Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I drove an hour to a Guitar Center today, planning to buy a Markbass 102 combo amp. I was looking for a travel amp for practice with the band. I played it for about an hour, but I just could not pull the trigger on it. It was $950 with no talking them down. $950 for that little box. The sinking US dollar has got to have something to do with that. It was louder than my Ampeg B200R (220W) but the tone controls were not all that different.

What did catch my eye there was the that Ampeg SVT-3 Pro was only $850. I played that one for about 45 minutes and I really liked it! I played it with a 4x10 cab. Now that was a rig! So now I am thinking of getting this kind of setup (maybe the SVT-3 Pro with a 2x10 for starters) and leaving my B200R at our practice studio.

As far as Ampeg, I know that my B200R is made in the USA and there were big problems with those that were made overseas. I saw this SVT-3 Pro was made in Vietnam. ANybody know of any issues with these?

So no new amp today.

I've also had my eye on that Markbass combo...

...they want $1149 for it 'round here - ouch.

Ampeg from Asia - seems the vote's still out on that, I know there's been some rabble roused somewhere on the web. My B100R is US built (with lotsa stuff inside from who-knows-where) and works like a champ after 5 years - that is what I can say about Ampeg

Greg, after a short while you may find that price for the 102 is worth it. I paid around $850 for my Minimark but every day that I play it in different situations and then pick it up when I am done, I know it was money well spent. If I had to, I'd get another in a minute.

It's funny - I bought a Markbass 121P combo last week after reading all the glowing Markbass reviews here, at Harmony Central and anyplace else I could find one. After phone attempts with three of the chosen GCs carrying them I finally got a salesman who knew what they were and had one sent over. It arrived the next day. The size and weight of these little amps is a joy and the volume that they can produce without distortion is amazing. It sems like the box should be on the verge of exploding when you crank them up. I set it up in the living room and tried it with five basses: my Ric 2030, my Pedulla Buzz fretless, my Hofner 500/1 V63, my Hagstrom 8-string and my old stereo fretless Les Paul (run first through a small mixer to take it down to one channel). In every case, I was thoroughly disappointed with the quality of the sound. I fiddled with all the dials for about two hours and in every case it was very obvious that my other amps have far better tone. The Markbass sound seemed very one-dimensional and featureless. Walking into the other room and plugging into my Traynor YBA 200 with the 15, two 10's and a tweeter in it's speaker cabinet or even my old Acoustic 140 head and it's single JBL E-140 cab was like a breath of springtime. Suddenly the sound expanded and had some tone that was vastly richer, crisper and more dynamic than the Markbass. Then I decided to find out whether it was just the speaker and cabinet that I didn't like, so I unplugged the speaker and plugged the amp section of the Markbass into my big Traynor cabnet, which is a superb speaker system with incredible frequency response. It still sounded dull and one-dimensional There was simply no comparison in tone and richness between the Mark head and the Traynor head or my 35 year old Acoustic head. I'd love to be able to substitute a little 29 lb. box for a big amp and I even considered substituting a 6 lb. LMK head for my 46 lb. Traynor head or retiring the Acoustic, but not if I'm going to lose that much sound quility in the bargain. I drove over the next day and returned the amp. I understand that a lot of people really like their Markbass amps, but I tried it with a bunch of high-end basses and there wasn't one of them that I thought sounded very good through it. It's clearly not what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the info guys. I said 102 for some reason, but it was the 121 that I was testing yesterday and was going to buy. It's great to think of such a light weight amp giving you so much, but my Ampeg B200R isn't so heavy that I can't lug it around to practices and then invest in a nice head/cab for a different tone. I just didn't see it as being that much different than my B200R (other than 500W vs. 220W loudness). So for that money I thnk I'll start putting together a larger rig, probably starting with the SVT-3 Pro which I loed (still need to find out if there is a USA manufactured version of that). On Cape Cod Craigslist there is a guys selling a nive Ampeg 410HLF cabinet that seems like a good deal too.

-Greg

Greg -

So you were playing through the 121P...I gave that a whirl as well but it just didn't punch my ticket. The 102P did the trick. Now I just need to bring one of my Rics in to really give it a whirl...I demo'd with one of those newfangled Fdr Am Jazz units which amazingly had a decent setup (not a bad hunk of lumber). I'm not sold on the Markbass 12s or 15s, but the 10s seem to have more "ooooooomph"

That said, at $1150 it's not a bad deal, considering there's a 2 year no questions asked replacement warranty on these units (you had me going there with $950...I was ready to take a spin up to your GC ) I still need to think this through a bit more, methinks.

I have read a lot of things on Talkbass about Markbass' speakers not sounding so great in the showroom or bedroom, so to speak, but they come alive on the stage.

I hear ya Jeff. I also read lots about this over on TB, which I take with a large boulder of salt. When I played through the 210 it really seemed to come alive, more than the 112. I'm not close to pulling the trigger on one yet, so I have time to noodle around with these guys before deciding on anything. Maybe if GC pulls a Memorial Day sale I will go for something then.

Then I could bring it to RIO with me! (looking more and more like I can make it )

Yeah, they had a 102 combo there too but I didn't even try it. Mostly because of the same combo head, which I was interested in the sound adjustments I could make with it. You are right that the 102 was more money. Sorry for the confusion!

windchimp wrote:Then I could bring it to RIO with me! (looking more and more like I can make it )

Wow, this is the first I am hearing about this, AFAIR! Great news!!!

What else would you be bringing, I am trying to keep a database of the number of instruments and amps coming?

Well, IF I come...I will likely be accompanied by:
'99 V63 MG
'07 4003 JG
and if anyone's interested
07 Lakland SL Bob Glaub


If I get the Markbass I may throw that in, otherwise I could stuff an Ampeg B100R in the chariot. Depends on who else is bringing what else in the amp department.

The Lakland is welcome, I am allowing other instruments as most of us do have some wonderful non-Rick instruments that would be nice to see. I am trying to secure a place for an evening jam but so far I have been unsuccessful in getting hold of the person at the preferred joint!

My LMKII will be with me, providing there will be a cabinet there!

sloop_john_b wrote:My LMKII will be with me, providing there will be a cabinet there!

That can be arranged! I'll bring my EV B 110 cabinet for the LM II. I will have my Minimark there, also.

I'll have a better idea of my schedule towards the end of the month...lotsa business travel between now and RIO time. A jam session you say? How appropriate - you'll want to jam me in the corner after about 5 minutes!!!!

I've been keeping an eye on the goings-on with this little get together. The idea of a weekend with the Rickenuts is strangely appealing - I have the image of a Moose Lodge meeting complete with secret handshakes and a Fez

Funny thing is that I was just out in Cleveland the last week of February harassing one of our vendors. I may need to arrange a return visit to them so I can write this one off!