I've finally gotten so old I mostly no longer listen with my eyes.
Embrace The Yellow™
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
What happened to Markbass popularity?
- Thread starter ThinCrappyTone
- Start date
-
- Tags
- markbass
Embrace The Yellow™
I'm not yet, but I like its unconventional appearance in metal scene just like basic passive Jazz bass. I use both
I got rid of my LMII a while ago to go with a Mesa head, but never had any Markbass cabs. For me it just always seemed like there were too many options, both heads and cabs there was something new all the time. Too much to keep track of. The head I had always seemed cheap (cause it was) but it was pretty unremarkable in features and sound. I only bought it because it was light and I needed something to take with me on a plane and there wasn't a whole lot else in my price range (2007). The local Guitar Center always seemed to have some stuff in stock (felt like it just sat there forever) but nothing really moved the needle. IMH the yellow was a part of that for sure, just ugly.
The only time I was kind of interested again was when they brought out the Casa stuff, which didn't seem to last long, and I never saw in person.
The only time I was kind of interested again was when they brought out the Casa stuff, which didn't seem to last long, and I never saw in person.
It's funny to me that so many people dislike the yellow color. I think it's cool, personally.
True, that sounded to apologetic. Sometimes I fall for the „I am a professional musician so I should be supposed to use the latest and fanciest gear“-trap. Those markbass combos I have are the most reliable and as you said easy to work with amps I own, at most of the Venues I don´t have to use the Equalizer knobs etc and just adjust the volume.
Interesting to hear your comment about the Mesa, because my only experience with those was a ginormous old Mesa Boogie amp at University which I at least at the time I was studying there I couldn´t handel at all. But maybe I have to give one a shot if I ever stumble upon one again.
Recently I traded my Ninja 1000 in on a Mesa head to get some sweet two ohm operation. I wished I hadn't gone with the traveler cabs though.....they sound too thin to my ear.
Embrace the yellow and black!
Embrace the yellow and black!
I think the Subway series may be a different ball of wax. I bought the D-350 sight unseen because of some strong reviews and Mesa's reputation for quality and excellent customer service. I had zero experience with any Mesa amp other than the scout walkabout combo. But I am more than pleased with the little Subway. It's a gem sonically and a very small package. I find it extremely versatile and powerful for 350 watts. It's tonal qualities lend itself to any style of music. I'd highly recommend the amp. It's not inexpensive but it's worth the quality invested in it along with a strong warranty and superior customer service.
Gee, this is supposed to be a Markbass post. Yes, I do feel similarly about MarkBass gear. Some think I'm nuts but as I said earlier, I'm unapologetic. I truly think MarkBass value wise delivers a superior product. But they do fall short in customer service. They really need to pay more attention to their USA market. That said, I bought my 1st LittleMark in 2009 and used it exclusively until it's demise 12+ years later. I didn't even look at another amp for those years. I was just so pleased with my LittleMark. But, when it died I started my hunt. And I ended up with four distinctly different amps. This is the 1st time I've ever owned more than one amp. But I've gotten older and discovered more than ever that variety is the spice of life. I feel no pressure to own anything that appears to be trending or as a result of being a fanboy although some here have accused me of being a MarkBass fanboy. I use what I use because I find it sonically pleasing and the right tool for the job.
Last edited:
Yeah…have the old Italian Mark II (ran through 12” Bergantino’s)and a new Ninja 2x10 500 combo I know there’s a cab difference but man… the quality is way better on the older Italian. The Newer combo is like touching a toy.
You mean *besides* all the other brands sold in the very same stores? : puzzled:
Bear in mind that GC lost their distributorship of a lot of brands over the years, because of their financial troubles. I don't even really bother going to GC stores anymore, because the lack of professional level gear there compared to what they carried 20-25 years ago is stark.
Rumored that's about to change. New CEO says he wants to start stocking high end gear again and get away from impression of being a store for beginners.
I got Mesa WD 800 and EBMM Stingray Special from 'semi' local GC but not that they had them in stock for me to try
[I have friend who works in Service/Tech departmentment there]In early 2000's the place was always jumping and had great selection of equipment in stock [even decent amount of Bass equipment
]
When my BigBang gave out after 6 years, I bought a Little Mark Tube 800 to replace it. I never got it to sound like what I wanted. So, I bought a Mesa WD800. With my MB cabs, I now get the punch and cut-through I'm looking for.
I agree that GC no longer stocks high quality basses. They rarely have 5 string basses in the store. Also, don't think I've ever seen a multi-scale bass of any kind.
I agree that GC no longer stocks high quality basses. They rarely have 5 string basses in the store. Also, don't think I've ever seen a multi-scale bass of any kind.
Yes, I’m new to MB stuff and I’m finding out through web searches about the numerous changes made on models.
It used to put me off, maybe not so much the colour but the font they used for the Markbass badge I think seems to ‘cheapen’ the appearance. If the badge was screw-fixed I wonder how many users would have removed them?
They came brand new like that. It was the deal maker when I saw those dark cones. The orange/yellow ones always bugged me and was the one main reason I never got into their cabs. They sound great though.
I don’t know if it’s been mentioned already, but I believe the new amps and cabs are being made in Italy again. I like my CMD-121P combo a lot, but I use it mostly on upright and I’m not looking for a tube-like sound. It was very expensive and took forever to get fixed when it crapped out, and I have a local authorized repair shop.
