Mesa Boogie and other brands

[NeonVomit]

Mesa's main thrust has always been guitar amps and cabs. They dabbled in bass gear over the years but, with the exception of the 400 and 400+ it's only been in recent years that they got real serious about bass. I suspect their income from guitar amps far outpaces that from bass gear and, for many dealers, there aren't enough bass players interested in Mesa to justify carrying bass gear. It's rather expensive with the exception of the Subway, which is a great bargain.

The very first Mesa amplifier was a bass amp. They've been a bass amp company from the beginning, just the guitar stuff is where the real innovations happened and of course that was their real growth area. But they're as experienced in making bass gear as anyone else.

Also most class D amplifiers are cheaper than normal ones for some reason (compare prices on Aguilar's Tonehammer with their DB751).

 

[B-string]

Nice explanation, still it seems to the might be a bit too uptight then. Simply because if I want to buy MEsa stuff, I simply can't!!!
Even the biggest European dealers don't sell any Mesa stuff. Meanwhile, other brands do sell.

Like G-K they are made in single plants in California, USA. G-K signed up with distributors outside the US to buy and resell G-K, I don't believe (could be wrong) that Mesa has not signed up with major out of USA distributors (hard to control prices that way.

 

[B-string]

The very first Mesa amplifier was a bass amp. They've been a bass amp company from the beginning, just the guitar stuff is where the real innovations happened and of course that was their real growth area. But they're as experienced in making bass gear as anyone else.

Also most class D amplifiers are cheaper than normal ones for some reason (compare prices on Aguilar's Tonehammer with their DB751).

Not sure where you heard that? The story I have read is a small Fender combo was modded for a guitarist without his knowledge with the output section from the Twin/Showman (from <40 watts to >80 watts). He was "hotrodding" Fender guitar amps in a repair shop. When played the guitarist said "That Mesa Boogies!". Hence the Name Mesa Boogie before Mesa Engineering.

From Mesa's web pages:Randall's Story | MESA/Boogie®

Around 1969 we wanted to play a prank on Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish. So I took his little Fender Princeton amp which, stock, puts out about twelve watts and has a ten-inch speaker. I cut up the chassis to fit big transformers and entirely rebuilt it using the famous 4-10 Tweed Bassman circuit. After careful measurement, I cut out the speaker board and squeaked in a twelve-inch JBL D-120, the hot speaker back then. When I finished building it, I took it out to the front of the store to get a good play test and who do you think happened to be hanging out right then? Carlos Santana. He just wailed through that little amp until people were blocking the sidewalk. When he stopped playing he turned and said, “poopie man. That little thing really Boogies!” Word spread fast and before long there were over a hundred little Princeton/ Boogies appearing on Bay Area Stages including the Fillmore and Winterland …all of them built up a dirt path in a mountain shack I had converted from an old dog kennel.

So I'm not sure where your idea came from.

 

[NeonVomit]

Not sure where you heard that? The story I have read is a small Fender combo was modded for a guitarist without his knowledge with the output section from the Twin/Showman (from <40 watts to >80 watts). He was "hotrodding" Fender guitar amps in a repair shop. When played the guitarist said "That Mesa Boogies!". Hence the Name Mesa Boogie before Mesa Engineering.

I heard it here. Carlos Santana was the one who tried out the modified Fender amp and said the famous Boogie line, but the first scratch-built Mesa Boogie amp was a bass amp...

Anyway, I needed an official sounding name to buy amp parts, pistons from Mercedes and ready-mix trucks full of concrete. “Mesa Engineering” (a name I made up on the spot) seemed familiar and professional sounding. One day my Marin County country bliss was interrupted by a tough looking but friendly stranger from the ‘hoods of Oakland who showed up on my back porch. He’d heard the Princeton/Boogies and wanted an amp. He was a bass player —but he still wanted me to build him an amp and I sorely needed the 300 green dollars he was literally stuffing in my shirt pocket. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. So the first Mesa amp was a snakeskin bass amp made for ‘the inimitable’ Patrick Burke, a great guy who became such a good friend, I later traded him my half ownership in Prune Music for a guitar! The fact that this total stranger was trusting me with the astonishing sum of $300. inspired me to promise I would build him the best bass amp ever. Thirty years and countless gigs later, that Mesa 450 still has tone.

 

[baxter_x]

Where I live, in Belgium (as you know one of the biggest country in the world), I found a Mesa Walkabout Scout for a great price a few months back. And there are few options to buy Mesa bass amps and cabs from (online) music stores in Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. That being said, the prices of Mesa gear in Europe can be muuuuuuuuch higher than in the US...

Mesa's main thrust has always been guitar amps and cabs. They dabbled in bass gear over the years but, with the exception of the 400 and 400+ it's only been in recent years that they got real serious about bass. I suspect their income from guitar amps far outpaces that from bass gear and, for many dealers, there aren't enough bass players interested in Mesa to justify carrying bass gear. It's rather expensive with the exception of the Subway, which is a great bargain.

I think you guys completely answered my main question. It's both price and the fact that Mesa is mainly considered as a guitar maker.
Still, I found a very good deal on a M-Pulse 600 plus a 410 Powerhouse. I'll buy it and try it out.

@gregouille23: Merci cousin Belge

 

[jazzyvee]

I think you guys completely answered my main question. It's both price and the fact that Mesa is mainly considered as a guitar maker.
Still, I found a very good deal on a M-Pulse 600 plus a 410 Powerhouse. I'll buy it and try it out.

@gregouille23: Merci cousin Belge

I have a 4x10 power house and that is my main bass cab and I love it and the band love it. Usually it's paired with a 300w Walkabout head and I use it for reggae, blues RnB and some classic rock. Win Win.

 

[baxter_x]

Good to know. I currently own an Ampeg SVT 4 Pro and a pair of SWR Goliath 3.
Will it be very different from what I currently own? I've heard Mesa and SWR cabs were pretty close sound-wise.

 

[baileyboy]

I'm curious about Mesa boogie...

I own two Walkabouts and alternate their use at gigs. I also play through 2-12 Radiator Scouts. This rig has allowed me to dial in pretty much any sound I desire. As well, I feel it's as close to "tube" sound as I'm going to get without the weight.
All their products, to the best of my knowledge, are USA manufactured in Petaluma, CA. I've never had any quality-control issues with their products. My experience with staff and products has been nothing short of excellent. Looking forward to trying out the Subway one of these days...

 

[Ewo]

And Sweetwater has had trouble keeping the new Subway line in stock, so Mesa is doing just fine. I love my Subway stack, BTW.

The Subway line is my first experience with Mesa bass amplification, and it's been working very well for me. Been using the D-800 since about the beginning of this year, and started running Subway cabs with it in the past month. Very impressive performance, and amazingly light weight to move.

I'll just add that I'm a clean freak, regarding tone. I don't want to hear breakup, even when I dig in. And the D-800 works great for a clean tone with a nice muscular character. Just set the input gain so the clip light doesn't turn on, then raise the master to the desired level.

 

[Korladis]

I don't think that transistors or IC op amps sound lower quality than tubes. If you go by specs alone you could argue that tubes are lower quality. I just think that tubes and transistor based stuff have different qualities.
Personally I've never played an amp with the Fender style tone stack and thought "I wish this was a graphic eq".
When it comes to the sound an overdriven amp, I prefer old fashioned, 50-era technology.
That and the stupid blue LEDs kept me away from the Prodigy and Strategy. IMHO they should have just made an updated D180 with the auto bias and a very simple tone stack.

Funny, I have a D-180 and I'm kinda the opposite. Its tone stack is actually one of the things I don't like about it, as the mid control is damn near useless. If it didn't have the graphic EQ, I probably would have sold it years ago.

 

[SlugThrower]

Funny, I have a D-180 and I'm kinda the opposite. Its tone stack is actually one of the things I don't like about it, as the mid control is damn near useless. If it didn't have the graphic EQ, I probably would have sold it years ago.

Same with my 400+. If it didn't have an EQ, then I'd probably be pretty unhappy with its performance.


My 400+ doesn't really do a crazy hairy OD, but it does have some grit. It has a great clean tone, and takes pedals really very well.

 

[the yeti]

at one point you could only get mesa boogie directly from them. maybe you can still buy direct?

 

[G-Unit 01]

I would be really keen to try a Subway D800 but the prices here in New Zealand are prohibitive.
RRP is NZ$1,799 while the online US$ price at Sweetwater is US $699.
Even taking into account local taxes, freight and exchange rates, this difference does not add up.
You guys don't know how lucky you have got it when it comes to Mesa.

 

[Liam Wald]

I think you guys completely answered my main question. It's both price and the fact that Mesa is mainly considered as a guitar maker.
Still, I found a very good deal on a M-Pulse 600 plus a 410 Powerhouse. I'll buy it and try it out.

@gregouille23: Merci cousin Belge

My primary amp is a Mesa M-Pulse360 into a Bergantino AE410. IMHO the M-Pulse is one of the best amps that Mesa has made.
Good luck with your new rig.

 

[baxter_x]

I like massive heavy lows with clean highs. I'll see how it competes whith my svt 4 pro ;-)

 

[tbz]

at one point you could only get mesa boogie directly from them. maybe you can still buy direct?

Pretty sure they don't sell direct to individuals in Europe.

Did the OP ever contact those stores to see if they could order Mesa fear for them? If they're listed as a dealer they can *order* gear but may not have it in stock....

 

[Ewo]

I would be really keen to try a Subway D800 but the prices here in New Zealand are prohibitive.
RRP is NZ$1,799 while the online US$ price at Sweetwater is US $699.
Even taking into account local taxes, freight and exchange rates, this difference does not add up.
You guys don't know how lucky you have got it when it comes to Mesa.

Why dontcha look for one in the TB classifieds? Would the money work out better if you bought one privately and had it shipped to you?

 

[baxter_x]

Did the OP ever contact those stores to see if they could order Mesa fear for them? If they're listed as a dealer they can *order* gear but may not have it in stock....

Why should I do this as I don't with many other brands? This just tends to proove Mesa stuff is hard to find. But I got the probable explanation from two members earlier in the thread.

 

[mpdd]

i use an overdriven mesa d180 through two orange 115s, never any problem at all and if someday i needed to be louder and cleaner i wouldn't hesitate to buy a subway d800
never tried a 400, but the bassist from the butthole surfers sounded sweet and authoritative with one

 

[spaz21387]

Id love a mesa bass 400 but cant ever find one local... i just went ampeg instead.