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DB amp choices - maybe MarkBass?


lobematt

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Hey guys

I'm looking for an amp for my upright, I'm a bit of a noob on DB gear and I can't find much advice out there! Most DB players I see tend to be using small speaker cabs so my current BG rig (the Jeff Berlin Markbass 115) probably isn't the best choice I'm guessing!

This looks like a bit of a bargain, is an 8" speaker going to be a bit [i]too [/i]small??

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/markbass-micromark-801/56360

Thanks!

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Just thought I'd share my feelings & thoughts here
I double up, but play mostly Bass Guitar these days - not so much DB, unfortunately :(

I used Markbass gear (a CMD 102P) and the 151 extension cab. This was great with BG, but not so with DB
I tended to find that the lower end was a bit muddy, boomy and undefined when using the 15" ext cab.

I switched to a Phil Jones 4x5 and what a difference that made! It sounded much clearer and better defined and focussed.
A lot of DB players said that they much prefer smaller speakers when playing DB, for those very reasons.
Incidentally, I now have a Markbass 210 cab, which I have played the DB through, and again, it sounds good

I have gigged with just the PJ 4x5 cab and it sounded great - even outdoors, not going through the PA at a festival!

Re that amp you posted a link to - I think 8" may be fine, or better still a 2x8 or 4x8 (if such cabs exist)
What would concern me, is whether that amp has enough power / headroom
I've heard a few DB players use the PJ suitcase (or is it the breiefcase?) and one who was using the similar Markbass 2x8 combo.
The Markbass sounded great!

It also depends of course, on what other instruments you're playing with. A loud drummer will mean you need more volume / power
And if this is in conjunction with loud guitarists..... well ;)

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There are two basic requirements for an amp for DB. First is an input impedance of 1 megohm or higher. This is not critical if using a magnetic pickup, but it is for a piezo. Piezos need this resistance to function correctly. An amp with less impedance can be used, but generally will need a buffer preamp to present the piezo with the correct load. Amps such as GK, AI, Phil Jones all have a 1meg or higher impedance. This is moot if you use a magnetic pickup.
Secondly, most DB players (not all) are preferring smaller speakers these days, with 12" being the largest.

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  • 6 years later...

I picked up a used Schertler Unico (185w) which sounds really high quality. It has a dedicated sub out so i got a BF LF800 powered sub which proved to be is a great match on an outdoor gig last summer with a Brazillian jazz band.

Edited by jazzyvee
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I've got a pjb flightcase which is great for dB and pretty good for electric.  It sits on a pjb pb300 ( 250w powered cab) for gigs with drums etc.  Very transparent.  I've also played at sessions through some markbass kit and was well impressed.  Small drivers are the thing.  My full pjb rig is 10x 5".  The most recent markbass I tried was 1x 6" surprisingly loud for the tiny size ... Has a vmt knob which radically alters the sound though I'm not sure what it actually does.

 

Both pjb and markbass well worth a punt.

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  • 1 month later...

Probably not something that many will want to do, but I have had some success with an Orange Terror (with 1x12 cab) for DB. It appears to work well with the Realist Lifeline pickup; the last time I played at a jam someone else with that pickup plugged their bass into my amp and they were pleased with the sound.

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I really did use my Barefaced Dubster and Peavey Tour 700 with my DB (when I had one).  Gage Realist pickup  or Schaller magnetic and it seemed to work ok in blues rock contexts. I have used the same with my Clifton EUB.  The Peavey graphic is useful for dealing with 'boominess'.  It is all about to be used again in the prog jazz/rock originals band I have recently joined.

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I really like the Markbass CMD 101 micro 60 - set flat it sounds superb with DB. 

It was a bit underpowered for bigger gigs, so I upgraded to the Markbass Minimark 802 - sounds great and has a decent amount of volume.

For really big gigs, I use the MB CMD 121.

I use a Fishman Platinum Pro (the old one) to get round the impedance thing - can't rate it highly enough!
 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 09/10/2022 at 14:49, tinyd said:

On this topic, has anyone tried a PJB Compact C2? Very small but I'm thinking it'll be good for smallish gigs with an amp like a TC BAM200. Trying to figure out the most portable but usable setup....

One C2 will work for small coffee house gigs. But I can tell you two of them are quite surprising and will sound better / fuller. They are sooo cute and easy to carry!

 

I just played a tour rocking 2x PJB C4 and was VERY happy with the sound.

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