

Has anyone tried the LMRocker, or R500 heads ?

 

[IanA]

Little Mark 800 is killer, has all the warmth of the lmiii with massive headroom. Can't imagine needing any more power than this, the sd1200 must be nuts.

 

[BassinCT]

I was also baffled at the variety of offerings at MB and wondered how they could sustain production on so many different models. The only other experience I can offer that differs from the LMIII and F500 is the MoMark 500. Some people may hear a difference between the LMIII and a comparably configured Momark, but I think it is very similar. The only reason I chose their modular system over the LM was because I wanted a mute switch and a tunable low eq band. (The 40Hz is a little low for my taste)

I'm also curious about the other models- I have never seen an SA,TA or Rocker in the local GC stores.

 

[jnewmark]

Little Mark 800 is killer, has all the warmth of the lmiii with massive headroom. Can't imagine needing any more power than this, the sd1200 must be nuts.

Always wondered about the LM800. So you feel it's just a louder version of the LMIII ? The SD 1200 was a sledgehammer of an amp, with ice pick highs, if you wanted them. It just seemed like MB's format, 500 watts, same EQ section with the two filters, was spread all over their head offerings with a few exceptions like the F500 with sweepable mid, or the occaisional compressor. It was really hard to distinguish between them, or figure out why one would be any different than another. Just seems odd to me why they would have so many similar heads.

 

[ntxbass]

TTE 500 here. Had it for a few months and love the tone. Closest hybrid I've found to a real tube amp. Plus it just looks cool! 500 watts is more than enough for most stages/venues.

 

[Mister_argentum]

A friend of mine gigs an SD1200 with two 410, I can say that is pretty impressive deep low end.

I picked up an old TA503 last year (tube pre amp semi-parametric EQ), I like it better that the LMII. It has some tube warm but the EQ section takes all the flashes, it is really versatile.

 

[KJung]

Always wondered about the LM800. So you feel it's just a louder version of the LMIII ? The SD 1200 was a sledgehammer of an amp, with ice pick highs, if you wanted them. It just seemed like MB's format, 500 watts, same EQ section with the two filters, was spread all over their head offerings with a few exceptions like the F500 with sweepable mid, or the occaisional compressor. It was really hard to distinguish between them, or figure out why one would be any different than another. Just seems odd to me why they would have so many similar heads.

The current line-up makes sense to me. Lower and higher powered LM line, with all SS and SSTube, ultra small micro (Big Bang), the massive, full size 1200, the tubey TTE line (low and high power). Pretty nice line-up, and they all sound quite different, even though the knobs look the same across some models.

I don't see these as similar at all (at least the ones I've played)

 

[jnewmark]

The current line-up makes sense to me. Lower and higher powered LM line, with all SS and SSTube, ultra small micro (Big Bang), the massive, full size 1200, the tubey TTE line (low and high power). Pretty nice line-up, and they all sound quite different, even though the knobs look the same across some models.

I don't see these as similar at all (at least the ones I've played)

So what's the difference between the SA heads and the TA heads, or the LMRocker or the R500 ?

 

[KJung]

So what's the difference between the SA heads and the TA heads, or the LMRocker or the R500 ?

I think you are getting confused by looking at discontinued heads, along with current heads. Make sure you are just looking at the current line-up, and it seems to make much sense. The LMRocker pretty much replaced the R500, and SA heads were basically the LM power sections with more features (replaced by the Momark line), and the TA head was a specialty head with, I think, online compression, also discontinued.

You are basically looking at heads that are discontinued, and then asking 'why are they in the product line' They are not in the product line

Again, forget about the stuff they don't make any more. Of course, some of those overlap with some current models. That is most likely why they were discontinued!

 

[jnewmark]

I think you are getting confused by looking at discontinued heads, along with current heads. Make sure you are just looking at the current line-up, and it seems to make much sense. The LMRocker pretty much replaced the R500, and SA heads were basically the LM power sections with more features (replaced by the Momark line), and the TA head was a specialty head with, I think, online compression, also discontinued.

You are basically looking at heads that are discontinued, and then asking 'why are they in the product line' They are not in the product line

Again, forget about the stuff they don't make any more. Of course, some of those overlap with some current models. That is most likely why they were discontinued!

Gotcha !

 

[Musicman20]

I think we are due a LM IV

 

[KJung]

Gotcha !

I agree with you that a couple of years ago before they trimmed their product line, it was pretty overwhelming and kind of a mess! They seem to have a nice line-up at the moment.

Not sure about that programmable thing. If that is the wave of the future, I hope I'm long dead before it gets here

 

[jnewmark]

Wonder why the Little Mark Rocker ? Seems like the LittleMark Tube is similiar. More grind with the Rocker ?

 

[KJung]

Wonder why the Little Mark Rocker ? Seems like the LittleMark Tube is similiar. More grind with the Rocker ?

+1 The tube in the LMTube and LMT800 is very, very subtle. When gain matched, I can't hear any impact of the tube myself. Others can.

With the LMRocker, there is a tube 'drive' circuit that is all about grindy distortion and overdrive, hence the term 'rocker'. It is more like a 'built in overdrive' effect.