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Markbass Kimandu Green 4
Warranty from the manufacturer: 12 months.
Description of Markbass Kimandu Green 4
When you’re choosing a bass that will feel equally at home in rehearsals, on stage and in the studio, the Markbass Kimandu Green 4 is exactly the kind of instrument that gives you confidence in your sound, your playing and your inspiration.
It’s a bass that instantly feels welcoming. The Italian brand has created an instrument where its distinctive punch and note definition go hand in hand with a very comfortable neck and well thought-out electronics. At the same time, the bass doesn’t try to be only a “pro” tool or only a “home” instrument. It calmly covers both roles. You can buy it as your first serious bass and not feel limited for years. Or you can add it to an existing collection and get a logical complement to your usual Jazz and Precision-style instruments.
The body is light, the balance is excellent, so you don’t have to fight neck dive when standing with a strap. That really matters for live work. On top of that, the distinctive Kimandu series design with contrasting colours and active electronics makes the instrument equally useful for stage presence and for recording situations where tight, controlled lows and precision are essential.
The bass responds nicely to your touch. Play gently with your fingers up by the neck and you get a warm, enveloping attack. Move closer to the bridge and bring up the highs, and the sound tightens, becomes more aggressive and cuts through the mix with ease. That range is valuable if you cover a lot of ground stylistically: from soul and funk through to alternative and modern pop.
Why choose this model?
- Comfortable, fast neck with an easy-playing profile that suits both beginners and experienced bassists
- Lightweight, well-balanced body so your back and shoulder don’t tire even on long gigs
- Active 2-band EQ with proprietary pickups, allowing you to dial in your tone quickly for the room, style and band line-up
- Versatile tonal character, with a solid low end plus clear mids and highs – especially useful in the studio
- Stylish look with a striking green-and-black finish that makes the bass stand out on stage and on camera
Model overview
The construction is based on a classic bolt-on neck design and ergonomically shaped body. This combination delivers a clear attack and good sustain, while still keeping enough density in the sound for rock and pop. Crucially, the manufacturer has carefully balanced the instrument. On a strap it doesn’t dive neck-first, and when seated it naturally rests on your leg. That makes a big difference if you practise a lot at home or spend long hours in rehearsal rooms.
For the woods, the brand relies on tried-and-tested tonewoods. The body is made from a material that is resistant to climate changes, holds intonation steadily and reacts predictably to temperature shifts. The neck is built from a hard wood with a fingerboard that feels smooth under the fingers. The frets are neatly installed, with edges that don’t scratch your hand when you move quickly along the neck. You notice this within the first few minutes of playing.
In day-to-day use the Markbass Kimandu Green 4 proves itself to be a reliable, well-thought-out instrument that combines playing comfort, stable tuning and a modern sound.
The electronics on this model are active. You get proprietary humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions that cover a wide frequency range. The control layout includes a master volume, pickup balance and separate bass and treble controls. Everything operates smoothly, with no sudden jumps when you nudge a knob. That’s very handy when you need to adjust on the fly on stage – for example, to shave off a little top end into a valve amp, or conversely to add some low end if you’re playing through a digital rig and only hearing yourself in the monitors.
Through a clean signal path the bass sounds transparent and contemporary, without unwanted muddiness. When you introduce a compressor and a touch of overdrive, the instrument still keeps every note articulate. That’s important for players who enjoy a more energetic style, slap, octave pedals and other effects. The sound doesn’t fall apart into mush and doesn’t swamp the rest of the band in the mix.
The scale length is standard for a four-string, so switching from any familiar bass requires almost no adaptation. The nut width is comfortable, making it easy to grab chords, double-stops and play major and minor lines in the upper register. String spacing is wide enough for relaxed slapping, but not so wide that it gets in the way of fast fingerstyle work.
The hardware also inspires confidence. The bridge is made from solid metal, providing stable sustain and secure string anchoring. The machine heads keep tuning solid even if you use bends and heavy downstrokes a lot. If you prefer a more aggressive right-hand attack, the bass will handle it without complaint. With constant rehearsals and frequent travel, this kind of hardware massively simplifies your life.
There’s also a practical side to upkeep. Thanks to the quality of the finish and fittings, the instrument is unfazed by regular transport in a gig bag or hard case. The lacquer resists light scratching, and the smooth body contours help to avoid chips. Treated with normal care, the bass will look presentable for many years, which is especially important for session players and anyone who appears regularly in shoots or at public events.
In terms of inspiration, this is exactly the kind of instrument that nudges you to play more. A comfortable neck, a clear, predictable response to your attack and wide EQ possibilities all encourage you to explore new techniques. You can get into slap, combine pick and fingerstyle playing, or work on long legato runs. The instrument doesn’t fight you; it actively helps. That makes it easier for a beginner to get a pleasing sound quickly, while a pro can push into more complex ideas.
Within the brand’s context, the Kimandu series was developed in collaboration with experienced musicians who need a combination of stage reliability and natural musicality. You can feel that in the details: the convenient placement of the output jack, the body horn shapes, the smooth access to the upper frets. These things are sometimes underestimated when choosing a first instrument, but they’re exactly what separates a genuinely well-designed model from an impulsive purchase.
In this respect, Markbass has created an instrument that feels comfortable in any environment. Home practice through a small combo. A rehearsal room with a loud drum kit. A club gig with a dense sound. Recording via DI into a studio chain. The bass keeps its character in all of these. When needed, it’s easy to tailor it to a specific job without having to change the feel you’re used to under your hands.
Who is this model for?
This is an instrument you can happily recommend both to players moving up from their first starter bass and to those who’ve been gigging for years, because the Markbass Kimandu Green 4 feels equally confident in the hands of a newcomer and a seasoned musician. If you’re self-taught, learning parts from video lessons or working out your favourite tracks by ear, you’ll appreciate the comfortable neck and the predictable response to different playing techniques. You don’t have to fight this bass to get a good tone. Just tweak the EQ a touch and find the right right-hand position.
For musicians for whom bass is a hobby, the instrument delivers a stable, pleasing sound without the need to dive deep into technical settings. Plug into a combo, set the pickup balance, adjust bass and treble for the room – and you’re ready to enjoy playing. At the same time, if you eventually start gigging, you won’t need to replace the bass straight away. There’s more than enough potential here for clubs, festivals and cover gigs.
For those working in the studio, playing a variety of venues, or simply wanting one do-it-all bass for any occasion, this instrument will let you feel secure in virtually any musical situation.
Professional bassists, session players and producers will find the bass appealing for its combination of versatility and recognisable character. It slips into a mix easily, doesn’t clash with the kick drum and doesn’t smother the guitars. The active circuit lets you create a few “under the fingers” working presets: a softer sound for neoclassical and pop, a more aggressive one for rock, and a tight, focused option for modern electronic and urban styles.
Engineers and composers will appreciate that the instrument offers a fairly even response across the entire range. That reduces the amount of EQ and compression needed. There are fewer artefacts in the recorded result, and capturing a clean track for further processing becomes much easier. For those producing music at home, this is particularly relevant: you can record straight into an audio interface and treat the takes as finished material rather than rescuing every track in the mix.
If you teach or run bass classes, this model works well as an example of a modern mid- to upper-range instrument. It’s convenient for demonstrating different styles, techniques and approaches to tone shaping. Students will more easily understand how hand position, pickup selection and EQ settings affect the sound. That helps them develop their ear and feel for the instrument more quickly.
Specifications of Markbass Kimandu Green 4
- Type: electric bass guitar, 4 strings
- Neck construction: bolt-on
- Body: alder
- Neck: maple
- Fingerboard: rosewood
- Scale length: 34"
- Fingerboard radius: 12"
- Frets: 24, medium
- Nut width: 38 mm
- Width at 12th fret: 56 mm
- Nut: synthetic material
- Pickups: 2 Markbass humbuckers (neck and bridge)
- Electronics: active, 2-band EQ
- Controls: volume, pickup balance, bass, treble
- Bridge: fixed, cast, with individual adjustment for scale and string height
- Machine heads: sealed, die-cast
- String configuration: standard E–A–D–G
- Output jack: 6.3 mm mono, side-mounted
- Colour: Green Black (green with black elements)
- Finish: gloss body, satin or semi-satin neck
- Country of manufacture: Indonesia
- Recommended string gauge:.045–.105
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