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Markbass K1 Combo - the new K(ing) on the block?


Al Krow
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[quote name='Treb' timestamp='1490985498' post='3269676']
Reading the thread title I thought Mark King had become a MarkBass endorser... :lol:
[/quote]
Wouldn't surprise me. He's a bit of an endorsement tart :lol:

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[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1491209440' post='3271150']
Had a quick go on the K1 at the SW Bash yesterday. Given the restrictions of having others trying out gear near by, I only got the impression of loads of headroom and tone in such a small package without being able to really let rip. It dwarfed my 802, literally and physically.

Had the following all lined up, left to right: 802,Ninja 102, K1, Multiamp and Evo.
[/quote]
Have to say I was very impressed with what I heard of it yesterday. I'd only had limited exposure to Markbass gear before yesterday but it was a bit of an eye opener. Kev tried my Sire V7 through part of his MB armoury and it sounded fantastic.

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[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1491213559' post='3271195']
The lovely Georgie from DPD dropped off my K1 this morning :)

It's a beast. I was worried about the weight, but actually it's totally fine and an easy lift.



Tweeter is very musical, not at all harsh, so my fears there were unfounded.

It's very loud.
[/quote]

That looks superb.

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I got to the Bash too late to hear this but aesthetically it lacks something. When I used to chose cars my wife had a test. Would it look good on the drive? Suffice to say if MarkBass made cars, Mrs A would haunt me from the after life if one of these went on the drive.

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[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1491161880' post='3270956']
They should have kept the VLE!
[/quote]
+ Wads!

I found the VPF only of use at home to act kinda like a "Loudness" button did on the 80s Hifi.
The VLE on the other hand, always came in handy at gigs.
Maybe they're targeting the home player with this one?

Still a nice looking rig.

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Totally loving this amp. I'm leaving the EQ flat and it just gives such a true tone.

It's very articulate. The lows are full and rounded but not boomy or overpowering, the mids are smooth and present, while the top end is clear and not at all harsh. A very well-rounded one cab solution.

Edited by walbassist
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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1493401407' post='3288128']
Hey walbassist, I'm guessing you have tried the K1 out in anger at least a couple of times now - you still happy with this beast? How does it compare to your previous rigs?
[/quote]

I love it. It sounds fantastic. Loud as you like, wonderfully balanced tone. As we've said before, very flat response so it's all about the tone of your bass.

I had a bit of a windfall a couple of weeks ago so got the matching Traveler cab as well. Couldn't resist :)

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Most recent rig was a Mesa Subway and Breg AE201, so not exactly a slouchy setup. The band love it and have said it's like a reference monitor. You get all the nuances of the fretless and woodiness of the upright in a loud, punchy package. I can't remember the last time a member of the audience commented on my sound though!

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  • 1 month later...

Possibly the FINEST combo rig available on the market today! Happy for someone to correct me and come up with something better...if there is, I'm ALL ears! :)

Edited by Al Krow
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@walbassist. What difference is the presence of the 5" speakers adding to your overall sound?

Mids are where we bass players cut through in the mix, so if this brings greater articulation to the mid-range (which is kinda what I'm hoping / expecting) than that seems to be a real plus.

I'm not sure how many other cabs are providing the 12" + 5" + tweeter that the Traveller 123 cab is doing? (Is there anything comparable in the BF range - I'd love there to be but I'm not sure there is?) Makes me think that this could be a great cab to go with any (up to) 800W head?

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[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1496770811' post='3313775']
@walbassist. What difference is the presence of the 5" speakers adding to your overall sound?
[/quote]

So the new rig had a good workout on Saturday night: a beer festival in a college canteen (i.e. a long, bright space with a low ceiling).

Volume: amp on about 9pm. Tons of volume on tap, and the headroom running at 1k was wonderful, with plenty in the setup to let the sound breathe.

EQ: set totally flat. It really didn't need any adjustment at all. We were set up on a low hollow temporary stage, so I was worried the cabs sat flat on the stage might mean the sound was too boomy, but it wasn't at all.

I was playing my fretless and an upright, switching between them using a Providence Dual Bass Station, also set flat. The tone out of each was, as I've said before, very true to their inherent tone. I think if anything the 5" drivers add some extra presence in the mids at higher volumes, but not in a harsh or nasal way. In fact same for the bass, which was big without being boomy. I tamed the top end of my fretless using the tone control on the bass, but only a touch. Even though the cabs were firing at my legs I had no problem hearing myself, so dispersion was good - again a benefit of the 5" I suspect.

I'm really delighted with the setup. I'm also especially glad I bought both the combo and the cab before the prices went up! They aren't the lightest cabs out there these days, but the tone more than makes up for their being in the mid-range of cab weights.

Edited by walbassist
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[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1496770811' post='3313775']
@walbassist. What difference is the presence of the 5" speakers adding to your overall sound?

Mids are where we bass players cut through in the mix, so if this brings greater articulation to the mid-range (which is kinda what I'm hoping / expecting) than that seems to be a real plus.

I'm not sure how many other cabs are providing the 12" + 5" + tweeter that the Traveller 123 cab is doing? (Is there anything comparable in the BF range - I'd love there to be but I'm not sure there is?) Makes me think that this could be a great cab to go with any (up to) 800W head?
[/quote]

BF used to offer exactly this setup and were one of the first to do so for bass cabs, but Im sure I recall Alex posting that he now regards the current horn and crossover design they offer to sound superior and they have no plans to move back to a 3-way design.

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[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1496794211' post='3313942']
BF used to offer exactly this setup and were one of the first to do so for bass cabs, but Im sure I recall Alex posting that he now regards the current horn and crossover design they offer to sound superior and they have no plans to move back to a 3-way design.
[/quote]

Thanks DB. Your thoughts backed up by the review below of the BB2, which is probably the most comparable of the BF range in terms of price (£739 incl. silver cloth vs £719 for MB from GAK) - have to have the silver cloth option in my view to transform the BF cabs from ugly ducklings to something quite handsome right?! Power handling (both 800W at 8ohm), but not weight (26lbs for BB2 vs 47lbs for the MB) - which is a massive difference in favour in my books for the much lighter BB2, although some concerns expressed that the lighter materials used in the BB2 are more prone to being damaged / need to be handled with greater care in transit.

[url="http://www.guitar-bass.net/gear/barefaced-big-baby-2-review/"]http://www.guitar-ba...-baby-2-review/[/url]

I think what Alex has done, very cleverly, is to use the 3" dome in the middle of the 12" speaker to emulate a separate 3" speaker which then covers off the ground provided by the separate 5" speaker in the MB, doing away with the need for a separate mid-range speaker.

Edited by Al Krow
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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='HazBeen' timestamp='1500914542' post='3341050']
Nope, still fugly..... runs away quickly. I've tried one myself now, it does sound pretty awesome for the size it is. Mega crisp and defined.
[/quote]

So what qualifies as good looking in your books, then?! If you say "Barefaced" I'm gonna say "should have gone to specsavers" :)

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