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Mark Bass Jeff Berlin Combo - worth it?


Stevie B
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Hi - I'm looking to upgrade from an Ashdown Eletric Blue combo to something with more power, quality and ideally light weight. The Mark Bass combo rigs look very promising. Does anyone have any experience of the Jeff Berlin combo? It's now retailing for around £800. Would I be just paying for a celeb endorsement?

How does the Berlin measure up against the other MB options: CMD 102P, CMD 121H (the tall one), Mini CMD 121P (considerably cheaper) and the CMD 151P (about the same price with the amp at the back). I wish they'd just give them names - be a lot easier.

I've no car or garage so small and light is attractive so long as the beef is there and other treads suggest the Mark Bass delivers the punch. We're playing pubs and clubs: The Good Ship (Kilburn), Inn on the Green (Notting Hill), Spice of Life (Cambridge Circus), the Water Rat (Kings Cross) - so don't really need the big cab solution. I've seen a huge Ampeg cab re fused admission at the Good Ship.

Stevie B

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Hi Stevie,

I might not be off very much help here but since no one else is responding so far (I'm sure others will chime in to help) I'll give you my opinions/ experience with Markbass gear.

Currently use a LM II with Schroeder 1212L for larger gigs and a Markbass 121P in pubs and rehearsals.
In the past I've had a 15" traveller cab and a matching pair of 2 x 10 traveller cabs which I stacked 4 high on their sides.

So, I would say the 121P is easily loud enough for pub gigs and the sound is beefy for the size of the box. I heard a bass player in a pub last week using a LM II and one trav 2 x 10 cab and his sound was surprisingly big and deep.

So you have various options available. Easiest to transport might be the trav 2 x 10 and a LM II head although the 121P is a "one box "solution.

Having seperates gives you the option to use one or two cabs as required. My LM II and pair of trav 2 x 10s was great that way. Only sold them as I got a smaller car and could only get one cab in the boot.

Finally, Markbass are bringing out a 1 x 12 cab to go with the 121P so I might be looking at adding the new cab making a very light and portable rig. I'll have to wait and see the dimensions of the new cab as some people think it looks too small for stacking?

I do advise you to try before you buy, if possible.

Hope these ramblings are of some help.

Frank

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Hey Stevie B.

Not much help i'm sure because i've not actually used this amp yet but over the last few years i have owened and played through many MarkBass heads and combos and they have all been awesome. Tight focused bass tone with plenty of clean headroom. If youre after a dirty sound then this may not be for you but if your into clean, punchy high quality sounding bass then you can do a hell of a lot worst.

Hope that helps a little bit made.

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Hi Stevie

I'm in the same boat - looking to upgrade from my EB-180 for the same reasons, as gigs are in the offing. The Mark Bass stuff would be ideal but I can't justify the expense just now, so am looking at other (2nd hand) combos.

[quote name='Stevie B' post='175986' date='Apr 14 2008, 12:57 AM']I've seen a huge Ampeg cab refused admission at the Good Ship.[/quote]
Was it a little worse for wear?

Sorry... I'll go now. Hope you sort something out, cheers, Doug.

Edited by Weird War
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[quote name='machinehead' post='176739' date='Apr 14 2008, 10:57 PM']There's a 102P combo for sale on this very forum although I just read that the seller hasn't been around for a while?

Looks a great deal though.

Frank[/quote]
Thanks - will check out the forum asap.
Stevie B

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[quote name='Beedster' post='176610' date='Apr 14 2008, 08:07 PM']I love mine but have yet to test it live. Great tone though
Chris[/quote]
Chris - Hi and thanks for the reply but, 'who do you love?' Is that a two by ten Mark you fell for or one of the other combos?
Be intersted to know.
Stevie B

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[quote name='machinehead' post='176305' date='Apr 14 2008, 02:55 PM']Hi Stevie,

I might not be off very much help here but since no one else is responding so far (I'm sure others will chime in to help) I'll give you my opinions/ experience with Markbass gear.

Currently use a LM II with Schroeder 1212L for larger gigs and a Markbass 121P in pubs and rehearsals.
In the past I've had a 15" traveller cab and a matching pair of 2 x 10 traveller cabs which I stacked 4 high on their sides.

So, I would say the 121P is easily loud enough for pub gigs and the sound is beefy for the size of the box. I heard a bass player in a pub last week using a LM II and one trav 2 x 10 cab and his sound was surprisingly big and deep.

So you have various options available. Easiest to transport might be the trav 2 x 10 and a LM II head although the 121P is a "one box "solution.

Having seperates gives you the option to use one or two cabs as required. My LM II and pair of trav 2 x 10s was great that way. Only sold them as I got a smaller car and could only get one cab in the boot.

Finally, Markbass are bringing out a 1 x 12 cab to go with the 121P so I might be looking at adding the new cab making a very light and portable rig. I'll have to wait and see the dimensions of the new cab as some people think it looks too small for stacking?

I do advise you to try before you buy, if possible.

Hope these ramblings are of some help.

Frank[/quote]
Frank - this is very helpful. I'll certainly 'try before buying' although that's getting more difficult in London as retail is losing out to the cheaper internet suppliers. Planning to go to Gallery in Camden on Thursday although their advertised prices are very high. As I don't have a car and a one box combo solution is tempting so aptricularlt intersted in your endorsement for the 121P.

Stevie B

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[quote name='Stevie B' post='176779' date='Apr 15 2008, 12:17 AM']Chris - Hi and thanks for the reply but, 'who do you love?' Is that a two by ten Mark you fell for or one of the other combos?
Be intersted to know.
Stevie B[/quote]

The Jeff Berlin combo, which is what I thought your thread was about :)
Chris

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I bought a Jeff Berlin around Christmas, and have gigged with it since. Its plenty loud enough for medium size pub gigs. I do use a 2x10 extension cab for larger venues, just to give a bit more head room.

In terms of volume, you won't get much louder at that size and money.

I absolutely love the tone - a vast improvement on my old Ashdown stuff, and a fraction of the weight.

I've never tried the standard Mark Bass 1x15 combo - I bought the Jeff Berlin simply because my local store had it in stock at a good price, rather than because of the JB endorsement. But I don't think the price or spec is significantly different - the main difference is that the JB doesn't have a tweeter, which personally is no big issue for me.

Edited by simon1964
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Hi!

I use a MarkBass F12 head and it sounds great - slightly "punchier" than the LMK head if you ask me. I would also recommend that you go for a separate head and a small portable cab rather than a combo - it makes the rig more portable and you can expand the rig if you get larger gigs by adding another cab. My head fits in a laptop backpack with all my leads, stompers, strings, tools etc. Bass over the shoulder, cab in one hand and off you go. I even had the hard plus leads in the pocket of my gig bag once but that was pushing it a bit... :0) very tube friendly though!

personally I'm don't like the MB cabs that much but there are plenty of really cool light cabs out there...Schroeder 1210L (my personal favorite as it matched the head really well), Epifany 112, EA 112CXL etc

good luck!

Carl

Edited by carlosfandango
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I would always go the separates route for flexibility and upgradeability. A lot of people seem to love MB amps but not so many love their cabs so, for me, "mix and match" would be worth investigating. MB is not cheap so you could find you get a better sound for less money.

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[quote name='chris_b' post='178641' date='Apr 17 2008, 10:31 AM']I would always go the separates route for flexibility and upgradeability. A lot of people seem to love MB amps but not so many love their cabs so, for me, "mix and match" would be worth investigating. MB is not cheap so you could find you get a better sound for less money.[/quote]
hey folks , ive gotta mark bass 1x12 combo that i have decided to put up for sale or exchange deal , it's a little beauty and immaculate
it's got loads of balls and a fantastic tone

could be a gem for someone , i v'e just bought a GK 700rb 2x10 combo so it's surplus to requirements

cheers
kev

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