- Jun 6, 2012
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Mesa Boogie vs Ampeg vs Markbass vs Others
- Thread starter tarp21
- Start date
If you have the cash and you do gigs, Mesa Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 4x10 Bass Cabinet | MESA/Boogie® with whatever Mesa amp tickles your fancy.
If I went with Mesa, I'd go for the WD-800 for cleans. However, none of those would give you cleans as a Markbass.
Right up front I should let you know that I am a DNA Endorsing Artist. If you're not familiar with it, DNA stands for David Nordschow Amplification. David Nordschow was the founder of Eden and went by David Eden in most of the gear videos. He founded Eden in 1976, sold Eden in 2008, left in 2009, and started DNA in 2010. He designed all the Eden amps and cabs up until then. The top-of-the-line Eden cabs were called David series cabs which they shortened to just D-series, after he left. Those are still their top of the line cabs. Eden gear has always been known for a clear, clean and warm sound.
First thing he came out with in 2010 was a new series of cabs called "DNS" cabs (David Nordschow Speakers). Shortly after that he introduced a new 1350-watt rms class D amp called the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. It used different power technology (a patented design with one cycle control loop technology) than the lower wattage class D amps he designed at Eden. The amp has lots of features. Price was/is right around $1499.
A few years later he came out with the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], which has most of the features of the its big brother the DNA1350 (including built-in compressor with adjustable threshold and ratio), but has 800-watts rms into 4 ohms instead of 1350-watts. It's also almost half the price and is 1½ rack spaces tall instead of 2. Street price is $799 on it. As you would expect from anything he designs, the amp has a clear, clean, warm, and articulate sound.
EQ is bass shelving centered at 30Hz, Low-mid centered at 500Hz, high-mid at 2KHz, and treble, which is a shelving unit for everything above the high mids. It's a simpler system than the three semi-parametric controls plus bass and treble shelving EQ's that David put in most of his hybrid class A/B amps at Eden.
Bass Musician Magazine (.com) did a nice run through and review of it. I've cued it to the part where he starts talking about the DNA-800. He's running it through a DNS-210 cab, which handles 700-watts rms and has a maximum SPL of 134db. I personally have that cab and also the DNS-410 but only use one at a time.
As clean as it can get, plus on-board compression? MARKBASS TTE800. Perfect. And gorgeous. 4 kgs. Maybe less. 800 watts. Tubes. Best compressor you will ever happen to use.
Wow! Hazard pay..??
I've been considered "essential " whatever that means, since the scamdemic started.. being at the USPS... we've not received anything, other than obnoxious amounts of packages.
Anywho... I've used the Mesa Subway D800 for exactly what you're doing... works very easily and in spades. Plenty of power... and the Subway cabs aren't anything to shy away from either
Wow! Hazard pay..??
I've been considered "essential " whatever that means, since the scamdemic started.. being at the USPS... we've not received anything, other than obnoxious amounts of packages.
Anywho... I've used the Mesa Subway D800 for exactly what you're doing... works very easily and in spades. Plenty of power... and the Subway cabs aren't anything to shy away from either
Apparently I’m super duper essential, I’m a paramedic. Lol. My work received huge government funds to distribute as they seen fit.
Glad to know about the Mesa stuff! Thanks!
Guitar center is my only option and good luck with that lol
I've been playing the Markbass Little Mark III since 2009. Clean, articulate but not sterile or harsh. Highly recommended.
Alternatively, the Markbass Little Mark Vintage, with tube preamp, has a clean but also tubey tone.
As the owner of both a Mesa 800+ and a Bergantino Forte HP which I use with a variety of Barefaced cabinets I certainly agree that you cannot go wrong with the Mesa. Since you said that you are after the cleanest tone you can get you might also wish to consider the Forte HP, which has both high and low pass filters and 1200 watts for a bit more headroom. Its tone is a bit more transparent than the Mesa which is a tad warmer, although both can be easily tweaked.
TT-800 is just a little more. That’s what I told myself. Eventually I was convinced.
Maybe a bass vacation or at least a quick trip? I do recommend trying. Maybe a quick trip to Bass Club Chicago or Chicago Music Exchange? Not sure what is in St. Louis/Des Moines/Kansas City... I have the same problem with local inventory so have traveled in the past and been glad I did.
My purchase has to be under the radar so a trip is out for me. Married.....she thinks I have enough junk as she puts it LOL
Bummer. My wife encouraged me to spend a large sum on a new rig. Delivery truck is due here on Tuesday with several boxes. Hint, the letters TT are in the amp model name. Unboxing pictures to come...
