Mesa Titan V12 or aguilar db751

[detracti]

The WD-800 was never considered as a contender for the Big Block or Titan tone, in fact everything (to date) has been very different from that family by design. The WD-800 was heavily inspired by the Walkabout and M-Pulse models.


Sure there's a passive mid on the Boogie channel, the whole eq is based on Mesa's interpretation of the Fender tonestack.

Does the Boogie channel of the TT get me closer?

 

[agedhorse]

Does the Boogie channel of the TT get me closer?

Maybe a little closer, there's some heavy voicing in the Big Block and Titan that's not in any of the current heads. The Big Block and Titan and M-2000 were the least popular hybrid models, but they were also the most expensive so that factors into the popularity too.

You really need to try one because your preferences may be too different from any of the current offerings (or even the Walkabout or M-Pulse legacy models). It's probably closer to the Carbine M6/M9 actually, because those were the most heavily voiced (and also fairly popular).

The most popular models in the legacy line were the Bass 400, Bass 400+, Walkabout and M-Pulse and by quite a wide margin, they were also the least heavily voiced, which is why we took our "lighten the voicing" cue from these more popular models. That doesn't mean that the other models weren't desirable though, just addressed the needs that were more outside of the main stream. In fact, there were several threads here on TB specifically on what today's player was looking for in a bass amp compared with a few of our legacy models, which is how the Subway line came to be.

 

[detracti]

Maybe a little closer, there's some heavy voicing in the Big Block and Titan that's not in any of the current heads. The Big Block and Titan and M-2000 were the least popular hybrid models, but they were also the most expensive so that factors into the popularity too.

You really need to try one because your preferences may be too different from any of the current offerings (or even the Walkabout or M-Pulse legacy models). It's probably closer to the Carbine M6/M9 actually, because those were the most heavily voiced (and also fairly popular).

The most popular models in the legacy line were the Bass 400, Bass 400+, Walkabout and M-Pulse and by quite a wide margin, they were also the least heavily voiced, which is why we took our "lighten the voicing" cue from these more popular models. That doesn't mean that the other models weren't desirable though, just addressed the needs that were more outside of the main stream. In fact, there were several threads here on TB specifically on what today's player was looking for in a bass amp compared with a few of our legacy models, which is how the Subway line came to be.

I might. I have the BB750, and just got a Titan V12.. and a second black face Titan V12 on the way. I'm probably only ever going to play small stages in clubs - but I love the tone of them. If I obtain my second life, post retirement, in a working band, I will have everything I need

I guess in the world of Mesa, I'm a bit weird (?). Oddly enough, the M-2000 was the first Mesa head I ever sampled at a Guitar Center years ago and is what got me hooked on the brand.

 

[pepj]

For home practice, reliability is hardly critical. No one wants breakdowns but in this case its an inconvenience.
The DB751 is too much amp and whilst I'm not the biggest advocate of class D, just get a Tonehammer 350 or something for this purpose.
The whole point, imv, of a big block amp like the 751 is lost for home use.

 

[baxter_x]

but Andy Field @agedhorse is still the most innovative engineer in the audio field

I heard even Chuck Norris had engineering lessons from him!

 

[baxter_x]

Ampeg isn't Ampeg anymore (Yamaha)

I didn't notice any changes. Same design, same tone, same amps.
I even heard quality will improve.

 

[agedhorse]

For home practice, reliability is hardly critical. No one wants breakdowns but in this case its an inconvenience.
The DB751 is too much amp and whilst I'm not the biggest advocate of class D, just get a Tonehammer 350 or something for this purpose.
The whole point, imv, of a big block amp like the 751 is lost for home use.

Breakdowns can also be very expensive in addition to inconvenient.

 

[Element Zero]

The WD-800 sounds nice., and gets good and loud. But it is not the in your face punch in the gut of the Big Blocks.

The parametric EQ is too fiddly for my tastes too. I can play with those dials ad infinitum and barely hear anything different.

I just want to dial out high mid honk, and pump low mid punch... Hard to even find it.

Either the D-800 or D-800+ is what you want then. I bought into the Mesa family shortly after the D-800+ came out. Quite enjoyed it. Sold it right when the WD800 debuted. Enjoyed that. Had second thoughts 1 1/2 years later. Picked up another D-800+ and A/B them together. It wasn't even close. The CLEAR winner was the D-800+ especially in the "in your face punch in the gut" type of feel. There's a thickness to even just the flat EQ tone in the + vs the WD that was extremely noticeable (to me). The slightly less busy eq of the D-800+ is easier to navigate I suppose. I utilize the Voicing control, HPF, Deep and Bright switches more than anything else most of the time.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I didn't notice any changes. Same design, same tone, same amps.
I even heard quality will improve.

The 50th Anniversary Heritage SVT I have is a killer head: exactly like 2 channels of Ampeg tone to die for.
If ONLY I could get it into power tube breakup on a gig. With no master: The volume necessary to get grit is too much, even through a 115.

Seems odd, but now I'm on the hunt for a REALLY INEFFICIENT 4 ohm cab to pair with it so I can get it into saturation earlier.

Yamaha is a great steward for the Ampeg legacy.

It seems that Mesa is being treated with RESPECT by Gibson.

 

[baxter_x]

If ONLY I could get it into power tube breakup on a gig

Isn't it easier with a master actually?
Set it low and push the gain. It's just a guess, but should allow you to achieve what you are after.

 

[Wasnex]

Isn't it easier with a master actually?
Set it low and push the gain. It's just a guess, but should allow you to achieve what you are after.

Turning down the Master and cranking the Gain does not push the power tubes to the edge. It pushes the preamp to the edge. Preamp drive can be useful, but it's not the same thing as pushing the output tubes. Pushing the output tubes puts a huge current demand on the power supply, which in most tube amps will result in significant sag. The sag changes the response/feel of the amp.

 

[baxter_x]

Turning down the Master and cranking the Gain does not push the power tubes to the edge. It pushes the preamp to the edge. Preamp drive can be useful, but it's not the same thing as pushing the output tubes. Pushing the output tubes puts a huge current demand on the power supply, which in most tube amps will result in significant sag. The sag changes the response/feel of the amp.

Good to know, thanks

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Isn't it easier with a master actually?
Set it low and push the gain. It's just a guess, but should allow you to achieve what you are after.

The Anniversary head has NO master.
Hence the conundrum.

Also with a Gain / master you only push the Preamp tubes into saturation

 

[detracti]

Either the D-800 or D-800+ is what you want then. I bought into the Mesa family shortly after the D-800+ came out. Quite enjoyed it. Sold it right when the WD800 debuted. Enjoyed that. Had second thoughts 1 1/2 years later. Picked up another D-800+ and A/B them together. It wasn't even close. The CLEAR winner was the D-800+ especially in the "in your face punch in the gut" type of feel. There's a thickness to even just the flat EQ tone in the + vs the WD that was extremely noticeable (to me). The slightly less busy eq of the D-800+ is easier to navigate I suppose. I utilize the Voicing control, HPF, Deep and Bright switches more than anything else most of the time.

That's interesting. I stared with a D-800+ as well, and sold it. Again - dunno/maybe? The Subway channel of the TT-800 is basically the same right?

Was just admiring the face of that Titan V12 on my way down here, and was reminded of how much I love how the gain works on these heads as well. It is much more forgiving than the Ampeg hybrid stuff I had years and years ago - like the more you push it, the sweeter it sounds.

 

[agedhorse]

The Subway channel on the TT was inspired by the D-800/800+ but is not the same.

 

[golower]

The Subway channel on the TT was inspired by the D-800/800+ but is not the same.

I always end up on old threads because I'm always looking for a certain topic. It is usually always been talked about a long time ago. I've enjoyed this thread. There was a lot of stuff talked about and a lot of opinions from different people. I liked what Gene Simmons said in an interview long ago. He said players were missing the point and that the equipment didn't matter as much as just playing your bass. He said just play your bass. We all chase equipment for tone. I felt that statement by Gene was true because I had experienced it firsthand. I remember trying to chase my favorite players tone and never been able to get it. I have 3 amps I like all of them. I think they all sound good. Trace Elliott GP 12 SMX Ampeg SVT2 pro and a Mesa big block 750. Trying to find great tone can be elusive. After twiddling knobs, trying to find that sweet town and then jamming on it for a while and turning my amp off then coming back to it a week later and then not liking it and you start tweaking again kind of drives you nuts it's also trivial to me I mean I have three tone controls in a mid selector switch on my bass and then about the same on my amps well even more selection I guess kind of gets to be a bit overwhelming so I try to simplify it by set everything pretty well flat and just boosting or decreasing small amounts but usually I try to give the bass control knob a bit of boost of course I mean, I'm playing a bass. I struggle with the dirty channel on my Mesa and I'm not looking for that much distortion. You definitely need to use it judicially well myself anyways I've never liked distortion pedals if I want some growl or grunt it has to be from a tube product, I like sans amps for their clean tone which I think is great, but don't like that electronic distortion sound from them when you try to get overdrive from them of course that's my opinion. I bought an EBS pedal with a tube in it. I forget the name but they've been around for quite some time and they were about four or $500 back in the day. I use that on the clean channel of the Mesa and judicially and I have liked that. I wonder what just going through that into a power amp and into speakers would sound like it's supposed to be a class A DI I believe. I think the strings you use have a big effect on your tone and they do. At the end of the day I really think Gene Simmons makes a very good point about tone that if you don't practice and play your instrument, your tone is gonna suck no matter what.
I edited this because I had to look up the name of that EBS pedal. It is the EBS valve drive pedal. I've also used that into the trace Elliott with good results because the trace Elliott GP 12 SMX built back in the 90s is a pretty clean amp I use it to just get a little bit of dirt out of it. I model and build my own cabinets, which are a couple of 4x10 cabs with Beyma 10G40 drivers and are very content with this set up regardless of which amp I'm using. I've enjoyed the discussion on this thread thank you. I realize this should've just been a comment not a reply to the last thing you said aged horse. Please forgive me.

 

[Pep]

I was gonna say - Ampeg still makes the SVT, Aguilar still makes the DB751, Ashdown still makes the ABM line (apparently). So this doesn't hold universally.

I carry a SansAmp as backup. Very compact.

But I've got the same issue with my vintage turntables, and the answer is to keep spares.

That's what happens when your design staff isn't innovative enough to come up with new, more progressive designs.

 

[Pep]

The WD-800 sounds nice., and gets good and loud. But it is not the in your face punch in the gut of the Big Blocks.

The parametric EQ is too fiddly for my tastes too. I can play with those dials ad infinitum and barely hear anything different.

I just want to dial out high mid honk, and pump low mid punch... Hard to even find it.

The Mesa 800D is the "in your face punch in the gut" amp. Thank you so much Andy!

 

[golower]

The Mesa 800D is the "in your face punch in the gut" amp. Thank you so much Andy!

Nice to see we revived this thread a little bit from July 2025 I have been interested in those Mesa 800D amps from things I've read on Talkbass.
The last bass tone I listened to that inspired me was cranberry sunshine by Melvin Sparks off of his live at nectar's now that is a Phat Bass tone. I wonder what that cat was using?

 

[Pep]

Nice to see we revived this thread a little bit from July 2025 I have been interested in those Mesa 800D amps from things I've read on Talkbass.
The last bass tone I listened to that inspired me was cranberry sunshine by Melvin Sparks off of his live at nectar's now that is a Phat Bass tone. I wonder what that cat was using?

It's the best amp I've owned in over 20 years. It sounds "big", full, and punchy.
All of the Subway amps have their own voicing and love them all, but the 800D fits what I want so much better than the others.