chickenjames Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Hello all Need some ideas please. My main rig is a MB CMD121P+NY121P For practice I have a Minimark 801. Recently I got caught out and had to use the Minimark for a small gig - and it wasn't loud enough. I borrowed a Roland bass amp, quite new, 120W I think and it sounded nice but weighs a ton. So what I'm looking for is options to get a louder practice amp that I could use for small gigs but is still super portable. I'm going to be lazy and use watts as equivalent to volume but please feel free to correct this if you can see amps where this doesn't apply. MInimark 801 weighs 5kg and has 45W I notice that MB do a Minimark 802 with 150w - but it costs £509. And then I thought, well, for £610 I could get another CMD121P which is 13kg vs 11kg and it's 350W. And then I thought well what about replacing the CMD121P in my main rig with a 121H? And then I noticed that TC do lots of lightweight combos like BG250 with two 8" or two 10". I play funk soul pop in one band and folk in the other - through both rigs. And now I'm boggled for options so I've come here for ideas :-) What would you do? Are there any other super lightweight (sub 10kg) and loud (at least 150w) combos that I should be looking at? Or would you prefer I just bit the bullet and upgraded the big rig? Obviously the cmd121p is loud enough for any small gig :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 (edited) Just checking - the main thing you're looking for something that's smaller than your 121P for rehearsing and that the 121P with extension cab is loud enough for gigging? Edited August 27, 2016 by molan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Sorry, should have been clearer about arrangements. I leave my big rig in the rehearsal room and take it to big gigs. I keep the small rig at home for personal practice and would like to take it to small gigs. So what I'm trying to do is replace the little Markbass with something that's man enough for small gigs but is still super light. As a secondary option I would -consider- using the 121P for home practice and small gigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 I have a 121p which was fine for home, rehearsal and gigs. Used to have a Markbass 15" extension speaker for larger gigs, but the band went through a huge PA, so I sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 What about other really lightweight loud options? I'd prefer to keep the big rig and small rig separate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 Just get another CMD121P, then your sound whether it`s at home, rehearsals, small gigs or big gigs is always the same, no need for re-eq-ing. There aren`t that many amps lighter than the CMD121P around that are giggable unless going inot the AER territory, which from what I`ve read are great, lightweight, and rather more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Well I thought about another CMD121P but then it occurred that it might be nice to try the 121H instead - or am I just being greedy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubster Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 AER is the aspirational answer but at €1500-2000 not practical EICH do a nice 112 combo but more cash than another !Markbass 121p different sound though The TC and Ashdown options IMO are Inferior to MB The fender rumble series might have something for you. They are light,cheap and well reviewed but the 500watt 2x10" looks like the only contender for your needs. There is an interesting Polish combo at around 500 euros - "hand box"??????? Someone else will fill you in. Good head and good cab hard to beat - Aguilar, mesa, TC. Barefaced cab or Bergantino etc etc. however, great combo I would like. The 121p is just so hard to beat! Good luck and if you find something amazing - let us know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 The 121H is a sizeable upgrade on the 121P simply because it has much higher spec horn than the cheap tweeter in the 121P. The larger cab size helps with bottom end as well. My favourite combination of these MB 1x12 combinations is the 121P with a 121H cab. The 121P sits really nicely on top of the 121H. The 802 doesn't deliver a huge amount more than the 801 in terms of volume so I'm not sure that's goin to help much. If you didn't already have the 121P I'd keep the baby 1x12 cab at rehearsal room, buy a 121H for gigging with and get a Little Mark head to use for both. The head is easy to transport around between two and you keep a small rig at the rehearsal space that will still be giggable whilst having a bit more oomph for gigs with the 121H and you can combine all 3 for big gigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom1946 Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 I have a MB 151P combo for the main gigs I do and it's plenty powerful for most things, as a home/backup I have a Fender rumble 100w and that is exceptionally good for the smaller gigs and practices, plus it weighs nothing. win win for me. The phenominally heavy Trace Elliott that lives in the main church, well that's another story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-T-P Posted August 29, 2016 Share Posted August 29, 2016 I can't imagine there's much better you'll find than the 121P combo for potability/usability. If you're definite that you need to keep two separate rigs, while I can see the attraction of having and alternative for home, a second 121P or a 121H combo would still be the most likely to fit the small gig aspect of your remit. I'd personally be tempted to consider making the big rig bigger, maybe a CMD102P and Traveller 151P cab and using the 121P for home. Maybe even get a head and some big cabs for the big rig and then use the NY121 cab with the head at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 The OP has the same line up as me: CMD 121P and NY121P and a Micromark 801 for practise. If you like the MB sound why not sell the 801, buy a Nano head into the NT121P cab for practise and small gigs. Think the technology in the Nano Head is more advanced than in the 802 you tried? I've gigged the Micromark 801 with my acoustic Americana Band but at 45 watts a decent drum kit will drown it out. Having said that I have rehearsed it with a 4 piece Blues Band, but using the line out into a PA, another possible solution? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Mark Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) Over the past couple of years I have owned and gigged every combination of the Markbass 121 combos and cabinets. I.e., CMD121H with TRV121H, CMD121H with NY121P, CMD121P with CMD121H and finally CMD121P with NY121P. Whilst they all sound great IMO, I have actually settled on using my LM3 with either one or two NY121P cabs because this cab has a tweeter level control and does have a bigger sound than the CMD121P (perhaps because of the slightly larger internal volume over the CMD121P combo). The TRV121H cab is a great cab but is almost as large as two NY121P which together go louder with more control IME than a single TRV121H. Just like the CMD121P hits the combo sweet spot in the Markbass range, the NY121P does it for me in their cabinets. Assuming you are happy with your tone then my preference would be to have one NY121P at home and two NY121P at the studio and carry a LM3 between the two. Edited August 31, 2016 by Sparky Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I had an interesting experience when looking for a 1x12 combo. Tried a few in the shop and the MB 121P was the best sounding by quite a margin. Was about to buy one when I spotted a Phil Jones C4 (4x5) in a corner. Asked what I was like and they plugged a baby GK head into it. Tried it and was amazed. It was louder than the Mark and the tone was much nicer. Ended up buying one and using it with my regular head for small gigs. Have since bought another and am picking up a third next week (my head will run into 2 ohms). Should give me a flexible set up that will handle most things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenjames Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 guys, thanks so much for the ideas, here's where I'm at Options. in no particular order assume £120 trade in for MB801 1/ get another CMD 121P - cost about £490 after trade in 2/ get a 121H to replace the 121P in the big rig, and use 121P as portable and home combo. Cost £555 3/ Fender Rumble 100. use instead of MB801. Cost £140 4/ Fender Rumble 200. ditto. Cost £320 5/ MB 300W Nano. Use it with NY121P for practice, use CMD121P+NY for big gigs and CMD121P on its own for small ones cost £200. 6/ MB LMIII (or something else 500W). Use it with NY121P for practice, use CMD121P+NY for big gigs and CMD121P on its own for small ones cost £300. Add another NY121P later. 7/ do nothing, cost £0 1/ is sensible but boring I'm struggling to choose between the others! I tried a Fender 100W today, liked it. Quite loud and very light. Trouble is it doesn't sound as nice as the MB801 at low volume! heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted September 3, 2016 Share Posted September 3, 2016 Option 8 : Sell 801 on here for £200...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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