New Music Man bass amps

[Chris P.]

I think this isn't discussed here yet. Last year new Music Man guitar amps were introduced, build by Markbass in Italy. On the Thomann-website you can find some new Music Man bass amps.


http://www.thomann.de/nl/music_man_115_b_250_combo.htm


http://www.thomann.de/nl/music_man_bh_500_head.htm

And an 8x10"

[Dave W]

I saw an announcement about these early last year. I haven't seen them for sale on any US-based sites but I haven't really looked.

At least these have the look of the originals, unlike the ones Markbass made for MM in the late 90s.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I have three of the "Audiophile" series HD-212 (2x12) cabinets, two bought new and one bought used. They came out around 2001 and were discontinued and sold off on eBay for the Casey Lee Ball Foundation. They're awesome, but ironically for anything Markbass, ungodly heavy. Shipping weight was 107lbs in the box. The original retail was $13-1400 per cab and the smaller HD-210 was $1000 and only marginally less heavy. A $1k+, 100 lb  medium-sized bass cab that debuted in the middle of a recession had no chance, but they have the best midrange driver of any cabinet I've ever heard.   I found a 4x10 online in Europe here. IIRC, the 4x10 and 2x12 have the same external dimensions and the 4X10 was only available in the US by special order.

It's possible that Markbass' distribution deal through Guitar Center prohibits "Music Man" amps from US retail at GC and Sam Ash, GC's only nationwide competitor, already has Hartke as a house brand, so there is no avenue to get them to market (welcome to the monopoly marketplace!) That "BH-500" is probably just a cosmetically changed version of the Music Man HD-500 amp that was sold with the cabinets. It's a nice amp, but was very overpriced when new, and not a lightweight either. I found a review in German, complete with prices.

[Dave W]

I remember seeing them at Mars Music and trying a 2x10 (I was estimating the date since Mars was only around until the fall of 2002). Nice sounding cab, but as you say, way overpriced.

[Aussie Mark]

http://www.thomann.de/nl/music_man_bh_500_head.htm

17kg (37lbs) for a full solid state head?  I have no idea what market they're aiming at with this one!

[Dave W]

I noticed that. Unusual in this day with all the super lightweight Class D heads.

No doubt Sterling knows what he wants, though.

[Happy Face]

I was about to leave a snarky remark, but thought better of it.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

The weight was what sealed my opinion that the BH-500 and HD-500 are the same amp. They're both 17 kg. My guess is they were trying to take over Trace Elliot's market.  Trace amps and their 4x10 cabs weigh out similarly to the Audiophile line. At that time Gibson was still telling everyone that they would be debuting new models of Trace bass amps, but none ever materialized and the B-stock that was leftover from England that did ship notoriously broke down regularly.  Keep in mind that this was the era when s/s amps from Eden, SWR, Ampeg and GK were the biggest sellers (tube preamps or no) and they were all roughly that weight and power.

 The lightweight amp craze didn't really kick into full swing until Markbass themselves bought Talkbass (figuratively speaking) and seeded the internet with the largest word-of mouth ad campaign I've ever seen around 2003 right after all the Audiophile stuff had been blown out at GC and eBay. (They were only in select GC's) It may also have been Markbass themselves rather than Sterling Ball who made the decision to pull the plug on their heavyweight amps and cabs and quite likely that these new "Music Man" amps were built using parts from leftover Audiophile stock. 

[drbassman]

Gee, you can pick up a vintage MM HD-130 head for under $500 and it's pretty good amp IMHO.  I should have kept one of mine just because they are powerful enough and have a pretty good sound with the SS pre amp.  I thought the Mesa Prodigy would sound better, but I was wrong.  Those new ones look like Gibson is setting the prices for them!