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Mesa Boogie and other brands
- Thread starter baxter_x
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- boogie brands mesa mesa boogie
Both bass amps have an active bass and treble, passive mid design based on the Fender tone stack. The parametric eq and the graphic on the D180/Bass 400/400+ are in addition to this basic EQ. Kind of like the SVT 4 with it's basic tube based EQ and the additional graphic eq.
I'm not positive about the SVT 4, but on the Mesa Bass 400 and Mpulse the graphic or Parametric is foot-switchable.
Dude, you do know that the MPulse 600 is .. well, 600 watts, and the SVT 4 is 1600 (bridged), more than 2x the total output wattage (on the way to 3x actually). It's not really a meaningful (or fair) comparison when it comes to total power on hand. I have owned an MPulse 600 and currently own an SVT6 (1100w), both are very powerful amps. If you knew how to EQ the Mesa MP600, it could be anything but "vintage". It does have a 4 stage 12AX7 preamp driving the mossfet power section, and a torroidial output tranny (as opposed to the big iron one in the Ampeg) so there is definitely a tube flavor in there, but with its extensive tone shaping options (B/M/T and 5 bands of parametric) I never knew it to be purely vintage tonewise, nor was it shy in the lows with the right cab(s).
They aren't common in stores here in the US either. They like to control their pricing and keep the value of their equipment high. There is a Mesa store across the street from the Sunset Guitar Center in Hollywood. That's the only place I've seen new Mesa gear.
Its kinda like German made Warwick basses here in the US. They are expensive so retailers are wary of having it their stock, and their supply chain just isn't designed to deal with overseas.
It's not a matter of power, but a matter of sound. I really feel the SVT4 Pro can go damn low without effort unlike the M-Pulse. Aso, the P-Pulse produces a sound that is like compressed where the SVT4 is like wide opened. What I noticed seems to be confirmed by Calaverasgrande:
To clarify, I think what we are dealing with here are two very different preamps. If you get the difference in amplifier sections out of the way and compare the Mesa Bass 400 and the Ampeg SVT, both tube amps of comparable power with 6x6550 tubes, you may get the same impression.
(Yes I know the Bass 400 can show up in 6x6L6GC format. But the original is 6550 and I think it sounds better).
The Ampeg has IMHO a kind of scooped sound with a hump in the low mids. The Mesa has a more mid forward sound with almost an opposite kind of lack of low mids. When I was learning how to use my Mesa it kind of stymied me why I couldn't get that low mid kind of dwell like an Ampeg has no matter what I did with the EQ. It's a Fender style tone stack, but one that Randall Smith and his folks have hot rodded a bit.
Ampeg's preamp is very different. I'm only a hobbyist in electronics, but it has to be one of the weirder designs I've ever seen. Using a passive mid with a transformer in it for that 5 way selectable mid shift?
I suppose it's basically functioning as an inductor, but wow, that is a ha-yuuuuge inductor.
(Yes I know the Bass 400 can show up in 6x6L6GC format. But the original is 6550 and I think it sounds better).
The Ampeg has IMHO a kind of scooped sound with a hump in the low mids. The Mesa has a more mid forward sound with almost an opposite kind of lack of low mids. When I was learning how to use my Mesa it kind of stymied me why I couldn't get that low mid kind of dwell like an Ampeg has no matter what I did with the EQ. It's a Fender style tone stack, but one that Randall Smith and his folks have hot rodded a bit.
Ampeg's preamp is very different. I'm only a hobbyist in electronics, but it has to be one of the weirder designs I've ever seen. Using a passive mid with a transformer in it for that 5 way selectable mid shift?
I suppose it's basically functioning as an inductor, but wow, that is a ha-yuuuuge inductor.
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That is exactly how I see it!
The M-Pulse also has this very pillowy tone everyone talks about. It's nice but to me, it lack of dynamics
- Jan 12, 2011
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One of my favorite bass players Rhonda Smith plays on Mesa. When I hear the word Mesa I think quality before I think price. Good gear is not cheap. When it comes to my Rig I never skimp on quality. I'll play a decent bass on a quality rig any day as opposed to the other way round.
That's what I mainly use my graphic EQ for on my D-180, to get a similar bump in the low mids.To clarify, I think what we are dealing with here are two very different preamps. If you get the difference in amplifier sections out of the way and compare the Mesa Bass 400 and the Ampeg SVT, both tube amps of comparable power with 6x6550 tubes, you may get the same impression.
(Yes I know the Bass 400 can show up in 6x6L6GC format. But the original is 6550 and I think it sounds better).
The Ampeg has IMHO a kind of scooped sound with a hump in the low mids. The Mesa has a more mid forward sound with almost an opposite kind of lack of low mids. When I was learning how to use my Mesa it kind of stymied me why I couldn't get that low mid kind of dwell like an Ampeg has no matter what I did with the EQ. It's a Fender style tone stack, but one that Randall Smith and his folks have hot rodded a bit.
Ampeg's preamp is very different. I'm only a hobbyist in electronics, but it has to be one of the weirder designs I've ever seen. Using a passive mid with a transformer in it for that 5 way selectable mid shift?
I suppose it's basically functioning as an inductor, but wow, that is a ha-yuuuuge inductor.
yeah, I've done that at times as well.
I finally settled into a pretty flat EQ profile on the amp in general with the bass knob pulled out to shift the corner up. And I've an eq dialed in on my Stingray which works great like that. Go figure, I'm not the first person to discover that Mesa amps and Musicman basses go well together.
I actually us the graphic as a boost. I have all of the faders pushed up one notch and a non-latching footswitch connected.
The pedal is a normally closed switch. So it's only off when I am standing on it. That way I can do a 'bass solo' and run around like I'm bloody Flea on coke. The rest of the time I'm just doing my Duck Dunn back in the corner with the drummer.
I finally settled into a pretty flat EQ profile on the amp in general with the bass knob pulled out to shift the corner up. And I've an eq dialed in on my Stingray which works great like that. Go figure, I'm not the first person to discover that Mesa amps and Musicman basses go well together.
I actually us the graphic as a boost. I have all of the faders pushed up one notch and a non-latching footswitch connected.
The pedal is a normally closed switch. So it's only off when I am standing on it. That way I can do a 'bass solo' and run around like I'm bloody Flea on coke. The rest of the time I'm just doing my Duck Dunn back in the corner with the drummer.
After changing the tubes, I have to say things really got wayyy better!
I could really really get close to the sound produced by my SVT4, thanks the parametric EQ. The preamp EQ is quite poor to me, but the param EQ does the job perfectly!
Now, I'll switch between the SVT4 and the MP600 to see wich one am I going to keep
I could really really get close to the sound produced by my SVT4, thanks the parametric EQ. The preamp EQ is quite poor to me, but the param EQ does the job perfectly!
Now, I'll switch between the SVT4 and the MP600 to see wich one am I going to keep
Yeah, unfortunately the D-180's bass knob pull control shifts it down, not up.
I do use the graphic as an overall boost as well. I don't have anything cut, and some things boosted. Makes the overdrive gnarlier, which is good for my main band, which is metal.
I've owned two D180's. I currently own one with the graphic EQ. Like others have said the graphic EQ makes all the difference to me. I'm actually looking for another D180 with EQ so I can keep one in our studio for practice and the other at home for gigging. Hit me up if you have one or know of one that's for sale 
Dude, there are only like what, 1200 D180's? Dont be so grabby.
Do you guys know of the MP600 can sound the same as a Titan V12. I'm interested in the Titan, but I just want to make sure I'll be able to dial in the sound I want.
the Titan is kind of more of a Metal bass head. It's got an overdrive and seems to be more voiced for a guy with a Stingray on a 48" strap, tuned to A.
It is very flexible and is easily as loud as an SVT4. I've tried other folks Titans, but steered clear myself. I blow up stuff too easily, and I don't want that many watts unless I have 4 cabinets!
I once turned up to a gig where I was faced with an M Pulse 360, and had all of 5 minutes to figure out how to use it. The 15 or so knobs on the front were a bit... intimidating. I got a decent sound out of it but wish I'd had more time to tweak it.
I now have a Subway which is awesome but I'd like to eventually properly have a go with an M Pulse - if I like it enough I might try to score a used one before they totally vanish.
