Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp 

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

I have used this amp for 3 years now playing jazz on a 6 string upright (custom built). Every time I perform I receive a lot of positive response because of the sound. But when people hear what the amp (and the bass) cost, they step back again. But gold costs money, guys. I always use it with the controls turned down. My bass does not need any coloration of the sound.
Last night I returned from a series of gigs on the magnificent island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean . During the flight the amp was in a big suitcase together with my clothes. It is a master piece in the art of developing powerful and true sound. Bravo, Markbass.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

Great sound in a small lightweight enclosure. Highly recommend it. Pricey but worth it. Only had it a couple of months. Time will tell. Jeff Berlin and Tom Kennedy use Mark Bass and that means alot to me.I like the simplicity of the controls and the ability to dial in a good sound easily.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

It is truly amazing that this tiny little amp with 6 inch speakers can produce uncolored tones of my basses at a usable volume level.

I can see how players who need a scooped or boomy bottom-heavy sound will probably not like this unit much. The little speaker cones are not physically capable of huge low-frequency excursion. But for my purposes, classic rock, jazz, and backing singer/songwriters, there is plenty of low end, and I never am tempted to place it in a corner or against a wall to boost the sound. Now, if we want to crank out some metal, I have to use an additional speaker, and if it's a big place we have to plug the amp's DI output into the house mains.

Would be a ten if the price were not so high.
Traditionally the term "features" mean the number of different little gadgets built into the amp. Not really a relevant concept with this amp, whose most significant features are light weight, tone quality, and volume. None of the other amps under 30 lb. compare.

The "features" like the unique eq scooper and low-pass filter, not that interesting. I typically play with them all the way off, but I am playing an Alembic and a fretless J Bass and have no real need for eq at the amp.

It does have a DI out jack, which is useful since even with an extension cab the unit will need PA backup if it is a big room.
Solidly built, easy to carry, so small it looks like it would be limited to use as a practice amp or playing with acoustics, but no. By itself, it is capable of keeping up with drums in small venues where the drummers know how to play appropriate to the room. With an extension cab (I use a Markbass 112) volume is ample without loss of quality for mid-size rooms. If you need more volume than that you would usually be plugging into the board anyway.
Super expensive. For that money there are a number of other amps that have more power and gadgets, if you leave it in one spot all the time or are ready to lug the 60-100 lbs.

But setting up in only one trip is a valuable thing. Walk in, amp in one hand bass in the other, plug up, tune, play. Worth it for older players like myself who have day jobs and have to face up to the reality of not lugging an svt 810 around.

A gigging musician could use this (with a suitable ext. cab) as his only amp- but with any room holding over 100 you would need PA support. I have a GK, an ampeg, a Phil Jones -- and a markbass tube 800-- harldy ever use any of those since this tiny one gets the job done with much less cartage drama.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

Overall, this little bass amp has found a niche with us bassists that need a small, light, portable but powerful one piece amp for trio jazz gigs.
This little amp is perfect for playing jazz gigs. It is extremely portable. The tone controls are a little strange with no real bass or treble controls. The tone is excellent and, with an external 8 ohm cabinet, the power is awesome for an amp this size. I tilt mine back with a collapsible wedge made and sold by Markbass. Tilting the amp back makes it more audible to me when I'm playing with a drummer with a full drum kit.
The quality of this amp is very high. It is rugged and can take a lot of abuse without a problem.
This is an expensive amp for its size, but I have found the high quality and light weight to be much more memorable than the price I paid which is, after all, a one time cost that has been returned to me many times over by the portablility of this unit.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

If you want the best sounding practice amp, then look no further. The features are few but I really like the VLE and VPF filters. That's all you have for tonal qualities. At 20 pounds it is the best sounding small package you can get. But do you want to spend this much for a practice amp? Okay, this amp would be great for studio applications, too. But if you need volume and you're not going through the pa then you'll need to get a cab. Then you've basically got a head that you've paid a whole lot for and a heavy cabinet, which is the reason I looked to the minimark - bass rigs just weigh so much. My biggest complaint is that the two 6" speakers just won't cut it past 12 o'clock. My 15 year old Peavey TKO 115 is louder, just not as tonally rich. My Yamaha BBT500-115 has the tone and volume, but is a back breaker for an old timer to lug around. I have a 79' Rick, a 79' Guild B302, a Tobias Killer B w/ Bartolini's, a Godin A4, and an 80's American P w/ EMG's. The basses w/ active pickups sound good (just not loud enough for even garage rehearsal) but the basses w/out active pickups don't fair well. My B302 is a thunder machine, but this amp just breaks up anything on E unless I turn it down below 10 o'clock. So in my mind, this kind of money for what is essentially a high quality practice amp is not money wisely spent.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

Very surprised at the volume this puts out. Pleasantly surprised, since that was my main concern. Tired of lugging around my old Fender Bxr 15in combo, this thing is 40lb lighter, and has 50 more watts before you attach an extension cab. I use it at a large church without help from the main soundboard. It isn't at rock club levels, but doesn't need to be for my setting. Much easier to lug around, with power to spare if I ever need an extension cabinet.Simple controls, but punchy tone. Surprisingly flexible, transparent from the bass to the speakers. I use a Washburn 8 string with active pickups.

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

This is one of the best purchases I have ever made. It's a little expensive so if your on a tight budget look elsewhere but if you can afford it and your in a small space such as a apartment this thing is amazing. Great range in sound with some of the most clear deep lows I have ever heard, it's nice to have the option to add a cab too, and with the headphone jack you can practice in the apartment without getting evicted. Not much in the way of features but when your talking about under 20 pounds, 150-250 watts and something that could fit under the couch or really ANYWHERE, I wouldn't expect to to many features. I will never buy anything that's not markbass again!

Comments about Markbass Minimark 150/250W 2x6 Bass Combo Amp:

No hiss. Great volume and very good bass sound. Shockingly powerful. The best thing about this amp is loading it. Still, it is surprisingly capable and has great timber.I gave it a 3 on features because the EQ is limited. But I easily solved this with a direct box that has EQ.Great for touring, which I do often.