Markbass VS Ampeg SVT

[gibsonlp]

Hi guys,
For the past few years i've been dreaming of a vintage 810 SVT set, but the truth is that I have NEVER played it and as a result I have no base for comparison.
Getting a vintage SVT set to Israel is a real PITA, finding a cabinet and a head in good condition is very hard, finding a seller that is willing to ship it is even harder and shipping it to Israel is expensive and complex.
My only solution would be to ship it to my in laws in Michigan and get with their household shipment when they return to Israel (will take a few years).
However - markbass have a reseller in Israel and I can go to their store, plug in my bass, check it and just buy it.
In my last gig I fell in love with the 4x10 concept, my 4001 sounded alive and I had no deadnotes compared to the BXR300 I am currently using in our rehearsal room (probably overtones that were more faithfully produced by the 10" speakers)
A markbass 104HR would cost me around $1200 and a head would be around the same price, the difference between this and the hard to get ampeg is that I can just go to the store, buy it and take it with me.

I love vintage sound, my questions are:
How much vintagish does the markbass get?
Which head should I get?
What is the difference between the 104HF and HR?
Is it really in the same league as the SVT?

Thanks!

[jps]

Go with the Markbass (MB); there are a lot of folks on TalkBass that feel MB is as close to an SVT as you can find in a solidstate amp. I love my F1 and the LM II I had before getting the F1. IF you need a tube in the amp you can get MB amps with tube preamps or even an all tube MB amp the Classic 300. The only experience I have with their speaker cabinets is via my Minimark combo amp which is amazing for it's size with only two 6" B&C speakers in it. Your back will also really appreciate the MB gear!

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

hey, gil ! i think it's gonna depend how much air you need to push. jeff has first hand experience with his rig as i only have experience with the svt concert rig. i suppose if you get a smaller rig , and you do bigger venues, the p.a. guy can put you thru side fill monitors . as jeff said, check out the rig at your music store if they have one. the svt btw, will be a chore to carry around.

[rickenbrother]

Gil, I think you will have nights when you just don't feel like carrying that SVT, especially as you get older.
I've heard and played through some Markbass gear. I don't think you'd have any regrets going with Markbass.
If I ever have a real good reason to buy a new bass rig, Markbass is one of the brands I'd consider first.

[rickaddict]

I can't comment on all the speaker cabs that you're considering, but I do have an SVT-CL that I run through an Ampeg 410HLF and a Markbass F1 that I run through two Epifani 1X12's.
( http://epifani.com/products/PS_112BC.php )

And... I just finished playing my Ricks through them both and comparing them for a couple hours. To my ears, the SVT-CL just sounds sweeter. It has better clarity and a fuller, more natural sound. But I can't carry it by myself (especially the speaker), and I need a very large car or a truck to fit it in. So for me the question is: Is the superior tone of the Ampeg worth the weight and the hassle?

When I've run my SVT-CL through my Epifani speakers it sounds pretty darn close to as good as through the 410HLF. (In other words...I think the SVT-CL head is about 90% of why I prefer the tone of my Ampeg rig to my Markbass/Epifani rig.) But the SVT-CL head is around 3 inches wider than the Epifani cabs and I don't want to gig with something that looks like its about to tip over and obliterate my Ricks!

I want to try one of the Ampeg solid state or hybrid amps through my Epifani's but I haven't yet. I'd also like to try out the Markbass all-tube head that Jeff mentioned above.

For you though, given the GIANT hassle and time it's going to be to get an SVT over there, it's bound to be anti climatic! You might want to just go with the easier choice and be done with it. My Markbass F1 doesn't sound bad, it's just that I prefer the tone of the SVT-CL.

My $.02, YMMV!

[jps]

Jeff, have you tried the F1 into the 410HLF?

[86kubicki]

Gil - my two cents is to go with the Markbass as it will much less hassle and less wait (and weight!). For a solid state amp I find the Markbass organic and warm, yet transparent - the first time I played a 4003 through a Markbass rig, I felt like I was hearing the true tone of the bass for the first time. If you want to utilize Ric-O-Sound, get the two channel LMK head - you can run each pickup to a separate channel and then EQ and mix the two channels. If you want to add a bit of SVT grit to your tone, I would suggest the Sansamp VT bass pedal - it does an excellent emulation of a variety of Ampeg amps.

[jps]

+1 on the Sansamp VT bass pedal.

[turlu]

I have owned Markbass gear for the past 4 years and without any single regret !!!!

I have the 410HF cabinet and it is a great cabinet. I now have a Carvin BX500 head which in my opinion is less sterile sounding as the MB line is. But, I also admit that I always used a Sansamp BDI before the MB head and it added the warmth that was pretty darn close to an SVT !!!!

MarkBass gear is great. I have the Carvin head now and is awesome too !!!!

[rickaddict]

Jeff, have you tried the F1 into the 410HLF?

Yes sir, many times. The 410 HLF is a great sounding cabinet IMO, but my two little Epifani's are also great sounding...And I can carry them!

Looks like I'm voted down today! It's not that I don't like my F1's tone, its just that I prefer my SVT's tone. I guess I should add that I'm usually running my SVT clean and not trying to blow out the opposite wall of my basement either. And I'm not running any effects.

But the F1 fits in a computer bag and weighs what, 5 lbs? That's a HUGE plus.

[BAD RONBO, KiLLeR DWaRfS]

that's funny...i'm always blowing out the opposite basement wall with my svt's...it's called hard rock mining !!!!

[fatcat]

A bird in the hand....

[gibsonlp]

Thanks guys.
Well, First - I am not going to take the rig anywhere, in most occasions it will be simply used in our studio as most venues in Israel have decent bass rigs and if we get successful enough to perform in a really large venue - we'll have backliners...
My concern was for the sound and only the sound.

I made up my mind, I'll get BOTH rigs, since I can't really get an SVT in the next few years I'll just buy a Markbass hopefully this week, and as soon as Kareene's parents return to Israel (2-4 years, who knows), I'll get an SVT head and cab shipped to their house before the shipping company takes their household for a transfer.

If I understand correctly from the comments posted here, Markbass is very close to the SVT so it will be a good set until I'll get the SVT, once I'll have the SVT - I'll either keep them both or sell one after being able to do a comparison.

Do I need the 800Watt head for the 800Watt 4x10 cabinet or will the 400Watt be enough? Did anyone try LittleMark Tube?

As for the Sansamp pedal, is that the one? - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0383154534

Thanks again guys and Don - I hear you

[rickenbrother]

Yep, that's the right SansAmp pedal!

[gibsonlp]

missed it