I can't argue with any of those choices, but I'd go with #3 if I were you!
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New mesa subway amps and cabs!
- Thread starter mexicant
- Start date
I can't argue with any of those choices, but I'd go with #3 if I were you!
That is a tough decision ! The TB answer would be get all 3
!!! Seriously though depends on your needs. If your amp is doing what you need now I’d do with one of the Basses as the amps will be around and you can get one down the road if you still want one. Between the 2 Basses... the stingrays seem awesome and I also really want one. I own a Dingwall NG-2 & Love it ! Dingwalls seem harder to come by so that’s where I’d lean & get a stingray later of course ! Unless the deal on the stingray is just too stupid good to pass up.
That is a tough decision ! The TB answer would be get all 3
Between the 2 Basses... the stingrays seem awesome and I also really want one. I own a Dingwall NG-2 & Love it ! Dingwalls seem harder to come by so that’s where I’d lean & get a stingray later of course ! Unless the deal on the stingray is just too stupid good to pass up.
My amp is doing the job but never liked it that much.
The deal on the stingray is great! I’ve been harassing the store owner for a year. It’s a light one too! But i’m Seriously gassing for a dingwall but never tried one.
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,047
- 5
- 220,999
- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
The WD-800 characteristics are the combination of the various elements not any single element
Doug Parent
Supporting Member
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
Dingwall and the WD-800 would be my focus.
Very tough decision, indeed.
If a bass speaks to you, it would be my pick. Amps come and go....
Sell the d-800 to fund the wd-800.
Buy the Stingray defer the Dingwall.
You're welcome.
Having bought a D800+ within the past few months Im happy with the sound of that, and certainly don't need another amp but being the owner of an original silver/red WA, I'm intrigued by this amp.
I can't get past the official video for this though, frankly I just don't think the sounds in the video are very good no matter what Im listening back on (headphones, car, stereo, etc)..
Are there any other recorded examples of this amp out there to listen to?
I can't get past the official video for this though, frankly I just don't think the sounds in the video are very good no matter what Im listening back on (headphones, car, stereo, etc)..
Are there any other recorded examples of this amp out there to listen to?
@nostatic did a nice review on it. As an owner of the D800+ I can tell you that they're 2 totally different amps. Bot set flat the WD is brighter and much more alive sounding to me. The WD can be tamed to get the D800+ sound but it's just warmer. I can get an edge out of it that I simply can't get from the D800+. My D800+ isn't going anywhere, both do amazing things, don't judge it on 1 video wait for more to come out.
ahhh..ok. So that's the thing that really stuck out to me in the official video, is that the amp just sounded pretty bright at almost all the settings. Too bright for my taste, and to me it almost sounded like there was some fret buzz/string rattling going on.
Maybe I'll check one out though later in 2019.
Does anyone own an Aguilar AG 700 here? I’m very interested to know how the AG 700 compares to WD 800.
I was all ready to buy a d800+ at my local shop, and I had a d800 a while back but found I still reached for the Walkabout when heading to a gig. I thought the + would get me closer to the walkabout feel. But when I got there they’d just received a WD800. I couldn’t resist. I’m loving it in the living room, and I’ll try it gigs Thursday and Friday.
@nostatic, nice review. But you mention the passive mid is flat at full clockwise. Funny, the manual borrows some language from the walkabout manual, stating it’s cut only, but adds new language suggesting that flat is found between 10:00-2:00. To my ears, I’m finding flat on that control at about 11:00-12:00. Fully clockwise seems to be way high on the mids. There was a lot of discussion about this in the walkabout threads, and if I recall correctly, the “answer” seemed to be that the initial preamp stage boosted the mids and the passive mid control cuts mids back to flat at about the 10-12 position. I suppose it’s technical amp talk, but for playing it doesn’t matter to me whether it “boosts” mids past 12:00, or “allows” more mids back in, or “reduces attenuation” ... I get stronger mids if I turn it clockwise regardless of what it’s called, and with a wonderfully useable range of scooped out mids below 11:00 to strong mids past 1:00.
I could be wrong about the technical aspects but that’s what I’m hearing with this knob. Anyone else?
@nostatic, nice review. But you mention the passive mid is flat at full clockwise. Funny, the manual borrows some language from the walkabout manual, stating it’s cut only, but adds new language suggesting that flat is found between 10:00-2:00. To my ears, I’m finding flat on that control at about 11:00-12:00. Fully clockwise seems to be way high on the mids. There was a lot of discussion about this in the walkabout threads, and if I recall correctly, the “answer” seemed to be that the initial preamp stage boosted the mids and the passive mid control cuts mids back to flat at about the 10-12 position. I suppose it’s technical amp talk, but for playing it doesn’t matter to me whether it “boosts” mids past 12:00, or “allows” more mids back in, or “reduces attenuation” ... I get stronger mids if I turn it clockwise regardless of what it’s called, and with a wonderfully useable range of scooped out mids below 11:00 to strong mids past 1:00.
I could be wrong about the technical aspects but that’s what I’m hearing with this knob. Anyone else?
To confuse things further, I have a walkabout manual that states the mid knob is Boost only. Says it right there in a manual but I've always read here that it's cut only.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,776
- 40,458
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
I think this is a unique hybrid circuit that can't easily be described or characterized only by simple conventional terms (e.g. passive or active). While the control starts as a passive design (cut only kind of control) there is make-up gain added to the equation so you get what will appear to be a "neutral" setting at around 12 to 2 o'clock to my ear. Above that it feels like you're adding mids and below that it feels like you're scooping them.
That was my experience anyway and is the best explanation I can offer. I'm sure the technical aspects are more complex than that, and I suspect many people will find the "neutral position" in slightly different spots due to personal taste and/or settings on the other EQ controls. No matter how you hear things, this is just one more aspect of this head that allows you tone shaping flexibility you don't find on most designs.
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Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,776
- 40,458
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
Here is the description from the version of the manual I have (although it might have been an earlier version from when we were testing the prototype):
PASSIVE MID CONTROL: This eq control is an integral part of the amplifier’s voicing circuit and is responsible for the amount of midrange frequency content present in the signal, relative to the rest of the spectrum. Midrange is primarily responsible for voicing and articulation character of the instrument. This is a passive control with cut only, the amount of cut roughly proportional to the counter-clockwise rotation of the control. Due to the specific way this filter is implemented by the use of make-up gain, most users will find that their flat or neutral tone will be from the 10:00 to 2:00 position, and this might give the appearance of boost as the control is rotated farther clockwise. This filter’s Q (width) symmetry and response is quite different from the parametric mid section, which is typically used more for precise tuning of the amp’s response.
EDIT: As best I recall from discussions during the manual review and beta testing, Andy had had not made too many tweaks to the mid control circuitry as he believed most folks liked how it worked on the original WA. I think he mostly just made sure it was well integrated into the new circuit design. This makes me think that the that the original WA employed a very similar mid circuit, but that it may not have been as thoroughly explained in the manual. Andy and Mesa wanted to be sure the WD-800 manual helped users get the most out of the head by providing a deeper understanding of the design features (especially the unique ones) than even their usual manuals do (which are quite comprehensive IME).
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IIRC original WA passive mid is flat near 10:00. The signal it processes is already boosted, which is how it can be passive and still encompass mid settings both beyond and below flat.......there's magic dust in that knob IMHO....
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