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Bass amp

#2
I can’t speak about anything from GR as I’ve never used their gear, but I can say that Mesa makes an incredible head in the D800+. Lightweight and sounds amazing. Built in HPF is a huge feature for me. You also have a treasure trove of info and support through the manufacturer as well as right here on the TB as many people play Mesa amps and the resident Mesa engineer is on this forum often (AgedHorse).
I’ve never heard anything negative about GR so I’m certainly not disparaging them in any way. For all I know they could sound even better than Mesa’s offerings. Good luck to you.

kgb
 
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#3
I've had an early GR Bass 212 Slim that I initially paired with a Mesa TT800. Having never had such a lightweight cab before I found out that the TT-800 on top of the 212 Slim cabinet is top heavy and unstable, even though the TT800 is only 7lbs. That rig sounded great though.

AT212TT800.jpg


If you get a slightly smaller Mesa D800 you may alleviate this problem. I ended up using a Quilter BB800 with the 212 Slim which was very stable due to the small footprint. Very clear, transparent sound with a treble bite.

BB800212Slim01.jpg


Later I sold the 212 Slim cabinet and got my current custom twin 212 Slim combos which I've just had the pleasure of playing both at a gig this weekend. They both have One 800 heads which sound much warmer than the BB800/212 Slim rig and have huge volume.

FNFFRig01.jpg
 
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#7
magic8161 said:
I'm getting A GR Bass 2x12 slim and was wondering if i should get a matching head for around the same price as I can get a Mesa Boggie head for. both 800 watts. or is there something better in the 800 watt range for under $800. or is the GR 800 head good?
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Given your budget and the buffet of really nice amps out there these days, I'd only say that you're probably looking at a half dozen different routes to true happiness... maybe more. I've been in heaven for at least a couple of years using either a GK MB 500 or Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 and each of those have more power than I can use with my rock and dance cover band. Both of those heads are probably a very "right" answer for you.

Whatever you decide on, hopefully you can follow up with impressions, etc. after some experiences with it. Happy Groovin'!! :bassist:
 
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#9
I can vouch for Mesa [have WD 800]and 5 yr warranty known customer service and Andy being here was a bonus but good chance One 800 is excellent sounding also and you get blinking lights if you so want :)

Features are similar; like 'Pure' switch on GR and Variable HPF on Mesa [800+] also 2 ohm capable but not a problem if you got 8 ohm version of Cab adding another with GR
 
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#11
magic8161 said:
I'm getting A GR Bass 2x12 slim and was wondering if i should get a matching head for around the same price as I can get a Mesa Boggie head for. both 800 watts. or is there something better in the 800 watt range for under $800. or is the GR 800 head good?
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The GR 800 is great is you are looking for a very transparent sounding amp.
But there are many great alternatives available nowadays, it all depends on your tonal goals.

Edit: if it was me, I would wait for the release of the Quilter Bass Block v803, because I the love BB800, and the 803 brings just the level of versatility that I like, without complexity: 3 "voices" (modern, warm, and tube emulation) and a semi-parametric mid.
 
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