The Combo Club

[Deleted member 409896]

How do combo amps like the Markbass Black Line handle both types of basses, active vs. passive, with one physical input?

My last amp (the SWR that is still in the shop) had separate "Passive" and "Active/Passive" inputs. Apparently this is not necessary with more modern amps. The Markbass has no labeling either way.

Is there some kind of automatic switching going on beneath the surface?

I did not find any clues in the Markbass manual, or anywhere else. The amp seems perfectly happy working with either the P-bass or active Ibanez.

 

[iagtrplyr]

That is a very cool finish on Timmah's P-bass, but hardly unique. It's called Antigua and is sometimes controversial among some tastes.

View attachment 7080333
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And, from the looks of that serial number, it appears to be an Antique Antigua!

Antigua Finish by Fender
Antigua Finish by Squier in 2024

Gee, even two lefties hanging on the wall. Fender, you say? My Fender? The crew who told me recently there will be no left handed Player II basses for someone who resembles me? Very cool, just the same…

 

[Miles_ONeal]

That is a very cool finish on Timmah's P-bass, but hardly unique. It's called Antigua and is sometimes controversial among some tastes.

View attachment 7080333
​

And, from the looks of that serial number, it appears to be an Antique Antigua!

Antigua Finish by Fender
Antigua Finish by Squier in 2024

Antiqua!

I'm assuming Antigua is like Tortuga, but with less debauchery, enslavement, maiming, and death.)

 

[iagtrplyr]

Gee, even two lefties hanging on the wall. Fender, you say? My Fender? The crew who told me recently there will be no left handed Player II basses for someone who resembles me? Very cool, just the same…

It’s okay, Miles. I’ve gotten used to it over the many years. Kinda like finding out Santa was your parents. I survived but still hoped it wasn’t true, as with Fender. Like, one day they say, “Oh, who cares, build that dude from Iowa a lefty version of this cool new bass!” I’ll be patient.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Gee, even two lefties hanging on the wall. Fender, you say? My Fender? The crew who told me recently there will be no left handed Player II basses for someone who resembles me? Very cool, just the same…

It’s okay, Miles. I’ve gotten used to it over the many years. Kinda like finding out Santa was your parents. I survived but still hoped it wasn’t true, as with Fender. Like, one day they say, “Oh, who cares, build that dude from Iowa a lefty version of this cool new bass!” I’ll be patient.

You're talking to yourself, not me!

 

[G-Dog]

Antiqua!

I'm assuming Antigua is like Tortuga, but with less debauchery, enslavement, maiming, and death.)

Arrr! I devine ye be referrin' to Tortuga, Haiti and the notoriously piratical seaport there, and not the relatively more civilized Tortuga Island, Federal Dependency of Venezuela, nor the positively bucolic village of Tortuga, a few miles from the coast on the island of Trinidad.

Likewise ambiguous be yore reference to Antigua, lest it refer to one of the two greater islands constituting the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, or the volcano-surrounded city of Antigua, Guatemala, or even (though less likely) the city of Antigua on the Spanish Canary Island of Fuerteventura!

Savvy?

 

[RodRy]

Arrr! I devine ye be referrin' to Tortuga, Haiti and the notoriously piratical seaport there, and not the relatively more civilized Tortuga Island, Federal Dependency of Venezuela, nor the positively bucolic village of Tortuga, a few miles from the coast on the island of Trinidad.

Likewise ambiguous be yore reference to Antigua, lest it refer to one of the two greater islands constituting the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, or the volcano-surrounded city of Antigua, Guatemala, or even (though less likely) the city of Antigua on the Spanish Canary Island of Fuerteventura!

Savvy?

View attachment 7080718​

Aye, me savvy!

 

[GwenOnBass]

"Why is there a yeti on your amp?" asks another coach.

"A gift," I reply.

A bit earlier photo of said combo amp with said sasquatch on the Webcam in class:

It's an earlier shot, because I loaned a student the BA108v2 combo. Kept the sasquatch, just moved it to the edge of the PJB BG-400 for the camera. Which is really kind of a funny thing considering every class I attend is recorded, and there for, well, for good. We (her students) are all stars.

 

[iagtrplyr]

You're talking to yourself, not me!

Your point?

Don’t discriminate my newbiness…

 

[Deleted member 409896]

OK, here's a problem I'm having with the Markbass...even when I don't have it turned up all that loud, some things nearby in the room will vibrate with certain notes, which is very annoying and sounds like junk.

Goes away when using headphones, naturally, but I don't always want to practice with headphones, else I'd have kept using the headphone amp.

Should I sit the Markbass on a folded up blanket or something? Drape a piece of carpet over it?

I'd love to have an acoustic-tiled practice room to use it in, but I don't. Gonna have to figure out something with what I have.

 

[GonePlaid]

OK, here's a problem I'm having with the Markbass...even when I don't have it turned up all that loud, some things nearby in the room will vibrate with certain notes, which is very annoying and sounds like junk.

Goes away when using headphones, naturally, but I don't always want to practice with headphones, else I'd have kept using the headphone amp.

Should I sit the Markbass on a folded up blanket or something? Drape a piece of carpet over it?

I'd love to have an acoustic-tiled practice room to use it in, but I don't. Gonna have to figure out something with what I have.

or

 

[iagtrplyr]

OK, here's a problem I'm having with the Markbass...even when I don't have it turned up all that loud, some things nearby in the room will vibrate with certain notes, which is very annoying and sounds like junk.

Goes away when using headphones, naturally, but I don't always want to practice with headphones, else I'd have kept using the headphone amp.

Should I sit the Markbass on a folded up blanket or something? Drape a piece of carpet over it?

I'd love to have an acoustic-tiled practice room to use it in, but I don't. Gonna have to figure out something with what I have.

If your combo is anything like mine, there’s a whole lotta bass coming out and it needs to get up off the floor, if that’s where you have it. GP’s ideas are good ones, though I wouldn’t recommend bothering him at home…

I use a One-Stage gizmo to angle up the front, and below the combo is an Auralex Gramma to reduce room vibrations from ruining my vibe. I also use a stand to lift the combo/cabinet up. So as you can see, lots of choices. Pick one and improve your combo’s tone!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

OK, here's a problem I'm having with the Markbass...even when I don't have it turned up all that loud, some things nearby in the room will vibrate with certain notes, which is very annoying and sounds like junk.

Goes away when using headphones, naturally, but I don't always want to practice with headphones, else I'd have kept using the headphone amp.

Should I sit the Markbass on a folded up blanket or something? Drape a piece of carpet over it?

I'd love to have an acoustic-tiled practice room to use it in, but I don't. Gonna have to figure out something with what I have.

That doesn't sound like a MarkBass problem, per se. But yes, putting it on something may help. May. You may have to isolate what's vibrating and deal with that. My main problems were a spare spring reverb and an acoustic guitar sitting on a stand. Or if I really crank it, pictures on nearby walls. Those were regardless of what the amp (a Fender Rumble or sometimes two) sat on.

 

[Deleted member 409896]

no, definitely not an amp problem. More an "I can't dedicate an entire room or space to practicing" problem.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

no, definitely not an amp problem. More an "I can't dedicate an entire room or space to practicing" problem.

Nor can I, which is why I had to track down the weirdness and find ways to cope with it.

 

[G-Dog]

no, definitely not an amp problem. More an "I can't dedicate an entire room or space to practicing" problem.

Mrs. Dog refers to the room I keep my amps & guitars in as my "Music Room", my "Man Cave", my "Hobby Room", etc. ... But, since it is situated between the carport door and the kitchen (it was once an attached garage), it actually functions more as her "temporary" storage/overflow room! And, when I casually mention that moving her stuff around to get to my gear is not conducive to my practicing, she gets all defensive and accuses me of not helping to organize her sewing room (like I know how to do that) so she can get her projects finished to make room!

 

[Miles_ONeal]

Mrs. Dog refers to the room I keep my amps & guitars in as my "Music Room", my "Man Cave", my "Hobby Room", etc. ... But, since it is situated between the carport door and the kitchen (it was once an attached garage), it actually functions more as her "temporary" storage/overflow room! And, when I casually mention that moving her stuff around to get to my gear is not conducive to my practicing, she gets all defensive and accuses me of not helping to organize her sewing room (like I know how to do that) so she can get her projects finished to make room!

My music gear is in the Room of requirement - aptly named after the room at Hogwarts. So long as the room can reconfigure as needed (puzzles, overflow dining, hidden office, spare bedroom, whatever) - and it always can - everyone's happy.

 

[brianrost]

How do combo amps like the Markbass Black Line handle both types of basses, active vs. passive, with one physical input?
Is there some kind of automatic switching going on beneath the surface?

No switching (how coould the amp know?) just a wider range of adjustment on the gain control.

Fender Rumbles are like this. Dime the Master and even with the Gain full CCW, the volume is not off. My old SWR Baby Blue also worked that way.

 

[brianrost]

OK, here's a problem I'm having with the Markbass...even when I don't have it turned up all that loud, some things nearby in the room will vibrate with certain notes, which is very annoying and sounds like junk.

Should I sit the Markbass on a folded up blanket or something? Drape a piece of carpet over it?

Dampening the speaker cab usually won’t help. Figure out what’s actually vibrating in the room and move or dampen that. Or try changing where the amp is located. Or just turn down

Just yesterday, I was rehearsing at a friend’s basement and I heard a metallic buzz. It was a ladder leaning against the wall just behind the amp. Threw a blanket over it, problem solved. Or we could have moved it somewhere else in the basement.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

No switching (how coould the amp know?) just a wider range of adjustment on the gain control.

Fender Rumbles are like this. Dime the Master and even with the Gain full CCW, the volume is not off. My old SWR Baby Blue also worked that way.

The Rumble's gain control is like a variable pad on a mixer input channel.