Since Markbass first began building basses in 2019, they’ve taken the same detail-oriented craftsmanship and focus on quality materials that they use on their amps and applied it to their 4- and 5-string basses. Today Markbass offers a wide array of body shapes, pickup configurations, finishes, electronics, and overall styles in their constantly growing lineup of instruments. Two recent additions that exhibit Markbass’ range come with the release of the MB GB 5 Gloxy and the Navigator F1 series.

The Navigator F1 series got its inspiration from both Formula 1 racecars and Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, creator of the nuclear reactor. While those muses might seem vastly different, they were both part of Markbass creator Marco De Virgiliis’ vision when he set out to design these basses. Balancing innovation with tradition, he appealed to the latter by using body wood from the famed Italian forests of Val Di Fiemme, where legendary 17th century luthier Antonio Stradivari hand-selected spruce trees for his instruments.

The future-facing innovative side lies in the Markbass splittable P and humbucking pickups and active preamp. Handmade by Markbass, these electronics provide power and clarity — and surprisingly, the volume difference between passive and active mode is largely unaffected when switching between the two. De Virgiliis’ positioning of the pickups allows for a wide array of tone options, with the splitting option as the catalyst for the wide sonic diversity.

The MB GV Gloxy series is Markbass’ effort to offer their basses at affordable prices for beginners and budget-minded players. With a significantly lower price tag, they are made from imported woods in what Markbass refers to as “Glocalisation.” But in terms of electronics, these basses pack all of the power of the other series, as they’re equipped with the MB Instrument Pre and active/passive control to shift between the two modes. Along with MB J-style pickups in classic positioning, there’s plenty of tone shaping on tap. 

Comparing the two models side-by-side, they share a similar feel and sturdiness in their build with great balance, thanks to the MB double shape matching headstocks, which prevent neck-dive. The basses weigh in with the Navigator F1 5-string at 7.7 pounds, and the Gloxy GV5 at 9 pounds, with the F1’s lighter spruce body wood shedding a little weight compared to the Gloxy’s basswood. Both basses have the same onboard controls: six knobs for neck volume, bridge volume, tone (which is also the push/pull for active/passive), and high, mid, and low 3-band EQ. 

In playing both basses, the first notable difference comes with the weight of each instrument. The Gloxy has a little more heft, but luckily the balance of the instrument doesn’t make it feel too glaring. Both basses have hard maple comfort C necks, while the Gloxy features a maple fingerboard with block inlays and the Navigator a rosewood fingerboard with dots. The 18mm string spacing on both necks feels comfortable, with the fast comfort C shape providing a bit of width that I always enjoy on a 5-string. Chords are easy to play higher on the neck, and the cutaways give access to the full fretboard. 

The electronics of both models deliver big tones that cover the full EQ spectrum. In active mode, the low B strings push the amp without distorting, and the highs and mids come through with strong clarity. With its maple fingerboard and J pickups, the Gloxy is primed for slapping and popping, especially with a scooped EQ and the active mode on. It seems to have a hair more natural punch. Rolling on the lows and mids sends it into deep territory, where the lower register delivers a certain amount of bite and punch — a powerful presence in a mix.

The F1’s splittable pickups provide a broad range of options to play with. The most extreme demonstration of this is when you switch to passive mode and select the P pickups. This gives you a classic thump sound that is great for muted grooves and pretty much anything you’d employ a P-Bass for. For an extreme contrast, switch into active mode and isolate the humbucker pickup. This gives you a powerful and punchy tone with a massive low end akin to that of a Music Man Stingray. Being able to cop both of these sounds on one bass is a definite bonus.

While both basses are quality instruments that do their intended job, the differences between the high end and affordable model are evident. The lightweight and ergonomic body of the Formula 1 and the attention to detail on the build places it exactly where it should be with similarly priced instruments. The GV5 Gloxy is an excellent bass at a surprisingly reasonable price that comes equipped with high-level pickups and electronics. The thing that sets these basses apart from contemporaries is the splitable pickup options and the volume control of the active/passive modes. These features alone make the basses worthwhile, but their playability and well-calculated tone really seal the deal.

Specs

F1 Navigator 5-string

Neck shape Comfort C

Neck wood Hard maple

Neck joint Bolt-on

Scale length 34″

Pickup configuration Markbass P and HB (splittable) with MB Instrument PRE preamp, active/passive

Fingerboard material Rosewood

Number of frets 20

Inlays Dot

String spacing 18mm

Body type Navigator Original design

Body wood Val Di Fiemme spruce

List price $2,000

GV5 Gloxy Val MP 

Neck shape Comfort C

Neck wood Hard maple

Neck joint Bolt-on

Scale length 34″

Pickup configuration Markbass JJ-style w/MB Instrument PRE preamp, active/passive

Fingerboard material Maple

Number of frets 20

Inlays Block

String spacing 18mm

Body type P-style

Body wood Basswood

List price $800

For more visit Markbass