Two bits of news just now:
Firstly, my endorsement deal with Markbass is now official – someone asked the other day on Twitter whether it was me endorsing them or them endorsing me. In this case, it’s definitely both – they make amazing bass amps, and I show off what they can do 😉
Here’s the Markbass press release about it, and my artist page on Markbass.it – as it says on both of those sites, I’m delighted with how these amps sound. They sent them to me to try, with no obligation, after I tried them out at NAMM – I’d be following the development of Alain Caron’s signature amp for a long time, having had talks with Alain over the years about what he looks for in a bass amp and discovering that we had similar wish-lists. I really liked the first version they made for him, which was a stereo preamp and powered cabinets, but the final version being a combo is actually the best of both worlds – for the first time in almost a decade, I own a bass amp I can take to a ‘normal’ gig that still sounds as clear and lovely as the full stereo version of my set-up! I’ve got two of the Markbass Combo 121 Lites, and you’ll hopefully get to see them at a gig near you soon… Lo and I will continue to use the Mark Audio PA speakers for smaller gigs – Markbass and Mark Audio are from the same parent company, so it really is keeping it in the family. They make ridiculously great amps, and I’m excited to get out and do some solo shows with these.
This video was from the first time I used them, at the London Bass Guitar Show:
In other news, a new interview with me has just gone up at Bass Musician Magazine – it’s ostensibly about ‘professionalism’ and the traits required to be a pro, but as is my want it’s more an exposition on what’s really important about being a musician, and the role music plays in our lives.
Click here to read it – feel free to comment on the article on the site, or share the link around if you enjoy it!
congrats on the endorsement deal! nice bass amps indeed if they can match the clarity and versatility of pa equipment. As a looper who makes lots of ‘unbasslike sounds’ that seems essential for you. Also I’ve noticed when looping multiple bass parts myself, most conventional bass amps get over loaded, like they were designed to have one bass at a time going through them, pretty cool Markbass amps seem to have addressed all the issues that drove me to use pa equipment when looping-this isn’t helping me overcome my case of ‘equipment acquisition syndrome’!