Sparky Mark

I much prefer being close to the musicians for any gig and the less than perfect mix wasn't enough to persuade me to move back to the sound desk.

This was the first Level 42 gig that I saw, 23rd October 2021 was the second. Sound quality isn't perfect but the heft and clarity of the JD and TE are there.

I'm happy to accept that I probably had no idea how best to use my TE SMX rig (AH350SMX, 410 and 115 cabs). I saw a band in a pub in the 90s where the bassist was using a Warwick NT Thumb through a Hartke AH3500, 410, 115 rig and the punch, lows and clarity amazed me. Within a month the TE was gone and I had (still have) a Thumb and the same Hartke rig that I loved using for next 15 years. If you come across any free of charge Series 6 AH200 heads please let me know, I love 'em.

Agreed, but we were standing right at the front of stage and not hearing the PA columns located at far left and right. I'm sure the band had an excellent mix in their IEMs so for them amps are almost irrelevant. Before IEMs became commonplace musicians used their backline for their stage sound much more and the audience at the front heard more of that. With everything DI into the PA and IEM the majority of the audience wouldn't care if the on stage amps were totally silent.

Liking both Markbass and Trace Elliot amps is not mutually exclusive. I have gigged for 13 years using Markbass amps and cabs and have recently used my Trace Elliot Series 6 AH200 which sounds fantastic through my Bergantino cabs. I had a disappointing experience with the SMX Series back in the 90s but the Series 6 is way better for me. Of course, I know a lot more now about EQ and hopefully my playing technique has improved. In my opinion only, Mark King sounded better at the Brixton Ace in 1983 with his JD and TE rig than he did at Cambridge through the Markbass.

I've just ordered black Dunlop buttons from Allparts for half the price of anywhere else. Hopefully they'll be compatible wth my black Dunlop strap part.

I was at the front pretty much in line with Mark's two STD104HR cabs and whilst the bass was clear the vox and guitar were too quiet. Using IEM is great for the band but as we were between the PA at the front the mix wasn't as good as it could've been. Mark even said that his IEM meant he couldn't hear the audience.

Unfortunately, the leather on one of my straps is too thick for this method. I've come to prefer Grolsch rubber washers nowadays.

I saw him in Cambridge and was really pleased he was playing his original Series 1 Jaydee. It sounded perfect; just as it did back in the 80's. I'm not a fan of the more hifi Status sounds for Level 42.

My newish Rickenbacker 4003S have the one piece Schaller strap lock buttons and they were loose when I received the basses. Much prefer the old screw/button version. Everything can be made just a bit cheaper..... and just a bit worse.

I thought the low B on 5 stringers was notorious for tonal differences, especially on standard scale instruments? Hence the 35+ inch scales.

I have TI flats on one of my precisions and will only replace if a string breaks, which hasn't happened to me in the past 25+ years. I much prefer broken in roundwounds as when first on they are heavy on the bottom and top frequencies. Once roundwounds age a bit the mids come through better for me. One trick I use to add a little zing back to old roundwounds is to slacken (one at a time) each string so it's really floppy then pull it up sharply around the 12th fret and allow it to slap back on the fretboard. Do this repeatedly for as long as you can (or get bored) then tune back up. They won't sound new but usually a little brighter IME.

I only own two:- 1. A Fender Custom Shop Pino Precision; not for the name, but at the time it was the only Fender USA precision in fiesta red with tort and rosewood available. Very lightweight and resonant with hot pickup. 2. A Fender Mex Reggie Hamilton jazz bass. I just fancied a PJ and glad I bought it. Extremely flexible 18v preamp with powerful J and P tones. I can see it becoming my main gigging bass.

Saw Level 42 last night in Cambridge and Mark started with his original and then a newer Supernatural later on the gig. I'm not sure whether my ears became fatigued but the earlier bass had a more aggressive hi mids growl to it. This could've been down to EQ setting on the bass but I definitely preferred the extra presence of the early one shown here. A fantastic night; Mark's playing was as good as I can ever remember with Mike and the rest of the band super tight.

I'll be seeing Level 42 for the second time this coming Saturday in Cambridge. The first time was at The Ace, Brixton in 1983. Mark King and Level 42 were huge influences on me and I always wanted a Jaydee so I joined the queue a few months back for a Series III Roadie 2 active. I'm loving this colour scheme but with gold hardware:-

Precision, Jazz, Stingray; done.

Exactly.

I gigged this AH200 outside at the weekend through a Bergantino HD210. Performs like a 500 watter. No roadie necessary even for a wimp like me!

It's peculiar that the only Markbass product that failed on me was also a CMD121P combo. There are many other threads on Talkbass about this combo failing too. I really wonder whether it's something to do with the head being in a vertical orientation and subjected to vibration at higher volumes? After repair I sold it and moved to two NY121P cabs with my LM3.

I love my Markbass amps but for many years have resigned myself to the fact that it's just not financially viable to repair them outside warranty. My solution has been to buy working secondhand units for roughly the cost of a repair as backups. My 2009 LM3 is the only Markbass head that I bought new and it's still going strong but when it fails I'll have had good value I reckon. Thread derail warning - I'm hoping that Ashdown continues to thrive/survive for many more years because its customer support is second to none (certainly within the UK). If peace of mind was my number one priority Ashdown would be my choice without hesitation (and although relatively heavy by current standards, the ABM600 evo IV is as capable as any amp I've tried under £1000).

You could add a Markbass New York 151 cab which has an adjustable piezo tweeter. This tweeter is fine when you can control its level. This cab is also the perfect size to stack under your JB combo.

I'd never thought about this before but on reflection most of my non Fenders are natural finishes and the vast majority of my Fenders are sunbursts with tort. 3TSB, tort and dark, dark rosewood is my favourite.