leroydiamond Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I am upgrading from a little mark 11 and am unsure as to whether to opt for the markbass Tube 800 or the Genz Benz streamliner 9. I will not have the opportunity of trying these out and will be buying online. Any advice on which one to opt for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 (edited) What tone are you looking for? After a recent experience with a new product and Markbass, id say Genz Benz are hands down the safest bet...they will do anything to put your amp right should it have any problems. Markbass do have a good reliability rate, but their afterservice falls way behind Genz. If you like the warm full tone of the Markbass LM2, you will, IMO, like the Streamliner 900. Its sounds huge, a very full usable low end, sweet articulate treble, and the mids can be be pushed right up and it will still sound musical. I much much prefer the 500W Markbass tone over the 800 series of amps. The LM800/MLT800 tend to have seriously deep lows and a peak in the high mids which sounds quite harsh. Not balanced like the LM2/3 or F series. The difference with the 'tube' version of the Markbass amps has virtually no 'tube' characteristics. It is a tiny single tube soldered onto the amp board. The Streamliner has 3 real tubes that you can swap to taste, and it DOES sound like a very clean and crisp tube amp, (and it will grind and distort if you want it to). Edited November 23, 2011 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1322085554' post='1446456'] What tone are you looking for? After a recent experience with a new product and Markbass, id say Genz Benz are hands down the safest bet...they will do anything to put your amp right should it have any problems. Markbass do have a good reliability rate, but their afterservice falls way behind Genz. If you like the warm full tone of the Markbass LM2, you will, IMO, like the Streamliner 900. Its sounds huge, a very full usable low end, sweet articulate treble, and the mids can be be pushed right up and it will still sound musical. I much much prefer the 500W Markbass tone over the 800 series of amps. The LM800/MLT800 tend to have seriously deep lows and a peak in the high mids which sounds quite harsh. Not balanced like the LM2/3 or F series. The difference with the 'tube' version of the Markbass amps has virtually no 'tube' characteristics. It is a tiny single tube soldered onto the amp board. The Streamliner has 3 real tubes that you can swap to taste, and it DOES sound like a very clean and crisp tube amp, (and it will grind and distort if you want it to). [/quote] Thanks, thats great info!!. The fact that the tube in the Markbass is soldered into the board is a turn off from a user service friendly point of view. I play in a rock/blues covers band and use a Sadowsky NYC, as I find the on board preamp offers me quite a lot of versatility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Do you want a warm tube-type tone, with a little bit of that colour that tubes add, or a more straight up 'flat amp' like the Markbass (eg a little bit more clean and sterile)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1322089052' post='1446516'] Do you want a warm tube-type tone, with a little bit of that colour that tubes add, or a more straight up 'flat amp' like the Markbass (eg a little bit more clean and sterile)? [/quote]I have been pleased with the little mark11 but am being swayed to try something different. Very impressed with reviews and sounclips of the streamliner. Whatever I go for I will hold onto the little mark 11. i think its crazy that if the Tube goes down in the Markbass 800 that it will have to go back to markbass for replacing. A NUTTY design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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