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Best Mesa-Boogie Bass heads

#107
labeledbass said:
I so wish they would explore the D-180 tech again, nothing out there like it.

My fav would be the D-180, coupled with a M-190 slave for bigger shows.
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We actually have, the D-180 circuit (especially the master volume circuit) was not popular with most players and the distortion that was generated was not terribly musical. The D-180 was the lowest selling of all of the bass amp models, lasting only 3 years.

Those who liked them really liked them, but those players were few and far between. The Bass 400/400+ plus sold more than ten times as many over a much longer time span. Overall, it was the legacy tube platform that was most universally accepted, which is why the TT-800 used that concept as inspiration for the Boogie channel.
 
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#108
I've had my 180 for about 3 years now and love it. I can choose three different drive characters with the two different preamp inputs, master, or combined together. Not musical? subjective, I've explored many different tube preamps and tube heads and this is in the top 3, for me at least. Running the master @ 10 with both bass and treble pulled sounds great - and different, especially with the market filled with fender stack EQs. I am going to explore changing the master pot out, I know of one that's done this with good results for more range, as you know 10-9 is like 0-100. I've also used the power section coupled with other preamps via fx return, works perfect for a preamp change up, and I plan to record some tracks soon using the slave output and compare to the send to really hear the power section difference.

I don't like "all in one" ideas, but being able to use a guitar and bass in one head was in the right direction. I personally don't think it was given a fair chance out in the field, because of the short 3 year window. I've seen so many writeups where techs think something is wrong and call it a day in reguards to the master circuit. I bet if they put some more time into it, it could be perfected and not so scary.

With as many people looking to explore tube power section options, this model delivers. My other head is a PJB M500, but for straight character I love my D-180. I'm tired of these class D mods, thankfully G & H are getting traction back into the A/B direction.
 
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#109
labeledbass said:
I've had my 180 for about 3 years now and love it. I can choose three different drive characters with the two different preamp inputs, master, or combined together. Not musical? subjective, I've explored many different tube preamps and tube heads and this is in the top 3, for me at least. Running the master @ 10 with both bass and treble pulled sounds great - and different, especially with the market filled with fender stack EQs. I am going to explore changing the master pot out, I know of one that's done this with good results for more range, as you know 10-9 is like 0-100. I've also used the power section coupled with other preamps via fx return, works perfect for a preamp change up, and I plan to record some tracks soon using the slave output and compare to the send to really hear the power section difference.

I don't like "all in one" ideas, but being able to use a guitar and bass in one head was in the right direction. I personally don't think it was given a fair chance out in the field, because of the short 3 year window. I've seen so many writeups where techs think something is wrong and call it a day in reguards to the master circuit. I bet if they put some more time into it, it could be perfected and not so scary.

With as many people looking to explore tube power section options, this model delivers. My other head is a PJB M500, but for straight character I love my D-180. I'm tired of these class D mods, thankfully G & H are getting traction back into the A/B direction.
Click to expand...
Then you are the ideal player for that amp. It was discontinued in 3 years because it sold very poorly. It didn't get discontinued to slow the sale of the model, players voted with their wallets. Too many players simply didn't like it. Happens sometimes with unique approaches.

If you are tired of class D models, there are plenty of used class AB/G/H amps on the market for pennies on the dollar. I don't believe class AB/G/H will gain much traction except in very, very limited numbers. If you are right, you will have plenty of new models to choose from as well...
 
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#110
direwolfvt said:
Hi everyone, I was looking into mesa boogie bass heads and heard they were great! Any recommendations?
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Hey direwolfvt,
Well, I too have owned a lot of Mesa
Amps and cabs. Starting with most favorite, the Big Block Titan hybrid tube amp @ 1200 watts, that will even handle 2ohm loads… amazing power, tones, and has 2 channels- best amp I have ever heard with 2 mesa PH 410 cabs bar none!!! The Mesa All tube 400+ amp puts out somewhere between 400-475 watts and is practically as loud as the Titan . Even at 2, it seems like pictures are going to to fall off the wall!! It doesn’t break up as much at high volume as most tube amps but retains its wonderful blooming tube sound! The mesa 800 series (I have owned 2 different ones) don’t seem too be very flexible tonally, and its baseline tone is pretty good, however, after I bought my Jeff Genzler built Magellan 800, I preferred it over my Mesa 800, so I sold it fairly soon and kept the Magellan 800. Finally I had the Walkabout 300, but it just didn’t have quite enough power for my loud band at the time! I hope this helps a bit!
Peace,
DAcat
 
#112
For great reasons many will and have said the current Subway line up of bass amps. But also and perhaps just to be different from the masses I'll shed light on and mention their Walkabout Head (M-Pulse Walkabout).
 
#113
burgerdj said:
My Walkabout is kind of my ride or die. I don’t absolutely love it, but I haven’t found anything I like more.
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If you need more volume from your Walkabout and you have access to a PA that can adequately support bass guitar, as long as you are running it into 8 Ohm cab or "no load", you can run it into a Two Notes Opus modeler with the input level on the Opus set to "Amp" and run the Speaker Out from the Opus to the 8 Ohm cab or no cab (the max power the Opus can handle is 200W into the input when set to "Amp") - as long as the amp you're using doesn't need a load, neither does the Opus, for tube heads that need a load, either run it into a cab or a load box.
Of course, you could put the Opus in the FX Loop, but the magic would be running the entire Head into the Opus to get the Walkabout only louder effect.
The Opus has tube Preamp modeling, tube Power Amp modeling, three different EQ modes, an Enhancer section, Reverb section, cab sims including mics and mic placement. It is targeted mainly to guitarists, but the Fender (guitar - Showman-like or bass - Bassman) models are excellent, Ampeg and Darkglass preamps as well.
It is extremely versatile!
I wish it came with more bass cab sims included, but there are a bunch more available (generally $10 each and each cab sim has its own selection of mics).

Two Notes Opus Amp Simulator and DynIR Engine Pedal
 
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#115
DAcat said:
Hey direwolfvt,
Well, I too have owned a lot of Mesa
Amps and cabs. Starting with most favorite, the Big Block Titan hybrid tube amp @ 1200 watts, that will even handle 2ohm loads… amazing power, tones, and has 2 channels- best amp I have ever heard with 2 mesa PH 410 cabs bar none!!! The Mesa All tube 400+ amp puts out somewhere between 400-475 watts and is practically as loud as the Titan . Even at 2, it seems like pictures are going to to fall off the wall!! It doesn’t break up as much at high volume as most tube amps but retains its wonderful blooming tube sound! The mesa 800 series (I have owned 2 different ones) don’t seem too be very flexible tonally, and its baseline tone is pretty good, however, after I bought my Jeff Genzler built Magellan 800, I preferred it over my Mesa 800, so I sold it fairly soon and kept the Magellan 800. Finally I had the Walkabout 300, but it just didn’t have quite enough power for my loud band at the time! I hope this helps a bit!
Peace,
DAcat
Click to expand...
I always like the M6 / M9 tone for most types of music!

[~ If I already said that elsewhere in this thread, I apologize. ~]
 
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#116
labeledbass said:
I've had my 180 for about 3 years now and love it. I can choose three different drive characters with the two different preamp inputs, master, or combined together. Not musical? subjective, I've explored many different tube preamps and tube heads and this is in the top 3, for me at least. Running the master @ 10 with both bass and treble pulled sounds great - and different, especially with the market filled with fender stack EQs. I am going to explore changing the master pot out, I know of one that's done this with good results for more range, as you know 10-9 is like 0-100. I've also used the power section coupled with other preamps via fx return, works perfect for a preamp change up, and I plan to record some tracks soon using the slave output and compare to the send to really hear the power section difference.

I don't like "all in one" ideas, but being able to use a guitar and bass in one head was in the right direction. I personally don't think it was given a fair chance out in the field, because of the short 3 year window. I've seen so many writeups where techs think something is wrong and call it a day in reguards to the master circuit. I bet if they put some more time into it, it could be perfected and not so scary.

With as many people looking to explore tube power section options, this model delivers. My other head is a PJB M500, but for straight character I love my D-180. I'm tired of these class D mods, thankfully G & H are getting traction back into the A/B direction.
Click to expand...
Awesome take! Did you ever consider selling the D-180?
 
#117
zackelekes said:
Awesome take! Did you ever consider selling the D-180?
Click to expand...
Every now and then the thought crosses my mind, I certainly don't use it as much as my transparent setup, mainly because most of my character comes from pedals ect., when practicing. When I just play bass/amp, it's the D180 all the way, I've used the power amp input as well with other preamps>>D180. It also came with the brochures and original hard case, which I thought was cool.

I know it was real left field when it came about, and I wish it was given more time. The conspiracist in me blames the model being for guitar and bass, but I'm sure on paper there's other reasons
 
#118
labeledbass said:
Every now and then the thought crosses my mind, I certainly don't use it as much as my transparent setup, mainly because most of my character comes from pedals ect., when practicing. When I just play bass/amp, it's the D180 all the way, I've used the power amp input as well with other preamps>>D180. It also came with the brochures and original hard case, which I thought was cool.

I know it was real left field when it came about, and I wish it was given more time. The conspiracist in me blames the model being for guitar and bass, but I'm sure on paper there's other reasons
Click to expand...
More time wouldn’t have made any difference. Players didn’t buy enough to justify continuing with it.
 
#119
labeledbass said:
Every now and then the thought crosses my mind, I certainly don't use it as much as my transparent setup, mainly because most of my character comes from pedals ect., when practicing. When I just play bass/amp, it's the D180 all the way, I've used the power amp input as well with other preamps>>D180. It also came with the brochures and original hard case, which I thought was cool.

I know it was real left field when it came about, and I wish it was given more time. The conspiracist in me blames the model being for guitar and bass, but I'm sure on paper there's other reasons
Click to expand...
I was asking because I’d be interested in buying it. Does it have the GEQ?
 

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