Ok, so I'm putting together a gigging rig to go with my Buzzard & Mesa Powerhouse 410. I've even got a rack and a power conditioner ready and a DTR-2000 on the way. But now comes the hard part - what to put in between those things?
Well, there's two things I've been looking at.
A Mesa M-Pulse 600 to pair with the powerhouse or
A Demeter HBP-1 paired with either a Carvin or maybe a Crest power amp
In other words, I'm after nice, fat, tube pre-amp with a high quality solid poweramp section.
I think either option will do it - both are tube pres; both have a reputation for being indestructable bunkers; and both have balanced outs for recording. The price will come out to be about the same - approx 800-900. One thing the mesa has over the Demeter setup is the foot-switch, but not having one is not a deal-breaker. I also know that with gear of this reputation, either way it'll blow the 8-year-old Hartke I'm using atm out of the water - so I know there's no right or wrong answer here. I just wanted to get some thoughts from folks that may have used one or the other or even better, both!
Much appreciated!
-George
and the mendatory disclaimer
"The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."
Painful amp decision! Help! 
