la bam

I loved my LMiii, but i always found the eq and vle and vlf a confusing combination. I always thought theyd be better with either a 5 band eq or just the vle or vlf. However, scratching my head to remember, isnt there a daft set up with the markbass regarding on, off, and flat? I dont think 12 noon is flat on some mb amps? Cant quite remember, but worth a check.

Dont waste you money firstly. Dont forget if you have no FOH at all, you could buy x100 svts etc to be heard........but then no one will hear the drums. Unless theyre micd up....in which case theres no reason they cant di the bass as well. Youll just end up sounding bad as a band, but also damaging your own hearing getting it that loud so someone half a mile away can hear it. IF, and its a BIG IF, you really wanted to carry on this route, youd be better investing in PA for the whole band to get a good mix, and putting that through the event PA. Either way, the events sound really really clueless.

make sure you get the 'reissue' ones, i think there was a lesser range before then. also, there are different models within the V4 reissue range. I have a black V4 standard (which ive swapped the hardware to gold) on, and it has a lacquered neck and slightly echoy pick ups. Sounds great and easy to play. I also have a V4 icon in sunburst, that has a smooth neck and slightly growly pickups. Again, sounds great and easy to play. IMPORTANT: one thing i will add, is that i added shielding tape to the underside of the pick guard and cavities inside - cost £10 for a massive role from b&q. This eliminated any hum you might get. I made a slight diary of one of them here: I love them for loads of reasons, but also not worrying myself sick about dropping it, or losing it, or having it stolen (although itd be bad its not £1000 bad) is a major relief. £200 and youre back up and running!

The rig (in the last 6 months) has gone from: Class D MarkBass EVO 1 & Barefaced Super Compact (to be fair a great rig). to Markbass EVO 1 & Markbass 6x10 ported cab. to Ashdown EVO IV ABM 600 & Markbass 6x10 ported cab.

1. a great big cab. a 6x10. i absolutely love it. so much power and definition i can go anywhere and not have to worry about anything sound or power wise. indoor or outdoor it doesnt ever break sweat. wasted years replacing amps and cabs trying to get that big sound from a 300w amp and 1x12 or 1x15. Pointless. A 6x10 has it all day long with almost any amp. 2. a "proper" pro amp. i spent years with the next level down in a range or lesser makes. absolutely no point. buy a recognised pro level amp and the world is so much easier for not that much more money. i did love my barefaced sc but the 6x10 beats it hands down for power and sound. if i ever was to get another barefaced it would be a modular 2x10 system, but the expense would be completely unrealistic. i did love my usa precision, but my vintage v4 reissue at a 5th of the price is just as good. if i was to ever get another it would be purely for vanity, sound wise theres nothing in it. i did love my spectracomp, but my amps compression is good enough. i loved by zoom b3 but never used it live - i just dont trust thin adaptors and connections on stage. if i was to ever get another fx unit itd be a recognised rack system or helix etc.

The evo iv is utterly outstanding if you are prepared to perservere and experiment with the settings. It pretty much does anything you want. It really does. If any abm is wooly etc, make sure the shape button isnt active, the eq button is active, and enhance the lo and hi mids, it really then starts to shine through.

i had one of these - they have horrendous neck dive. so much so i couldnt play it.

The EVO 1 is fantastic. Just a bit limited n the eq side.

ABM all the way. Sits great in the mix, very powerful.

With so many players now going to in ears, i was just wondering a few things....... 1) If all members apart from drums are on in ears - what happens if yours go down and break mid gig? From what i can work out you wouldnt be able to hear yourself, OR anyone else (as theyd be on in ears too). 2) How do you go about changing your mix mid gig should it need it? (ie certain songs were guitar levels suddenly jump or fall). Using backline i can walk closer or farther away from what i need(or dont need) to hear - how would you do that on in ears? Just curious to how it all works?.

Ive had the following cabs - but bare in mind these were mostly all used with different amps and experience level: Trace Commando 12 - starter bass amp, not great and was heavy. Ashdown MAG 4x10 - very middly, not warm, big and heavy, but loud if needed. Ashdown mini 4x8 & 4x15 - only used for one practice before band split. It was let down by the underpowered superfly i was using with them, so never got chance to gig. Line 6 LD300 - ok all rounder combo, nothing special. Mark Bass T210P - Great cab. Very well built, very light (one hand lift) and very powerful and loud. Really impressed. Had good punch. Genz Benz Contour - combo. Really weak, not loud, had a baked in thin chorus like sound. Ashdown ABM115 combo evo2 & ABM 210 - Very good kit, had that ashdown tone, not particularly loud, but sound carried well. I find Ashdown cabs are difficult to put your own bass tone into (or get out of). Barefaced Supercompact G3 - excellent cab. unbelievably lightweight. good tone. suitable for a lot of gigs, but does get lost on stage in a larger environment. Id suggest the double 12 or x2 SCs if youre thinking of one. Mark Bass 610 ported - lovely cab. amazingly lightweight for a 610 (34kg) easy to move about and great rock tone. switchable horn, endless power, punch and volume. Works great on any stage, area and even at an outdoor festival i only had the amp on half.

I too have gone back to the dark side. From a barefaced SC to a mark bass ported 610. The 610 is amazing - sound superb, easy to move around at 34kg, has wheels and bar, and i NEVER have to worry that i wont have enough oomph on stage.

If you haven't got the pedal because you thought you needed it, I really wouldn't bother with it. Compression can really mess your sound up if you don't really know what you're doing. I'd avoid using it until you personally think that's the exact effect you need.

I recently bought a Evo iv ABM 600 and I have to say it is quality. It's looking like it's going to take over as my first choice amp. Firstly - power. Well, more than enough. Through my 6x10 it'll blow walls down. Secondly - build quality. It's built like a tank. All quality. Leather, metal, stitching, components - all top notch. It's amazing how you forget how a good amp should feel and be built after dealing with lots of throwaway class d stuff. Thirdly - Tone. What tone do you want? They're all in there! Granted they're not all that obvious to find, but theres some real lovely tones from classic Ashdown, to full on reggae, smooth funk and slamming ampeg style. The eq is second to none. You quickly learn what cutting out boosting a certain frequency does to shaping your sound. Some smooth it out, some add grit, some thickness, is a good learning curve. Fourthly - in the mix. The amp really sits well in the mix. I've spent about a day looking for a tone I was after, then did some recording and it genuinely couldn't have mixed in better, and that's without any tweaking or adjusting. Add to that great customer service, reliability and an amp that's built to last and you've got a great amp.

The older ABMs and ABM combos are hands down the best value second hand amps and cabs out there. Also, no one mentions it, but the fact there are so many available is testament to how well they are made and how long they last.

Good topic! When I first started bass and want much good, I used to roll all the tone off and it disguised sloppy, clanky playing. Eventually I played with it fully open, which accentuates any sloppy playing, and made a concious effort to iron out those playing errors. It took a while but improved my playing and technique no end. I now mainly use the tone pot fully open and then roll it off a bit which seems to give a nice sound with a bit of punch.

The evo2 i had didnt have the compressor on, but this compressor on the evo iv is pretty much outstanding for what i use it for. No hassle, no dramatic changes, just great compression at the turn of a dial. Its very very balanced without squashing before 12 oclock. the more you add the more your sound changes but the core compression (used for balancing output) is fantastic. The valve drive is more warm and gradual. So you can use it with a little bit of drive and it warms up your sound without grit, (you can tell the difference b switching it in and out) then the more you go the nicer it becomes. As always with this, make sure your input is registering fairly high to help the valve drive. The finish really is top class. the handle is like a piece of hand crafted furniture. really thick, strong and superbly finished. Job well done, Ashdown.

I saw this on a deal i couldnt refuse as i needed another amp, as i need 2 (1 for gig and 1 backup etc). Ive always liked ashdown and previously had: mag300 & 4x10 deep cab. (my first real bass rig). superfly and 4x8 and 1x15 cab. (completely underpowered). little giant 1000. (i thought it was impressive). abm evo2 115 combo and 2x10 cab. (really liked this). However, my main amp at the moment is a markbass evo - simply because it has upto 12 amp models on it (all very impressive) and a tuner and fx if needed, as well as x2 channels. It was really well, my only gripe would be the eq is a tad bland. Anywho, back to the evo iv.......... This thing is built like a tank - very solid and you can tell its been made for the road and rigours of playing. Not just solid, but well built and finished. So, in the house i thought id try it with my 6x10 .............. it nearly blew the roof off! so, winding everything and i mean everything back, i was able to get a volume that wouldnt upset people 10 streets away! and WHAT a sound! I cant quite describe the sound - its kind of nice and warm, but in no way harsh, and really really well balanced across the strings when using the compressor - no need to dig in or hold back to get a lovely sound. Its very controlled and gives the right amount of sustain per note when playing normally. ie its not too fat or too thin, just lovely. Then onto the twiddly things .... the valve drive adds a real nice warmth without going all svt. But on turning up, its easy to see how you can really drive this to a nice level and dirt if needed without it sounding false. Its certainly an improvement on the previous versions. The compressor works really well - fantastically well to be honest. Simply turn it up to 9oclock or 12 oclock for really nice control without any clamping or change to sound. Job done. The sub harmonic button is not something i really use, but it does work well if you like that. Now, for the best thing ever ...... the EQ. I didnt think id ever be interested in eq, but having previously had an evo2 i knew what boosting the high and low mids can do. Well, this is a different beast. It can do what the evo2 did, then a million times more. I struggle to think of a sound you couldnt get out of this amp with such control, with or without the valve drive. It really is impressive. Add to that a whole host of pro level inputs, outputs and DI options and youre prepared for anything. Ashdowns biggest strength (and ive always said this) is none of the above, but its how it sits in the mix. Now, for me, this amp is SO much better than any of the other ashdowns ive played, and more importantly much more flexible too, so i really cant see how it wont be a perfect fit with a bit of eq twiddling, and drive adjustment. Oh, and the output volume through a 6x10 ? enough for anything, and i mean anything that can be thrown at you! So dont worry about volume. i'll know whether this becomes my go - to amp as soon as weve had next practice. Signs are very promising. Ive spent ages finding a kind of svt sound that fits our band, but im sure this could do that in spades if needed.

I had the 210tv 8ohm and to be honest it was unbelievably light, loud and responsive. I genuinely never had very lm3 nowhere near half. You'll be happy with it.

Tiny Turner. Stung.

If you're lucky you may find a tech21 VT bass amp for £400. That does the svt style.

You can pick up 8x10s ridiculously cheap. There's always ones on eBay for under £100. A 6x10 maybe a better option but they're usually more expensive. A 4x10 should suffice though if driven properly, and is more flexible as you can also dad another 4x10 if not, and they're easier to carry around. As a very rough guide you would want your amp head to be giving out approx 300w at 8ohm (depending on cab). If you need more clarity try changing your eq on your current rig to see if that makes a difference - add some high mids. If you love the ampeg svt sound there's ways to get close, but you'll never be spot on. A VT pedal, flyrig pedal etc will definitely get close and be more flexible. You'll then just need to know that your loud enough with your current amp and cab. If it was my choice id probably be looking to spend £100 second hand on a cab (you can get some real bargains), and the rest on a better head.