Markbass Little Mark II Head

2007 head ..... I play Ruach custom bass (sounds off the chain) I play a fender strat ... (amazing) .... and a yamaha acoustic (roll of the bass for a great solid sound) .... I went pro this year and after the initial 'he uses a bass rig for his guitar and everything' stage I can't tell you enough how I and the audience love this head .... any thing sounds good with the eq set to mid way .... love both the filters .....

Clean is what I was looking for ..... and this head does clean ! It just seams to amplify every frequency better ..... I don't have to have it loud .... It just cuts through .... (it does do loud if you want it to)

I've gigged three times a week for the last 20 months ... no back up ... I just take good care of it ...

Well I know the guy who distributes for the uk ..met him at guitar show.. and he is such a nice guy .... but i've never needed them

Oh .... went for 9/10 because of the price ..... If you can ... buy this head ..... I played in poland for a week through a 'proper guitar amp' .... I don't know if i missed the mark or my wife more .... no contest .... wife first music second !

I have two of these heads, one is a few years old, the other is a 2008 model. I play mostly Jazz and R&B now, but I have used it extensively in rock and country as well. It is perfect for all styles. I have yet to have found a band that could overpower me in a show or rehearsal and I've played in some very loud bands. I've used in in everything from small clubs to large outdoor shows and it has never failed to deliver.

I have used it most often with a Wood & Tronics 5 string or my Conklin 5 string fretless. I've never gotten the thing to distort. I usually run the EQ flat and only cut freqs. Sounds quality is great. I'm using an Aguilar GS112 and a Bergantino HT210. A previous reviewer mentioned having problems getting high end, but I've had no problem with it.

Both of my LMIIs have been 100% reliable.

Never dealt with customer service.

I've been playing about 26 years now. I would probably replace it if lost or stolen, but I might try something else out, too. I'm pretty fickle about my gear. I should mention that I've had one of these amps about two years now and the simple fact that I liked it enough to not only not trade it, but to buy a second speaks volumes. I go through gear constantly, so anything that lasts more than a year must be pretty good.

I have seen twice as many features in amps costing half as much????
It does have the essentials, but the buck stops there.

I play with a 71 jazz bass with passives, this amp sounds empty PERIOD.
For what I payed I will not complain, but after reading so many reviews of the sound quality, I have to wonder what in the world? Did I get the only Markbass that lacks sound quality? All of the controls work and do just what everyone says they do, but after listening to the sound I was left thinking (so what).
I A/B tested against a Peavey T-Max head and the Peavey won (HANDS DOWN). The LMII was very difficult to get any high end out of, you could, but you have to turn the high eq up all the way and utilize the variable shaping controls to the max also. DID just that with both pickups up and tone on my jazz all the way to the trebly side. This was the only way to get some mid punch along with some highs. With the Peavey amp I utlized only the neck pu with a touch of the bridge and tone turned down. The sound was just as bright and clear.
This test was done through my avatar 1x12 and aguilar 2x10 running both cabs individually and then together. I tried both amps with a dbx comp and without.
I have to give the Markbass top honors only in the low end department. This thing will rattle windows if you care to.

no opinion

no opinion

Been playing for about 20 or so years, used Fender amps, Ampegs, GKs, Standals (anyone remember those?), SWR cabs, aggie cabs, avatar cabs, fender cabs, and a homemaid job with JBL. For the money this amp did not disappoint, but I did not pay that much for it (375.00).
Had I payed the full retail price I would be unhappy.
I will keep this as a back up as it is easy to carry around and my Peavy is past the 10 year mark so it may come in handy some night.

I play in a indie rock band and dont have the money to play a road crew so when im looking for gearing portability and weigh are a big deciding factor. It is great for everystyle of music i have tried playing on it even drop tuned stuff. i love the Variable Pre-shape Filter but i turn the VLE off it just makes my tone muddy.

i use a fender jaguar on the passive setting and it rips. im playing out of an avatar 210 cab is this thing is super loud i cant imagine what it would be like at 4 ohms. it stays super clean and lets the tone of your bass come through.

ive only had it for a week

havent had to use it yet i guess time will tell

its amazing im so happy i tried this little guy out my band was playing with these guys whos bass played had an svt classic and 810 cab your typical rock setup and the sound guy came to me and asked what i was playing out of and said how it destroyed the ampeg

I have the 2008 Markbass Little Mark II head. This amp has many useful features that I appreciate. One of these is the VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator). This knob basically rolls off the highs to give you a warmer, "vintage", sound. It also has the VPF (Variable Pre-shape Filter). This knob boosts the bass and treble to give you a rock or slap tone. One feature that I use a lot is the tuner out. You can use this to send a signal to a tuner without running your bass signal through it or you can use it to send an unbalanced signal to a DI box to go into the PA. The one feature that it does not have that I wish it had was a mute button. I play rock and some blues and this amp definitely covers those styles.

I use a 2006 Warwick Corvette Standard with jazz-style pickups, and I think it sounds amazing. I have found a setting that I like, and I don't change it at all, I just use the treble/bass knob and the pickup pan knob on my bass to change the tone. I have it hooked up to a Markbass 1x15 cab and the sound is really clear. It really lets the tone of your bass come through without coloring the sound. You can really hear the growl of the Warwick. I have also used an acoustic-electric bass through this head using the XLR input. It works well for acoustic as well.

I have never had any problems with this head in the five months that I have had it. I would easily use this on a gig without a backup.

I have not dealt with Markbass customer support.

I have been playing for about five years now and this is about the best I have heard for a head. I have played tube heads but I honestly prefer solid state for the most part. I use it with a Markbass cab and it has plenty of power for what I need. I also use a Sunn Concert Bass and I can't really compare the two, just because they both sound good, just different. I would replace this head if it were lost or stolen. The size and weight is really a plus, you can move it around very easily. Before I bought this head, I played Ampeg, SWR, Mesa, and GK, but when I walked into Guitar Center and played a Markbass, I was sold. Especially since this head costs about 1/3 of what a Mesa head costs. Overall, a great head with a lot of features at a great price.

Gain, Master, Low, Low mid, High mid, High, VPF & VLE controls. A mute would, as others have said, be useful. This is a loud amp which I rarely use with volume above 9 o'clock. I dont use the VLE, which effectively seems to boost the mids while removing the Lows & Highs. I do use the VPF at around 12 o'clock, which does the opposite, giving a mid scooped sound. As others have said, surely the DI output should be set at pre EQ rather than post. Apparently this can be done by a technician but why should we have to pay for it (I may have a go myself being fairly technically minded and it cant be difficult now can it)

Markbass rate this at 500 watts but I have read a review in which they actually measured the output to be approximately 425 watts, but wattage as we all know is approximate and some amps with low rated outputs are loud and vica versa. Whatever its actual output, this amp rocks and has plenty of headroom for me (and I play in a pretty loud band)I use a Warmoth Jazz style bass with a single Duncan Quarter Pounder P style p/up. 2 x Aguilar 1x12 cabs and this for me is the ultimate lightweight 'mini rig'. Loud, punchy with a deep bass and cuts through the mix with clarity and defenition. My styles are mainly Country & Blues Rock.

Owned for over a year now and no problems so far. Would totally rely on this amp.

No idea as never needed but i hear thay are good.

Playing for over 15 years, tried lots of gear, this head sounds superb even before you consider its size & weight. Big, deep, smooth bass tones and lods of headroom. What more could you want (apart from a couple of additional features as mentioned above)

I was weary of a 3-band EQ, but the VLE and VPF dials make up for it a hundred times over. The best thing about the EQ is it sounds amazing running flat, with lows mids and highs all at 12 o'clock. The size and weight are obviously amazing

I have never used a head I like the sound of more than this. It lays out super thick, buttery tones, but still manages to have a punch. The response is lightning-quick. The sound allows so much head room for your own dynamics and attack. I play this in a blues/funk/rock cover band and a death metal band, and it sounds fantastic for both.

Never had a problem, and the fact that it's a solid state head means no major maintainence.

Haven't had to use it.

I don't think I could use another amp now.

The best features on this amp are the vle and vpf knobs. They are the things that make this amp pretty versatile. You must remember though, that this amp only weighs 6 pounds, which itself is, in a way a feature. The low, mid and high controlls work great to. Another cool thing with this amp is the gain. If you mess with the gain knob, you can also get some interesting sounds.

This amp sound great. Aside from its small lack in features, this amp makes up for it in its sound quality. The sound is indeed verry warm. I was not expecting this from this amp. It really brings out the sound in your bass to. Basicaly good bass=good sound. It is also verry loud. Almost as loud as my old carvin r1000 (which is 1000 watts). Over all, this is a great sounding amp.

only had it a few days :)

havent needed it yet :)

Its a great amp. I dont think that ill need to worry about getting another for a looooooong time.

All the features covered in earlier reviews. Really simple to use. The only thing that I would want more would be a mute switch.

This amp sounds amazing. Even if you don't consider the size. Has a huge amounts of clean headroom. The sound is actually pretty warm and not that sterile as one would thing.

I mostly play metal and stoner/doom stuff with this head, trough Ampeg SVT-18 cabinet and with Gibson Explorer bass. I keep the eq at 12 o'clock, except for the treble, which is at 15 o'clock. This is because of the cab's 18" element. I don't use the filters at all. Produces a very full and warm sound these settings, which is OK sound for the music I play, but not perfect. I need to also pair it with EBS ValveDrive. With this combination it just growls like a rapid grizzly bear.

The amp is also insanely loud. It is way louder than my Traynor YBA-200. We play very loud music and I keep the volume at about 8 to 9 o'clock, anything more would be just insane and would totally drown drums and guitars.

Not so much experience in here. Has lasted for 6 months now.

Never contacted them.

This amp is really good for it's price, size and weight. Really recommendable. My only complain would be that it doesn't produce enough distortion for heavier music without pedals or pre-amps.

I actually stopped playing with my Traynor YBA-200 when I got this. It's just so much better, especially when paired with EBS ValveDrive.

All the features have already been covered so Im just gonna move on..I will say it has all I'll ever need...

I use this with an Allen Woody bass and through an Avatar 4X10 Neo cabinet...I play out about 2 times a month..We do alot of 60's soul and alittle bit of everything else thrown in...I have never used an easier or better sounding rig...It is clean, clean, clean...I left it on the last gig and after 3 hours it was only alittle warm...No noise whatsoever..Plenty of low end and when you need punch, its all there....

Had it for just over 2 months and have giged with it 4 times...No problems at all, and am not expecting any in the future...

Havent had to use them, so I have no opinion

Ive been playing bass since the 60's, took a long lay off from early 80's till 2 years ago...Now back with my singer and guitar player from high school years....Over the years Ive had a variety of amp..1. Gretsch, 2. Ampeg V4b 3. Ampeg SVT 4. Peavey TNT 130 and now the Markbass...I loved the SVT but now that Im 58, the idea of all that weight just didnt cut it...The Markbass is simply the best amp Ive ever played...And the Avatar 4X10 is the perfect cab for my use...I would definitly buy both again..

All the features have been covered already. There are three things missing that annoy me.

1. Adjustable DI. Why would you not put that?
2. No headphone jack. Again, why not?
3. No mute. ..and again, why??

The DI seems a bit weak, and is driven by the gain control. Those two things should not be tied together IMO. My Eden and GK amps have had that capability, and for me it's a major bummer not having it. The headphone jack I can live without, but on a 6 pound head, you'd think they would put one. The amp is so small you can carry it around with ease, but you can't use it w/o a cabinet. A mute switch would be excellent guys. Come on..

I agree with most others. Very clean tone. I was surprised at how warm this thing was. I heard over and over how transparent it was, so I took that as thin or sterile, but it's far from it. Excellent tone, and amazing volume for it's size. No distortion at all.

Hope not.. Shipping to Italy isn't cheap!

Never dealt with them. Hopefully I won't.

Man, this amp is close to being great, but the three things I mentioned above kill it for me. I think those three things would be very inexpensive to add, and shouldn't compromise the low weight.. Just makes no sense not to have them. I know some of the larger MB amps have adjustable DI's.. This one should too..

I have had this amp for about one month, bought new.

This is one of the most simple, yet versatile amps I have ever played through. Powerful tone shaping at the twist of very few knobs, much less complicated (thank goodness) than other amps I have used.

This is a great little powerhouse. Stage volume is quite adequate through either my swr workingpro 15 or my carvin 2x10. The direct out is nice, post eq - always like having this feature for gigs - yet does not have a seperate level control, which I miss from my carvin. Because of this, I believe stage volume tweakage is going to affect the house - only downfall in my opinion. Others seem concerned about not having a mute/standby switch, but is not an issue for me. No compression either, but I find I don't need it.

I play a Warwick Thumb neck-thru 99% of the time, with the standard MEC electronics. I also play a Warwick Corvette Standard, bolt on neck, MEC.

I find myself spontaneously exclaming about the truly awesome sound of this amp alone (or to my dogs) in my practice room, during the middle of rehearsals and to friends who have no idea about amps what so ever. I haven't touted such a piece of equipment since I purchased my Thumb a few years back. I play pretty much every style, but mostly focus on rock right now: slapping, finger picking, tapping...they all sound great and I crank the vpf feature all the way up for an incredible, in your face and gnarly but clear tone.

The simplicity of this unit is tantamount to it's sonic abilities, a major sell for me. My preference is always toward simplicity and ease of operation. I hardly use the eq at all and play my basses pretty much flat as well. Slight bumps in frequencies seem to be the key to getting a great sound and give me the best representation of the true timbre of my instruments.

Not sure yet of the reliability. I have only had it for a few weeks, but it has performed flawlessly so far (2 gigs and several rehearsals).

Not needed so far.

I have been playing for about 17 years and this is the best amp I have ever owned, or played through. I plan on using it for a long time to come. It's small with a huge sound and nicely fits in my accessory bag for transport to gigs and rehearsals.

Aside from the direct output level not being adjustable (this may be set to a fixed, post eq level, however, I have not experimented with it yet to find out), I am 100% satisfied.

this has been said enough.

Right now, i play a Schecter c-4 with EMG pickups through my setup. I use my LMII, and a BBE 362 sonic maximizer through a G-K Goldline 4x10 at 8 ohms. This is as everyone says, this amp is clear as glass. I don't get any distortion from the amp at all, really. Sometimes i get some clipping since i've added the BBE, but with a gain tweak it's not a problem at all. this thing sounds monstrous now, i can't wait to get it at 4 ohms.

I bought this amp right before i started playing with the band i'm in right now. It can make it through 3 1/2 - 4 hour practices at 2 oclock gain, and 3 oclock volume without even flinching. The clip light will come on if i have my onboard EQ turned up a little and i get on the strings, but there's no audible background noise. I've gigged with it 4 times so far, and it's given me no problems, and i haven't had to mic it...although one time they did, and it was just ridiculous.

Haven't had any problems yet. It's difficult to find rack mount plates though!

I love this amp to no end. I almost got a G-K 700RB head because of their woofer/tweeter adjustments...but the amp was out of stock. My friend who was working suggested this amp to me, and i'm glad things worked out this way.

ok.Front=one balenced XLR input,One input jack,Gain knob,clip light,low knob,mid low knob,high knob,VLE filter knob,VPF filter knob,Master Volume knob,On switch,Blue On indicator light.
Back=Power jack w/fuse,Fan,2 speaker output's(over under)Can accept 1 Speakon 1 1/4" or 2 1/4" jacks,Line out(Balanced XLR),Ground Lift,Tuner out,and Effects loop to finish it off.built 05-2007

This is the most transparent soundingBass amp I've ever heard.It was desighned that way so you hear the sound of your Bass and Not the amp.I've never had it distort,hum,hiss or any otherthing I didn't want.I set it up with everything at 12 O'Clock except the VLE is at one VPFis at 3/4. Vol is at 1/4 or so.I use a Fender Precision w/Ash Body and a Warwick Streamer Pro M and a Pedulla Buzz Bass.GK cab's

Not one thing wrong with it.Good thing to Since it was made in Italy.The one thing you will notice is how light this amp is.I actually disconected it from my rig and carried it across my house to my PC to write this review.At only 6lbs. it's a feather weight.The cab's are the same way.But boy do they sound good!there stuff is lite but ungodly strong.As Good As IT Get's.Sound & Construction.

never need.(Yet)

I used to play Ampeg and only Ampeg.This little fella has ruined me.It's that good.I don't even own anymore Ampeg equipment.I have no complaints for this amp.BUT do know this.The cab's for this amp are Super expensive.try $1300 to $1600(USD) for the 6x10. or $929.00(USD) for a 4x10.Heck a 2x10 is $599.00(USD)Otherwise. The amp itself is $599.99(USD) But worth every penny.Markbass equipment is just super stuff.But You get what you pay for.

I've been using this head since August 2006.
All the features have been listed in other reviews, so why repeat them.

Without going into a gear list, I mostly use an Alembic Excel, Rick 4001, and a Jazz Bass thru this head.
As others have stated, the sound is transparent. I run this thru a Schroeder 1210 or a Mesa Powerhouse 1000 cabinet. The amp has more than enough power to push either cabinet. The Alembic into this head into the Mesa cab is amazing.
My standard procedure is to set the amp flat, adjust the gain, adjust the instrument, then cut frequencies. Then I tweak the VLE and VPF controls. The VLE is a filter that rolls off high end, gives you more of a vintage sound, like back when cabinets didnt have horns. The VPF is simply a mid-scoop filter, cuts mids while boosting lows and highs.
The head by itself is clean, I've yet to hear any distortion or noise from it. It's also very easy to dial in sounds. Although it would be nice to have the VLE and VPF foot switchable.

I've had no problems in the year and a half I've owned it.

I've sent several inquiries to the mfr about obtaining a rack mount kit,recieved no reply. The Guitar Center people seemed completely clueless about the kit or ordering it.
Ended up making my own.

Having played since the mid 60's I've been thru alot of equipment, Fender,Vox,Sunn,Mesa,etc. After picking up this head I sold just about everything off, except my 400+ and a vintage Vox AC100. At 5 or 6 lbs and 500 watts its perfect to lug around. The combo of the LMKII and Schroeder make a perfect lightweight package. Although the Powerhouse cabinet sounds like thunder.
If my LMKII grew legs one night on a job I'd immediately replace it.
The combination of light weight, power, and ease of use makes this one of my all time favorite amps.

This amp was made is 2/12/07 and the features are as basic as an Alembic F1X which i own two of but, the mark bass II head is much lighter and i carry it around in a shoulder bag with other guitar equipment including a cordless system.

When I tried it out at Guitar Central in Seven Corners, Va. and playing a Music Man through it i fell in love right there because i have been looking for an amp with that type of brightness for the funk,type gospel sound. Prior to that I ended up buying a Mesa Boogie M-2000 (which I'm still trying to sell), 2 Alembic F1X's for both racks, Peavey DPC-1000, QSC-2402, bbe sonic maximizers tc-electronic g-force korg a-3's trying to look for my sound, i did find it but, now i'm getting too old to be carrying all of this equipment to gig after gig so it justs stay at home and i now use only the Markbass, PERIOD along with my Stambaugh Design 5 string and 9 string basses and sometimes my Smith CR-6 or 4 string basses. The sound is much better coming through the church's 8X10 SWR as oppose to using the SWR-350 head which sounds like crap, and it also sounds great coming through my personal cabinet which is a modified ampeg porta cabinet (using Hartke Speakers and no horn).

We'll see ;]

When i took it home and played it through my Eden 410 it blew the tweeter fuse but, it blew it so fast that i didn't know it had been blown because there was no light that lets you know if your tweeter is getting ready to be blown and i had thought it was the unit it self so i took it back to the store and got another one that did the same thing so i called the company and they told me that i had to talk to the people at the store i got it from and that they will get a repair person to fix it. They said it with an attitude similar to a person saying "they have something else to do I don't have time to talk to you right now" But, the case was resolved after that.

Otherwise this is a very good amp for $599.00 plus tax it better be good. They get an 8 because of the "no haggle" deal you get, no discount, no nothing, flat price, like Carvin Guitars.

Everybody knows the features. 4 band EQ, VLE, VPF, all the goodies. It's a very good clean amp. I wanted something simliar to Thunderfunk, and after trying out some solid state amps, I decided on the LMII. It is a versatile amp in a way you can tweak your sound to a crazy degree. However! It does not do dirty. It does not do the GK growl, does not have over drive, or anything like that. It's just 500w of pure clean power.

I do wish it had a slave out. I'm using effects send to send the signal to another tube amp, but I don't know... I guess it works tat way.

It does clean VERY well. I play mostly finger pick, and this amp has plenty of headroom to get expressive on. I have two Agggie GS112s hooked up, and they give me very good bass response. It's quiet, and cool. I don't really mess with the VLE and the VPF, but I can see how it would be useful. It can sound a lot like the Thunderfunk for about half the cost. Ok, maybe not half.

You could run the amp at 4ohms for hours, and it won't get hot. If you open up the amp, about half of what's inside is a heat sink. That makes me feel all warm and gooey. :) Love the fact that the fan is on the back, unlike certain crazy amps... Mine was built in june of 2007, so I've only had it for 3 months? Who knows, but it's been solid for me. I get to gig with it on the 28th. We'll see how it goes.

I bought the Markbass warranty through Guitar Center. Supposedly, GC will ship the amp out to Markbass, and they'll take care of you. Sounds promising, but we'll see how it goes.

Honestly, I haven't been playing too long. I'm new to the bass game. When I was buying gear, I wanted something that I won't have to keep upgrading every year. I felt the LMII gave me the best clean sound possible in my price range, and I read great reviews on forums. They were all right, and now I'm a believer, too. Who would have thought this tiny black and yellow box could bellow out 500w! ANyways, I'm glad I made my chocie with Markbass, and Id do it again if I have to.

simple. not 10 because no mute switch.

broad range of clean tone. transparent: each bass different. play flat with all the range you need. has a 'mid' scoop with is the only knob i turn!

don't go past 3 oclock on master with gain @ 1 oclock into 4 ohms... will cut. ...comes back after a minute. only time it happened. it was right out of the box and my first gig with it. all good noow with plenty of punch.

none needed.

i'd buy another if lost. little, simple, punchy, almost perfect. it replaced my Acoustic Image Focus 1. very happy. i used to use Peavey BAM 210 + 210. this rig fits in a briefcase @ 5% the weight!

This amp was built in Feb 2007 and I got it new in June 2007. This is a very versatile amp, due to 2 major features called VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator) and VPF (Variable Preshape Filter). The VLE rolls off the highs to sound like, say, an old Sunn Concert Bass or so. The VPF cuts some mids and boosts the lows and highs, to achieve that modern slap tone.

It has almost all the features I need. I'd just like to have a pre/post-EQ selection for the XLR output. And the fact that the rack ears are optional is a bit disappointing. But overall, this amp comes with enough features, which are pretty useful.

This amp has no sound. I mean, it is very neutral and transparent. You hear the sound of your bass. My bass is a MusicMan StingRay 5 and I actually don't tweak anything on the amp head, except a slight touch of VLE.

There are tons of power here. I use it with 2 Markbass cabs (a Traveler 102P and a Traveler 151P). The tone and volume are very impressive.

If you don't need the tube amp vibe, this is an amazing amp. Anyway, nothing does the tube vibe... except tube amps. I knew that when buying, and never expected the LMII would mimic an SVT.

No issue at all. I gig much and take it to all venues without having it in a rack. In my car, I just protect it with a cover, in case of a shock or a brutal braking. I won't rate it on reliability, since I've had it for only 45 days, and really can't know whether this amp is dependable or not.

Can't say anything.

This amp has a replaced an Ashdown ABM500RC EVO II in my arsenal. It is louder than the Ashdown. Definitely not the same sound, but I guess I prefer the clarity of the Markbass. This amp is very light (less than 6.5 lbs), thus very easy to carry, but it sounds awesome and is very loud. Looks like a good choice. And in its category, and at this price, I guess it is impossible to beat. I could tell of amps that cost twice that price and don't sound as good to me.

The amp has a fairly simple but very effective EQ, offering Bass, Low Mid, High Mid, High, then two more nobs, one that cuts out highs, and one that boosts lows and highs,.
I find I can get a great tone by leaving everything flat, then tweaking the two last nobs.
Other then that, it is fairly basic. There are two things I think it is lacking, such as a mute switch and a switch that would engage the FX loop, but without that it is still a very nice amp.

The sound quality on this amp is fantastic.
I am playing an Ibanez SR405 - nothing special at all, and this amp makes it sound fantastic.
As I said above, I like to leave the EQ set to flat, then I use the VLE and VPF nobs to quickly switch from rock to funk to disco tones.
I found with my old Traynor amp I would have to playing with my basses bass mid and treb. nobs a bit to get a good sound, but with this amp I leave them flat and give a boost when needed.
It would have been nice to have a second channel on the amp for distortion, but it is not terribly missed.

I have had no problems, but I have only had it for about two months.
I have used it for one show, and practiced with it many times and so far no complaints, but I suppose time will tell.

I have not had to deal with customer support yet, and don't expect to.

I have given solid eights so far and will stick with it.
The amp is lacking one or two things I have stated above, but for under a grand I am not going to complain.
If it were lost or stolen I would probably repurchase it. Before I bought it I tested out many amps, and it was by far my favourite.
The amp fits my wide range of musical styles, and I don't expect I will ever have to purchase another amp.

500W at 4 ohms and 350W at 8 ohms.
1 Channel (solid state) 4 band eq, VLE filter (kinda like tone knob), VPF filter (mid scoop)
Effects Loop, Variable Speed Fan (Super Quiet!!), Tuner Out, DI.

EQ is basic but more than enough for me. The two filter controls are quite wonderful and can be easily used to get 'your' sound without using the EQ.

Two big things missing though, there is no headphone jack and there is DI level control. Both of these would have been very nice to have, also a mute switch would be nice.

Very solidly built and feels very high quality.
Oh and 6 lbs!!!

I play this amp through a markbass travleller 102P cabinet and a passive jazz bass.

The sound of the amp is very clean and natural, no hyped or middy but very natural. It is a fairly bright head which can be a bit much for the average rock/pop songs but that is where the VLE knob comes in. The VLE knob acts in some ways like a very linear tone knob on a bass. Using this to varying degrees softens the top and can get you all sorts of nice thump. I don't find much use for the other filter (VPF) as I never really scoop my mids, but I do find that it seems to be a bit better than the eden enhance knob at not thining out your sound.

The size of the amp can really fool you into thinking that it will sound wimpy. This thing really has tons of punch loads of clean head room. Even when pushing the gain and volume past 3 o clock it never runs out of breath. Always manages to sound punchy and huge in live settings.

I've owned the amp for about 4 months now and it was been gigged and rehearsed regularly. 4 months isn't all that long so its tough to say how it will hold up, but absolutely no problems yet.

I should also mention that even after an hour and a half long set the amp is barely warm to the touch!.

Haven't had to deal with the company at all.

I think that this head is really a breakthrough product. Now it obviously isn't for everyone, but people looking for a naturel but ballsy sound well be very pleased with this amp.
Not to mention that it weighs 6 pounds and is a great deal!

Very versatile amp...very light & confortable to carry on ... i play rock, pop and some soft jazz music... I'love the neutrality of this head. There is a lot of power ready to go out under my finger. ^_^
I use this head linked to a "traveler 102P" 2x10" cabinet and a trace elliot 4x10" cabinet... it's big big sound, clean...i'm very happy whith this head.

It's a very simple unit:
FRONT
1 input (balanced & unbalanced)
1 gain control
4 eq control (low, mid low, mid high & high)
1 VLE filter (vintage loudspeaker emulator)
1 VPF filter (variable pre-shape filter)
1 master out control

BACK
2 speaker out (1 speakon & 1 normal jack)
1 balanced line out (with gnd switch)
1 tuner out
1 effect loop (send/return)
1 quiet cooler fan

no other things necessary...6,3lbs weight!... for a 500w/4Ohm head it's fantastic!

No noise, no distortion, only good sound. I use a couple o self made bass equipped with Bartolini soapbars and Aguilar OBP-3 preamp. From the head and cabinet i hear the quality and the original sound of my instruments...and this is simply wonderful!
The equalization i use is simple...just add a little bit of "bass" and "low mid"... with the VLE and VPF filters i went out my favourite sound..

nothing to add... italian quality ....i feel it from the first switch on...

I have not still used this service and I hope not to use it? ^_^

I have played with Ampeg, Trace Elliot and Hartke head amps... but now i have found what i'm looking for ...for years!!...if stolen i'll purchase another one...i love the simplicity of this head!!

Gain - Very powerful, does not clip very easily!
Low - Subtle, so lots can be used! You don't realise how much you're using till the plaster on your ceiling starts raining down on you...
Low mid - Punchy! Gives my Double Buck 5-string a really nice growl!
High mid - Carrys the overall tone of the bass really nicely
High - Crisp, but I'm running it all through my 2x15 MarkBass cab so
VLE - Cuts the highs and the mids and leaves just bass... Makes the sound warmer and warmer as the knob is turned clockwise
VPF - Boosts the low and the high fequencies simulaneously (we're talking down to 25Hz!)
Master - As the gain is at around 1o'clock I only have to set the Master to around 10% to shake everything around the house!

It does everything you'd need it to do, yet doesn't sport any useless features that are unreliable and will give up on your after 3 gigs...

It makes my bass sound like my bass! My old Warwick TubePath made my bass sound like a Warwick TubePath... If I crank certain knobs and cut others, I get an alternative version to my exsiting sound!

It has a ground lift switch as most amps do nowadays, so there's no hum..

I play reasonably heavy music in a band called A Place Far Away (www.aplacefaraway.co.uk // www.myspace.com/aplacefaraway) and it suits our music by the fact that bass is felt and not heard so much... Just the way I like it! It's SO loud and SO powerful I could never need another amp...

Only had it a little while so after 50-100 gigs I'll let you know!

Never had to use them

I've been playing years and years and this is the best thing since they started to slice bass guitars... I'm really in love with this thing!

Don't get anything else, just get this and you won't regret a thing!

It's TINY too! And if you ask nicely they should give you a free cary case for it (which is DARLING too!)

According to the sticker on the rear panel, my Little Mark II was born in Marcg 2006,
This is a solid state amp which delivers 500 W @ 4 ohm and 300 W @ 8 ohm.

As we are going to see a few lines further, new users may get fooled by the front panel : we are in the era of bells and whistles on so many amps, and this small amp has only 8 knobs, including input and volume levels. So at first sight, some could think this amp is simplistic and limited. As soon as at second sight, they are obviously wrong.

The EQ section has only 4 knobs (lows, lo-mids, hi-mids and highs), but two filters, VLE and VPF, have been added (such as they are now on all MarkBass heads). Explanations a few lines below.

On the front panel, one will notice an XLR balanced input. I did not test it, but it should be useful to amplify electric-acoustic basses, even double basses, or virtually any non-electric bass instrument being miked. Good point !

The rear panel includes 2 speaker connectors (1 x Speakon, 1 x jack), 1 XLR DI output with ground lift switch, 1 send & 1 return for the effects loop, and at last 1 tuner out.

All this is included in a box that is smaller than a Letter standard paper leaf and only weighs a bit over 6 lbs.

Only one channel and no distorsion here, but I personally don't need that. And due to the huge tone I can dial with, I really wonder what I would do better with a second channel and/or a distorsion.

So I brought this little head and linked it to my Ashdown MAG210T cabinet. Plugged my bass, put the power on and adjusted the input level. Being used to turn the volume of my previous head (Ashdown MAG300) up to 3 or 4, I did the same spontaneously with the MarkBass, and two of my walls went tumbling down... Well, actually, this Little Mark II has huge power inside.

Now tilme to start dialing with my tone. First I set all the EQ and filter knobs flat, and start by adjusting the tone on my bass (active). While the amp is set flat, I get some kind of < raw > tone, but the natural sound colour of my bass is there. The definition is excellent. The least detail or element of the sound of my bass goes out through the speaker. We are in the hifi world there, the tone is uncoloured with flat settings, and this give some kind of < organic > feel to the sound of the bass.

Then the search of the Holy Tone really starts. Trying so far not to dial up with EQ, I focus only on the VLE and VPF filters. So, before telling the following of the story, here is a small explanation of what these filters are.

VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulation)
The more you crank it up, the more it will cut the high frequencies, so that you come closer and closer to old school 70's cabs (any Sunn Coliseum or Acoustic 301 owners there ?).

VPF (Variable Pre-Shape Filter)
This filter cuts some mids and simultaneously boosts some lows and highs.

With these two filters, you virtually have a wide range of tones, let's say form Jack Bruce to Marcus Miller. Not exatcly what we can call a restrictive amp !

Back to my tone shaping. Still with the EQ set flat, cranking the VPF a bit, then another bit on the VLE, and you know what ? Didn't take two minutes until I reached MY tone, the one I has in mind for so long.

Can't say at this time. Got it 15 days ago. But seems solid and well built.

Didn't have to deal with them.

I play all kinds of music, since I am hired in some music bands of all sorts in the South of France. My main (and currently < only >) bass is a Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass 5-string.

Besides its very light weight, this amp is stunning in the versatility department. Except maybe bass players who require tubes and/or drive, I can hardly figure out this amp wouldn't fit your needs. Did not have the opportunity to try it with a passive bass, though.

One of the best amps on the market, at a very reasonable price. For me, the best amp I've ever played through. No more, no less. Congrats MikeBass !

I think this is a 2005 model as in the other reviews.
It has great tonal possibilities with 4 Eq and 2 Eq shapers.
It has all the features I need and more.
More than enough power to play gigs and also super light and compact. It is in essence it is a no b****** amp that will not be surpassed in simplicity and performance.

No noise from head and the fan in the back of the unit is super quiet.
The tweeter in one of my cabs emits a tiny hiss but is easily removed with a slight cut to the high Eq.
I dont blame this on the head but rather the lack of control on the cab 8^)
This amp has no distortion channel BUT after you hear how good your bass sounds clean you will leave that to the guitarists anyway.
Let them envy your tone.
I get the most perfect silky tone out of my P bass with flats on it.
I am sure this thing will produce any tone a bass player could wish for.

All good so far with and doubt it ever will give me trouble.
It has auto breakers which are always good in times of trouble.

I sent support an Email which was quickly replied to providing information I required. Riccardo at Mark Bass is super friendly and very proud of his product, as he should. These ARE the best thing on the market and will gain more recognition as time passes, you just wait and see.

Another glowing review that truley represents the quality and performance of the head and it's producer.
These things are this good, try one for yourself and see.
If stolen I would beg, borrow, steal and work lots of overtime to build the money for another, better still I am getting insurance on it soon 8^)
Nothing is Perfect maybe but Mark Bass is as good as it gets and I'm yet to see ANY negative to this product.

I think it must be the latest model (2005). The main features that interested me were (in this order): 1. Light weight (under 3KG!!!!!), 2. Power (300-500w!!!!!!), and 3. Tone (it's a very sort of "pure" sounding amp).

The bass I play is a passive custom Fender Jazz style bass, and I use various effects including distortion, flanger, phaser and also a compressor. The sound of this amp is really stunning compared to other amps I have used (including Trace Elliot, Gallien Krueger, Peavey), and is light years ahead of them in my opinion. The other amps mentioned I find add their own sound, whereas this amp seems to just amplify the sound of the bass. The amp does have a couple of interesting "EQ-based" effects (VPF and VLF) which can give you a very dub-reggae or wiry punk rock type sound at the flick of the wrist.

The amp is dead quiet regardless of how I set the EQ - any noise is usually from my bass's pickups which are unshielded. Can't blame the amp for that.

The music I play is reggae / ska / rock / punk and this amp cuts through and definitely lets the character of my bass shine through. My guitarist and drummer have both commented on how good my bass sounds. This amp sounds great and I reckon is versatile enough to give you whatever sound you are after.

I haven't had any issues so far (had the amp for maybe about 1 month now). It feels like quite a solid little amp, although only time will tell how reliable Markbass gear is, especially since I hear the company is relatively new. Still, I have no reason to doubt that reliability will be anything less than excellent.

No issues so far

This amp has completely revolutionised my attitude towards bass amplification. Before I used to turn up to rehearsals knowing that the quality of my sound would be determined by the quality of whatever bass amp happened to be supplied with the room. Now I simply put this amp in to my laptop bag and take it to every rehearsal. Same with gigs. Amazing power and sound quality all in a compact light weight package. Brilliant work Markbass. I've been so impressed that I have just ordered a Markbass Traveler 102p 2x10 (only 15KG!!!!!). I tried one in the shop with my Little Mark 2 and bought it on the spot. I figure that this light weight, miniature 300w 'rig' will kick butt in all but the largest gigs. I have a mesa 15" that I can always throw in the mix to get the full 500w if I really need it. Apologies for giving such a glowing review, but I really can't think of anything bad to say about this amp!

This amp is the 2005 model of little mark I the Amp delivers 300W at 8 ohm and 500W at 4 ohm 1 speakon power output 1 jack power output 1 tuner out and a effect send return
with a weight of 2,7 Kg.
I used it with a 2.5xl Hartke cab or with a 4.5xl cab or all two togheter with a power of 500W

I use generally active pick-ups such as MEC or EMG
I play a lot of music styles and it was every time great and loud enough from a little pub to a very big gig
It has lot of sounds with not so much difficulties to obtain them.

I think the best bass amp that i ever had ( and i had Ampeg -
Hartke - Trace elliot and others )I changed a lot of amps because i was contant in search of the natural sound of my custom basses)

30 consecutive gigs without a problem and a quiet operation
2 years garantie no problems and they are helpfull for every question ( from a amp problem to any sound regulations)

I made a lot of comparing tests (with My Hartke HA 3500 my Ampeg svt pro and a swr( of one of my friends) such as Spectrum analisys of different riffs recorded with my loop station,many effects and repoduced and recorded with a professional mic and the results where great the little Mark II has the best spectrum ( punchy and round basses clear and rocking mids and cristal clear highe with a easy to use controls ( maybe a baby can repoduce great sound from it )I played with the little mark I and i said Horrible in comparison with the Hartke 3500 but now i said a weight of 2,7 Kg and 500 w of power at 4 ohm Great!!!
If it were stolen or lost, i would buy it again.
Sorry for my perfect opinion about this product but if jeff berlin can say that mark bass produces the bet amps on the market why i can't do the same ??????