Ashdown-Galien-Mark Bass

[Ejb]

Hi Guy's


Considering changing my rig!

Ashdown ABM 500 with Schroeder 2x10, and my Gallien Krueger 2 x 12 MB combo 500 for MarkBass Little 3 and Markbass 2x10 traveller cab, what do you think. Want to go lightweight?
Welcome feedback!

Edited February 5, 2017 by Ejb

[Ejb]

Come on feedback please

[hubrad]

Wow, 15 minutes! :-D
If you like the GK attack, I'd stay with GK for the head, and go MB Fusion for the valve pre.
Speaker cabs.. that Mark Bass 210 looks nice, also the variety of 1x12 is amazing!

[drTStingray]

I have done exactly this several years ago - mine was ABM500 + 1x15 + 2x10 for LM3 + 2x10 standard and 2x10 Traveller.

It's a more focussed sound for all the styles of music I play and is perfect with the Musicman basses I use. The other thing is that this is borne out by You Tube clips showing similar songs before and after.

I still have my Ashdown equipment and use it at home and may occasionally use it for gigs.

My back much prefers the Mark Bass equipment and I can always get a great sound with it - either of the 2x10 cabs are usable on their own for small to medium gigs also.

Edited February 5, 2017 by drTStingray

[bazzbass]

MarkBass amp plus Darkglass B7K, dial the amp's EQ dead flat and let the B7K take over

[Grangur]

If you want light weight, it's worth looking at Barefaced gear. A Two10 could be as little as 13Kg. The output sound is amazing for the size too.

http://barefacedbass.com/product-range/retro-two10.htm

[lownote]

+1 Barefaced. While I've loved both my MB heads I can't get on with their cabs. IMHO they're dull and muddy, but that's probably my kaka hearing.

Barefaced do 12 and 10 inch drivers. The 12s are colourless, the 10s more old school. Perfect for blues.

I have the BF 210 which is around 13kg and also not bulky, which can be half the pain if carrying cabs. It comes in 12 and 4 ohm versions, the 12 being fine for most jobs with a big head. My 12 ohm with my MB LM2 will keep up with drums, lead and keys with the volume set at around 10 o'clock.

If that's too heavy the 110 weighs 7.5kg and will handle up to 500w and the smaller gig.

Edited February 5, 2017 by lownote12

[LayDownThaFunk]

Ampeg SVT and 8x10. Really lightweight if someone else is moving it for you.

[Roger2611]

I run the LM3 and 2x10 traveller cab, I use it for 99% of gigs adding either the 4x10 or 1x15 for gigs where the bass is not through the PA, I couldn't be happier, fantastic kit, totally trouble free thus far and I always get comments on how good it sounds.

If you ever over my way you are welcome to come and try it

[Paul S]

Another Barefaced fan here, you really can't go wrong with them IMO/IME and have been using nothing but for a few years.

I recently bought a Quilter Bassblock 800 and, for me, it is a better option than any of the class D heads I have tried. Couldn't be easier to use and set up and it has a fabulous inherent tone. It is also the smallest and lightest so ticks all the boxes I needed.

[dmccombe7]

I went from Ampeg SVT4 Pro and Bergantino HT322 cab to more portable Markbass CMD121P and NY121 ext cab and it gives the Ampeg rig a run for its money.
I've tried other lightweight amps but Markbass has a nicer tone and certainly cuts a full band mix far better than the larger Ampeg rig.
Still have the Berg cab for larger venues or back up and either Ampeg SVT 4 when its working or my GK 1001RBii

Tried a Markbass 4x10 and Nano Mark head in Guitar Guitar few weeks ago and it was pretty impressive tone with a Precison deluxe and Sandberg TM & VM basses. Deep but nice mid punch.

Dave

[mikel]

In a hurry are we? Not the best attitude to gain the best results. No one knows what will suit you. Its down to the sound you are after and only you can decide that. You have a list, go and try them out and see what you like. You have 15 mins, and counting.

[anzoid]

I went from a GK MB500 thrugh a GK MBE210 cab (similar build to your MB Combo I believe) to the GK amp with two Mark Bass NYC 121 cabs. An awesome upgrade. The MBE was always a bit wooly sounding and a bit boomy. The GK through the NYCs has a very clear tone with the GK grit, is very focused and has some real punch (dare I say heft ). Completely cured my desire for swapping and changing on the amp/cab front (basses is a different question...) - been playing with the GK and NYC121 setup for coming up on two years and very happy.

[YeastieB]

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1486296198' post='3230612']
I went from Ampeg SVT4 Pro and Bergantino HT322 cab to more portable Markbass CMD121P and NY121 ext cab and it gives the Ampeg rig a run for its money.
I've tried other lightweight amps but Markbass has a nicer tone and certainly cuts a full band mix far better than the larger Ampeg rig.
Still have the Berg cab for larger venues or back up and either Ampeg SVT 4 when its working or my GK 1001RBii



Dave
[/quote]

I've gone lightweight and never regretted it. Likewise, got a better sound that cuts through. I went for a Markbass CMD121P after trying out a quite a few different setups. I'd recommend doing the same as they all sounded different and what sounds good to me may be just sound like mud/sterile/weak etc to you.

[Lozz196]

Either buy from user experience, or from the perspective of every time you hear a certain amp you love the sound. Either way it`s buying with your ears so to speak. Loads of people don`t seem to like Ashdown stating they`re too warm/woolly sounding. Well if I`d gone by that and not the fact that every time I`ve used one it`s sounded great - and I have a far from warm/woolly sound, very far in fact, though I do use my Sansamp to get this - I`d never have bought one, let alone two. They just seem to pair far better with my Sansamp than any other amp, yet many written opinions would have put me off of them.

[Rich]

[quote name='Ejb' timestamp='1486255709' post='3230438']
Come on feedback please
[/quote]
Yeah, come on you lazy sods, it's only 10 to 1 in the morning.

[JapanAxe]

I went from Ashdown ABM to various other amp heads with Barefaced cabs. Everything has sounded good with BF cabs!

[ChunkyMunky]

I went from Ashdown to...

[b][size=6]GENZ BENZ.[/size][/b]

They're definitely worth an outside bet.

[yorks5stringer]

Having been a long term user of Mark Bass I bought a small GK 10" combo for acoustic gigs and could not get on with the overdriven gain sound at even lowish volumes the GK gave me, so sent it back. If you are after that 'crunchy' sound I suggest you stay away from the LM3 amp.....

[martthebass]

I changed over to a lightweight solution a few years back after a loooong time on heavy weight Trace Elliot stuff. I tried the 2x10 route with a LM2 but didn't get on with the sound - couldn't get the depth on stage that I was looking for. I was happy with the amp so moved the cab on for a MB151HR, this was better in the depth department but was weightier (and bulkier) than I was looking for so went to a Gen1 Barefaced Compact. This cured the depth issue but found that the cab was sensitive to the bass I was using, it could get a bit boomy with an active in some venues.

Eventually I swapped the LM2 out for the LM3 and got 2 NY121 cabs. This set up has stood for the last 3 years, lovely and flexible and easy to get a good sound out of. For small acoustic type gigs a single cab works well, for bigger gigs both cabs; there really is a massive difference in sound between using one and two cabs, the sound really does open up.

[blamelouis]

Have had the markbass 12" combo with a markbass15"extension cab.
Loud great clean sound plenty of depth and weighs nowt.
Combo in one hand cab in the other and bass on back ...quick in and out.

[yorks5stringer]

[quote name='blamelouis' timestamp='1486392118' post='3231352']
Have had the markbass 12" combo with a markbass15"extension cab.
Loud great clean sound plenty of depth and weighs nowt.
Combo in one hand cab in the other and bass on back ...quick in and out.
[/quote]

Yeah, but where do you put the spare rolls of gaffa for the PA leads, spare strings for the guitarist, torch for the drummer ,spare leads for the guitar and kettle lead for the keyboard?

[phil.c60]

LM3 and Barefaced Gen2 Compact for me. Light, powerful enough for the pub type venues we play and seems to sound just fine with my passive P.

[Kevin Dean]

I went from Mark bass & Barefaced back to Ashdown the ABM1000 & 400 digital have a lot more oomf to them the MB was like playing through a HiFi to me & , Nothing wrong with the Barefaced stuff but I've never ever liked the handles & the look , But for me The Rootmaster cabs do the same thing but look better .