Why don't I like my Markbass LM III?

[Jacob J]

I want you guys to hear the sound that I want, but posting these are probably pointless since they were taken on an iphone. Since I heard the sound in person though, when I hear it played back on these videos I know exactly what it sounded like. It's worth a shot letting you listen to them though...
This was through the Eden and Acmes.

You can hear me the best at:

0:10-0:20
The wallies - YouTube

0:30-0:40
1:05-1:15
2:38-end
Invalid Link Removed

All of my other gigs with with my ampeg and peavey, the sound was just...dead. It was always either too flat and bassy or too trebley. Could never get what I wanted.

I guess I see what you are after. Your music style reminds me of such indie bands as The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys. I am indie rock´n´roll/classic punk player myself. Markbass might be not for you, because these amps tend to be transparent and clean sounding, which is not a sound that is asociated with indie sound so much. That being said I guess you would appreciate more tube coloured sound.
I think you can´t go wrong with Ampeg there. I hear a lot of praise on their SVT 7 Pro, which has tube preamp and lightweight Class D power amp, it´s rated at 1000W and it must be damn loud. Or maybe new Portaflex series would be enough for you volume-wise.
If you´ll ever come across the Orange Terror Bass, try it. It´s lightweight Class D amp with dual tube preamp and it´s meant to be dirty little r´n´r bass amp with lot of grind from those preamp valves. But folks say that those cheap Chinese stock tubes suck so almost everybody swap them.
Another amp I can safely recommend to you is Ashdown ABM. I had one of these babies and I got really warm sound with massive low end. A lot of British indie bands rely on these.

Good luck mate !

 

[KJung]

I guess I see what you are after. Your music style reminds me of such indie bands as The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys. I am indie rock´n´roll/classic punk player myself. Markbass might be not for you, because these amps tend to be transparent and clean sounding, which is not a sound that is asociated with indie sound so much. That being said I guess you would appreciate more tube coloured sound.
I think you can´t go wrong with Ampeg there. I hear a lot of praise on their SVT 7 Pro, which has tube preamp and lightweight Class D power amp, it´s rated at 1000W and it must be damn loud. Or maybe new Portaflex series would be enough for you volume-wise.
If you´ll ever come across the Orange Terror Bass, try it. It´s lightweight Class D amp with dual tube preamp and it´s meant to be dirty little r´n´r bass amp with lot of grind from those preamp valves. But folks say that those cheap Chinese stock tubes suck so almost everybody swap them.
Another amp I can safely recommend to you is Ashdown ABM. I had one of these babies and I got really warm sound with massive low end. A lot of British indie bands rely on these.

Good luck mate !

+1 Two good options for the OP for his desired tone:

1) Return the LMIII for the SVT7Pro (especially if his cab is 8ohms and he plays at loud volume

2) Keep the LMIII and add a VT pedal. MANY TBer's who are after that sort of grindy, aggressive 'pick and P' tone use this combination successfully, and you have the advantage of having a footswitch to go from 'warm and clean' to any amoung of grit you want.

 

[Son of Bovril]

I've had the same problem with Markbass stuff, just haven't been able to get my personal tone from any of the several models I have tried so far... different strokes I guess.

I've had marginal success with their cabs, with my eden nav + power amp but also still not quite the tone I am after.

No problem, now I know to look elsewhere

 

[jasper383]

2) Keep the LMIII and add a VT pedal. MANY TBer's who are after that sort of grindy, aggressive 'pick and P' tone use this combination successfully, and you have the advantage of having a footswitch to go from 'warm and clean' to any amoung of grit you want.

I can vouch for putting a VT Bass in front of a LM head to get Ampeg-y dirt.

The LMIII set flat, with a VT Bass set for either the "SVT" or "B15" setting, and then setting the drive knob to taste will get you what you want, without the hassle of selling gear you don't have to.

 

[Tampabass]

Also what's weird is every review online is ecstatic but every bass player I talk to in person hates markbass. They say it's cheap, not good quality, sounds like ****, etc.

How many have you talked to? I've never heard those complaints about Markbass heads, and my experience with my LM 2 is that it is well made, high quality, and sounds great with both my bass guitar and my double bass. I've not had a single issue with it (fingers crossed).

I have, however, tried a few Markbass combos & didn't care for them at all. Didn't like the standalone cabs much better.

 

[anton72]

I use LM with EBS tube drive pedal, and it gives that touch of a dirt you're missing. However if you'd like overdriven sound you'd better go for Ampeg tube staff. And to be honest I'd swap my Markbass for some Ampeg amp too)

 

[bassbones741]

Not sure who you are talkng to.

The LMIII is a unique combination of clean but warm and musical. It has a relatively transparent voicing (i.e., it tests out reasonably 'flat' on a scope with the tone controls set to noon and the filters of)f. It has a sterling reliability record, and is high quality (i.e., it puts out its spec'd wattage, and seems to use high quality components.

That all being said, if you are looking for an amp to really color your sound or add a bunch of distortion, the LMIII is not for you (unless you use a pedal in front of it).

As one matures as a player, you will eventually realize that 'not liking a particular piece of gear' does not mean 'it sucks'

Here is a clip of the LMII (same tone as III) set flat through a reasonably even, full range cab. This, IMO, is the inherent tone of the LMIII (at least with a 60's style J bass with nickel wounds). Sounds like a nice bass through a nice recording console to me Of course, if your tone goal is an SVT or Orange tube amp pushed to full snarl, then a pedal would be needed to 'dirt it up'.

AudioKinesis with LMII and Alleva-Coppolo LG5 - YouTube

I agree and im actually thinking of getting one with maybe a sansamp in front of it.

 

[anton72]

On top of that, I like Markbass with my Pedulla but my Spector is not the perfect couple with Markbass...probably 'cause Spectors' EMGs require some "dirty" response which is more with Ampeg than Markbass IMO.

 

[Russell L]

Love my LMIII and Traveler 151P cab. I have found, though, that what tone I like at home for practice is not exactly what to use in a mix. Set "flat" at home can sound nasally, but boy oh boy when I play with the band that thing sounds wonderful. I usually roll off the high mids a bit or just turn the VLE up to around 2:00. I play either an American Jazz with Chromes or a Jazz Bass Special on the P pickup, with Fender 9050L flats. Nice and thumpy.

Markbass gear is NOT of low quality. It's all top-notch stuff. That's a fact. Maybe it doesn't suit everyone, but that doesn't mean it's bad stuff.

 

[anton72]

Agree on the quality, BTW MarkBass is one of minority NOT produced in China, everything is made in Italy.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

With Markbass gear (or any gear for that matter) it's never a bad idea to dial tone back. My favorite setting is (by o'clock):

bass: 11-12
lm: 11
hm: 10-11
treble: 11

Anything higher than that sounds too honky to me, but down there it sounds very tubey, clean, and musical.

 

[mikeruss]

I've had all the gear you can imagine chasing that elusive tone including a Ampeg SVT all tube head, a Ampeg SVT 7 head both runnin' through a 8x10 classic cab, and also 4x10 hlf cab for smaller gigs. Before that I had Eden two 4x10 cabs and navigator head and ended up getting rid of all of it once I picked up a LMII head for my backup amp. Once I plugged it in it to my 8x10 classic cab it won my over for good. Of course the weight, or lack there of made a big difference but in the end it was the overall tone that blew me away. Don't get me wrong as it's not a miracle amp but it let's my basses and my playing do the work vs fighting the amp all night.

I to agree that the HLF cabs are not a good match with a LMII or LMIII. Sad thing is neither was my SVT Tube heads as both sounded horrible through it. So I got rid of it and the 8x10 classic cab to purchase a markbass 6x10 and would never go back. Half the weight and the tone and versatility is amazing.

I currently play Pbass's with my Markbass Tube 800 and my LMII w/ my markbass 6x10 cab and get great Blues tones and classic rock tones. When I'm playing harder Rock that require more umph I put something(pedal) in front of the head or switch to a good Lakland with DR Strings or anything with a good preamp to get a full driving cut through the mix tone.

Be patient and work for your dream tone as I can promise that you will be chasing it for the rest of your playing days.

 

[Musicman20]

I would try the Orange Bass Terror. Perfect for rock! No pedals needed.

 

[Sparky Mark]

I tried various MB heads, cabs and combos a few years back when the LM2 started getting rave reviews. I couldn't get excited about the tone at music shop levels, seemed a bit lifeless/dull. Then I played a venue that had a pretty average old Laney 410 powered by a LM2. I was amazed at how solid, punchy and full this rig sounded, really pushing the air into the back of my legs. I bought an LM3 soon after.

It's probably true of any gear, you'll only hear it for real in the envronment it is intended for. I now own an LM3, F500 and SA450 and love them all. I also use a VT Bass Deluxe pedal for both clean and gritty tones.

Don't give up on the LM3 without giving it a fair chance. There's a lot of good advice on TB regarding EQ settings for the LM heads, it's worth spending some time here before moving it on.

 

[kraigo]

I've had the VT pedal for a while after lusting after it for two or three years. It doesn't really bowl me over, which was a disappointment. I need to spend more time with it. Perhaps it's the same with you and the LMIII. Read the manual and search the threads on TB. I have no doubt it's a good amp and over time you'll find your way around it.

I wasn't that nuts about my Shuttle 6.0 right away either, but I've come to terms with it and I'm happy with it, once I got to know where to put the knobs for a good starting point for my tastes. In the case of the Shuttle it's not that complicated.

KO

 

[rage941]

I guess I see what you are after. Your music style reminds me of such indie bands as The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys. I am indie rock´n´roll/classic punk player myself. Markbass might be not for you, because these amps tend to be transparent and clean sounding, which is not a sound that is asociated with indie sound so much. That being said I guess you would appreciate more tube coloured sound.
I think you can´t go wrong with Ampeg there. I hear a lot of praise on their SVT 7 Pro, which has tube preamp and lightweight Class D power amp, it´s rated at 1000W and it must be damn loud. Or maybe new Portaflex series would be enough for you volume-wise.
If you´ll ever come across the Orange Terror Bass, try it. It´s lightweight Class D amp with dual tube preamp and it´s meant to be dirty little r´n´r bass amp with lot of grind from those preamp valves. But folks say that those cheap Chinese stock tubes suck so almost everybody swap them.
Another amp I can safely recommend to you is Ashdown ABM. I had one of these babies and I got really warm sound with massive low end. A lot of British indie bands rely on these.

Good luck mate !

I had the SVT 4 pro and I will never buy ampeg again. The qaulity was awful, and after reading more reviews it seems a lot of people are having problems...I really don't understand how they are still so popular. There are multiple reports of people going through multiple units because they are duds and eventually giving up. I even know someone from a major guitar store that says they get sent duds all of the time and they have to send them back until they get a working unit. I also read a lot of reports about people going to guitar center and the floor models not working. This happened to me the other day with their SVT-CL, the expensive tube one. I couldn't get it working right and I thought I was doing something wrong so I had the guy come over and he couldnt get it to work right either, and he just awkwardly walked away. I'll try to check out an Ashdown.

+1 Two good options for the OP for his desired tone:

1) Return the LMIII for the SVT7Pro (especially if his cab is 8ohms and he plays at loud volume

2) Keep the LMIII and add a VT pedal. MANY TBer's who are after that sort of grindy, aggressive 'pick and P' tone use this combination successfully, and you have the advantage of having a footswitch to go from 'warm and clean' to any amoung of grit you want.

See above about Ampeg. I don't have a cab right now. I'll look into some pedals.

I can vouch for putting a VT Bass in front of a LM head to get Ampeg-y dirt.

The LMIII set flat, with a VT Bass set for either the "SVT" or "B15" setting, and then setting the drive knob to taste will get you what you want, without the hassle of selling gear you don't have to.

On one hand I won't have to sell the head...on the other hand it's annoying I have to spend extra money on top the head and carry around something extra because the head doesn't meet my expectations...

I would try the Orange Bass Terror. Perfect for rock! No pedals needed.

Anyone have experience with these? That previous comment about the Chinese tubes kind of scares me...

Love my LMIII and Traveler 151P cab. I have found, though, that what tone I like at home for practice is not exactly what to use in a mix. Set "flat" at home can sound nasally, but boy oh boy when I play with the band that thing sounds wonderful. I usually roll off the high mids a bit or just turn the VLE up to around 2:00. I play either an American Jazz with Chromes or a Jazz Bass Special on the P pickup, with Fender 9050L flats. Nice and thumpy.

Markbass gear is NOT of low quality. It's all top-notch stuff. That's a fact. Maybe it doesn't suit everyone, but that doesn't mean it's bad stuff.

I tried various MB heads, cabs and combos a few years back when the LM2 started getting rave reviews. I couldn't get excited about the tone at music shop levels, seemed a bit lifeless/dull. Then I played a venue that had a pretty average old Laney 410 powered by a LM2. I was amazed at how solid, punchy and full this rig sounded, really pushing the air into the back of my legs. I bought an LM3 soon after.

It's probably true of any gear, you'll only hear it for real in the envronment it is intended for. I now own an LM3, F500 and SA450 and love them all. I also use a VT Bass Deluxe pedal for both clean and gritty tones.

Don't give up on the LM3 without giving it a fair chance. There's a lot of good advice on TB regarding EQ settings for the LM heads, it's worth spending some time here before moving it on.

I'll have to try it in a band setting, I just tried it at home at low volumes.

I've had all the gear you can imagine chasing that elusive tone including a Ampeg SVT all tube head, a Ampeg SVT 7 head both runnin' through a 8x10 classic cab, and also 4x10 hlf cab for smaller gigs. Before that I had Eden two 4x10 cabs and navigator head and ended up getting rid of all of it once I picked up a LMII head for my backup amp. Once I plugged it in it to my 8x10 classic cab it won my over for good. Of course the weight, or lack there of made a big difference but in the end it was the overall tone that blew me away. Don't get me wrong as it's not a miracle amp but it let's my basses and my playing do the work vs fighting the amp all night.

I to agree that the HLF cabs are not a good match with a LMII or LMIII. Sad thing is neither was my SVT Tube heads as both sounded horrible through it. So I got rid of it and the 8x10 classic cab to purchase a markbass 6x10 and would never go back. Half the weight and the tone and versatility is amazing.

I currently play Pbass's with my Markbass Tube 800 and my LMII w/ my markbass 6x10 cab and get great Blues tones and classic rock tones. When I'm playing harder Rock that require more umph I put something(pedal) in front of the head or switch to a good Lakland with DR Strings or anything with a good preamp to get a full driving cut through the mix tone.

Be patient and work for your dream tone as I can promise that you will be chasing it for the rest of your playing days.

See this is what confuses me, someone who has owned all kinds of gear, ampeg, eden, and then sells everything and just goes with markbass. That's why I don't understand how I don't like it.

I've had the VT pedal for a while after lusting after it for two or three years. It doesn't really bowl me over, which was a disappointment. I need to spend more time with it. Perhaps it's the same with you and the LMIII. Read the manual and search the threads on TB. I have no doubt it's a good amp and over time you'll find your way around it.

I wasn't that nuts about my Shuttle 6.0 right away either, but I've come to terms with it and I'm happy with it, once I got to know where to put the knobs for a good starting point for my tastes. In the case of the Shuttle it's not that complicated.

KO

That's another thing making me apprehensive about buying a pedal...what if I buy it and I'm still not impressed, like you? Then I just wasted even more money!

 

[rage941]

What do you guys think about the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0? I have the opportunity to get a brand new one for $500, and it's 900watts with a tube pre amp and 4 freaking pounds! So it's tempting but there aren't any local to test out and I would be kicking myself if I bought it and didn't like it...

Also what do you guys think about the Gallien Krueger 1001rb-ii and the 700rb-ii? I plugged into the 1001rb-ii with the 1x15 cab at guitar center and I think I liked it. I had been at the store for 2+ hours and this was the last one I looked at so I didn't mess with it at all, just left everything at 12 o clock and it sounded pretty good. I've read on here that the 700 has more balls, so if I liked the 1001 and the 700 has more balls, that sounds tempting. Again, just no local ones to try out! Anyone with experience with these want to chime in?

And anyone else have experience with the Acme Low B? I'm starting to think more and more that that is what gave me the sound I liked that night. If that's the case I'm going to need something that can feed a lot of power into 8 ohms, and that GB shuttle does 500.

 

[dgunns]

I have a LM 2x10 combo and absolutely love it! It is one of the most cleanest, pure bass tones i have ever heard. Though i admit it can NOT get any kind of gritty rock or Ampeg kind of sound. But when I do want that sound I kick on the Big Muff Pi the switch set to dry so I can mix in some clean tone with the distortion. Then kick on the synth for pop stuff etc. I love the Markbass with pedals too because it has that pure clean bass tone that is the perfect start to getting a sound you desire with the certain pedals you want to use.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

OP - did you roll off the VLE/VPF? If you run them at noon it is NOT flat - You will get pillowy mush.

 

[BassBob1]

The SVT 7 Pro did have its issues in its first run but that has been worked out. I love mine and it has been great and reliable since day one but you of coarse are welcome to your opinion. I never played the Genz shuttle 9.0 but before i got my markbass LMII which i got rid of for my 7 pro I did test out a shuttle 6.0. To me it sounded similar to the markbass but without the warmth. It was a bit more modern/clean. If its more of that indie rock tone with some dirt that you are going for I don't know that the Genz will get you there either.