SWR Headlite vs. Markbass TA501

[cassius987]

What do you guys prefer? Both have onboard compressors and are built by companies I respect... that's all I know. Hard to find some of the specs I want on the SWR such as input impedance, and I wish the Markbass had at least 1 M input impedance but it's 500 K is respectable and 99% of what a high-gain bass calls for. Both have plenty of juice for my needs.

[jps]

I too, wondered about the 500KΩ input impedance of the Markbass, but the tone I gets speaks far more to me than the specs on paper.

[cassius987]

Good point Jeff.

[jamespaul71]

The input impedance is fine, you would need a >50,000K pickup to have problems. Unless you have peizo pickups (which would require an even higher input impedance), you will be just fine

[woodyng]

i dont have that particular markbass model-but i just played an outdoor park concert using my cmd102p combo,and a borrowed 4-10 hartke cabinet,and the p.a. folks turned me off completely because they were getting all the volume they needed from my rig! it was also the first real test of the tech 21 vt pedal-all i can say is having the clean 500 watts from the markbass with the preamped tone of the vt was pretty freakin awesome for me. the hb1s on my cii really sound great with this combination. (buy markbass is the gist i'm going for here...)

[rickenbrother]

I wonder how the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 or the Genz Benz Shuttle Max 6.0 compare in terms of sound to the SWR Headlite and the Markbass TA501?

[ricaddic]

I too, wondered about the 500KΩ input impedance of the Markbass, but the tone I gets speaks far more to me than the specs on paper.

I'll second that, very well put Jeff, give Shari a hug from me...

[ricaddic]

I too, wondered about the 500KΩ input impedance of the Markbass, but the tone I gets speaks far more to me than the specs on paper.

I'll second that, very well put Jeff, give Shari a hug from me...

In fact, right now im useing the LittleMark tube head, and I absolutely love it, but do have my eye on the TA501and will buy it very shortly.

[jps]

I used my Minkmark with my custom EV B-110 cabinet for practice Sunday evening, it really is amazing what that little amp can do in a band setting.

[bassduke49]

I used my Minkmark with my custom EV B-110 cabinet for practice Sunday evening, it really is amazing what that little amp can do in a band setting.

Sly little weasel.

[jps]

I used my Minkmark with my custom EV B-110 cabinet for practice Sunday evening, it really is amazing what that little amp can do in a band setting.

Sly little weasel.

Yeah, that and my Minimark, too!

[cassius987]

Have any of you tried the TC RH450 or the TC Classic 450? I'm now thinking about those as well.

Wondering if any of these would work better with a Ric or not as well although I usually feel that most of the classic passive basses can work with nearly any amp and do it well, depending on the goals of the player.

[jps]

Personally, I am a fan of simplicity, the TC amps have too much potential for problems, IMHO.

[cassius987]

Care to explain your position in some detail? Most amps are fairly complex beasts compared to what I work with in guitar circuits.

I thought a strength of the TC heads was their digital basis.

[cjj]

It's all a matter of what you're experienced/familiar with. For me, amps are all simple. Digital stuff on the other hand, well, that's even simpler...