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mesa 400+ VS titan v12 (make your choice)

which one would you choose?

  • Mesa 400+

    Votes: 77 65.3%

  • Mesa Titan V12

    Votes: 41 34.7%
  • Total voters
    118
#21
Rezdog said:
Greetings from the North,

Peavey VB-3. ALL TUBE 300 Watts & only 37 pounds!

And no I don't own one but if I did go Peavey......

Rezdog
Click to expand...

Hey Dog,

I also am from the northern country. I have to say I find your post somewhat funny as you aren't talking to a bunch of AMPEG SVT junkies ... My all tube MESA BASS 400 (225 watts at 8 or 4 Ohms) is 35 lbs ... Just sayin'. Cheers.
 
#23
cmaranhao said:
i wonder why it has been discontinued if it is that good. No sarcasm in this sentence.
Click to expand...

A lot of it has to do with the tube positioning and 12x tube design. When I was attempting to trade in my 400+ for another unit, the sales guy I was talking to (a knowledgeable dude I've worked with a lot) said that's the reason people aren't in love with them anymore, as it's such a pain to work on them and disassemble the chassis to get to the tubes, etc..
If the KT88 design is coming, that means fewer tubes and I'm sure a more accessible tube bay.
 
#26
The 400+ is to my ears the best tone ever. Owned & gigged it for couple years then sold it for a Thunderfunk, my then favorite ss amp. Gigged a Titan for a year and found it to be a different flavor of excellent. Loved it live, being able to change the tone and/or volume with a footswitch. Winded up trading it for another 400+ and could not be happier - except when I have to move it. The thick, round bottom that still remains articulate is the ultimate tone to me. Mesa has always been my amp of choice but Genz Benz may is making me a convert with the Shuttle 9.0 and soon to have Streamliner.
 
#28
cmaranhao said:
i wonder why it has been discontinued if it is that good. No sarcasm in this sentence.
Click to expand...

If the chaps at the Mesa store in LA are to be believed it had to due with some new regulations that year in Europe having to do with modifications to the amp to meet newer code/compliance/UL type thing.

The re-engineering wasn't worth it according to them.

I have had 2 400+'s and sold them both....sold the first one because I could by a newer one with good tubes cheaper than I could re-tube mine at the time. Regretted selling the 2nd one to this day....

Although I bought mine in a 6 space floating mesa rack....God that thing was F*&^^ng heavy.....
 
#31
I wanted an all tube head and a 400+ came up for sale. I bought it, retubed it, and it sounds fantastic. Heaven! Playing it live and standing next to it gives me a woody every time. Lol

No comment on the Titan since I've not played one. I will bet they are great amps though.

Dave
 
#32
I love my 400+; however there are instances where the instantaneous power a big SS can deliever.

The big thing here is that there are quite a few really nice SS amps around; and equaling the 400+ on the tube side is not quite as easy given the available mass market stuff.


Also: For the difficulty of opening it up, if 12ish screws is too much hard work every few year, wow.
 
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#35
cmaranhao said:
this is just my curiosity.. what is "your" amplifier? please do not ask me what i am looking for, this is about you and not me!

i have a titan v12 and i am pretty happy with it, best amplifier i have ever heard.. however, i see plenty of you praising the old tube 400+.

if you could only have one, which would you choose?

i reckon these are two different animals and that is why i made this topic.

please vote, i am really curious to see how this will turn out to be. i will not vote as i cannot say nothing about the 400+ other than what i saw and read on the internet.
Click to expand...

Just saw this thread. I used a 400+ for 5 years and traded it for a Titan. Why you ask? Because although the 400+ is loud, I didn't care for the sound at the breaking point. I wanted a tube like amp that sounds the same at medium volume as extreme volumes. I got just that with the Titan.

At reasonable volume, the 400+ is gorgeous. But just don't care for the breakup of that amp. Too aggressive ... if that makes sense. Love the Titan and have no regrets.
 
#39
I followed that guy from page 1, and have both.

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