Markbass Little Mark 58R 500W Lightweight Bass Amplifier Head

The Future of Ergonomic Stage Power: Markbass Little Mark 58R Bass Amplifier Head

For touring professionals and active session bassists, the ideal amplifier head needs to be simple to operate on dark stages, light enough to travel anywhere, and packing enough raw power to anchor a loud rhythm section. The Markbass Little Mark 58R marks a major milestone in modern amplification design. Part of the state-of-the-art MB58R series, this feather-light solid-state head pushes a massive 500 watts of high-headroom tone while introducing a smart, completely redesigned chassis. If you want a reliable, high-performance stage tool that maximizes practical workflow and minimizes load-in weight, this Italian-built powerhouse is your definitive solution.

The Front-Panel Revolution: Optimal Stage Ergonomics

The standout innovation of the Little Mark 58R is its highly practical, re-engineered control layout. Traditional amplifier heads often distribute inputs, line outputs, and configuration toggles between the front and rear panels, forcing you to grope blindly behind a dark stage rack mid-set. The Little Mark 58R elegant resolves this by moving all controls, inputs, and routing options—including the main instrument input, XLR Line Out, Level adjustment knob, Pre/Post EQ toggle, and Ground Lift switch—directly to the front panel. The rear panel is kept completely clean, housing only the speaker outputs and the AC power socket. This smart structural design ensures everything remains accessible, even if the amp head stays inside a protective gig bag or tight rack system during a performance.

Uncompromised Power-to-Weight Ratio in a High-Tech Chassis

Do not let its feather-light footprint fool you—this is a professional arena-ready powerhouse. Packed with 500 watts of solid-state power handling into a 4-Ohm load, it delivers immense clean headroom and an instantaneous transient attack. To achieve its revolutionary total weight of just 2.0 kg (4.41 lbs), Markbass houses the amplifier in an ultra-lightweight, eco-friendly chassis made from high-grade ABS material. This future-facing structural enclosure slashes travel weight dramatically while maintaining the unyielding impact durability needed to withstand the punishing realities of heavy touring.

Advanced Tone-Shaping Architecture and New Bi-Band Limiter

To ensure your bass effortlessly slices through dense multi-instrument live mixes, the head features an updated, highly musical 4-band active equalizer (Low, Mid-Low, Mid-High, High) capable of up to 16 dB of boost or cut per band. Alongside standard tone shaping, the control suite includes advanced analog filtering and protection:

• Old School Filter: A dedicated, vintage-voiced low-pass filter that gradually rolls off your high frequencies (ranging from 250 Hz to 20 kHz) to beautifully mimic the dark, round, organic character of traditional passive cabinets.
• 3-Way Global Preset Switch: A rotary control offering instant access to three distinct performance voicings:
  • Flat: Completely uncolored, linear frequency response that honors your natural instrument tone.
  • Scooped-Mid: Cuts mid-range frequencies while boosting lows and highs—the ultimate ready-to-go contour for glassy slap-and-pop techniques.
  • FSW: Assigns selection to an optional external dual footswitch, allowing you to toggle the Scooped EQ setting and Mute function hands-free on stage.
• Next-Gen Bi-Band Limiter: A sophisticated, dual-action protection system that responds faster and more dynamically to your low-frequency transients than traditional limiters. It keeps your low register flawlessly focused at high stage volumes while allowing your high-end pop dynamics to breathe naturally.

Key Features at a Glance

• All-Front Panel Ergonomics: Places all inputs, controls, and direct outputs on the front face for seamless operation on dark stages.
• 500W MPT Power Plant: Proprietary power block provides massive stadium-level headroom and instantaneous note tracking.
• Ultra-Light ABS Enclosure: Advanced, eco-friendly chassis material slashes total head weight down to an astonishing 2.0 kg.
• 3-Way Voicing Dial: Quick-access control to transition between Flat tone, Scooped modern slap contours, or FSW footswitch routing.
• Dynamic Bi-Band Limiter: Ensures ultimate driver protection at peak volumes while maintaining an open, organic high-end response.
• Front-Panel Master Mute Switch: Simplifies backstage instrument changes and on-the-fly silent tuning without affecting your gain settings.

Common Uses and Rig Configurations

The Markbass Little Mark 58R is an incredibly versatile, professional-grade asset for rock, funk, jazz, pop, blues, R&B, and modern gospel bassists who run high-fidelity active or classic passive instruments. Its pristine transparency and rapid transient tracking make it an excellent fit for club dates, large concert halls, theater pit work, and tracking sessions in professional recording studios. For an ultra-portable, grab-and-go modular setup, pair this head with a lightweight cabinet from the MB58R series (such as the MB58R 121 PURE or 102 P) to build an unstoppable dream stack that commands any live room.

Technical Specifications

• Output Power: 500W RMS @ 4 Ohms / 300W RMS @ 8 Ohms
• Preamp Type: Solid State
• Power Amp Type: MPT (Mark Proprietary Technology)
• EQ Centers: Low (68 Hz), Mid-Low (360 Hz), Mid-High (800 Hz), High (10 kHz) with ±16 dB boost/cut
• Special Filters & Presets: Old School Filter, 3-Way Global Switch (Flat/Scooped-Mid/FSW)
• Controls: Gain, 4-Band EQ, Old School Dial, 3-Way Preset Selector, Master Volume, Front-Panel Mute Switch, Line Out Level Control
• Inputs: 1/4" Instrument Input, 1/4" Effect Return, 1/4" Footswitch Input (Optional Dual Footswitch for Mute/Scooped EQ)
• Outputs: Front-Panel Balanced XLR Line Out (with Pre/Post EQ and Ground Lift switches), 1/4" Tuner Out, 1/4" Effect Send, speakON Combo Speaker Output (Rear)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 27.6 cm x 8.3 cm x 25.6 cm (10.87" x 3.27" x 10.08")
• Weight: 2.0 kg (4.41 lbs)