Ross Macdonald

I love this amp for small to medium gigs. It has a really nice warm sound. It can be super loud for its size, and I love playing electric bass through it. It doesn't have a high-pass filter or even a "bass" knob for dialing down the low-end, so in a boomy room, it's basically useless for double bass... However, when that situation arises, the fdeck HPF-pre is the perfect EQ accessory!

The Markbass Micromark is, bar none, the most efficient, lightweight, combo amplifier I have played through. I purchased one new in 2007 and used it until 2004 almost exclusively, mostly for small gigs with acoustic piano, drums, and upright bass, but also for gigs requiring backline (bar gigs, some theatre work). It can't compete with a loud drummer or a guitarist with a tube amp who insists on turning it up for 'tone', but if you're playing with real musicians who know how to control their dynamics, it's pretty great for its size. I don't use it anymore, but keep it as a backup. I love acoustic tone, and sometimes it was great for augmenting my acoustic sound on upright bass at a very low volume, but I realized as time went by that the low-end tone I wanted to project wasn't translating through the speaker, and it was inherent to the design. The Minimark 802 is a lot bigger in size, but it is also considerably clearer, and moves way more air. To compensate for the lack of low end EQ, I always packed the fdeck HPF-pre for every gig with the Micromark, and still do with the Minimark 802. (I actually attach it with velcro to the top of the amp)

The world becomes a less scary place when you hold the Fodera Monarch-P. The neck is to die for, the finish quality alone will likely see you crying the first time you chip it. (I did.) I bought mine thinking I would upgrade it later with a preamp and a J bridge pickup to be a "Poor" Man's Monarch ("Poor" is not exactly the right word), but I haven't tired of the sound since I bought it. I keep wondering why I have a bunch of other basses hanging on the wall. The sound is the perfect early-60s passive Precision sound, favoured by bassists and producers, ideal for a lot of music from the last 60 years or so that requires electric bass. The body resonates beautifully. Occasionally I wish mine had 5 strings, but 4-strings are their own thing and I do feel the music differently when playing through it than I would a 5-string. It honestly feels better than any other bass I have played. It's easy to play, fun to dig in. The fingerboard is nice and flat so it's great for double-stops and chords. The fret job is inspired. The Monarch-P is perfect. Its weight is very pleasant on the shoulder (I use a neoprene strap: the "Comfort Strapp"). The recessed straplocks look nice, but I use a strap even when sitting, so the lack of a strap button mostly just gives me anxiety that I might not be able to borrow a compatible strap if I ever forget mine on a gig. Not a deal breaker. The tone and volume work as you would expect. I really love that the input jack is on the top of the instrument. For the first time it doesn't matter if I have a right-angle instrument cable.