Need help to choose Markbass combo, please ;)

[Fraktal]

Hi everybody!

After reading reviews, opinions and comments everywhere about Markbass gear I decided to buy a Markbass combo. My previous rig was nice regarding power and sound, but a nightmare to carry: Trace Elliot GP12SMX preamp, 2 rack power amps for crossover'ed biamplification and a 1000w Warwick Terminator cabinet... Including flightcases, I estimate the total weight around 70Kg+ for the cabinet and 45Kg+ for the rack mounted units... insane! I need lots of decibels cos the drummer of my band is incredibly loud, the loudest one I have seen in my whole career as a professional bassist (16 years) and of course, everybody has to adapt their volume to his, since reducing an acoustic drum volume will inevitably result in compromised tone, and he is unwilling.

Now the problem is to choose between the MINI CMD 151P(1x15"), the MINI CMD 121P(1x12") and the 102CMDP(2x10"). they all seem to have the same wattage, so I assume the difference in sound will come mostly from speakers and enclosure. Unfortunately, I live VERY far away from any decent dealer with a decent stock to have a chance to try before I buy, so I will have to buy one of them blindly

I personally prefer 15inchers but this opinion might be based on the fact I have never tried a 10inchers amp that satisfied my lowB string sound demands. The 12incher combo looks to be the smallest and lightest one of them(and also the cheapest), but I suppose it wont handle low frequencies at max power as good as the 15incher??? Also, people seem positively surprised about the low frequencies coming out of the 10incher combo(from what I have read).

So, here is where you guys can help me a bit. Since all I have are speculations, I would sincerely appreciate opinions based on real life trying of those 3 combos and, if possible, direct comparisons between them. Surely a few of you have been in this same dilema before than me!

Thanks a lot for your time

[yorks5stringer]

Why not make it even lighter by going the LMII route? It's 300 watts at 8 ohm and 500 watts at 4 ohm, weighs 7 Lb and is the same amp in the combos so you could do as I did, get 2 cabs, a 2x10 and a 1X15. Together bloody loud, singly just loud, so much so I never use the 1x15.
The 2X10 has no trouble handling 2 very hot 5 active stringers.

[mikeh]

This one

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21893"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=21893[/url]

[molan]

P-T-P might be your man for a good comparison of the 1x12 vs the 2x10 as he's owned both recently and gigged with them regularly:

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showuser=226"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showuser=226[/url]

[Fraktal]

@yorks5stringer:

Thank you! That would be a very nice solution, but I prefer a combo since its more compact and easier to carry than a 2 piece or 3 piece system, also cheaper.

@mikeh:

Your offer sounds VERY tempting, I will consider it carefully. Can you post a few pics of it?

@moran:

Thanks a lot! Ive sent a private message to P-T-P, lets hope he sees it soon

[Fraktal]

More comments about your experiences with these combos are MOST WELCOME!!! Thanks!

[redstriper]

I have tried all 3 combos you mention and was disappointed with the low bass response of them all at volume.
The 12" speaker is no good against a loud drummer.
The 2 x 10 is the loudest, very punchy aggresive sound but won't go very low and is not as light as you might think.
The 15 is my favourite, for warmth and smooth tone but it will struggle against a very loud drummer if you want deep bass.
You would need another speaker to comfortably do the job, which adds to the cost and weight.
I would advise buying a markbass head and teaming it with a more powerful speaker cab - the heads are so light you can easily carry one in a shoulder bag.
The problem is cost again, but I came to the conclusion that the markbass combos are not quite powerful enough - then again I play reggae and like a seriously deep sound.

[machinehead]

I own a 121P combo, plus a LMII and have used a pair of 2 x 10 travellers and before that a 151 with a 2 x 10.

But it's the combos you're interested in so for what it's worth, this thing is very loud and quite deep for the size. It does handle a B string OK.

I wouldn't really want to exagerate and mislead you but I use it on its own for pub gigs with a fairly loud drummer in a 5 piece band and it copes OK IMO.

Having said that, I intend to buy another 12" cab for a "bigger" sound but I'm thinking I'll wait until later this year as Markbass are bringing out a mini 12 cab to match the 121P mini combo. Thsi should be a really lightweight and powerful rig.

It would seem that not everyone likes the sound of the Markbass cabs. Having owned 4 of them I love the sound but, of course, it's very subjective.

Hope this helps.

Frank

[phsycoandy]

This should solve your problem, my drummer shudders when I turn up with both cabs! Light and obsenely loud and like you I love 15's

Edited June 22, 2008 by phsycoandy

[WalMan]

I run a CMD121H and it is great, deals with my loud drummer, and thunders down to the low B on my G&L L2500.

Friday night in a smallish pub it managed fine at around 9 o'clock on the master - and this is for a classic rock set. Any more and I would have been getting severe grief from the rest of the band!!

For larger gigs it tends to get a little help out front from the PA so I have not bothered getting an extra 12 extension cab, though it has crossed my mind, because as things stand it would be completely unnecessary. The extension would take the amp to its full 500W, but it's fine on its own for small gigs, and plenty for onstage monitoring along with the PA at larger gigs.

Where are you based, what sort of stuff are you playing, and will you just be relying on the combo, or feeding the PA as well? If you might make the SE Bash I shall be dragging my combo there.

I love it. Came to this from a Trace 2x10 combo which weighed a ton, and have never looked back.

[xgsjx]

I've just finished a gig with the CMD 102P & had a double bassist making use of it in the support band & he was very impressed how it handled his sound.

I cranked the bass up a bit for our set with everything else flat & the master at just above 9 o'clock & this had the drummer asking if I could turn it down a touch, which is nice as it used to be the G*it****t with his AC30 who only heard those words! Everyone goes through the pa as well as using their amps except for me so the pa has headroom for everything else & I have no trouble being heard out front.

As i said in another post, if I needed to do a bigger gig (& it would have to be big) then I would add another 210 or 410 if there wasn't ample pa support.

I bought this blind & was looking at loads of combos & rigs & tried quite a few & IMO this is the best for less than a grand.

[Fraktal]

I cant express my gratitude enough for all your comments, its sooooo nice to see so many replys!!!

@redstripper: Wow, nice! Great that you tried them all, and sounds like you really care about lowend... Well, I have never played a reggae theme, believe it or not, here in spain doesnt seem to be a very popular style... Dont blame me! I love it! Too bad spaniards only love football and car tuning and so there isnt much public demand of proper music

@machinehead: That 12" cabinet to match the 121p sounds very interesting, lets hope we can see it soon.

@phsycoandy: Im sincerely grateful for your PM, though Im more interested on a compact, smalller combo. Still, thanks a bunch

@Walman: I live at Spain right now, though that will hopefully change relatively soon. I play almost everything (rock, pop, funk, folk, jazz...). About feeding the PA, well, that depends. Sometimes we go to play at a gig and we find a small pub with very basic audio systems so we only amplify voices and acoustic guitar. Some other times we find a large scenario with plenty of audience and huge line array systems, so then, of course, we all get amplified. Basically, I feed the PA whenever its possible and needed, heh.

@xgsjx: Thank you!

[P-T-P]

I've had the CMD121P and currently have the CMD102P. Also had a brief daliance with a CMD121H while the 121P was getting checked over.

CMD121P - very light combo and extremely poratble but surprisingly gutsy. Quite happily gigged it for about 18 months or so but felt that in the larger rooms (200+) we've been playing more of lately, it didn't quite throw enough bottom end to all corners. Always coped admirably with drummers though. If you've got PA support when it's neede this could well be the way to go for you depending on how you like your tone. I personally quite liked it's low-end-centric sound. Was a deep, clean and clear tone which fit well with the wide variety of covers my band plays. I didn't play with the controls that much so could well have been capable of a lot more,

CMD102P - Quite a departure from the 121P. Certainly louder and a much more in your face, punchy tone. It doesn't lack bottom end, but it's not as deep and rounded as the 121P. It ads a bit more authority to the tone and certainly throws the bass into the room more. Obviously bigger than the 121P but still a one handed carry. The tilt back option is nice too. Played in a marquee with it on Firday night, no stage and just on a matted floor. Had to crank it quite a bit to get the air moving and the bottom end was a bit lacking. Did the same gig a year ago with the 121P and don't recall having the same problem with the bottom end. On the whole though, love this combo. Actually feel like a different player as the additional cut makes much more of what I play come to the forefront which makes trying something interesting more rewarding.

CMD121H - Only used it for a couple of gigs. Didn't really like it much. Was quite a middy-tone which didn't work for me. No volume issues. I reckon it would come into it's own for fretless or double bass playing. Probably would sit nicely in a jazz environment.

With all of these combos (and indeed the Traveller 1x15" plus LMK head I used prior to going for the combo), I never found a lack of volume in relation to my bandmates to be an issue. There's the odd occasion where the room size and/or acoustics expose their limitations, but never to a level where it became a big issue and certainly something that can be dealt with via a little PA support.

I've thought about changing to a MarkBass head and different cabs and also thought about adding an additional cab to the combo (may still do that at some point) but the reality is that the CMD102P is fine for nearly every gig I'm likely to do playing clubs/pubs/functions and so on.

Edited June 23, 2008 by P-T-P

[WalMan]

[quote name='P-T-P' post='224986' date='Jun 23 2008, 01:22 PM']CMD121H - Only used it for a couple of gigs. Didn't really like it much. Was quite a middy-tone which didn't work for me. No volume issues. I reckon it would come into it's own for fretless or double bass playing. Probably would sit nicely in a jazz environment.[/quote]
My experience is that it works fine in a rock environment.

Fraktal - Spain eh, well perhaps I could work it in to a holiday. I am sure the 121H would probably make it through as hand luggage

[Fraktal]

Hello P-T-P, I was eager to see your comments, Thank you very much!

You seem to confirm what I suspect, though I wasnt expecting the 12incher to have better lowend than the 10incher... Very useful info.

[Fraktal]

Heheh, thank you, WalMan, but if things go as I expect, I might end up at UK soon. Got a brother who moved to Watford (near London) 3 years ago and Im sick tired of this place.
Dont get me wrong, Spain is a very nice place for a holiday trip, having fun, drink some horrible beers or excelent wines, taste some wonderful food, meet very beautiful troublemaking girls and generally waste your time... But when it comes to seriousness, reliability, commitment or anything related to responsible teamworking... You better look for somewhere else! I attended Guitarcraft international courses and it was very easy for me to notice a radical change of mentality between spanish musicians and their attitude and that of people from other coutries. Also, I live at the south of Spain wich traditionally was a very rich area regarding culture, but lately I cant see that at all. My career and my development as a musician is suffering greatly, the circumstances here in spain are so unfriendly for a musician that lately I have doubts about me being one.
Right now im finishing some studies and most likely I will move to UK as soon as Im done. That is, unless one of the friendly guys in this forum needs a bassist for a serious, professional band full of commited and responsible members AND theres a chance to earn a living out of it. I have been big band director for the last 4 years and bassist for 16 years. Ah well, I better stop dreaming

Edited June 23, 2008 by Fraktal

[P-T-P]

[quote name='Fraktal' post='225031' date='Jun 23 2008, 02:06 PM']Hello P-T-P, I was eager to see your comments, Thank you very much!

You seem to confirm what I suspect, though I wasnt expecting the 12incher to have better lowend than the 10incher... Very useful info.[/quote]

Hmmm now that you've put it that way...

It's not so much the 121P having more low end than the 102P. The 102P has more of everything else compared to the 121P which kinda makes the 121P seem deeper sounding.

I guess what I'm saying is the 102P doesn't lack bottom end, it's just that bottom end is not the over-riding characteristic of the tone.

[Mr Fudge]

Is the 102P an upgrade of 121P?

Anybody bought covers for there markbass combo. I have emailed a shop on ebay about a cover for a 102P.

Cheers.

[Mr Fudge]

AAAAHHHHHHH 2x10 and 1x12.

forgive me Im from West Bromwich!

[xgsjx]

I got a cover for my 102 from www.amplifiercoversonline.com & they hand make em & offer a really good guarantee as well as an excellent delivery service & a perfect fit.
Sorry, didn't mean to praise em so much, but I was very impressed.

[xgsjx]

Here's pics.............






The cover is padded on the inside & has so far been kitten resistant!

[carlosfandango]

Hi there is a lot to be said for a separate head and a small cab (or potentially two!). I can really recommend the F1 head combined with a really good light cab such as Epifani UL112, EBS 112 and so on. You'll get a much more flexible rig and have the options to add speakers to need and taste (personally not convinced about the Markbass speakers).

[phil_the_bassist]

[quote name='phsycoandy' post='224480' date='Jun 22 2008, 09:39 PM']This should solve your problem, my drummer shudders when I turn up with both cabs! Light and obsenely loud and like you I love 15's

[/quote]


oooooooooohhhhhhhh shinyshinyshinyshiny!!

What sorta wattage is that rig? Also, if you don't mind me bein a nosy barsteward, can you give me a ballpark figure of how much that set you back?

[clash33]

Looking to upgrade my set up with about £900 to spend (give or take a bit) I like the look of

Markbass CMD 121H Bass Combo, 450 Watt on 4 Ohm,
280Watt on 8 Ohm, 1x12"

And adding an extra Laney RB-115 or Gallien-Krueger 210GLX

Can you guys offer any advice, we play covers in pubs and clubs
__________________
Yamaha BB414
Peavey TNT 115 + Peavey 210

[WalMan]

[quote name='clash33' post='254680' date='Aug 4 2008, 05:08 PM']Looking to upgrade my set up with about £900 to spend (give or take a bit) I like the look of

Markbass CMD 121H Bass Combo, 450 Watt on 4 Ohm,
280Watt on 8 Ohm, 1x12"

And adding an extra Laney RB-115 or Gallien-Krueger 210GLX

Can you guys offer any advice, we play covers in pubs and clubs
__________________
Yamaha BB414
Peavey TNT 115 + Peavey 210[/quote]
I've said it before & I'll say it again, I have a CMD121H and absolutely love it. Light, loud, easily handles a drummer in classic rock gigs in a smaller room and with PA support in much larger rooms, handles a low B on my L2500, and sounds great in teh context of my CR covers gig.

I have thought of adding the extra 1x12 but frankly have yet to find the need for it