Markbass Jeff Berlin vs Alain Caron (vs Mesa Walkabout Scout ?)

[sifi2112]

Hi all,

I'm gonna be after a combo in the very near future & have narrowed it down to one of the Markbass combos (tho Mesa an outsider due to price).

I'm aware of all the tech differencies so am really asking peoples personal experience with any of these.

Mainly home practice but would also like opinions on gig / stage experience as single combo without ext cabs (realise Alain Caron can only have powered cab ext) as I want something to be able cover small/medium gigs.

Will also be using effects (grit, modulation, delay, bit of fuzz) so not sure to go tweeterless (Jeff Brrlin) or not as I also like clarity ....

Thanks in advance guys

[molan]

The Alain Caron is a beast!

Full 500w into the 1x12 and another 300w just for the horn

It goes very loud without any need for an extension cab. Plenty of clarity from the horn but you can use the filters to warm things up if that's what's needed for certain songs or gigs.

I'd take one ahead of the Jeff Berlin every time!

[sifi2112]

Cheers Molan .... the AC combo is top of my list, so do I wait for a 2nd hand one or bite the bullet & order new lol

[project_c]

I tried the Jeff Berlin combo a while ago (although not with a band), it sounded very very good, I tried it with a precision, a stingray and a yamaha, just out of curiosity. no loss of clarity at all as far as I could tell, probably one of the nicest combos I've played through. The price at the time was the only thing that stopped me.

[molan]

[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1471802014' post='3116004']
Cheers Molan .... the AC combo is top of my list, so do I wait for a 2nd hand one or bite the bullet & order new lol
[/quote]

There are some deals on these if you hunt around enough.

Prices rose a while ago after the £ first started dipping but some people snapped a few up before the price rises went through

[sifi2112]

Any more opinions on these combos most welcome

[thodrik]

The Mesa Walkabout Scout 1x15 has been my main gigging rig for the last 6 years. The combo is easily loud enough for small/medium gigs. The bonus to the Mesa is that you can remove the head from the combo and use it with other cabs. I have used the gig through an 8x10 and it has been brilliant.

If you want clean headroom though, I would probably look at another option. The Walkabout has a lovely gentle overdrive after you push the gain a bit. I love it but it might not be for everyone.

[fretmeister]

Bass Gear have a deal in a CMD121H combo at the moment.

[sratas]

Want light in weight and sound, with a bland generic tone? The markbass is the right choice. If you want an authoritative, physical, complex tone and you crave for those order harmonics that a tube circuit can produce, then the Walkabout is hard to beat.

Myself, used markbass for years, the jeff berlin combo, a Sa450 + 410 rig, and finally a big bang. Thought they sounded ok, but I was never sold on them. Things got worse when I aquired a walkabout head....my god...instantly my tone became insane. The tone punches with force, has an immense low bass presence but it stays clear. Just proper tube warmth and bass tone. Even the mb could go low, but it was an indistinct mushy lowend whereas the WA speaks with a natural complex voice that can benefit from those warm woody harmonics when pushed a little or grind and destroy if you want it to do it. those tube harmonics bring detail and definition in a mix and the resulting tone is full, big, detailed and punchy all at the same time. The wattage is very honest, and the poweramp when pushed adds other complex tones to the preamp stage, just like a full tube amp. I know guys, I'am raving, but it's all true, just find one to try for yourself.

[sifi2112]

Thanks for the responses .. I did try a Walkabout once & was indeed very impressed .. except for the price lol

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1471787492' post='3115835']
The Alain Caron is a beast!

I'd take one ahead of the Jeff Berlin every time!
[/quote]Molan did you actually A/B the Jeff Berlin to the Alain Caron btw ?

Edited September 16, 2016 by sifi2112

[Al Krow]

Molan pointed me in the direction of an Alain Caron 18 months back (please refer to the thread "the best combo for under £1,000") and it's served me very well for gigging purposes since. I would like something a little more portable for band rehearsals (just seeking some feedback on the Ibanez Promethean 3110 in another thread), but no complaints about the quality and sound of the Alain Caron; it's a lovely amp. I suspect the Mesa would be one step up, however, if your budget can stretch? I managed, by luck, to get my hands on an end of line new Mesa M6 2x12 combo (which is a complete beast in terms of size) for a knock down price, a couple of years back, and the tone on that is just gorgeous.

[molan]

[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1474044547' post='3135286']
Thanks for the responses .. I did try a Walkabout once & was indeed very impressed .. except for the price lol

Molan did you actually A/B the Jeff Berlin to the Alain Caron btw ?
[/quote]

I owned a Walkabout for at least 15 minutes. Great tone if I wanted to sound like I was playing through a wet blanket but unfortunately that's not ever anything I wanted to replicate - it was sold again within 24 hours

I have played both a Jeff Berlin and an Alain Caron but not directly back to back.

I didn't dislike the JB but just remember it sounded a bit lifeless. The AC feels like it has a lot more character and is definitely voiced differently.

I wanted a combo for smaller gigs and rehearsals etc and had a choice of a very wide range of gear and chose an AC. As a simple one box solution that you don't have to worry about whether to take an extension etc it just works really well for me.

[Norwood]

I would like to know your notice to choose between the AC and a cmd 102P

[sifi2112]

I guess the 102p is a contender as well

[molan]

[quote name='Norwood' timestamp='1474296939' post='3136908']
I would like to know your notice to choose between the AC and a cmd 102P
[/quote]

I like the MarkBass 2x10 cabs (especially the 4ohm version) but the combo is a bit of a 'non starter' for me.

It's good that it acts like a stage monitor with the speakers angled up but it just sits too low on the ground for me. I don't play with my amp settings a lot during a gig but having to bend so low mid gig would continually annoy me.

One thing I should reiterate is that there's a major factor in why I like the AC as a standalone combo. It's the only one specifically designed not to work with an extension cab.

For my personal use this means that when I grab a combo I'm getting the full output from the amp(s) rather than a lower 350w output from any other MB combo.

If I needed a much bigger sound then I'd consider a combo plus extension cab but, again, from a purely personal perspective, I'd be using separates for that kind of gig.

[sifi2112]

+1 to what Molan just said above

Stand alone combo is ideal for me, unless JB or Walkabout are loud enough without taking an extension cab (which defeats the purpose really). I could just take the head out & use the 212 I already have which sounds great but is heavy which is probably why it hasn't sold ... Or just get a decent head to pair with it.

Molan what head would you recommend with my bagend 212 ?
Sorry to derail my own thread lol

[Norwood]

Thanks Molan, now I'm hesitating between a 121H and an AC, I don't know if just a 12" is reasonable. With the 121H I can add an cab extension in the future.

[molan]

[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1474359493' post='3137298']
+1 to what Molan just said above

Stand alone combo is ideal for me, unless JB or Walkabout are loud enough without taking an extension cab (which defeats the purpose really). I could just take the head out & use the 212 I already have which sounds great but is heavy which is probably why it hasn't sold ... Or just get a decent head to pair with it.

Molan what head would you recommend with my bagend 212 ?
Sorry to derail my own thread lol
[/quote]

It's a while since I've been able to try a BagEnd 212 but from what I remember they like a lot of power. I've had a go with a hefty Carvin 1000w and MarkBass SD800 worked pretty well too.

I think big, powerful, clean and clear is good with these

[molan]

[quote name='Norwood' timestamp='1474374641' post='3137464']
Thanks Molan, now I'm hesitating between a 121H and an AC, I don't know if just a 12" is reasonable. With the 121H I can add an cab extension in the future.
[/quote]

The AC is very loud on its own but a 121H combo sitting on top of another 121H cab will chuck out more volume and low end. Of course, that's a fair bit more money

[Lee-Man]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1471787492' post='3115835']
The Alain Caron is a beast!

Full 500w into the 1x12 and another 300w just for the horn

It goes very loud without any need for an extension cab. Plenty of clarity from the horn but you can use the filters to warm things up if that's what's needed for certain songs or gigs.

I'd take one ahead of the Jeff Berlin every time!
[/quote]

Agreed. I've got a couple of them (AC 121 lite) for when I'm flip-flopping gigs. Occasionally I use both at the same time. Lovely sound.

One by itself is a beast. I can do a one trip lift from the car with two basses in a Mono bag, amp and another bag of bits/pedals no worries.

Also it takes pedals quite well. For example when I want a more Ampeg tone I can pop a VT Bass in the front end and it sounds great.

The AC feels like a nearfield studio monitor, but much louder.

Edited October 27, 2016 by Lee-Man

[molan]

[quote name='Lee-Man' timestamp='1477567770' post='3163004']


Agreed. I've got a couple of them (AC 121 lite) for when I'm flip-flopping gigs. Occasionally I use both at the same time. Lovely sound.

One by itself is a beast. I can do a one trip lift from the car with two basses in a Mono bag, amp and another bag of bits/pedals no worries.

Also it takes pedals quite well. For example when I want a more Ampeg tone I can pop a VT Bass in the front end and it sounds great.

The AC feels like a nearfield studio monitor, but much louder.
[/quote]

I own one of these as my 'go to' combo now. I'd been toying with getting one for quite a while and tried lots of different alternatives from all sorts of brands.

Never really found one that offered as much as the AC for lots of different situations

[Lee-Man]

Yeah thats it, just so versatile and powerful. Really nice amp.

When I use both of mine at the same time I either split the signal from my Cali76 or use my Aguilar DB680 as the front end as it has two outs.

Weirdly in the Markbass video Alain Caron suggests running one combo in to the other via the preamp out/fx return. I always felt there was some phasing issues when I've tried this. Could just be the room etc. Using the Cali76 or DB680 with two AC combos is ace.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Lee-Man

[sifi2112]

Finally bit the bullet & have a Markbass AC121Lite incoming ...

[Al Krow]

Great choice - I'm sure you're going to find it a fantastic piece of kit.

The new AC121-Lite's 300W tweeter (more powerful than many bass amps' main units!) is slightly insane - my earlier version makes do with just a 100W tweeter Some really nice touches include aux in and headphone sockets, so you can practice in "stealth mode" when required. And whilst I'm personally not a user of the VLE treble-cut, this and the VPF mid-scoop (which I do like a lot) provide easy to access tonal variety. And the 500W main bass amp has so far left me with TONS of headroom during live performance.

Enjoy!

[Chris2112]

I'm hoping to order the Jeff Berlin combo this Thursday from Guitar Guitar (the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin, not the Players School amp).

I had also considered the Alain Caron combo but I am in love with Jeff's tone. Going to a tweeterless 15" speaker is a bit of a departure for me but if it gets me half as good a tone as Jeff manages with his, I'll be happy.