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What happened to Markbass popularity?

#521
Spruce Knob said:
Noob question here: what's wrong with Guitar Center?
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What is "right" about guitar center.?
They have been operating with huge debt, many (most) employees know next to nothing about what they sell .
They treat their employees terribly .
Like walmart, years ago before internet sales were a thing, they came to town and drove the little mom and pop music shops out of business .
I could go on but there are enough GC sux threads.... Do a search.
 
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#522
Stevorebob said:
Moving production overseas and being a Guitar Center exclusive brand may have had something to do with it. Or maybe the yellow just wore thin. But I believe the competition caught up and bested them at their own game.
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No need to go any further in this thread.

The one thing I might add was that their product lineup was starting to get convoluted for awhile with the only constant staple being the LMIII.
 
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#524
A final note from me. MarkBass has been the only " boutique " ( arguably ) amp I have ever seen out in gig world, as opposed to brands like Genz Benz, Darkglass, etc. Maybe being in the GC's of the world has helped, and I do see one once in awhile. Typically I see Ampeg, Hartke and GK, almost all the time. I think I have the only Genz Benz rig in town. Yet, what has been said before I think really is the reason; too many models coming out year after year, shakey service record, perhaps the move to Asia, etc. And lastly, the two flagship models, the LM and the F1, for me, was all you needed to know and need from MarkBass.
 
#526
Never owned a MB head, but I currently have an Italian NY121 cabinet I got used off of Craigslist and it's the most sterile 12 I've ever played through. I've run 3 different heads through it and it's just bland. Originally got it to pair with a TE 2x8 thinking the 12 would provide some bottom with the 2x8's, but this combo did not produce enough volume together as a viable rehearsal rig, (Should have listened to the "don't mismatch speaker size crowd") it'll be sold off as soon as I get the residue from the ugly MarkBass logo that I immediately pulled off as soon as I walked through the door with it. 3 rounds with goo gone and still can't get it all off, once I do it's going up on Craigslist.
A couple of the combo's I've tested in GC sounded nice, but I don't do combo's anymore so I doubt I'll ever own one. Even I did combos, it'd take a significant discounted price for me to consider, as all that yellow is hard to get past for me.
 
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#529
I bought my Italian CMD 121p combo from GC who knows how long ago. I find it’s a proper, portable “cube” amp - great for jazz clubs and cocktail sets. I like the rear ported cab for upright as it seems less likely to cause immediate acoustic feedback.

I also have an Indo NY1x12 and really like the form factor of top inset handle and adjustable tweeter. The two stacked is great for louder gigs ... but not too loud ... like wineries and country clubs etc.

I much prefer a front firing cab for electric bass and use a GK / Mesa rig, but the MarkBass rig I’ve got will do for now. It’s paid for, and gigs are fewer and farther between these days.
 
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#531
My experience w/ them is: They are loud, but the sound is not what I like. They sound dry and kind of boxy IMHO. There are fantastic players who use them so who am I to say anything negative, but these are just my opinions after playing quite a buch of them. Also, people have problems with repairs if/when fix is needed so support is not good. And yes, I find them ugly to look at as well.
 
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#532
mizedog said:
So, now, after four years, that they are claiming to have moved production back to Italy, and they are marketing cutting edge plastic, er, poly cabs, has anything changed here?
Just curious as a light combo is appealing to me.
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It is appealing. I bought, but ultimately returned, the MB m58 102P.

It has an incredibly deep bass response for a 2x10. It is incredibly light. I put some demo recordings on here in a spector thread when I was going back-and-forth between EMG and Bertolini. However the lows can be boomy, and the highs were a bit shrill although admittedly I had the cheapest one they make, the better combos use a proper horn instead of a piezo.

The all plastic combo chassis is… different. I honestly felt like I bought $1000 cooler. They say it’s made to dissolve in a landfill with moisture but what if I spill a beer on it? GK and Fender make comparable combos out of wood at the same weight.

Personally, I think it has a very musical tone. However, there was nothing it did that a $600 Fender rumble could not also do with the additional features of having a headphone and aux-in for silent practice, which is important to me. Maybe MB decides that’s not a “pro” feature and have no reason to include on their amps.

What ultimately killed it for me was the inability of the combo to stack physically with their standard cab options. I realize that optics may be a dumb reason for others, but for me, if Im paying a premium price for the stuff they should stack like lego bricks and not like a stack of textbooks on my coffee table.

Ultimately, let your ears be your guide :)
 
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#533
mizedog said:
So, now, after four years, that they are claiming to have moved production back to Italy, and they are marketing cutting edge plastic, er, poly cabs, has anything changed here?
Just curious as a light combo is appealing to me.
Click to expand...
I've defended MarkBass for years but the last two amps I ordered had problems so I sent them back. I still have a MarkBass Nanomark 300 that I really like. But, IMHO, they seem to have lost their way a bit with constant model changes and extreme graphics. They had a few great amps in the past; LittleMark ll/lll, F1/F500. I rue the day my LittleMark lll gave up the ghost.
I still have a soft spot for the brand but I'm going to wait for them to regain their focus on solid, high performing amps without the visual fanfare and feature sets that no longer satisfy me.
 
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#534
i've posted about it a lot - especially lately as i've been replacing it. i've used the same MB head for 16 (!) years.

i really want to love them and stick with them but i think theyve lost touch with what people are actually buying, and why they're buying it.

even with a licensed mb repair center not far from me, service is difficult. i've seen what comes in when they order a "part," it's most of an amp. it's not built for longevity. my 16+ year old amp cannot be repaired. (we tried.)

all their new offerings don't excite me enough to get me to consider it. also among working bass players there's always been a reputation of reliability problems. no, we're not talking about hadrien or any other A-list players. but myself, and friends of mine, guys who are playing weddings and regular gigs, all seem to share this sentiment. i know of several guys who've said the only amp failure they've ever had happen was with MB.

they're just not in touch in a meaningful way i think.

compare that to the line of amps currently available from mesa, as one example.

they are clearly doing proper research into what guys like me, or A-listers, any everyone in between, actually wants to purchase. their own employees activity on this forum speaks to that.

so, a long winded way of saying
1. service can be tricky, especially with older models
2. reliability results may vary
3. they're just not resonating with the market.

i hope to see them make a comeback, but... yeah. they probably wont.
 
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#535
BEWARE!!
Black n Yellow could harm a fellow......but not by its' weight. ;>)
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#537
Thanks all. I went to the local GC (I know), and tried a Rumble 500 210combo, and a Markbass 1x12 combo. Probably not a fair fight. At low volume, the MB was nice and warm, but with understated lows. When I cranked bass knob up to 2 o'clock and raised the master volume, the speaker farted out. The rumble was far more authoritative, yet seems versatile.

With the new 800 watts 210 rivaling the weight of the 1x12 combo, I couldn't resist ordering the Rumble 800 combo. I'm hoping it will be a stand alone rig. If so, might sell my Tonehammer 500 and old 12" cabs. I need to slim the heard.
I admit that I'll always wonder if I settled for less by going to a Fender over the US made TH500.
 
#538
I love my little Mininark 602. I’ve done a few small gigs with it, but mainly it’s been my practice amp. It’s so light and it kicks 150 watts out of its twin 6” speakers. I love it also because it puts out 250 watts with an extension speaker too. After all these years, about 8 or 9, but I’m still trying to fully warm up to those VLE/VLF controls. Oh well. But, It’s never been a deal killer, though. An added bonus is no orange/yellow speakers. :thumbsup:

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