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Mesa 200 Buster club
- Thread starter Stevosimpson
- Start date
Does anyone have any actual audio of a Mesa Buster 200, preferably with the 1x15?
I'd love to hear what they're capable of..
Any grind/ break up or all clean headroom?
I'd love to hear what they're capable of..
Any grind/ break up or all clean headroom?
I have some really sloppy phone and camera recordings @soundsofumunhum on Instagram, FWIW. In my experience with my 1x15 combo, it stays pretty clean without help. A clean boost out front or in the loop will get you some drive pretty quickly (I run a dimed Night Owl Industries Oscar tube preamp in my loop all the time), and super hot pickups will get you there faster as well.
I can see about getting some audio. In the meantime, the Buster 15 can get drive once the preamp volume is set past 2 oclock, especially if you dig in, but it's more warm than grind.
I should add that in my experience, the bass used makes a difference. My active ATKs really don’t ever get into pleasing drive territory, my passive Precisions with Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickups get there with a bit of help from the aforementioned tube preamp in the loop, and my insanely hot Magnabass pickups in my Westone Spectrum GT only produce clean tones with the volume rolled back.
I understand that these are very " solid state sounding " tube amps. I'm not sure I'll know if I like it until I try it.
Compared to a WD-800 with a Subway 15, I'd give the Buster the edge for tone, though not for portability.
I currently use a Gallien Krueger 700RBII. I'd love to find a 200 watt tube head. Really craving the tube tone, but, then I read this amp doesn't have " that tube " sound.
I'm not sure what you're after, but it's the first and only tube bass amplifier I've ever owned, and it sure seems "tubey" to me compared to the many solid state rigs I've had.
On ‘57 Tele RI I get fairly good drive when cranking the preamp with a Mesa 2x15.
I’ve had a Fender 300Pro, Mesa 400+, and the Buster for tube heads. IMHO the Fender was more ‘tubey’, but it and the 400+ were ridiculously stupid heavy.
I love the Buster but prefer a clean punchy sound and to my ear it sounds unmistakenly tube, and a great size/weight too. It is a very punchy, ‘fast’ amp - perhaps why some say it seems lime a SS. The tone and eq are interactive, fairly intuitive and I can dial a wide range of tones easily. Rolling V1 can make a significant difference too.
I also think that in comparison to my old EA iAmp800 the Tube amps have a different physical feel in the way your clothes vibrate at high volume - Buster included.
I’ve had a Fender 300Pro, Mesa 400+, and the Buster for tube heads. IMHO the Fender was more ‘tubey’, but it and the 400+ were ridiculously stupid heavy.
I love the Buster but prefer a clean punchy sound and to my ear it sounds unmistakenly tube, and a great size/weight too. It is a very punchy, ‘fast’ amp - perhaps why some say it seems lime a SS. The tone and eq are interactive, fairly intuitive and I can dial a wide range of tones easily. Rolling V1 can make a significant difference too.
I also think that in comparison to my old EA iAmp800 the Tube amps have a different physical feel in the way your clothes vibrate at high volume - Buster included.
My “knock sh!t off shelves” rig!
I have a near-mint 9.5/10 Buster head in a medium-duty fitted road case I’d be willing to part with. Works perfectly and has a matched sextet of Winged Cs as well. Figured I’d give you guys first chance. PM for details.
A 210 combo just popped up on my radar but geez I dunno. The cab doesn't sound that great to me, and while Buster! does clean great, I really like the way the Mesa 400 I normally use transitions from "loud" into "angry". I wasn't really able to get that same animal to come out of mine; the power tube saturation just wasn't as pleasing.
But if you want clean, smack you around loudness and tone, it'll do that all day long. And I don't know who else makes such a compact, 2x10" combo that includes a 200 watt tube amp! What's not to like?
Raz
But if you want clean, smack you around loudness and tone, it'll do that all day long. And I don't know who else makes such a compact, 2x10" combo that includes a 200 watt tube amp! What's not to like?
Raz
I’m working on reading through the thread, I’m sure my questions have been answered in the ~500 posts in the thread, however: Would a Buster stand-alone head be a good introduction to all-tube heads? I like some overdrive, will I miss the OD with this amp?
The Buster is a good sounding amp, but many people describe it as somewhat solid state sounding, and also as very quick and clean. I believe the Buster uses the same power transformer as 400+, so the transformer is a bit oversized for a 200W amp. I have also seen a post that says it uses the same output transformer as the Triple Rec, so it's really a 150W amp.
If you are looking for OD, you might want to look else where. However, if you can try before you buy, give the Buster a spin. You never know.
Thanks for your reply. I think I’ll have the opportunity to try it, there’s a seller not too far from me. I have no experience with all-tube, so I’ve got nothing to compare it against. Are there any other amps that you’ve played that you would recommend?
