The Markbass Little Mark 58R is an innovative 500-watt bass head that cracks the code on power, portability and tone. The Italian-made amp is dressed in a beautiful yellow-and-black chassis that’s reminiscent of another of Italy’s wonders—the Ferrari LaFerrari sports car in Giallo Modena (yellow) with black accents. And, also like the LaFerrari, the Little Mark 58R delivers performance that is as stunning as its visual allure. Founded in 2001 by Marco De Virgiliis—who pioneered solid-state, Class-D amp design and the use of lightweight neodymium speakers in the company’s bass cabinets—Markbass is renowned for providing bassists with complex tonal options that are simultaneously simple and easy to operate.  

Lightweight and Eco Friendly

Until fairly recently, bass amps were demons to transport. They were heavy and bulky, and usually required multiple trips from car to stage or rehearsal space. However, the Markbass Little Mark 58R weighs just 4.4 lb., and with a lean footprint of approximately 11" x 3" x 11", it can fit into a tote bag or generous gig bag pocket. In fact, paired with a similarly lightweight speaker cabinet—which Markbass also manufactures—you could strut into a club with “one-trip transport” by carrying your bass in one hand, a cab in the other and the Little Mark 58R slung across your shoulder in a small carry-all sack. But, in the case of the Markbass Little Mark 58R, lightweight doesn’t mean flimsy, weak, puny or anemic. Packed with 500 watts of solid-state MPT (Mark Proprietary Technology) power, the Little Mark 58R serves up a bounty of clean headroom—enough to bring the low-end rumble for jazz ensembles, dance bands or power trios. If, like many bassists, you play a lot of different styles of music, this is an amp that can handle practically everything you throw at it. Furthermore, the Markbass Little Mark 58R can help you save the planet for future generations of bass players, as all parts are 100-percent recyclable.

All Controls Front and Center

The Markbass Little Mark 58R delivers a lot of sonic prospects, and all the necessary controls are available on the front panel. Output levels can be set with Gain and Master, and there’s even a dedicated volume knob for the Line Out—a handy option if the house mixer is getting too strong or too weak of a direct signal. The wide-ranging EQ section offers Low, Mid/Low, Mid/High and High. The midrange controls alone are potent enough to dial in the punch and attack you want. But there’s more. You can also set the 3-way rotary switch for Flat or Scooped, or control the Little Mark 58R’s mute and scooped EQ features with a footswitch. But even that isn’t everything. A variable Old School knob dims the high end and pumps up the mids for wayback tones from the ’60s and ’70s. The remaining goodies are power and mute switches, and an integrated bi-band limiter that manages bass frequencies but leaves mids and highs alone.