Mesa Subway D-350!

[Al Kraft]

It's sold.

No surprise!

 

[Enrique M]

I am curious how the Mesa Subway compares to the Rumble 500c (w/o the extension cabs) in terms of overall volume?

I am a noob to the bass world, only been gigging about a year. My Rumble 500c (running at 350w) has served me well for the last year, but I want to upgrade my rig. I 'might' need a little more volume (considered picking up the Rumble extension cab to use the full 500w), but also am not 100% happy with the cleans I get out of the Rumble ( I play both clean (Reggae) and dirty (electric blues/metal/funk) and use a growing pedal board (set up for a weekly ampless practice).

The D-800 has some appeal to me for future proofing my volume needs, but it might be overkill. I play out once a month --at best -- and my Rumble 500c has been able to produce enough volume for the venues around here that don't have PA support. (I have rarely needed to push my volume past 9 or 10 oclock -- 1/4-1/3 total volume according to the knob. ). This would also be my main home practice amp... you get the idea.

No questions about which amp is higher quality, my questions is will the Subway D-350 meet the same volume levels as the Rumble 500c (350w) or if I want to go this route do I need to be considering a D-800?

Thanks,

 

[Moonskunk]

I am curious how the Mesa Subway compares to the Rumble 500c (w/o the extension cabs) in terms of overall volume?

I am a noob to the bass world, only been gigging about a year. My Rumble 500c (running at 350w) has served me well for the last year, but I want to upgrade my rig. I 'might' need a little more volume (considered picking up the Rumble extension cab to use the full 500w), but also am not 100% happy with the cleans I get out of the Rumble ( I play both clean (Reggae) and dirty (electric blues/metal/funk) and use a growing pedal board (set up for a weekly ampless practice).

The D-800 has some appeal to me for future proofing my volume needs, but it might be overkill. I play out once a month --at best -- and my Rumble 500c has been able to produce enough volume for the venues around here that don't have PA support. (I have rarely needed to push my volume past 9 or 10 oclock -- 1/4-1/3 total volume according to the knob. ). This would also be my main home practice amp... you get the idea.

No questions about which amp is higher quality, my questions is will the Subway D-350 meet the same volume levels as the Rumble 500c (350w) or if I want to go this route do I need to be considering a D-800?

Thanks,

You say you rarely have to push the volume knob past 9 or 10 on the Rumble. This is really meaningless, that amp could be maxed out by 11, 12 or even sooner where as other amps may spread the available power more evenly across a much broader setting of the volume knob. Never compare one amp to another by how loud they both are at the same volume setting.

 

[Enrique M]

You say you rarely have to push the volume knob past 9 or 10 on the Rumble. This is really meaningless, that amp could be maxed out by 11, 12 or even sooner where as other amps may spread the available power more evenly across a much broader setting of the volume knob. Never compare one amp to another by how loud they both are at the same volume setting.

Understood, however my intention was not to compare the two amps based on the same volume setting, but rather provide additional info about my sonic goals, under the assumption that someone else in this thread has used a Rumble 500c in the past and would have a rough sense of what kind of volume levels I have been working with so far. My apologies for not being clearer on that.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Understood, however my intention was not to compare the two amps based on the same volume setting, but rather provide additional info about my sonic goals, under the assumption that someone else in this thread has used a Rumble 500c in the past and would have a rough sense of what kind of volume levels I have been working with so far. My apologies for not being clearer on that.

So a couple of things:

The D350 is 175 watts at 8 ohms 350 at 4 ohms or with a second 8 ohm cabinet.

The Rumble 500c is 350 watts at 8 ohms 500 watts at 500 watts.

This of course doesn’t take in tone or general performance of both. So you would have to consider if 175 watts vs 350 watts is enough for you or whether the tone improvement of the Mesa outweighs the power output of the Fender.

Sometimes based on how the preamp is incorporated into the design. I have experienced amps with more power not getting enough juice from the preamp making an amp sound weak.

I don’t have any experience with either of these amps but I do recommend considering my first points.

Myself, if it’s more about a fresh clean tone as needed, I’d go D 800 or D+. Best of both worlds. Great tone and enough power for the rock metal stuff.

 

[Enrique M]

So a couple of things:

The D350 is 175 watts at 8 ohms 350 at 4 ohms or with a second 8 ohm cabinet.

The Rumble 500c is 350 watts at 8 ohms 500 watts at 500 watts.

This of course doesn’t take in tone or general performance of both. So you would have to consider if 175 watts vs 350 watts is enough for you or whether the tone improvement of the Mesa outweighs the power output of the Fender.

Sometimes based on how the preamp is incorporated into the design. I have experienced amps with more power not getting enough juice from the preamp making an amp sound weak.

I don’t have any experience with either of these amps but I do recommend considering my first points.

Thanks for pointing that out. If I went the D350 direction, it would be my intention to to use two cabs while gigging.

 

[HelpImaRock]

The D-350 replaced my Markbass Little Mark II, which at 8 ohms is 350 watts. They're roughly the same perceived volume. The difference is really in the tone stack of the two amps, as I still use the same GK 115. IMO, the Mesa is easier to dial in. I also sold a Fender Rumble 40 because I didn't like the mid content of it as a practice amp compared to the Mesa, which performs well at home and with the band.

 

[agedhorse]

Thanks for pointing that out. If I went the D350 direction, it would be my intention to to use two cabs while gigging.

With two cabinets, it’s very much a gigable rig for many genres. We had a test rig with the D-350 and 2 x Subway 115’s doing pretty loud rock gigs all around northern CA to flush out the amp’s potential. Surprisingly big sounding was the consensus, this was across maybe 7 or 8 different players.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Thanks for pointing that out. If I went the D350 direction, it would be my intention to to use two cabs while gigging.

Then the D350 would be enough in my mind

 

[Nebadon2000]

The D 350 with two fairly efficient[sensitivity] 8 ohm Cabs will most likely be able to produce all the Volume you may need now and in future.

As many here have testified to and even some getting good volume results with just 1 8 ohm cab [with D 350]

BUT as for Tone the D 350 is a Mesa and although all is subjective it will do clean as good as any and can handle your pedals; The Cabs will have a say also.

 

[SJan3]

The D-350 replaced my Markbass Little Mark II, which at 8 ohms is 350 watts. They're roughly the same perceived volume. The difference is really in the tone stack of the two amps, as I still use the same GK 115. IMO, the Mesa is easier to dial in. I also sold a Fender Rumble 40 because I didn't like the mid content of it as a practice amp compared to the Mesa, which performs well at home and with the band.

LittleMark ll is 300 watts @8 ohms.
That said, the Mesa D-350 is not far off in output volume, especially at 4ohms.

 

[Al Kraft]

With two cabinets, it’s very much a gigable rig for many genres. We had a test rig with the D-350 and 2 x Subway 115’s doing pretty loud rock gigs all around northern CA to flush out the amp’s potential. Surprisingly big sounding was the consensus, this was across maybe 7 or 8 different players.

I have posted before that when testing the D-350 prototype I used it with a Berg CN-212 (4 Ohm) at a medium/large indoor venue and at an outdoor block party with two GK Neo 112II cabs (total 4 Ohm load) the head delivered all the clean volume necessary. At no point did I even think about needing to substitute in one of the my 800 Watt heads that I brought along just in case.

As an interesting endorsement the only neighbor not at the outdoor block party called in a noise complaint. The responding members of the local constabulary were very complimentary about how full my bass tone was when they pulled up out front. I should also mention that at no time did I have any overheating problems with the head even when pushing it hard. In fact it pretty much didn't even get warm to the touch.

The groups I was playing with were doing rock and modern country and I am a clean player.

 

[BlueTalon]

I should also mention that at no time did I have any overheating problems with the head even when pushing it hard. In fact it pretty much didn't even get warm to the touch.

This never fails to amaze me. No matter how hard I work it, and no matter how hot the environment is, it's never discernably warmer than ambient.

 

[agedhorse]

This never fails to amaze me. No matter how hard I work it, and no matter how hot the environment is, it's never discernably warmer than ambient.

By design.

 

[Chuck M]

This never fails to amaze me. No matter how hard I work it, and no matter how hot the environment is, it's never discernably warmer than ambient.

My experience is the same.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Ohms question:

We're playing a show in a few weeks where the venue backlines an Ampeg fridge. They didn't disclose the model, but did say it takes either Speakon or 1/4" cables. If I use 1 speakon cable, will I get 175 or the full 350 watts? I think it'd be 350 but haven't ever played the Mesa into an Ampeg 8x10 before. And any time I've played through one, the venue provided the head too.

Thanks!

 

[agedhorse]

Ohms question:

We're playing a show in a few weeks where the venue backlines an Ampeg fridge. They didn't disclose the model, but did say it takes either Speakon or 1/4" cables. If I use 1 speakon cable, will I get 175 or the full 350 watts? I think it'd be 350 but haven't ever played the Mesa into an Ampeg 8x10 before. And any time I've played through one, the venue provided the head too.

Thanks!

In mono (the typical connection for the 810), the load will be 4 ohms so you will get the full 350 watts.

 

[Michael Vee]

HelpImaRock, current production Ampeg 810s have this style jackplate. Many older ones only have 1/4" mono input(s). From what the venue said, the one you'll be using is one of the later 810s.

You can run a Speakon cable from the D-350 to one of the Speakon jacks, labeled 3 in the diagram below, and get the full 350 watts at 4 ohms in cab mono mode.

In the diagram below, for both jacks labeled 2, and both labeled 3, the second jack of each is for daisy-chaining another cabinet. Don't plug into both of them from one head if you are just using the one 810.

Here's a link to the Ampeg product manual that gives a bit more detail.

 

[HelpImaRock]

In mono (the typical connection for the 810), the load will be 4 ohms so you will get the full 350 watts.

HelpImaRock, current production Ampeg 810s have this style jackplate. Many older ones only have 1/4" mono input(s). From what the venue said, the one you'll be using is one of the later 810s.

You can run a Speakon cable from the D-350 to one of the Speakon jacks, labeled 3 in the diagram below, and get the full 350 watts at 4 ohms in cab mono mode.

In the diagram below, for both jacks labeled 2, and both labeled 3, the second jack of each is for daisy-chaining another cabinet. Don't plug into both of them from one head if you are just using the one 810.

Here's a link to the Ampeg product manual that gives a bit more detail.

View attachment 6984192

Thanks! That's what I thought but I wanted to be certain.

 

[mikeswals]

Thanks for pointing that out. If I went the D350 direction, it would be my intention to to use two cabs while gigging.

Have you not seen any of my posts here?

I use quite a few different cab setups with my D350