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New Music Man amps


rodney72a
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Has anyone had a chance to try these out yet? Produced in collaboration with Markbass.

There's a combo and also a separate head and cab version:

http://stringsandthings.co.uk/musicman_amps.html

http://www.thomann.de/gb/music_man_bh_500_head.htm

http://www.thomann.de/gb/music_man_810_bs.htm

They look tempting!

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[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1421070711' post='2656762']
If it's a Markbass solid-state power amp, I wonder if the bottom half of the box is empty?
[/quote]

It is.

How pointless. When these first showed on the markbass FB page last year I thought they were just going to be rebadged classic 300 amps. Now they are pretty much a LM3, with a worse preamp and a giant heavy case. 5kilo head inside a 10 kilo case.

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Well, the original MM amps from 70s/80s are killer Fender amps under name of Leo's next company after Fender.
They do the best clean sound in the business and can get pretty gnarly too if you like it that way.
I still use an old MM combo on geetar and it's hard to beat.

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[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1421079952' post='2656909']
It is.

How pointless. When these first showed on the markbass FB page last year I thought they were just going to be rebadged classic 300 amps. Now they are pretty much a LM3, with a worse preamp and a giant heavy case. 5kilo head inside a 10 kilo case.
[/quote]

What? No toroidal inside? Why? Why???

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1421096601' post='2657159']
Er... so this has the disadvantages of both heavy valve gear and soulless solid state amps..? :P
[/quote]
What's not to like!

Edit: Markbass also made the Audiophile range for Music Man in the 90s. I believe krispn of this parish has or had one.

Edited by JapanAxe
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I did indeed have that Audiophile head and it is a belter - it's since gone back to my native N.Ireland (to a new owner) and for the money you'd be hard pushed to find a more solid reliable amp - I believe the model went on to become the Ta501 in the MB line up

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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='disssa' timestamp='1425024873' post='2702957']
My new test-object:


[/quote]

Ooh! That would look a bobbydazzler on top of one of my vintage-silver-grille-cloth BF cabs! Looks like the controls are [i]not[/i] the same as a LM3.

disssa, I think I'm right in saying you have a nice collection of valve heads - how does this hold up against them? Any chance of a sound clip or two?

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1425027051' post='2702993']
Ooh! That would look a bobbydazzler on top of one of my vintage-silver-grille-cloth BF cabs! Looks like the controls are [i]not[/i] the same as a LM3.

disssa, I think I'm right in saying you have a nice collection of valve heads - how does this hold up against them? Any chance of a sound clip or two?
[/quote]

I got the amp yesterday an played a 4 hours practice session. First impressions: a really powerful and versatile Amp, good working EQ.

Edited by disssa
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[quote name='molan' timestamp='1425030874' post='2703074']
I asked someone about these who's tested them recently and his principal comment was that it would survive being dropped down a set of stairs :)

Didn't mention how they sounded though :(
[/quote]

Good job there's no stairs at Bassgear then Barrie!

[quote name='disssa' timestamp='1425032271' post='2703104']
I got the amp yesterday an played a 4 hours practice session. First impressions: a really powerful and versatile Amp, good working EQ.


[/quote]

disssa, did you once own an HD130? Comparison?

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[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1421079952' post='2656909']
It is.

How pointless. When these first showed on the markbass FB page last year I thought they were just going to be rebadged classic 300 amps. Now they are pretty much a LM3, with a worse preamp and a giant heavy case. 5kilo head inside a 10 kilo case.
[/quote]

6.2kg actually. Thomann seem to have stopped stocking them, but you can buy from Markbass direct, and there is a German eBay seller with one listed on BIN (€949 = £689) or best offer.

No UK dealers then?

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1425045300' post='2703353']
disssa, did you once own an HD130? Comparison?
[/quote]

I own a HD150 and a HD65. The sound of the BH500 is always clear, even on high volume. The HD150 and HD65 are "loud" and clear amps too, but they start to cracking at higher volumes.
I think, that these amps are not comparable.

Edited by disssa
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[quote name='disssa' timestamp='1425193887' post='2704812']
I own a HD150 and a HD65. The sound of the BH500 is always clear, even on high volume. The HD150 and HD65 are "loud" and clear amps too, but they start to cracking at higher volumes.
I think, that these amps are not comparable.


[/quote]

Thanks for the gut shot disssa. I'm a bit surprised that the fan is just extracting air from the chassis interior, rather than perhaps forced-air cooling the heatsink, but if it operates reliably then I guess there's no problem.

Is there any drive or breakup available from the Gain control?

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