Mesa WD800 vs Ampeg SVT

[logdrum]

Mesas are Mesas. Historically they made bass amps first and their bass amps were from Day 1 not SVT. The question should probably be, will the WD800 emulate the 400, 400+ and D-180 tube bass amps of the past. I haven't tried but my guess would be yes.

 

[IvanBassist]

I made a very in depth demo video of the WD-800:



Love the feel and tone this amp

 

[rodl2005]

These are the 6 that I tried

Ampeg svt-7pro
GK MB500
Gk MB 800
GK MBF 800
TECH 21 VT 1000
TECH 21 Dug Amp

Not particular on Ampeg , but I love mids , girth , and that raspy " chingy" punk sound you can get from tubes.
It seems easiest to get with the Ampeg toobers

Yes, as already mentioned, try an Aguilar TH500 or TH700.
I've got the 500 and it's the best Class D baby for an SVT type thing in my opinion

 

[Charlzm]

Hey fellow bassers
I am looking to buy a Class D backup to my SVT ( 2pro) and I gave it a go with a few others on the market but couldn't find one that didnt sound thin compared to the thickness of a tube power section .

The one to come closest for me was the GK MBF800. But still .... in the end too thin of a sound, and when pushed , lost definition and sounded kind nasally.
But I feel that Class Ds do have enough " slam " and punch , so my concern is not in that area , tone wise.

And I pass the preamp when comparing, plugging into the effects return to hear only what the power section is doing.

Which brings me to the conclusion of looking at the WD800 because of its power amp dampening feature .
before when I was comparing class Ds , I tried 6 different ones , but none of those were the Mesa Class D's .... simply because I gave up at #6 and didnt order anything after that.

Can anyone that's been able to compare both give some insight to if the technology behind Cass Ds have finally caught up to match tube thickness and dynamics?

Cheers Mates!

Maybe try the Mesa WD-800 the one with actual tubes in the preamp section?

 

[Jim C]

I have an SVT
I also have / have had a 7 Pro, Tone Hammer, 800 Fusion, and a Walkabout

Other than an Ampeg tube pre into a power amp, the closest thing to an SVT, by far, is the Walkabout
I would highly recommend you try a Walkabout before making a final decision

 

[KaseOfBass]

Maybe try the Mesa WD-800 the one with actual tubes in the preamp section?

*tube

Just one

Not a comment regarding lack of tubes, just wanted to clarify.

 

[Charlzm]

*tube

Just one

Not a comment regarding lack of tubes, just wanted to clarify.

Really? Huh. My Peavey-made Trace Elliot has two. Just assumed the Mesa did, too. Oops.

From the owners' manual:

Tubes - one, optimized for 12AT7 or 12AU7 (12AX7 can be used with some loss of dynamics)

 

[CoffeeLove]

You hit it with the GK Fusion 800 (my current primary), and the Mesa Walkabout is close, but only 300 watts! While not class D, the Eden WT400 and 550 can also cop a big/thick somewhat tubey sound, and only 13 and 20 pounds respectively. I have had almost every class D you can think of, minus the new Mesa WD800, and the Fusion is the closest IMHO. Also had an SVT II (non pro) and Mesa 400+, and to me it is hard to get that sound without the weight. Good luck in your search, and let me know if you find something better than the the Fusion or Walkabout for landing that big/thick/warm vibe of an all-tube amp. Peace

 

[Kukulkan61]

Put a Mic in front of a cab being driven by this!!

 

[SactoBass]

I haven't found a tube amp like that either except for maybe a Marshall Major.

aka "the pig" (which I believe Pete Townshend coined that nickname for the 200 watt Marshall Major).

 

[SactoBass]

Last weekend, I got to play my 59 PBass into the SVT-VR and Heritage 810 at an outdoor show where I could crank it up (to noon!). NOTHING I’ve ever heard will get you THAT sound.

I have other amps that sound great and work amazingly well at gigs, but c’mon

Biiiiiiiiiig +1

Of all the tube amps I have owned over the years, the SVT-VR was *by far* the best sounding amp to my ears. I have never owned or played through a Heritage fridge cab, but I can only imagine what it would have sounded like through that cab! BAM!

@JimmyM says that, in his opinion, the Heritage 810 cab is the best sounding cab Ampeg has ever made. That says alot (to me, anyway).

 

[SactoBass]

The SVT7Pro is going to be way closer than the others.

Does anyone happen to know if the bugs finally got worked out on the SVT7Pro? I know there have been significant reliability issues in the past with that amp, and Ampeg has issued updated versions, but I don't know if the problems have been 100% resolved. Hence my question.

 

[JimmyM]

Does anyone happen to know if the bugs finally got worked out on the SVT7Pro? I know there have been significant reliability issues in the past with that amp, and Ampeg has issued updated versions, but I don't know if the problems have been 100% resolved. Hence my question.

Yes. There was an updated U2 chip (whatever that is) that came out about four years ago that has fixed them.

Link Removed

 

[SactoBass]

Yes. There was an updated U2 chip (whatever that is) that came out about four years ago that has fixed them.

Link Removed

Awesome! Thanks Jimmy!

 

[KaseOfBass]

I have an SVT
I also have / have had a 7 Pro, Tone Hammer, 800 Fusion, and a Walkabout

Other than an Ampeg tube pre into a power amp, the closest thing to an SVT, by far, is the Walkabout
I would highly recommend you try a Walkabout before making a final decision

Interesting and good to know. I tried a WalkAbout Scout Combo years ago and don’t remember caring for it, but it was long enough ago I have no actual memory of what it sounded like. I might have to venture down to Austin Guitar House and try one as they show to have two used combos in stock.

 

[Jim C]

I had an SVT-CL and Walkabout next to each other and using one of those Ampeg dealers select swtich boxes I was bale to A/B the two with a BG 2x12, Bergantino HT322, and a TL606 (I only ran the SVT at 8 Ohms for a short time, no hating please!) and was amazed how close they were.
I was just telling a buddy that I wish I never sold the WA, (especially since I forgot to take out Telefunken and Amperex vintage tubes).
Said he felt the same way about his.

The 7Pro could get a similar tone but not nearly as open or clear (to me).

BTW: I kept the SVT as a reference amp; it rarely leaves the house.
I only sold the WA because I wanted more power for less effecinet cabinets.

It seems somewhat divided on the WD800 threads as to how much it sounds like a WA even though it shares some of the same DNA as Andy has discussed numerous times in the past

 

[KaseOfBass]

The 7Pro could get a similar tone but not nearly as open or clear (to me

Also interesting. While not my thread, I greatly appreciate your input. Maybe that’s why I like the 7 Pro so much. To me it has a certain wooly, gritty, not clean quality that I really like. When I owned the Mesa Prodigy for awhile that was my main dislike - it sounded too polite and clean for what I was looking for. I’d still like to try a WD-800 and a Walkabout.

 

[TubeDood]

Good stuff!

I made a very in depth demo video of the WD-800:



Love the feel and tone this amp

 

[dannylectro]

I owned, played, and dragged around an SVT and an Ampeg 810 for years back in the 80’s. No, there’s nothing like it exactly. But I gotta say, the Mesa WD800 gets mighty close, especially if you put it through a couple of 410s, a 610, or other multiple speaker situations. But, IMHO, the reality of modern stages is that smaller rigs, with great fidelity & modern stage monitoring really make the SVT model somewhat of a dinosaur on all but maybe the biggest stages.

 

[RickC]

Yes. There was an updated U2 chip (whatever that is) that came out about four years ago that has fixed them.

Link Removed

Does it make you sound like Adam Clayton?