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Gear Impressions and Luthier Spotlight With Jake Wolf: Markbass LMtube800 Head and NY604 Cabs

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Review by Jake Wolf –

LMtube800

To say that the folks at Markbass are on a roll might be putting it mildly.  They’ve been busy churning out a dizzying array of new innovative products for bassists, as well as thoughtful revisions and updates for their most popular models.  Recently, they sent me their new LMtube800 head along with a pair of NY604 cabs to check out, and I was as impressed by its dwarfish footprint as I was by the glorious tone emanating from this small wonder.

The LMtube800 is a descendant of the Little Mark II, one of the most popular bass heads of recent years, due to its attractive combination of low weight, modest price, and great tone.   The 6.5 lb, 500 watt, $600 LMII swept through the US market selling like hot cakes, and Markbass has responded by giving birth to a handful of LM inspired heads, like the LMtube800, the flagship of the Little Mark product line.

When I unpacked the tube800, I noted the differences between the LMtube800 and the LMII.  For starters, the tube800 has two input channels with independent gain controls.  Channel 1 features a combo ¼ and XLR input jack for increased connectivity- very handy for anyone who brings two different basses to their gigs (or upright players looking to blend a mic with a pickup). The 2 channels do however share eq, tone filters, and master volume controls.  Other notable front panel differences from the LMII include a dedicated DI line out volume control (the LMII DI send was controlled by the amp’s input gain: Effective, but limited), a master volume “pull-to-mute” function, and of course, the tube blend control.  Run the knob at 0 and its pure solid state, but as you turn it clockwise you introduce the 12ax7 based tube circuit.  When the knob is at noon, theoretically the two circuits are blended equally.  More on that in a bit.  Moving right along on the front panel, it seems Markbass has responded to customer feedback in the aesthetics department, by switching up the color scheme. Markbass softened the bumble bee look by using a dark metallic green for the faceplate, and color coded some of the knobs, which helps differentiate controls on a dark stage and looks pretty sweet.   The back panel is more similar to the LMII, but noteworthy features include pre/post and ground lift switches for its DI; very handy for working pro’s who encounter weird/bad sound systems or “less than gifted” soundguys.

Under the hood is where we see most of the distinction between the LMtube800 and LMII.  Whereas the LMII utilized class A/B amplifier technology to achieve its signature tone, feather weight, and power, the 800 utilizes class D technology to achieve even higher wattage and clarity from the head.   The tube channel adds versatility and increases options for tone shaping.   This would be a good time to bring up the functionality of this control.  I have been keeping up with people’s assessment of the LMtube800, and many have said that they don’t hear a real difference between the tube and solid state settings.  I will say that in my testing, I was able to discern a difference, but it was by no means night and day.  If I had to classify one vs. the other, I would say that the tube setting felt a tad fuller in the low mids, and had a stronger leading edge note attack.  In comparison, the solid state setting performed more evenly, had a more refined and level tonal and dynamic response.  In truth they both sounded great, and without the A/B comparison, I never would have felt it lacking in either setting.  I did find it a bit frustrating that the overall volume increased dramatically when the knob was set at noon (blending the two evenly).   It made master volume adjustments necessary when the tube settings were changed.

Sound wise, I have to admit that I was a little surprised by the tone from the LMtube800 out of the box.  I have become accustomed to the syrupy sweet midrange, and round bottom on my LMII.    By contrast (in SS mode), the 800 sounded quicker, had more upper midrange articulation, and had a tighter low end.   My sense is that this difference is courtesy of the class D power section.  I was quickly able to adjust and find my tone with the ever intuitive eq/filter section, and the amp performed beautifully with a number of different cabs and basses.  To my ears, the 800 didn’t sound that much louder than the 500, but where I did notice the extra power was with cabs that felt underpowered by the LMII.  Again, this may be due to the voicing of the head, but a couple of my large cabs seemed to “open up” a bit more with the 800 than with the LMII.

Overall the tube800 is a wonderful amp.  It addresses some of the improvements I felt the LMII needed, and in typical Markbass fashion, everything is intuitively packaged in a great form factor.  Price-wise, the LMtube800 comes in at $799, the tubeless LM800 is 50 bucks less, and the new LMIII (replacing the LMII) stays put at $599.  In my opinion, the 800 is a great deal for what you get.  Power packed, feature laden, and of course, great tone!

Markbass NY 604 cabs

Marketed primarily to big city bassists who use public transit, the little cube shaped NY 604 cabs feature four custom B&C 6″ drivers and a 1″ compression horn in a rear ported cabinet.  A top mounted tweeter attenuator puts the control in a more player friendly position.   Like all of the Markbass cabs I’ve checked out, the 604 seemed very solid and well built, with high quality hardware and carpeting.  Both cabs were rattle free.  One snag:  The 604 only has one handle which is top mounted (a nice one at that, but still, I would like to see another option for loading or carrying it).  When you put an amp on top, it obscures the sole handle, and it’s hard to maneuver or reposition it.

The cabs sounded impressive, especially given their size and weight.   It’s hard not to be impressed by a 33 pound 17″ cube that doles out a substantial amount of volume and low end.    I wasn’t expecting arena rattling sub-bass from these guys, but I was pleasantly surprised by how they did perform.  Buttery and smooth sounding, they produced a sweet full range tone that extended quite nicely down low, although it was easy to push them to their limits.  The rear ported design helped to fill the stage with juicy thickness, but as purely a matter of personal taste, I’m not a huge fan of rear ported designs.  They send a lot of the energy to the back wall increasing boom on stage, but not projecting as well out front.  Not a big deal if you regularly use front of house sound, but for those gigs where the bass cab needs to carry the room, it’s less than ideal.  I didn’t get a chance to audition the 604 with an upright, but given my impressions with electric basses, I would really like to try it out with a doghouse.  I think it would sound pretty stellar.  The 604 excelled the most in smaller, more intimate settings.  The natural tone and warm bottom blended perfectly with a handful of acoustic instruments, as it did in rehearsal settings at lower volumes with electric instruments.

The 604 cabs absolutely achieve their goal of providing great solid tone and reasonable volume for their size.  I could definitely see picking one or two up if size was a real issue for me.  In the tone dept, it’s not necessarily the cab I would pick for a rock gig, although I did bring it to a blues jam and it held its own quite nicely. The 604’s run about $799 a piece, which seems a bit on the high side given the price points of their other cabinets, but then again, there’s a lot packed into these guys, and they sound great.   If space is an issue and you’re after a warm, natural tone, I highly recommend putting a 604 on your list of cabs to audition.

For more info, check out www.markbass.it

Jake Wolf welcomes your comments and questions… drop him a line

Bass Videos

Reviews: Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17

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Reviews Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17

Phil Jones Bass Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17 Reviews…

In this issue, we take an in-depth look at two new amps from Phil Jones Bass, the Compact Plus 450 and Bass Engine 17.

For more information, visit online at pjbworld.com

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Bass Videos

Review: BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass

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Review - BITE Custom Bass - The Black Knight PP Bass

BITE Custom Bass – The Black Knight PP Bass Review…

I am sure many of you saw my review of the Snobby Steampunk Bass from BITE Guitars back in February of 2021 and will remember what a remarkable bass it was. BITE has been building custom basses since 2019 and has a unique custom approach where you can configure your bass to your specs.

I am very excited to have another Bass From BITE Guitars in my hands, The Black Knight PP Bass! 

The need for a P-Bass in one’s armamentarium is pretty standard for bass players and I recall chatting about this with Marty O’Brien about a year ago. It turns out that Marty and BITE Guitars got together and came up with this excellent configuration that gives you a P-Bass with a whole lot more.  Marty even played his own Black Knight PP bass at the 2024 NAMM show. You can see his review here.

Join me as I take an in-depth look at this very cool instrument and share all the details.

Here is The Black Knight Bass from BITE Guitars!

For more information, visit online at bite.guitars/product/black-knight-pp

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Gear Reviews

Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

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Gear Review: Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass Review…

Throughout the evolution of music, bass players have sought tools to sculpt and enhance their sonic landscapes, and one indispensable ally in this pursuit has been compression. Origin Effects, a name synonymous with premium audio craftsmanship, introduces the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, a pedal that pays homage to the legacy of compression and brings forth a new chapter in bass sonic mastery.

As we delve into the world of the Cali76 Compact Bass Compressor, we’ll explore how Origin Effects seamlessly weaves together the heritage of compression and contemporary bass demands, promising a pedal that not only honors the past but propels your bass playing into the future. Join us on this sonic expedition as we dissect the nuances of the Cali76 Compact and uncover the secrets it holds for bass players seeking the perfect blend of vintage warmth and modern versatility.

For Starters, the Cali76 is a studio-grade FET compressor pedal, based on the classic Urei 1176, but with some features optimized for bass guitar. For those of you who are not familiar with it, a FET (Field Effect Transistor) compressor is essentially a solid-state tube compressor emulation that allows for fast and precise control over the attack and the release parameters; allows for extreme compression ratios; and finally adds the typical 1176 color and character to the sound.

Together with the common controls we see in most compressor pedals – Ratio, Attack/Release, input (just like the original 1176, the threshold in this pedal is fixed), and output (makeup gain). The Cali76 offers two more controls dedicated to us bass players.

A Dry control – This allows us to mix in our dry, uncompressed signal to the pedal output. This is great for when we want to add back some of our playing dynamics to the compressed sound or for when you want some volume back in situations where the compression starts taking away the volume.

A High Pass Filter control – Low frequencies on a bass guitar signal normally overwhelm compressors. This high pass filter allows the compressor to only react to higher frequencies, which helps preserve the natural dynamics of our playing while keeping the low end intact.

Metering on this pedal can be a bit hard to get used to at first. There’s a single LED light on the pedal, that not only serves as an On/Off light, but it’s also our meter. It glows red when no compression is applied and orange for active compression. The brighter the light, the greater the amount of gain reduction. Yellow signifies that the gain reduction reached 27dB and maximum reduction occurs around 38 dB.

In practical terms, it’s all about working with the input and the LED to find the sweet spot (turn the input to zero, start playing and slowly increase the input level until you start seeing the LED glowing orange, which means there’s reduction going on).

With 6 highly interactive knob controls, this pedal implies some degree of compressor knowledge and also some amount of tweaking and experimentation to find the perfect settings. The good news is that it is very hard to make this pedal sound bad…

It can go from very subtle compression settings to very extreme, and it can do everything in between. Also, the team at Origin has been kind enough to add a couple of sample settings in the manual to get players started and to help us understand better how the pedal works.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Dynamic Control is a setting that provides natural compression, balancing dynamics between various playing techniques. It is a subtle compression that will work almost out of the box almost all the time. Having a medium setting for the High Pass Filter ensures an honest translation of the lower string dynamics.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Parallel compression is a popular studio technique, where both compressed and natural signals are blended. We get the sound and feel of hard compression while retaining the natural playing dynamics.

Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Bass

Percussive, lively & Fat is a setting that uses a slower attack time to accentuate the start of any note. Then using a fast release allows the compressor to recover between notes so that the phrases sound more percussive. Ideal for slapping and other percussive techniques.

Finally, I would like to mention the classic 1176 tonal coloration. It’s not a secret that engineers all around would sometimes use the 1176 compressor, without applying any compression, just to get the tonal coloration into the instrument sound.

And the Cali76 compressor is no different, it has such a rich, warm, and full coloration that’s super pleasing to the ear and makes you want to have it ON all the time. So be aware, that if you want a transparent compressor, this pedal is not for you!

All in all, it is easy to understand why this pedal became a favorite of so many bass players around the world. The Cali76 Compact stands as a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering that Origin Effects is renowned for. It seamlessly navigates through the rich history of compression, offering bass players a gateway to the soulful resonance of the past while empowering them to sculpt a contemporary sonic future.

Whether you’re a seasoned bass maestro or a budding virtuoso, the Cali76 Compact invites you to embark on a sonic journey where every note is held in a delicate balance between tradition and innovation. As we bid farewell to our exploration, we do so with the realization that the Cali76 Compact is more than just a pedal; it’s a sonic companion that elevates the artistry of bass playing

For more information, visit online at origineffects.com

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Gear Reviews

Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review

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Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review

Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass Review…

Not long ago, I did a review of the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass and I have just been given the honor and privilege of reviewing the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass. I have to say, another great bass from Spector that is hard to put down! While there are some similarities between both basses, there are also some noticeable differences which is why I believe having both is essential to any bass arsenal.

Spector, widely used by many rock and metal bassists like Ian Hill, Alex Webster, Colin Edwin, Doug Wimbish, and many more, just to name a few, has a long-standing in these genres. Well, that’s about to change! The bass I used for the review, didn’t see any of those genres, matter of fact, I used it on a few classic country gigs and at church too! However, when at home in the studio, I let the funk out. The NS Ethos HP 4 Bass is an all-around great bass for any genre and will not disappoint.

Let’s get into the specs about the bass, and here we will find the differences between the HP 5 Bass and the HP 4.

Forget that one is a 5 string, while the other is a 4, while that is a difference, that’s not one that I feel needs to be noted as both models are available as 4 and 5 strings. The Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass has a 34” scale, 24 fret, 3 piece maple neck through construction with solid alder wings, ebony fingerboard along with centered and side dots and the 12th fret Spector logo inlay with a brass nut.

While the pickups are different as the NS Dimension HP 5 Bass uses the EMG 45DC and the NS Ethos HP 4 Bass sports the EMG 35DC pickups, they are the same pickup configurations, the difference being, one for 4 string, the other for 5 string. The electronics are the same, consisting of a Darkglass Tone Capsule preamp which consists of +-12dB @70Hz for Bass, +-12dB @500Hz for Mids, and +-12dB @2.8kHz for Hi Mids. Controls for Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass consist of Master Volume, Blend, Bass, Mid, and Hi Mid controls. The electronics are powered by a 9-volt battery.

The bridge is a Hi-Mass locking bridge with intonation screws and the tuners are sealed die-cast. All hardware is black. Same as the Spector NS Dimension HP 5 Bass, the HP 4 Bass is available in 4 different finishes, White Sparkle Gloss, Gunmetal Gloss, Plum Crazy Gloss & Black Gloss. The bass also comes with a very nice and well-padded gig bag.

Check out the Spector NS Ethos HP 4 Bass at a Spector Music Retailer today near you or visit online at spectorbass.com/product/ns-ethos-hp-4/

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Gear Reviews

Review: Italia Leather Straps

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Review: Italia Leather Straps

Italia Leather Straps…

Whenever I get a new bass, I like to get a new strap to christen it and I also like to find one that is “color coordinated” to my new instrument. I recently had a 6-string fretless bass created by a local luthier named Frank Brocklehurst, which started my search for a new strap.

There are a few points that I always look for when searching for a new strap. 

1-Comfort 
2-Width
3-Great color
4-Price

My most recent quest put me in touch with “Italia Leather Straps.” Italia has been in business in California for about 20 years and has been selling factory direct for the past 18 years.

When you order your strap it begins its “made to order” build process and after shipping more than 50,000 straps they certainly have it well in hand!

To answer my 4 questions regarding comfort, Italia uses some of the most comfortable and luxurious leather in a wide variety of colors. I was able to match almost perfectly the color of my bass and the color of the leather.

You can order it in either a 2.5” or 4” width as well as a standard and long model for tall players. I prefer the 4” for all of my basses. 

I received my strap and I must tell you, the leather was soft, supple, and truly comfortable when I attached it to my bass.

I must commend Italia Leather Straps for their attention to detail and beautiful selection of leather. I would say that when you go looking for a new strap, these guys should be on your shortlist.

Call or visit Italia Leather Straps online:
831-324-4277
www.italiastraps.com

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