decent new head for £250ish?

[stubass]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1378907950' post='2206341']
Congrats mate

Chuck a review up when it arrives!!
[/quote]

Will do, I don't think I'm back in the practice room til next weekend so I'll hold off until its been thoroughly tested. Thought I'd say too, I tried to play DV off against dolphin and g4m but none of them would touch it!

[Marc S]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1378907950' post='2206341']
Congrats mate

Chuck a review up when it arrives!!
[/quote]

Yes stubass, let us know how you get on with it

I bought an Ampeg portaflex s/h from ebay
It's a backup head really (long story, don't ask)

But it's useful for smaller gigs & rehearsals too
It's a lot like my Markbass 2x10 combo,
in that used with one 8ohm speaker, you get 300 Watts
but with a further 8ohm extension cab, you get 500 Watts
Which is a nice, flexible arrangement, I think

BTW. The s/h Ampeg head was in brilliant condition
It looked unused when it arrived - so don't discount buying used gear
You can get more value for your money...

Like I say, let us know how you get on with the Hartke -
I must say, I was put off them when a rehearsal place I used to use, had a faulty combo
only to be replaced by another faulty combo....

Marc

Edited September 11, 2013 by Marc S

[stubass]

Yeah, I don't doubt that there are real good heads at bargain prices to be had second hand but I've had bad experiences that put me off. Its ashdowns that I've had problems with but the next guy will say their ace. Its the lack of support up here in the highlands that nails the coffin for me. It can cost £50 in courier fees just to find the issue. If I had a repair guy round the corner, I would go s/h.

[bonzodog]

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1378830217' post='2205267']
Cant really go wrong with the LH500.... incredible amount of power from a reasonably cheap amp. I've got one and gigged for a while. If your still looking in a month or two i may have mine up for sale.
[/quote][quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1378830217' post='2205267']
Cant really go wrong with the LH500.... incredible amount of power from a reasonably cheap amp. I've got one and gigged for a while. If your still looking in a month or two i may have mine up for sale.
[/quote]

Let me know when you do as I will prob want one in a few weeks

[Delberthot]

[quote name='stubass' timestamp='1378904974' post='2206291']
Thanks Dan, and thanks to charic too! DV have (reluctantly) price matched the hartke and thrown in their 4 year warranty so I've went for it. Should be here Friday. Happy! Now, how do I break the news to the wife! Seriously, thanks guys, a 500w hartke for £250! Sick!
[/quote]

nice one - I did exactly the same a couple of weeks ago and got £84 off a Hartke LH1000 [size=4] [/size]

[Fionn]

[quote name='stubass' timestamp='1378910643' post='2206387']
Its the lack of support up here in the highlands that nails the coffin for me.[/quote]

Where in the Highlands are you?

[charic]

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1378976717' post='2207175']
Where in the Highlands are you?
[/quote]

The high bit?


...sorry

[Fionn]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1378979417' post='2207221']
The high bit?


...sorry
[/quote]

Haha! There are high high bits and high low bits

[pobrien_ie]

[quote name='stubass' timestamp='1378904974' post='2206291']
Now, how do I break the news to the wife!
[/quote]

Here's one prepared earlier..... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216445-best-way-to-tell-the-wife-ive-just-bought-a-new-bass/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216445-best-way-to-tell-the-wife-ive-just-bought-a-new-bass/[/url]

BC delivers on all fronts

[stubass]

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1378976717' post='2207175']


Where in the Highlands are you?
[/quote]

Between Banff and Buckie, not strictly the highlands but close enough

[Fionn]

[quote name='stubass' timestamp='1378982657' post='2207270']
Between Banff and Buckie, not strictly the highlands but close enough
[/quote]

Och, a fine part of the Doric north

[stubass]

[quote name='Fionn' timestamp='1378982902' post='2207274']


Och, a fine part of the Doric north
[/quote]

Aye, "n ma mither dis ate neeps hale" far aboots are you fae?

[stubass]

[quote name='pobrien_ie' timestamp='1378981256' post='2207247']


Here's one prepared earlier..... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216445-best-way-to-tell-the-wife-ive-just-bought-a-new-bass/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/216445-best-way-to-tell-the-wife-ive-just-bought-a-new-bass/[/url]

BC delivers on all fronts
[/quote]
Genius thread, proper comedy!

[Fionn]

Duthaich MhicAoidh, a charaid!

Sutherland

[stubass]

Very nice, lovely part of the country

[MoJoKe]

Can't go wrong with the new markbass blackline 250, but do not buy from DV or Thomann or will not have a UK power supply.....!

[6v6]

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1379079204' post='2208460']
Can't go wrong with the new markbass blackline 250, but do not buy from DV or Thomann or will not have a UK power supply.....!
[/quote]

Huh? DV are a UK company, with lots of UK shops, no?

And Thomman will supply something which works in the EU, which is the same voltage as here (near enough), so you may just need a kettle lead with a UK plug?

Or am I missing something?

The blackline does look good, but it's only 150w into 8ohms. I wish they did a 500w version.

[MoJoKe]

[quote name='6v6' timestamp='1379080688' post='2208476']
Huh? DV are a UK company, with lots of UK shops, no?

And Thomman will supply something which works in the EU, which is the same voltage as here (near enough), so you may just need a kettle lead with a UK plug?

Or am I missing something?
[/quote]

Well, missing a couple of things actually!

DV liquidated and w[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]ere bou[/font]ght out a few months ago by German company, Music Store. Rather than using UK distributors (who aren't best pleased, not least because some of them lost a good chunk of money in the liquidation, and have now lost the trade altogether), they now source their kit from Germany, As do Thomann.

On MB's website:-

[indent=1]POWER REQUIREMENT 100/120V; 230V; 240V 50/60Hz (Voltage is factory preset according to region of sale).[/indent]
[indent=1][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]Markbass amps/combos are manufactured to be sold and used in the country of purchase, and they are factory preset to that country’s voltage. Due to homologation issues, the voltage may not be changed.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]


[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#020202][color=#020202][color=#222222]The UK distributor, MSL, are the only company who can supply 240v units into the UK. Both DV and Thomann can only supply 230v.[/color]

[color=#222222]Like many manufacturers, MB power amps use switched power supplies which are quite sensitive to voltage variation, (not an issue unique to MB but it is [i]why[/i] they are so country specific), so "near enough" sadly doesn't cut it, as a difference of 10v before you even plug the thing in to the mains can cause problems, not least of which, if it does go bang, MSL cannot help you as a. it will not have been supplied by them, and b. with the wrong power supply it is effectively not approved for use in the UK by the manufacturer anyway.[/color][/color]

So, all you'll be able to do is return it to DV or Thomann, and they will have to send it back to Germany for repair/replacement, and you'll be without your amp for a while, unless DV have loan/replacement stock.

All that said, all my MB kit is 240v, it is brilliant stuff, I love it and I'd need some pretty good persuading to change to something else, and is available from dozens of other UK dealers, who will look after you well.

I do get your point about the power of the LM250 blackline at 8ohm, however its still bloody loud at 150w. I did a side by side test recently of the new JB players school combo (damn stupid name if you ask me!), against the CMD151, and it kept pace really well with very similar tonal character, and while definitely not "as loud" (but be fair, it is half the wattage!), but really much pokier than many others quoted at the same rating.....[/color][/font][/size]

Edited September 14, 2013 by MoJoKe

[Lozz196]

Yes when buying a Markbass amp I contacted Thomann who told me it would need an adapter to run on UK power as the amps they had would be country specific.

So I rang around and found a well-known online store who was willing to price-match.

[Delberthot]

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1379163616' post='2209323']

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#020202][color=#222222]The UK distributor, MSL, are the only company who can supply 240v units into the UK. Both DV and Thomann can only supply 230v.[/color][/color][/font][/size]


[/quote]


Can someone tell me how this would affect an amp as we've been on 230v ( -6% & +10% ) for a number of years now so everything should work anywhere in Europe.

I did wonder why my Hartke arrived with a euro plug inside the box and another 3-pin plug along with it from DV, totally explains why now.

[MoJoKe]

This FAQ pretty much covers it:-

[b] [url="http://www.schneider-electric.co.uk/sites/uk/en/support/faqs/faq_main.page?page=content&country=UK&lang=EN&id=FA144717&redirect=true"]What are the differences between 220VAC, 230VAC and 240VAC Mains Supplies and what voltage equipment should I use?[/url][/b]

[color=#626469][font=Arial][size=2]"Depending on the voltage sensitivity of the product and the variance from nominal of the actual supplied voltage, it may not be advisable to use a 220VAC specific device in the UK or a 240VAC specific device in Mainland Europe etc. For instance a 240VAC supply can rise to as high as 254.4VAC and still be within tolerance, [/size][/font][/color][color=#ff0000][font=Arial][size=2]but the maximum rated voltage for a 220VAC product is only 242VAC[/size][/font][/color][color=#626469][font=Arial][size=2]. A 220VAC supply can drop as low as 206.8 within tolerance but the minimum rated voltage for correct operation of a 240VAC product is 216VAC It may work perfectly well either way but it could be, technically, outside the specification of the equipment with obvious implications."[/size][/font][/color]

Bearing in mind the sensitivity of switched power supplies, I think this explains it quite well!

Edited September 14, 2013 by MoJoKe

[6v6]

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1379163616' post='2209323']
Well, missing a couple of things actually!

DV liquidated and w[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]ere bou[/font]ght out a few months ago by German company, Music Store. Rather than using UK distributors (who aren't best pleased, not least because some of them lost a good chunk of money in the liquidation, and have now lost the trade altogether), they now source their kit from Germany, As do Thomann.

[/quote]

I did not know that happened, thanks for the info!

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1379163616' post='2209323']
On MB's website:-

[indent=1]POWER REQUIREMENT 100/120V; 230V; 240V 50/60Hz (Voltage is factory preset according to region of sale).[/indent]
[indent=1][color=#020202][font=Georgia, Arial, Verdana][size=3]Markbass amps/combos are manufactured to be sold and used in the country of purchase, and they are factory preset to that country’s voltage. Due to homologation issues, the voltage may not be changed.[/size][/font][/color][/indent]


[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#020202][color=#222222]The UK distributor, MSL, are the only company who can supply 240v units into the UK. Both DV and Thomann can only supply 230v.[/color]

[color=#222222]Like many manufacturers, MB power amps use switched power supplies which are quite sensitive to voltage variation, (not an issue unique to MB but it is [i]why[/i] they are so country specific), so "near enough" sadly doesn't cut it, as a difference of 10v before you even plug the thing in to the mains can cause problems, not least of which, if it does go bang, MSL cannot help you as a. it will not have been supplied by them, and b. with the wrong power supply it is effectively not approved for use in the UK by the manufacturer anyway.[/color]
[/quote][/color][/font]

On the face of it, this seems pretty insane - MB have the overhead of maintaining two product variants for Europe, and if you tour, or even just play the odd gig in mainland Europe, you presumably can't use UK MB kit in Europe and vice-versa (although I bet people do)

IMHO designing a switch mode power supply such that it can't deal with < 5% more or less voltage is a gigantic design fail. I also like the MB sound and might have bought one, but this is a pretty compelling reason not to buy one.

I'm assuming the LH500 (given it's a traditional not switch-mode power-supply) won't have the same tight tolerances - the service manual indicates it's just switchable between 110v and 230v, but presumably the 230v mode will be specced such that it will work OK in the UK.


[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1379163616' post='2209323']
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#020202]I do get your point about the power of the LM250 blackline at 8ohm, however its still bloody loud at 150w. I did a side by side test recently of the new JB players school combo (damn stupid name if you ask me!), against the CMD151, and it kept pace really well with very similar tonal character, and while definitely not "as loud" (but be fair, it is half the wattage!), but really much pokier than many others quoted at the same rating.....[/color][/font]
[/quote]

Sure, it seems like a great starter amp, I guess with an extension cab it would be more than adequate for most gigging purposes.