Mark Bass hate

[chris_b]

I don't know their cabs, but I owned an LM2, which I loved, and an F1, which I didn't love, but all the players I've heard using Mark Bass rigs have sounded pretty good.

 

IMO if you want the cab to end all cabs I'd still be considering Barefaced. An SC or BB3 would perform to a much higher level than an MB 115.

 

The hassle and extra expense would be worth it.

[mybass]

As a long term Markbass user of amps and speakers, I've had heaps of positive comments ( from bass players to guitarists and drummers) and no negatives about my sound (usually playing fretless bass). to the degree that many other bassists have actually gone and bought Markbass rigs. Now whether they were hoping to sound like me is another (flattering) matter because that also comes down to the bass, the strings, the actual player's style on fingers or pick playing. I have only tried Barefaced 12" cabs and I think they are great, very clean, almost too 'clean' bottom end and I couldn't quite get the 'bite' of the strings but great for straight ahead P bass sounds but like many manufacturers, they are pricing high to cover costs of being a smaller manufacturer and they can't compete with larger companies production rates. On cost alone Markbass is winning. I haven't tried any of the latest MB cabs and it’s a shame there isn't a proper MB type of sound lounge somewhere to hear the three different types of 12" cabs they now make.

Edited June 18 by mybass

[fretmeister]

Yeah, the new MB cabs look interesting but YouTube doesn’t show the difference between the visually similar cabs.

 

Everytime I hear a new live album (usually funk related) and love the bass tone it ends up being Mark Bass at least 80% of the time. I love my BF cabs but I also love those yellow cones! 
 

I too wish there was somewhere I could try the new cab line. 

[soulstar89]

20 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Yeah, the new MB cabs look interesting but YouTube doesn’t show the difference between the visually similar cabs.

 

Everytime I hear a new live album (usually funk related) and love the bass tone it ends up being Mark Bass at least 80% of the time. I love my BF cabs but I also love those yellow cones! 
 

I too wish there was somewhere I could try the new cab line. 

I tried the new line in central london at wunjo’s. Their site says they don’t have any in stock, but they have everything in store. 
 

The new line have a plastic looking casing rather than the wood with cloth over. 
 

I’m no great knowledge on cabs and head but I have played the new and old versions on the search for my new setup. Sounded cool. I tried the 58r 12” combo and the had the mini version which doesn’t have the plastic casing. Both sounded great. They have different amps in them. It’s weird you can’t turn off the tweeter in either. 
 

I tried the ashdown abm600 evo iv and WOW. Also loved the sound of ampeg pf-500. 
 

I play pbass dead roto’s finger style funk. 

[40hz]

My experience, in short - heads, fabulous, and cabs not so good.

 

I currently own a LM4 and previously had the LM2. They have a nice, gentle warmth to them and a musical mid-range, giving an almost recorded-like tone in a live environment.

 

Cabs wise, I had the NY122 and then, briefly, a 410.  I found them flat sounding, with very little dynamism (for want of a better phrase) and the tweeters were *horrible*. Very quacky sounding and sounded more like a high-mid control than true ice-pick treble!

 

YMMV, etc.

[ossyrocks]

A Mark Bass LM3 was my first “proper” amp, and although I didn’t know it at the time, it was very important in my bass playing development. They do sit well in a live band mix, really well. I’ve never seen a band, where the bassist was using MB gear, where I thought the bass could have sounded better. Gary at Promenade Music, who’s probably one of the greatest bass players in the north west, swears by them, and my god he sounds good live (could be the Marleaux too). I like them, and my LM3 is only a mile away, and I reckon if he wants to sell it, I might buy it back.

The only reservation I have is related to service/repair, so I  was prepared to throw it away if it went wrong.

 

Rob

[bassbiscuits]

I’ve been gigging regularly with MB stuff since 2011, during which time I’ve ended up with a LM2 and LM3 heads paired with various combinations of a TRV102 cab, TRV121 cab and a pair of STD102HF cabs. 
 

Touch wood they’ve been super reliable the entire time (they’ve done a lot of gigs with me in that time). 
 

For a long time I used the LM2 and LM3 heads into an Aguilar cab and a Schroeder cab, and when I wanted something smaller and lighter I initially resisted MB cabs. 
 

However, I went in quick succession through a Genz Benz 2x12 and a Barefaced Big Twin 2 and have to say I much preferred the MB stuff; punchy, compact, and sounded like proper bass cabs to me rather than the super-transparent Barefaced sound which wasn’t for me at all. 
 

So no I don’t think MB look very cool, they don’t really excite me much and the sound by themselves is a bit unremarkable. However cranked up live on stage (where it matters) they’ve always sounded fantastic, dead reliable and the whole lot fits in a ford fiesta.  
 

 

[AndyTravis]

Isn’t it “cool” to “hate” gear - Ashdown were the target on here a few years ago…

 

I have used some MB gear and didn’t fall in love…but it’s been a while.

 

I think if you can try before you buy - maybe a local BC’er has a rig you can try?

 

I often think about amps - my only gripe about current rig is lack of tweeters in the cabs…but I’m so baffled (no pun) by the arse-end on two lightweight 112’s - I’ll go without the click. Love them…

[soulstar89]

36 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Isn’t it “cool” to “hate” gear - Ashdown were the target on here a few years ago…

 

I have used some MB gear and didn’t fall in love…but it’s been a while.

 

I think if you can try before you buy - maybe a local BC’er has a rig you can try?

 

I often think about amps - my only gripe about current rig is lack of tweeters in the cabs…but I’m so baffled (no pun) by the arse-end on two lightweight 112’s - I’ll go without the click. Love them…

 Meeting a local BC’er to try a setup is a great idea actually. I’m on the fence between ashdown and Markbass. 

[Wolverinebass]

11 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

I’m on the fence between ashdown and Markbass. 

Why choose? You could hate them both! 

[Supernaut]

CMD121P user. Gigged for years with no issues. Great amps. 

[soulstar89]

1 hour ago, Wolverinebass said:

Why choose? You could hate them both! 

Lmao 🤣.

[soulstar89]

49 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

CMD121P user. Gigged for years with no issues. Great amps. 

I played this exact combo. Missed a complete steal on eBay a few days ago. 

[DDR]

Thanks everyone, so it looks like mostly we're saying they're good for the money, good and reliable for live if you need amplification, some don't like how they look. Barefaced might be better for some but it's down to taste (they certainly seem to hit the lighter spot) but generally, for the money they seem pretty decent.

I'm recording valve di usually so the reliability of a live show where I'm not on iem is the one... I appreciate your time!

[lemmywinks]

12 hours ago, soulstar89 said:

I played this exact combo. Missed a complete steal on eBay a few days ago. 

 

I also had that in my watch list, went with a different option before the listing had ended though. Suppose that's what can happen when you don't offer postage.

[soulstar89]

1 hour ago, DDR said:

Thanks everyone, so it looks like mostly we're saying they're good for the money, good and reliable for live if you need amplification, some don't like how they look. Barefaced might be better for some but it's down to taste (they certainly seem to hit the lighter spot) but generally, for the money they seem pretty decent.

I'm recording valve di usually so the reliability of a live show where I'm not on iem is the one... I appreciate your time!

They definitely are light. The 58r cdm 121p seemed like a toy regarding weight when I picked it up. 

[spongebob]

I've used MB since 2009. Bar a few months with Fender, I've always stuck to the black and yellow. 

 

Always loved the tone and portability.....I've just ordered a new 2x10 cab that's barely 10kg. Due to eye ops, the lighter the better for me. 

 

I guess I'm a bit of a fan boy! 

[soulstar89]

27 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

 

I also had that in my watch list, went with a different option before the listing had ended though. Suppose that's what can happen when you don't offer postage.

 
I find a lot have pickup only. I’m based in south london so Crawley wasn’t a problem to get to. I was just unsure about not being able to turn off the tweeter. 
 

what did you get in the end? 

[lemmywinks]

6 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

 
I find a lot have pickup only. I’m based in south london so Crawley wasn’t a problem to get to. I was just unsure about not being able to turn off the tweeter. 
 

what did you get in the end? 

 

I got a PJB C8 Lite cab off here, 6kg heavier than the CMD combo but has built in wheels and a trolley handle as well as a top mounted handle so it's easy to cart around with one hand. I already have a head so was either looking for a capable compact cab or combo.

 

I think a few people on here just bypassed the tweeter/crossover on the Markbass piezo stuff, the horns in the Club cabs I had were much nicer than the piezo tweeter in my old TRV cab.

 

 

[bassbiscuits]

I’ve got an Ashdown head too - a big wide ABM500 - which I prefer the sound quality of in some ways.
 

But it’s twice the size and four times the weight of my MB heads, so I tend to take them to gigs every time instead. 
 

There’s lots of other stuff I fancy but I keep coming back to my tried and trusted MB stuff which just sounds right to me. 

[fretmeister]

4 hours ago, spongebob said:

I've used MB since 2009. Bar a few months with Fender, I've always stuck to the black and yellow. 

 

Always loved the tone and portability.....I've just ordered a new 2x10 cab that's barely 10kg. Due to eye ops, the lighter the better for me. 

 

I guess I'm a bit of a fan boy! 

 

 

One of the new material cabs?

I will be curious to hear your views when you've played it a while.

[M@23]

I’ve had lots of their products, like many here. Only ever a LM2/3 and Ninja head, but multiple variations on the 122, 112, 102 cabs and have had great experiences of them all. The piezo is annoying playing at home, but I’ve never struggled for top end. I’ve always liked the sound of them and never had to work at it or add EQ pedals or ext preamps. Perhaps a bit marmite, but if you like, you like. 

[BassmanPaul]

In my mind, take any manufacturer on the planet and compare user comments and you'll find that some folk love them whilst others dislike them intensely. Often being stuck with the gear because of financial difficulties.,

 

For myself I too couldn't abide the yellow comes. I want to be the centre of attraction on stage and not my amplifier.

Edited June 27 by BassmanPaul

[neepheid]

2 hours ago, BassmanPaul said:

In my mind, take any manufacturer on the planet and compare user comments and you'll find that some folk love them whilst others dislike them intensely. Often being stuck with the gear because of financial difficulties.,

 

For myself I too couldn't abide the yellow comes. I want to be the centre of attraction on stage and not my amplifier.

 

I got news for you - you're the bass player, no-one notices you're there or your amp

 

[DGBass]

I had a hankering after the Traveller 151P cab as I like 1x15 cabs but at the time they were out of stock everywhere. I then got the chance of picking up a 102P cab and it turned out to be a fantastic choice. Small, light and incredibly punchy. The tweeters on them are kinda average imho, but I don't use much tweeter anyway so it wasn't an issue. Performed flawlessly all the time I had it doing pub gigs along with an LM3 head. It was the most portable and capable rig I've ever owned and did great old school tones. Still wondering why I sold it on. Might have been the yellowness?