Mesa/Boogie Titan V12 megathread!

[Wasnex]

Would you say you prfer the GBE against the Titan?

Both are incredible amps! If I had to choose, I would keep the GBE1200 as I think it is more versatile, easier to dial in, and more transparent. The Titan excels as a wrecking ball though, so the Genz is not superior in all aspects.

 

[baxter_x]

Well.... My next amp I think.

 

[Bowedtoothdoc54]

I'll be looking forward to hearing your impressions and your thoughts as to the output compared to the Titan?
I'm not a gigging musician, but from the specs depending on the Ohms of your rig I would imagine that the Genz could possibly have more power than the Titan? I didn't own both heads at the same time and even if I did I would be hard pressed do that kind of comparison without having my neighbors calling the police .
Thanks Wasnex for your input on channel blending! Your advice on setting up the Tube channel to get some distortion and blending with the clean FET channel is almost like having a whole different head? I'm not sure what pricing is like across the pond, but I paid almost half for my GBE1200 compared to the Titan? I'm going to post below some information from the GBE1200 manual:

DYNAMIC OUTPUT INTO “REACTIVE” REAL WORLD SPEAKER LOADS
An important and not commonly discussed specification is a power amps ability to deliver rated power into a “reactive load”. All speakers present a reactive load to the amplifier, reducing real world driving ability. Although speaker cabinets are usually rated as 8 or 4 ohms, this is a “nominal” impedance rating and in actuality can dip as much as 30%. Since speakers are not resistive loads but rather are highly “reactive”, amplifiers must work even harder to drive them and will often prematurely trigger their protective limiting circuits - not so with GENZ BENZ bass amps!! Our bass amplifier designs compensate for this effect and are rated to deliver their full power into reactive loads. This is one important reason GENZ BENZ amplifiers sound so big!!

POWERFLEX
Maximum Power Feature
This feature, designed into the GBE 1200, optimizes the massive power supply to better deliver maximum power levels at 4 ohms and for extended 2 ohm operation into reactive loads. A large switch on the rear panel is provided so that the amplifier can be switched to correctly match the total cabinet impedance load on the amplifier for optimum performance and power. An amber LED indicator is provided on the front panel Master Status section to indicate when the POWERFLEX feature is switched to 2 ohm operation.


EXTENDED BURST POWER RATINGS
The GBE 1200 is rated using the Extended Burst Power method which tests amplifier power output using a duty cycle 10 times more stringent than the IHF standard. This demanding test method provides a much more accurate representation of the performance demands on the bass instrument amplifier in the real world.

It's a shame that Genz was swallowed up and terminated by Fender, but I guess that's just how the modern world is?

 

[Dalmasn]

I just pulled the trigger on a used GBE1200 (from the discussions above that made me curious) and I'll post my thoughts on how it compares to the Titan as soon as I get it into the practice space. It's just as heavy as the Titan and the build quality seems really good. I really like the thought of that it's built to have no space above or below which makes it easier to cram into a tight case.

 

[baxter_x]

Veryn interesting! I'm waiting for your review.

I really like the thought of that it's built to have no space above or below which makes it easier to cram into a tight case.

That is a huge interest for me too! Assuming you don't have to care about the heat with such a powerful amp is great.

 

[agedhorse]

The GBE-1200 needs no space above or below when mounted in a rack, adding space above and below makes exactly zero difference.

There needs to be at least 1" of space on the right side for air intake, some plastic racks with recessed handles do not provide this so beware.

 

[Bowedtoothdoc54]

Dalmasn,
I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the GBE 1200.
What cab do you plan to use with the head? Are you going to be running it @ 4 Ohms or 2 Ohms?
If running a 2 Ohm load don't forget about the 2 Ohm switch on the back?
I am running mine through a single Fender Pro 810 Cabinet so it's just a 4 Ohm load, but it's still has more power than I would ever need

 

[Dalmasn]

Currently I'm using a Mesa PH1000 (4ohm) in the practice space and depending on the venue I'm lugging that or a 212 earcandy bassbomb (8ohm), which is not nearly as clear as the PH1000 but I'm normally going direct to FOH anyway so it's just a monitor =)

 

[Wasnex]

I just pulled the trigger on a used GBE1200 (from the discussions above that made me curious) and I'll post my thoughts on how it compares to the Titan as soon as I get it into the practice space. It's just as heavy as the Titan and the build quality seems really good. I really like the thought of that it's built to have no space above or below which makes it easier to cram into a tight case.

The GBE1200s natural voice is more HIFI than the Titan, but you can unleash the brute hidden inside if you go nuts with the EQ and gain and take advantage of the channel blending feature.

 

[marcblum]

Having played the GBE1200 for several years (bandmates called it simply THE WALL!), I switched to Mesa Boogie for tonal reasons (400+, 2x 400+, Strategy 8:88, Prodigy 4:88, Buster Combo, Walkabout Combo).

I'm now adding a Titan V12 to my arsenal.

 

[baxter_x]

How would you then compare the GBE 1200 against the Titan?

 

[Dalmasn]

I still like the titan better. I play mostly rock/grunge and metal in drop A. The GBE1200 is more transparent imho but i haven't played around with it even close to as much as with the Titan so we'll see. I got both of them hooked up in the practice place so I might come to another opinion later on. The channel mixing is nice with the GBE1200 where you can add some sizzle or bottom depending on how you set the channels. Sort of the same as for the Titan where you can mix in the OD but without tonal adjustments. I'll still keep my black face Titan my main though. For smaller gigs it's the Orange OB1-500.

 

[marcblum]

I read about the silverfaced Titan V12 to be sometimes unreliable / heating up upon 2 Ohms speakers load.

Can anyone report on that?

 

[Wasnex]

I read about the silverfaced Titan V12 to be sometimes unreliable / heating up upon 2 Ohms speakers load.

Can anyone report on that?

The silver and black both needed a fairly major factory reliability update. If you have the amp's serial number you can call Mesa and check to see if the amp has been updated. The cost of the update is about $450 plus shipping if the amp is out of warranty.

I have a black amp that is not updated, and to be honest, I am a bit paranoid. It has recently started making some sizzly sounds when the notes decay at a certain volume. I need to roll some preamp tubes to see if it clears the problem. It did last time the amp had this symptom. My amp has never shut down, but I don't push it hard.

 

[baxter_x]

I read about the silverfaced Titan V12 to be sometimes unreliable / heating up upon 2 Ohms speakers load.

Can anyone report on that?

I have both the silver and black titan. The black is updated not the silver. It failed on me last year, but it was a capacitor that blew, not an overheating issue. But that amp really needs some air to breathe. That's why I installed a fan on the side of the rack to extract air. It runs super cool now.

It has recently started making some sizzly sounds when the notes decay at a certain volume. I need to roll some preamp tubes to see if it clears the problem. It did last time the amp had this symptom.

Keep us in touch about this. But the same happened to me on my Mesa MP600 and rolling tubes helped too.

 

[marcblum]

Dalmasn,
I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the GBE 1200.
What cab do you plan to use with the head? Are you going to be running it @ 4 Ohms or 2 Ohms?

Played the GBE 1200 for several years intensely. It never failed, always delivered, whether with single 4 Ohm cab or 2 cabs resulting in 2 Ohm load. Incredible power, versatile EQ-section, heavy as a tank. I liked it a lot, but then a 400+ crossed my path...BANG...there you go.

 

[marcblum]

Finally got that used Titan V12. I'm impressed by it's ease of use (I like knobs!) and straight power. Mesa-typical: more or less gain makes a difference even when totally clean.

Appears to be lighter than the GBE1200 which I remember to weight as hell. Next Friday Proof of Concept within my fast-as-f.u.c.k. punkrock band.

 

[Wasnex]

Finally got that used Titan V12. I'm impressed by it's ease of use (I like knobs!) and straight power. Mesa-typical: more or less gain makes a difference even when totally clean.

Appears to be lighter than the GBE1200 which I remember to weight as hell. Next Friday Proof of Concept within my fast-as-f.u.c.k. punkrock band.

Per the Genz Benz webste: GBE1200 42lbs

Mesa doesn't list the Titan weight any more. I found an old post referencing the Mesa website that listed the unracked Titan at 33lbs and the weight with the bronco headcase at 55lbs.

 

[agedhorse]

I believe the Titan is a little bit lighter than the GBE-1200, maybe 5 pounds or so.

 

[baxter_x]

Think the GBE might be as heavy as my Ampeg SvT 4 pro. When I first lifted the Titan, I've amazed how "light" it was. To me it's the lightest in its category.