Which Markbass Head?

[PatrickJ]

I'm looking for a new 500 watt Amp Head to replace my GK MB500, I'm very much considering giving a Markbass a go.   I would love some recommendations from you lot.

The GK has served me very well  and I intend to keep it as a backup head but I've found myself wanting for something new.   Of the five or six cover bands I've seen this year, the bassists have been using Markbass rigs in at least four of them (the four best ones as it happens). I can't recall which models but they all sounded great which is what is drawing me to MB.  My short list of heads are:

- Little Mark III
- Little Mark Tube
- CASA

I'll try and get to Bassdirect or somewhere over the summer to try what I can but I'm keen to hear the thoughts from some BC'ers too.

The LMIII has a lot of glowing reviews in another MB thread, however, I always somewhat regretted not going for the MB Fusion with the Tube pre-amp and I wonder if I'd feel the same here by passing on the LM Tube. 

I really dig the vintage looks of the CASA, it kind of fits with the rig Aesthetics I'd like to achieve but it is the most expensive of the three and from what I've read is a MM BH-500 in disguise despite being pitched as the Michael League signature model.  I don't know of the BH-500 was a good amp or not.

Cab wise I'm primarily using a Barefaced Super Compact.  Basses are active an PJ and a 5 string active J.   The bands I play with are primarily rock covers band, although outside of those I'm developing a love for funk and would like to pursue that more.

Let me know your thoughts!!

[mybass]

The LM111 is great amp and I’m sure the CASA is too so it may come down to the visual/size thing between these two amps making you decision. Looks like both are 500watts into 4 ohms, maybe the eq is set/works differently on each of these two amps. 

Edited August 11, 2018 by mybass

[chris_b]

Markbass's product philosophy baffles me. They have discontinued more amps and cabs than most of their competitors have ever designed. 

Anyway, I had the LM2 (analog) and liked it a lot. The LM3 (now D class) would be my choice if I was going for Markbass again. I'd recommend you also look at the Aguilar TH500 and AG700.

[bazzbass]

go to the MarkBass website and read the centre frequencies of the EQ knobs of each amp to gauge which will suit your tone better.

Great amps, I have the LM250 and it hasn't gone past 9 O Clock even at pub gigs and I'm only running one cab lol.

Great to dial flat with your fave pre-amp in front of it too.

It's the only amp where the engineer will ALWAYS take your amp's DI rather than his own, and that is saying something

[scalpy]

The general consensus is the tube in the LMT500 doesn’t make a huge difference. I use mine set to 100% tube and there is a certain warmth but you’re not going to get any grit out of it unless you use silly levels of gain, and that doesn’t sound amazing. Indeed the tube in it is minuscule. However, through two decent 112 cabs I’ve never wanted for volume and that’s included some decent festival size stages. It’s been totally reliable, I’ve needed to hoover the inside once (I think it’s from doing lots of pit work where the conditions and smoke/ haze create lots of particles) the fan is quiet and the DI is decent. 

Heard the Casa in the hands of Micheal League- sounded pretty dam decent but what else would you expect?!

[chris_b]

I saw someone using an LM800 through a BF Super Compact with an EBS Valve Drive. I was surprised how good he sounded out in the room. Made me sit up and take notice.

[Lozz196]

I`ve had the LMT and the LMIII - the tube in the LMT doesn`t seem to do anything until you turn it off, at which point you get a much flatter, less lively dynamic sound. Grit/drive it isn`t, it`s more like a shimmer around the sound. I must admit though, if I were looking at Markbass amps now I`d be checking the Little Marcus which imo has much better frequencies for bass than their other amps.

[PatrickJ]

I've seen a couple of TTE's in the for sale secrion, any thoughts on those?  Harder for me to go try one out as they are discontinued.

[Sparky Mark]

I'm a Markbass fan and would recommend you find a LM2 or a pre 2012 LM3 or SA450. These are class AB power amps which have a certain fullness to their tone that the later class D don't. 

[Sparky Mark]

The TTE have a different pre amp section which some users report as not giving them control over the low end as well as the LM2 or LM3 one.

[la bam]

The EVO 1 is fantastic. Just a bit limited n the eq side.

[Phil Starr]

I've got the Tube500 just as people say really. The tube doesn't sound much different but I use it on 100% Tube all the time because it sounds better.

If it's any help a the last SW bass bash someone was trying all the lightweight heads he could scoop up. all the usual suspects were there and he ended up preferring my MB tube, and it did sound lovely through his big Barefaced cab.

It's just what I wanted really, a good sound with everything set flat and it just makes my bass louder and so far 100% reliable.

[Sibob]

I love my Little Mark 800 and Little Mark II, and so based on your options, I would say go for the LMIII.

Si

[Lozz196]

10 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

I've got the Tube500 just as people say really. The tube doesn't sound much different but I use it on 100% Tube all the time because it sounds better.

If it's any help a the last SW bass bash someone was trying all the lightweight heads he could scoop up. all the usual suspects were there and he ended up preferring my MB tube, and it did sound lovely through his big Barefaced cab.

It's just what I wanted really, a good sound with everything set flat and it just makes my bass louder and so far 100% reliable.

Markbass and Barefaced are a good match imo, far prefer MB heads with BF cabs than with MB cabs.

[Mikkoantt]

Just bought Marcus Miller 250w head and its far best MB amp I have ever had. Eq is very musical and with my Ken Smith Hadrien Feraud model + Epifani UL 112 cabinet sound is amazing. At last rehearsals I connected my Aphex Aural Exiter with it made sound soooo big. 

[fretmeister]

I'd have a proper look at the Miller versions. the EQ seems to have far more sensible freq centres.

 

The 500W version is likely to be my next amp purchase.

[Sparky Mark]

It's not just about the centre frequency of the EQ controls, it's also how much the frequencies either side of the centre are affected. Looking at the frequency curve of the LM3 low EQ shows it also boosts and cuts quite a broad range of frequencies. 

[Mikkoantt]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

I'd have a proper look at the Miller versions. the EQ seems to have far more sensible freq centres.

 

The 500W version is likely to be my next amp purchase.

My amp is only 250w version, but it definetly sounds more powerfull. If I need more power I have my Epifani UL-501 which have 800 watts. At first I buyed MB Marcus Miller to spare amp, but now it might come my main amp. Eq is very musical. I can recommend this amp to everyone:)

[garyt]

I have the LM3 and Barefaced SuperTwin, but never got it out of second gear, so Super Compact would be ideal with the LM3.  LM3 - Control the gain, all tone controls at 12o''clock, and both filters OFF - excellent sound. 

[BassManGraham]

I have used Little Mark II head (in combos) for years. I also sold an SA450 which on reflection I marginally preferred. Recently did a head to head between an LM 500 tube and a Mesa D800 subway. The LM held it's own for a few hundred quid less and I preferred the tube setting to solid state on a stand alone. Would need to try in band setting as I have often found nice warm valve setting sound great alone but may not be so effective at cutting through the mix so well.

So I would say an LM500 tube head might be the way to go which offers a vast range of tonal options. But I would suggest you try and get a listen to the Quilter Bass Block 800 before parting with the readies!  I am very impressed with my most recent aquisition. 

Edited August 17, 2018 by BassManGraham

[lownote]

I adore my Markbass LM2.  But in the Camden bass gallery I did once accidentally have a go on an Aguilar rig (don't know which one) and instantly fell in love with the sound - it was really that good and different to anything I'd ever tried. At that point my wife heard the warning  vibration of a stressed credit card and dragged me out.  

Edited August 25, 2018 by lownote12

[lownote]

On 14/08/2018 at 11:31, Lozz196 said:

Markbass and Barefaced are a good match imo, far prefer MB heads with BF cabs than with MB cabs.

Gotta be the opposite Lozz, and as you know I bought a pristine BF 210 off you.  I sold that and replaced it with a MB  Traveler 112 which to my ears sounded infinitely nicer and better matched. But OMV

[PatrickJ]

Thanks all for the thoughts thus far.  I didn't get to play it but I did see a CASA head in a guitar store in Paris.  That thing was huge for a solid state amp, so it's striaght off the short list. 

I went up to Bass Direct last week, and although I walked out with a new guitar (oops) I was really hoping they would have the MB heads, but they had neither the LM3 or the LMT 😢 that I could try.  

[Jack]

On 11/08/2018 at 11:48, chris_b said:

...Anyway, I had the LM2 (analog) and liked it a lot. The LM3 (now D class) ...

 

On 12/08/2018 at 23:15, Sparky Mark said:

I'm a Markbass fan and would recommend you find a LM2 or a pre 2012 LM3 or SA450. These are class AB power amps which have a certain fullness to their tone that the later class D don't. 

Interesting. I didn't know they'd changed their power amps like that but I was going to chip in with the fact that every time I hear another bassist use an MB amp or there's one in a shop that I try a bass through or whatever I'm always left with the feeling that the old amps sound better than the new amps, I wonder if this is something to with it?

 

I fully believe that a class D amp can be as good as a class A/B, I've used class D for years now. But just because they can doesnt mean that all of them are.

[burno70]

On ‎14‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 11:31, Lozz196 said:

Markbass and Barefaced are a good match imo, far prefer MB heads with BF cabs than with MB cabs.

Yup - I found this too. The BF cab revealed just how good my MB TA503 amp really was.