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Markbass little mark 111 volume issue


speed
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Hi 

So I have a mark bass CMD 102p  which uses a little mark 3 head 

The issue I have is that the volume is really low now. I usually have it on approx 2 on the master and this is gigging volume ... I have another 2x10  ext cab 

So at the last gig I had to turn the master volume up to almost max to get the usual volume .... any ideas ... It has been faultless for the last three and a half years and has been pampered 

 

Any suggestions 

 

Dave 

Edited by speed
advised to say bass head to get more replies
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On 04/10/2018 at 20:30, speed said:

Hi 

So I have a mark bass CMD 102p  which uses a little mark 3 head 

The issue I have is that the volume is really low now. I usually have it on approx 2 on the master and this is gigging volume ... I have another 2x10  ext cab 

So at the last gig I had to turn the master volume up to almost max to get the usual volume .... any ideas ... It has been faultless for the last three and a half years and has been pampered 

 

Any suggestions 

 

Dave 

 

And the input gain knob is at the same position you had it before?

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  • 2 weeks later...

So 

Tried the FX loop trick .... oh yes that worked 🙌

So contacted Markbass in Italy who have been very supportive it must be said .. and they are at a loss to why this happens and they say connecting the send and return inputs with a Jack will not harm the amp 

Issue now is although it works ( replacement return socket put in amp by local amp tech) if you put a Jack from send to return direct the amp volume is louder than when the cable is removed 

Intend to get the amp serviced at Markbass service centre in Sheffield 

Does this make ant sense ? 

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Total sense. As a reformed guitar player, I can tell you that this is a fairly common issue with guitar amps, and is caused by oxidation on the contacts of the jacks. It is NOT serious, but it is puzzling and annoying (in my experience).

I am familiar with the change in loudness behaviour you describe when the fx loop is jumpered. I think the degree of loudness variation depends on whether the loop is series or parallel.

Maybe bass players can learn something from the guitar world after all..

But more technical heads than mine may well chip in at this point.

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Before regulations changed, it was easy to wrap an elastic band around jack sockets to keep them tight, and I still do it on basses that allow this. The new less serviceable sockets were intended to stop owners pushing screwdrivers into high current/voltage electrics, but has turned into a money spinner for the maintenance folks..

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The little mark 3 effects loop is parallel so any oxidisation/dirt on the contacts in the send and return jack sockets can potentially effect half of the signal path. It's usually good enough to plug a jack in and out of each socket a few times to wipe the contacts clean(er). If however the jump lead is still giving a stronger signal then I'd stick with that.

I wouldn't bother with a service if that was the only issue but if it's behaving strangely otherwise it could be worthwhile. There aren't many techs I would let loose on my Markbass heads though and Markbass authorised service techs won't come cheap.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi 

So just a quick update 

The amp seems to take 10mins to warm up to normal volume before this is is down on normal volume not touching any dials on bass or amp and when it comes it I have to back off the master to half the starting volume .... so jumping the send/return path only worked for a bit 

Anyway think it may have to go to Real Electronics for them to inspect 

Regards Dave 

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  • 4 months later...

Hi 

So just an update here 

Been playing with the combo for a bit ... issue still the same so not gotten any worse just frustrating 

Anyway sent it to Real Electronics and will cost just shy of £200  to fix .... so said do it .... really love the combo and £200 won't get another one .... not sure what the issue is/ was but have asked so hope it will be mentioned in the receipt when I get it back 

Dave 

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They should confirm what work they have carried out as I would hope they will give you some kind of warranty for the repair. £200 is a lot of money for what will be a simple repair for a decent tech. This is why I  have bought secondhand Markbass heads as backups for not much more so I don't get involved with their dubious customer support. Contrast this with Ashdown Engineering who regularly go above and beyond to repair out of warranty products sometimes free of charge. Although I'm a fan of Markbass heads in particular their customers service is poor in this regard.

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Hi 

Maybe a good idea to buy a used one in the future  maybe .The amp power module was faulty so a new one from Markbass has been put in. So should last a while .... I hope 

In defence of Markbass they were very helpful when I contacted them. The amp was 6 months out of warranty so I accepted it wouldn't be repaired FOC 

I love the tone so happy to give Markbass another go 

Thanks Dave 

So 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi 

So the saga continues 

So the amp had to be returned as there was an intermittent issue when switched on .... sometimes it was normal ... other times it was so loud it made you jump and the speakers visibly "jumped" 

So contacted Real Electronics who said to return it and they would look at it and this was done at their cost. Turns out the amp module that was put in was faulty so they replaced it and sent it back ... again at their cost. It arrived today .... same problem so again contacted Real Electronics who said this time they need the whole combo as it may be a driver at fault and this can take out the amp module 

So although very frustrating I have to say Real Electronics have been very supportive to the problems 

 

 

Dave 

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  • 2 years later...

Just found this thread after having a similar issue with my Little Mark III head. Switch cleaner soutions seems to have improved things a bit but Noticed that the gain clip isn’t lighting up even even when I put my bass in active mode, everything whacked up and digging in pretty hard. Wondering if it’s just a super weak signal from the base getting through. Any ideas welcome! :( 

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