la bam

Ive had it where ive been gigging almost next to the subs and the notes i was playing didnt sound like the notes coming out of the subs - even though i was sure they were?!!

cheers all, just having a look around there seems to be more and more packed into these small boxes. i'll check out the ones suggested, thanks.

Hi all, Im just weighing up a few things. Wondering whether to replace my MB LM3 rig for something more compact, by that i mean: 1) must be a combo - poss a 2x10 2) must be approx 300w - we put everything through PA so only reqd for on stage 3) and heres the million dollar question - must have a built in tuner 4) must be quality sound 5) must be carryable with one hand 6) must have mute reasons for this are i can then ideally do a one walk in with my rig and literally plug in my bass and keep my lead in my case. at the moment i love my rig, but its a 2x10 cab, bass case and another bag with cables and tuner and then the amp head. if i could literally plonk the combo down, plug in one cable from bass to combo - id be a happy chappy! is there anything that satisfies my awkward needs?

Ive played through 4 rigs to get to a sound i love (and 2 combos), perhaps all with different basses....so hard for a comparison, but here goes: 1.Ashdown Mag300 and Mag 4x10 cab with a USA precision. to be honest i never really like the sound. kind of thin and wiry and heavier on low E, and quiet on the G so no real balance. however, it did fit with the band. would i have one again? not really. for the size and weight, there are much better, but i notice theyre dirt cheap nowadays. 2.Ashdown Superfly and 4x8 ABM mini and 1x15 ABM mini with USA precision. perhaps the biggest disappointment ive had. id read so many good comments about the cabs and indeed the superfly, but i thought this set up was very poor. no power or volume, no punch. im still kind of convinced i was doing something wrong because it was a £100 sound at best. 3.Mark Bass LM3 with Mark Bass 2x10 Traveller cab with Tokai bass. Finally getting close to the tone i was after. As we were a 4 piece (drums, bass, guitar and vox) i needed to fill more so had a duller 60s motown sound but it was a really nice tone that sat with the band well. Not a lot of punch but thats was a deliberate choice. 4.Mark Bass LM3 with Mark Bass 2x10 Traveller cab with homemade custom jazz style bass with quarter pounder pickups. We finally added a keyboard player which gave me licence to dial in the tone i was after rather than having to fill dead air which the keys could now do. Id always loved Jazz basses played through Mark Bass amps when id heard them from others, and when id finished my project couldnt wait to give it a go. Wound the bridge and tone fully on and neck about a quarter and added in some high mids. Wow! lovely deep, tight, rich sound and plenty of control from the bass with no overspill when playing fast or funkier lines. Love this set up! BEst sound ive heard of others was a Yamaha (didnt see which model, a BB?) played through a Fender Bassman - such a rich sound....but bloody massive, i presume heavy and fragile!

I think a lot of bassists are going for the all in one small powerful package. As Lozz says Markbass with a tuner would be fantastic. I had an Ashdown Superfly and loved the size, but the compression which you couldnt turn off used to drive me mad! So any additions on an amp must be turn off-able for me. I have a set of LEM PA speakers and they have a nice addition, rather than an EQ or 3 dial (bass,mid,top) eq, it has just one dial with different pre sets on, kind of pre set eq. Im sure that would work for some amps, itd just be dial a sound in you like and soundcheck, rather than dealing with 3 dials or 10 eq sliders. Itd make it quicker to get your sound in new venues when you hardly have any time etc. I love the old big bass gear, but for me the small powerful kit with a 2x10 is the best all round solution, as we put everything through the PA.

Isnt the point of a premium product that its clientelle are happy to pay the extra for the quality and reliability? Markbass isnt even "that" expensive, im sure people would still pay Markbass italian prices even if a little higher. I love my LM3 and Traveller 210 cab - great sounds, light as a feather and ultra reliable - id buy the same tomorrow if i had peace of mind in the brand. Whatever changes heyve made they need to clarify fast to stop people straying away from the brand.

some good points above - especially about the mids and the not having the sound you want, but the best sound for the band. I never had a sound i really liked. i always like a deep motown sound, but always had a twangy thin sound as it fitted in with the bands sound. the mark bass lm3 i have has the 2 sweep dials which are brilliant for helping cutting through. rather than fiddling with eq bass, mid, high, and getting in a mess, just set it flat and turn the dial until you really start to come through. once you do, you can colour with a bit of eq if theres a pedal similar to this, that will help a lot.

first time dealing with John, and wont be the last. superb communication, very helpful and knowledgeable. the kit was superb, arrived next day and his solderless wiring idea is genius! genuinely took 10 minuts to wire up a jazz bass. deal with confidence - highly recommended.

sorted, thanks.

hi all, not been on here for a while, hope all is well. ive nearly finished my custom build, which is a passive jazz style body and ive loaded it with seymour duncan quarter pounder pickups. however, i need a new control plate that is prewired, so i can just solder up the pickups and bridge earth, as the one i installed is from an old project and is poor quality. does anyone on here make or sell them (if so do you know price) or where to buy them from. there seems a huge gulf between the cheap chinese ones off ebay and the aftermarket ones? thanks in advance.