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** ThunderFunk vs. LittleMark II **

#61
KJung said:
OK all you Markbass guys... help me out here. Guitar Center called back and said the following:

1) All phone orders from out of state have to pay sales tax.

2) All Markbass amps are sold 'without manufacturers warranty' and you have to buy the Guitar Center two year warranty.

This adds about $100 to the cost of the amp.

This doesn't seem right? Is this the experience that you guys had when purchasing yours. I understand if Guitar Center decides to charge tax to the out of state buyers, since it is a 'store' versus an internet type dealer, but the warranty seems funny.

Thanks in advance. I put the order on hold... seems fishy to me.

Ken
Click to expand...

The Guitar Center guys have it wrong...what they need to do is discount the price of the amp, then have you pay for the warranty, bringing it back to the regular price (I think $599). There were a few guys that had the same thing happen to them at GC...it's a confusing policy. Peter from Markbass cleared up the issue on here though. Ask to speak to a manager or someone who really knows how that warranty works...
 
#62
vision said:
The Guitar Center guys have it wrong...what they need to do is discount the price of the amp, then have you pay for the warranty, bringing it back to the regular price (I think $599). There were a few guys that had the same thing happen to them at GC...it's a confusing policy. Peter from Markbass cleared up the issue on here though. Ask to speak to a manager or someone who really knows how that warranty works...
Click to expand...

They don't have to discount the price at all. The $599 includes the 2 year warranty. When I bought mine the receipt had it listed as one price.

As far as the out of state taxes, thats a matter of how GC chooses to interpret the law.
 
#63
vision said:
The Guitar Center guys have it wrong...what they need to do is discount the price of the amp, then have you pay for the warranty, bringing it back to the regular price (I think $599). There were a few guys that had the same thing happen to them at GC...it's a confusing policy. Peter from Markbass cleared up the issue on here though. Ask to speak to a manager or someone who really knows how that warranty works...
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think they figured it out, and the total price is now $599 + tax. Thanks for the info.

K
 
#64
USAJO said:
I see the weight as a non issue. The Eden, Thunderfunk and Epifani weights are all within my comfort zone. 50 lb or greater tube heads are not even though I love tube heads. The cost of a head is a factor. If I could save $300.00 dollars and get the sound I'm after, I'm all for it. I have a point also where I would say "I don't care how it sounds. I'm not spending $2,000.00 on a head.
The "for the money it's a great value" implies a sacrifice in quality. If someone says "I don't care what it costs, I like the Markbass better than the Thunderfunk or Epifani" I take a close look at the statement. I then would review as many of that persons posts in threads and see if I have any common ground regarding other gear reviews they've posted.
In the end it's all just forum exercise. Almost all my purchases happen because I tried the stuff out and liked it. The forum "buzz" gets my attention and I'm sure that makes the manufacturers happy.
At this point I'm still leaning toward the Thunderfunk.:hmm:
Click to expand...

I guess I look at "for the money" quite differently from you... I look at it like this: For the money this is a ridiculous deal. I know what I can get for upwards of $1200 and this easily hangs with any of it. I like it at least as much if not more than any other head I've used to date, so for the money that makes it an even better deal. I've tried several Walter Woods over the years and I'd easily pick this amp over any of them.

The amps I've been a strong proponent of on the board are still with me; I still have my AMPs, Thunderfunk, Gibson GB440 and both iAmp350s. I look for something that can take the sound of my basses,which already sound great and not get in the way of that. Flat, two dimensional sound is not my thing. Neither is slop... I need a very physical sound that stops and starts when I do. I hate extraneous noise. I hate amps that won't let the low notes breath. I hate harsh highs. I love clean, solid mids.

One of my favorite basses to run through this rig is my Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabass 6 because it has such a complex sound. The low B has highs, the high C has heft. Where other heads might fart out, the LMII just goes happily along, like a guy whistling while he walks across town, unaware that he's had a Buick strapped to his back the entire time. Shouldn't it at least be warm by the end of a loud set?:D
 
#65
Brad Johnson said:
I guess I look at "for the money" quite differently from you... I look at it like this: For the money this is a ridiculous deal. I know what I can get for upwards of $1200 and this easily hangs with any of it. I like it at least as much if not more than any other head I've used to date, so for the money that makes it an even better deal. I've tried several Walter Woods over the years and I'd easily pick this amp over any of them.

The amps I've been a strong proponent of on the board are still with me; I still have my AMPs, Thunderfunk, Gibson GB440 and both iAmp350s. I look for something that can take the sound of my basses,which already sound great and not get in the way of that. Flat, two dimensional sound is not my thing. Neither is slop... I need a very physical sound that stops and starts when I do. I hate extraneous noise. I hate amps that won't let the low notes breath. I hate harsh highs. I love clean, solid mids.

One of my favorite basses to run through this rig is my Fodera Anthony Jackson Contrabass 6 because it has such a complex sound. The low B has highs, the high C has heft. Where other heads might fart out, the LMII just goes happily along, like a guy whistling while he walks across town, unaware that he's had a Buick strapped to his back the entire time. Shouldn't it at least be warm by the end of a loud set?:D
Click to expand...



Nice. Send that AJ sig my way so I can confirm your impression.:hiding:
 
#71
I liked the LM II, UL310 combo very much, although I like
that box with almost any amp. BUT.......
I had enough with Guitar Center. I didn't like the feeling
of being squeezed and disrespected just to get a popular
amp. I brought my abused floor model (that I had to pay
full retail for) back to the store. I just want to feel good
about spending my money. The TF is more expensive but
you don't have to deal with GC at all. Is it worth the extra
money for the TF? For a "pro" player it might be.
Oh yes, the LM II also sounded good with the UL112.
 
#72
I used a Mark Bass for the first time the other week, it was coming through a Hartke cab, and I was really impressed with it, was very warm but could get all the highs by EQing, I'm normally Gk kid, but I plan to buy one of these for differant situations, only thing I found which was more likely down to the cab, it wasn't exactly room filling
 
#73
It's amazing how diffferent my sadowsky and a dingwall sounded through the markbass gear, I heard the classic grind and punch from the jazz bass, while the amrkbass sounded so much mroe refined and spongy. The sound fo the aggressive jazz pickups and active pre with maple and ash versus big bartolini style soapbars, lighter strings and a passive setup on that dingwall. lovin the markbass stuff.
 
#74
SMASH said:
Mind elaboratin'?

It isn't clear to me what "pro" features you're getting with the TF for the extra money.

Mute button I'd say, but that ain't worth over twice the price and weight to me - especially given that I could install my own in minutes at almost no cost. Heck, you could get an LMII *and* a backup for the price of the TF and still be saiving on weight and not taking up much more space.

Pre/post EQ toggle would be nice, but that too can easily be added and - although difficult - it can be toggled internally on the MB.
Click to expand...

I didn't take that comment as saying that there are "pro" features on the Thunderfunk that aren't on the LMII. I think he's saying that for a "pro", they extra cost of the TF isn't a factor if it fits their needs better than the LMII. There are other pros for whom the LMII may fit their needs better, also regardless of price. I think he was just saying that for a pro the price difference is less of an issue.
 
#76
vision said:
I didn't take that comment as saying that there are "pro" features on the Thunderfunk that aren't on the LMII. I think he's saying that for a "pro", they extra cost of the TF isn't a factor if it fits their needs better than the LMII. There are other pros for whom the LMII may fit their needs better, also regardless of price. I think he was just saying that for a pro the price difference is less of an issue.
Click to expand...

I've found the opposite to be true for most of the pros I know... they're far more cost conscious than non-pros.
:)
 
#77
vision said:
I didn't take that comment as saying that there are "pro" features on the Thunderfunk that aren't on the LMII. I think he's saying that for a "pro", they extra cost of the TF isn't a factor if it fits their needs better than the LMII. There are other pros for whom the LMII may fit their needs better, also regardless of price. I think he was just saying that for a pro the price difference is less of an issue.
Click to expand...

Since the thread is about the TF verses the LM II, I wanted
to give the opinion that as much as cost is a factor, when
you have to make a living with your gear you tend to have
"work" parameters or needs that are different for everyone.
The TF is certainly a more versatile head. If you like the
sound more than the LM II, it makes the choice easier.
In many ways, the LM II is more of a bare bones amp.
 
#78
B String said:
Since the thread is about the TF verses the LM II, I wanted
to give the opinion that as much as cost is a factor, when
you have to make a living with your gear you tend to have
"work" parameters or needs that are different for everyone.
The TF is certainly a more versatile head. If you like the
sound more than the LM II, it makes the choice easier.
In many ways, the LM II is more of a bare bones amp.
Click to expand...

I have both. I don't see that extra versatility other than the semi-parametric EQ. Since they both sound great flat to me, that's been a complete non-issue. You could add a 1/3 octave EQ if you really needed to and still be far below the cost of the TF. I look at these as playing in the same space... and they both play very well.
 
#79
Brad Johnson said:
I have both. I don't see that extra versatility other than the semi-parametric EQ. Since they both sound great flat to me, that's been a complete non-issue. You could add a 1/3 octave EQ if you really needed to and still be far below the cost of the TF. I look at these as playing in the same space... and they both play very well.
Click to expand...

I actually think the basic sound of these two heads are
more similar than different. That kind of warm, sweet top
end and big spongy (sort of) bottom.
 

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