molan

Bought a lovely bass from Alan at the weekend & had a good old natter about bass stuff and the joys of touring (him not me!). Thoroughly recommended

I spent a weekend once working alongside Roger and he was an absolute gentleman to spend time with and so inspiring. He has a great philosophy about instrument building and how a bass should sound and he's always very straight and honest about this. My NYC is one of my very favourite basses (I gigged it today as it happens). They just sound so good in a live band mix, almost no matter what the musical style or genre

Watching on iPlayer right now and I must admit that some of Jerry Barnes' playing is getting on my nerves. I don't necessarily believe that he needs to play Bernard E's parts note for note but the continued slides up and down the board seem a bit pointless and, at times, it's almost like he feels he has to fill in all those nice gaps that Bernard left to let the music breathe a bit. Without the gaps the songs seem to lose their core groove in places. Of course, Bernard was a total rhythm 'machine' so very difficult to fill in. Jerry's tone when he's just playing with fingers sounds good to me but some of the slappier stuff sounds a bit clanky to my ears. One thing I was surprised at was My Feet Keep Dancing - the middle section of this has what is almost a bass solo section in it where Bernard just pumps a robotic groove straight through and a flourish at the end. The current live version loses that groove and is all clicky/poppy sounding. I think this relentless groove stuff was core to the classic Chic sound but maybe not the most entertaining thing to stand and watch. Many songs barely deviate from a single groove all the way through with repetitive vocal lines and just the odd little flourish from bass or guitar. To listen, or of course dance, to this is great and the scarcity of those flourishes are sometimes pure joy (like when Niles comes back in after the breakdown in the full version of Good Times). The other thing missing with the live band is the string section. The horns sounded great on some numbers but another key aspect of many Chic songs is the way they breakdown and then build back up again with sparse key stabs, strings & horns over that perfect groove. The live keys sounded like it was trying to cover too much of this and, again, wasn't giving that space for the songs to breathe a little. I'm sure they would be great to see live if you're actually there but as a TV spectacle I kept finding myself reaching for the fast forward button Mind you - that's true of lots of music on TV. Too easy to start over analysing and picking holes - just as I've been doing here, lol

[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1498473229' post='3324775'] Paul Turner would be the ideal man for this sort of gig...and I'm not being chauvinistic, I'm Belgian :-) [/quote] Paul's 'everyday' warmup riffs are often Chic songs. He can play them perfectly whilst nattering about the weather, lol. Of course he is, to a degree, filling Bernard's shoes with Sister Sledge on tour these days

Send a message to Alan Greensall at Synergy Distribution. He's the man on all things PJB and he'll be able to help and maybe even source a replacement without too much hassle

[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1496856889' post='3314348'] Hi Molan, do you have any opinion on the sound of the nano? Relative volume etc etc Cheers Thomas [/quote] Just tried the Nano vs MB200 vs my 'reference' Demeter (which has non-standard valves & an 800w power amp). Bass used was an NYC Sadowsky Jazz with my usual settings of slight boost to bass & treble and passive treble wide open and a Fender Custom Shop P with relatively 'hot' pickup & tone set about half way. Cab was a Bergantino CN210, 8ohm with tweeter in the mid position. First thing to say is that the Nano feels considerably louder than than the GK at the same settings. It obviously has 50% more theoretical power but I've always felt that GK watts tend to be pretty 'loud' ones compared to some other brands. It's always tough to tell because different people set their pots to work in different ways (also the MarkBass is more flexible with both gain & master vol whereas the GK only has one gain control and a passive/active switch). Even taking this into account the Nano definitely seemed louder across the volume sweep. Playing at home both amps were capable of shaking the windows, lol. The CN210 is reasonably sensitive at 99db but it's not the loudest cab around. It does work really well as a gigging cab though. The Nano was fundamentally cleaner than the GK with all tone controls zeroed. In combination with the active Sadowsky and a, relatively, bright cab I found the treble a bit too much for me. However, this would probably disappear on stage and might even be useful. Could cut treble too of course. Good overall clean tone though, sounded nice to me with both basses and beginning to make the cab 'growl' once you start pushing the master vol. The GK has a more 'muscular' and punchy tone. Definitely sounds like some low end boost hard baked into the tone circuit. This gives an increased presence and could sound louder depending on cab etc but the Nano is definitely louder overall. Again, you could play with the tone controls on the Nano to add low end or low mids. The overall tone of the GK is smoother than the Nano. Ought to work well in a classic rock setting and would probably take to slap quite well too. The Demeter is whole different ball game and is way more expensive. Plus mine has an NOS valve in the front end that warms things up a bit when listening at home. Not sure if it makes the blindest bit of difference live but it does smooth things out for me. The 800w power stage increased volume but nowhere near what you might expect vs the 300w Nano. However it feels more controlled at really high levels. I should add that there's an internal trim pot for the gain in the Demeter that I've never touched. If I remember rightly this is set at a mid point from new so there will be more power on tap if needed - I've just never had to bother because it's easily loud enough for me. The biggest difference with the Demeter is the overall quality of tone. Much pleasanter to listen to in a home environment at high volumes. Both the Nano & GK are getting a bit harsh at around 75% on the master gain. In terms of feature set the GK adds an aux in and headphones out on the rear panel. Really useful for home practice or to take away on holiday etc. The Contour switch is an on/off affair & cuts mids. I really don't like this at all. Might work if you wanted to slap a lot but not for me at all.. Both GK & Nano have a 4 band tone section. The Nano doesn't have either of the classic MarkBass tone filters. Quite a few people have complained about this - especially the Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator. I must admit that I quite like the VLE controls on MB heads and find it can work really nicely to tame some of the high end brightness a lot of them have - can get a great older style sound with a passive P bass too. However, there's no real room for another knob on the control panel without making the whole thing bigger. Both feel pretty well constructed and tough. The Nano looks classier to me with the GK looking a bit plasticky (even though it's a steel case). The GK has the metal handles which will help to protect the knobs. I don't like the cheaper looking flick switches on the GK much either but could be because I also have no use for them whatsoever, lol. So - simple summary is that the Nano is louder and maybe a bit classier with more flexibility in tone whilst the GK adds some useful features and is a bit more muscular & rocky. If you need small & with greater volume then I'd say the extra cost on a Nano is worth the money

[quote name='Jecklin' timestamp='1496856889' post='3314348'] Hi Molan, do you have any opinion on the sound of the nano? Relative volume etc etc Cheers Thomas [/quote] I'll have a blast in the morning for you

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1496814302' post='3313961'] shows how lucky we are these days when 3.5kg is too heavy hehe My LM250 Blackline in it's backpack is very portable. And I also use it with everything set flat. Gorgeous tone. [/quote] I'm even worse, I have a Nano that I bought as a backup head but it's never left the house because I also have a GK MB200 and that's even smaller. The Nano gets relegated to the 'needs to be sold when I can be bothered' corner because it's too big & heavy 😂

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1496834129' post='3314127'] Demeter (see sig) - superb sound, excellent DI sound (where fitted), plenty of hadroom, no fan, weighs lesst than 11lb, looks like a 'proper' amp. [/quote] As a 'complete' amp (as opposed to a pre/power) combination I'd have to go with the Demeter as well. I love mine and use it every day Moving to separates brings my Jule Monique into play - I also have the baby Demeter power amp that sits underneath it. Tough call between the two, one sounds better with some cabs, different basses can work better with each pre etc.

[quote name='MarshallBTB' timestamp='1496665734' post='3313044'] I bought it from GAK. Never had any problems with them but then again I've never had to contact their customer service before. And in fairness, they're response is quick, just a bit disappointed with the solution they've offered. Box the head up and send it off to have the pot sorted, and possibly (the front plate breaking isn't covered by the warrenty) have the front plate replaced while it's there. Going to contact them directly and see what sort of response I get. The front plate seems really flimsy at the edges, it's attached by a couple of screws going through the middle of it. Not a great design imo. Guessing this is due to it being a newer version compared to the older Italian stuff. [/quote] Newer Indonesian made gear has a lower returns and warranty claim rate than the Italian ones. I can't remember exactly figures but overall reliability has improved since manufacture was moved out of Italy.

I bought a beautiful, near mint, '67 B-15 with a slightly similar idea. I wanted a relatively small, low powered amp to sit in my study so I could admire the looks whilst enjoying the sound when practicing. It certainly fit the bill on both counts but eventually I felt 'guilty' that this amazing recording combo was being used partly for decororstion and only being played through now and then. I sold it to a pro player who moved it into a classy recording studio where it remains to this day and still being used for what it was designed - providing lovely bass tones for recorded music

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1496588231' post='3312490'] You shouldn't need to contact the distributor - your contract is with the retailer, they should do this on your behalf. [/quote] Yep - first contact should come from the retailer who will, in turn, contact MLS. If the retailer point blank refuse to help then you can go to MLS and say that the retailer is not being very helpful.

I think a lot of people bought one just to have a go and see what they were like. Initial scarcity and desirability meant that potential loss was never going to be much and some even moved at a profit. Every now & then something like this pops up that you can be pretty sure if not taking a loss on so it's just a short term cash flow thing. Plus you can't really damage one if you take it out on a gig, lol.

[quote name='MarshallBTB' timestamp='1496515279' post='3312055'] Was wondering if anyone else has had any issues with the little mark heads and the plastic front plates cracking and bits breaking off ? I bought a little mark tube last October, along with the mark bass case for it to live in. It's had light use, (don't use an amp on 80% of my gigs) yet I have an increasingly scratchy gain and volume pot, and the corners of the front plate are breaking off. Contacted the shop I bought it from (new) and have been told it's not covered by the warranty, and that I might be able to get a new front plate sent to me and to spray the pot with contact cleaner. Am I being silly or is this a bit naff ? I shouldn't have to spray it this soon, and change the plate myself? I would have thought I'd be able to return the amp...at least exchange it. Any one else had a similar experience? [/quote] Having sold a lot of MarkBass gear I can definitely say they are generally very reliable and not prone to failing or even simple faults (unless customers aren't telling us for some strange reason). Warranty claims can be tricky on some things as you have to prove that anything that's gone wrong is a manufacturing fault rather than just through usage. E.g. If a case front cracks because it's been bolted into a rack too tightly then it's not covered by warranty. Similarly if controls start to stick or crackle because they've been left in a dusty environment and not used then that's a tricky warranty claim. I'm not saying this is morally right or anything, just how some people will interpret warranty claims. Our policy on something like you've experienced would be to get the amp in and see if there are things that are quickly and easily fixable by our tech before making a full warranty claim. Scratchy pots is really common, especially if an amp hasn't been regularly used. Happens to lots of them from really cheap to the most expensive ones. First 'trick' is to simply keep rotating the pots back and forth over & over and then do it again the next day etc. You'd be amazed how often this can cure a scratchy pot The retailer can submit a warranty claim to the UK distributor once they've assessed the faults. Under a year old and you're covered by manufacturer warranty rather than sales of goods type stuff (although you get that cover too). MLS are the UK distributor and they are super helpful and really nice guys.

[quote name='Elfrasho' timestamp='1496471110' post='3311650'] I don't think I'd write off a full company due to this. From memory, I've had Hartke, ashdown, ampeg and behringer amps all fail on me so I think amps in general can be a bit temperamental. [/quote] That was the only failure at a gig. We had numerous problems from them that people discovered whilst playinnat home or at rehearsals. We dropped Hartke very quickly for exactly the same reason. Even less reliable with several amps showing problems from new. We had a policy of testing every single amp before shipping to a customer so a lot of things were spotted early but Carvin & Hartke tended to fail within the first few weeks of being used rather than straight from the box. Hartke in particular were very sensitive to location and power supplies. Often worked fine in the store but had problems at rehearsal rooms or customers' houses

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1496428986' post='3311426'] Wow, that surprises me. The head I bought from you guys hasn't missed a beat. Must be 4 years by now, and although not massive amounts of use, it has been gigged at least once a month and rehearsed every week since then. Absolutely love it, so such a shame they aren't all as good [/quote] That's exactly what I mean - the good ones are great and go on for years. The dodgy ones generally go wrong within a few weeks of use (and we had a few of the newer 'red' BX heads that turned up with faults from new). Carvin are generally a 'no quibble' warranty company and send replacement parts quickly but for a postal UK return we'd have to cover some additional costs and always had to pay our local repair guy to fit the new parts. Some costs were recoverable but it was a bit of a headache. As a retailer we became paranoid that some poor customer would be out on a gig when the failure happened and we just didn't feel it was right for us to be subjecting customers to that sort of risk. To the best of my recollection we only ever heard about one failure at a gig and that was 'only' the DI out but that was enough for me

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1496320685' post='3310474'] How about [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Mark_Bass_121_Alain_Caron_Lite_combo.html"]this[/url]? [/quote] I love mine - and I've tried a LOT of supposedly gig-worthy combos I can lift it easily with one hand (and I'm a weakling, lol) and have my bass on the other shoulder and pedal board in the other hand. This means I can always do the trip from my car to a gig in one go. It's easily loud enough with either passive or active basses, plenty of tone options (that I hardly touch), sounds good as a stage monitor and seems to punch out pretty well into the audience. It's a fairly dull addition but the mute switch is really handy - many MB amps don't have these. The separate power amps for the main driver and the horn do seem to help with overall volume and projection. It goes a fair bit louder than the 121H which in itself is a decent jump in quality from the 121P because of the horn vs cheap piezo in P. I don't always gig my AC combo but it gets a fair bit of use and always goes to rehearsals. In fact it pretty much lives in the boot of my car because it fits so neatly My favourite single piece of kit that MB have ever made!

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1496410014' post='3311215'] Thank you! They're going to email me costs on the MB12, MB210 and MB15. They have the MB15 in stock, although that's the one that least appeals to me for some reason even though it's the toast of Talkbass... Eude [/quote] The Carvin combos deliver a lot of bang for the buck (as our American friends would say). However, build quality can be a bit patchy. Combos tend to be better than the heads but they aren't without issues. It's all a bit random as to what might go wrong with them. Some are great and never miss a beat, others get niggling faults that sometimes come back. In the end we discontinued them because we didn't feel we could reliably offer them for sale to regular gigging players. Shame really because the ones without faults were great value for money