New mesa subway amps and cabs!

[kesslari]

Fedex rescheduled my delivery from today to ???
Hopefully tomorrow. They haven't updated the delivery date. It's close enough that it *could* get here tomorrow...

 

[NIN8185]

JimmyM would be a better resource here than me, but IIRC the Ampeg cab you have is sealed and should not get anywhere near being out of control in the bass register with either head IMO. While neither head is quite as quick sounding as the Carbine, both are very articulate (at all frequencies) and with the extra power over your existing head should give you plenty of punch with a well-focused tone at equal and higher volume than you get now. Both also have a lot of tone shaping features built in and should allow you to get the most out of your cab.

Based on my very limited experience with the 410HE, that cab has a lot of the typical sealed cab vibe (tight low end, rich mids), but with a much brighter top end. IMO you the D-800+ or WD-800 would both do a good job for what you seem to be looking for. Given the more tube amp richness kind of tone the WD-800 has (to my ear) I would definitely want to at least try it with the sealed cab. I think you'll find that the damping control will offer additional tone shaping that might be useful - the high setting getting you a tighter control and the low setting you getting you closer to the classic sealed cab/tube amp feel.

Thanks for the Help.. at the current moment I am leaning towards the Wd-800 basing this from the official demos from the Mesa as the WD just sounds much more Musical than the D800 and bass frequencies sound more detailed. Playing with one guitarist in the band I am not getting lost between two distorted amps like most metal bands and thinking the warmth of the WD will likely speak volumes to our tone.

Unfortunately i do not have any Mesa Dealers around me so can not try out either heads. As Agedhorse said the WD800 has more a polite Mid range that i am assuming i can liven it up with parametric Eq gain boost. Would the D800 play that much tighter then the WD800 that I should consider sacrificing the warmth of the WD to punch better with the D800 though? Or would as you saying the WD paired with my 410HE would pack enough punch i would need for Rock/Metal.

 

[Doug Parent]

Would the D800 play that much tighter then the WD800 that I should consider sacrificing the warmth of the WD to punch better with the D800 though?

The WD800 can get in your face if you know how to dial that in.

 

[Doug Parent]

First gig report. Bergantino HDN212. G&L M2500. .... Wow. What a combination of voices. The Berg cabinet really let the mids shine from the Wd800. I could get an old school P Bass thump using the neck pickup that was just glorious. Even though I was not slapping or playing any funk last night, the slap tone through this head is ridiculous. Different flavor of good compared to the previous offering + but never going back. This is the best yet.

 

[mtsens1]

First gig report. Bergantino HDN212. G&L M2500. .... Wow. What a combination of voices. The Berg cabinet really let the mids shine from the Wd800. I could get an old school P Bass thump using the neck pickup that was just glorious. Different flavor of good but never going back. This is the best yet.

That cab is my favorite so far with the WD, although I haven't giged it yet.

 

[DaveKirkpatrick]

First gig report. Bergantino HDN212. G&L M2500. .... Wow. What a combination of voices. The Berg cabinet really let the mids shine from the Wd800. I could get an old school P Bass thump using the neck pickup that was just glorious. Different flavor of good but never going back. This is the best yet.

That cab is my favorite so far with the WD, although I haven't giged it yet.

re: the HDN212- This is my cab..... you guys aren't really helping with this GAS problem I have...... I've been trying to save up the $$ for a matching B-amp, but this amp (the WD800) will probably be more up my alley in many ways

 

[kobass]

"On FedEx vehicle for delivery"

I'll be pairing it with a Berg CN212.

 

[mmbass21]

re: the HDN212- This is my cab..... you guys aren't really helping with this GAS problem I have...... I've been trying to save up the $$ for a matching B-amp, but this amp (the WD800) will probably be more up my alley in many ways

I will say that I enjoy the WD over the B amp tone wise. I just personally prefer pure tone that the WD produces over the B amp. I'm very torn on which to sell right now since I got the WD, the D800+ or the B amp, I can't justify or afford keeping all 3 at this point.

 

[Al Kraft]

I too really liked the WD-800 with the CN212 and probably used the head the most with that cab. I find the CN212 to be very honest in terms of letting whatever you have behind it come through...and the WD-800 doesn't need a cab with coloration to help it sound good.

 

[Al Kraft]

As Agedhorse said the WD800 has more a polite Mid range that i am assuming i can liven it up with parametric Eq gain boost. Would the D800 play that much tighter then the WD800 that I should consider sacrificing the warmth of the WD to punch better with the D800 though? Or would as you saying the WD paired with my 410HE would pack enough punch i would need for Rock/Metal.

IMO you won't find the WD-800 lacking at all in the mids and there is more than enough EQ on-board to bring out as much richness/focus in the mids as you need. Agedhorse's comments IME talk more to the inherent design voicing as being very balanced and smooth versus being at all mid shy or loose feeling/sounding. The WD-800 is very articulate while giving you more harmonically interesting tones than the D-800/800+. IMO a sealed cab will only enhance that mid focused starting point.

As a final point you should feel very good about the fact that either the D-800+ or WD-800 will likely put a smile on your face - there isn't a bad decision here. However, your desire for rich, but articulate mids would drive me more towards the WD-800. I hope that helps and please remember I'm just one data point...others may have equally valid perspectives.

 

[Saluki]

I too really liked the WD-800 with the CN212 and probably used the head the most with that cab. I find the CN212 to be very honest in terms of letting whatever you have behind it come through...and the WD-800 doesn't need a cab with coloration to help it sound good.

I find the CN212 to have a slight upper mid bump that is just pleasant to my ears. It helps the notes jump out with definition and I can hear what I am playing. For me, it is the cab that I compare other cabs to, but I wouldn't classify it as neutral. I can't wait to try it out with the WD. It has worked well with every other head, including the D800, so I am assuming it will be WD/CN212 for the win! Another close favorite of mine is the Baer ML 112's. I bet they would sound stellar with the WD.

 

[Al Kraft]

I find the CN212 to have a slight upper mid bump that is just pleasant to my ears. It helps the notes jump out with definition and I can hear what I am playing. For me, it is the cab that I compare other cabs to, but I wouldn't classify it as neutral. I can't wait to try it out with the WD. It has worked well with every other head, including the D800, so I am assuming it will be WD/CN212 for the win! Another close favorite of mine is the Baer ML 112's. I bet they would sound stellar with the WD.

That upper mid bump you hear to me is actually the signature Beragntino seamless transition from main driver to horn and the place where so many cabs tend to have a bit of a hole. I agree that it definitely helps to provide great note definition without added string noise and other typical upper end artifacts you often get when you have a cab with a lot of clarity.

The other non-Mesa cabs I really liked with the WD-800 were the AudioKinesis Changeling/Hathor 12" loaded line. Being able to go from sealed to various degrees of ported added yet one more tone shaping option to the overall equation. While the Mesa SW and older PH cabs obviously sounded great with the head, I even liked how the WD sounded with the GK Neo 112 II's.

 

[Doug Parent]

I will say that I enjoy the WD over the B amp tone wise. I just personally prefer pure tone that the WD produces over the B amp. I'm very torn on which to sell right now since I got the WD, the D800+ or the B amp, I can't justify or afford keeping all 3 at this point.

I would echo this since I gigged with the B/Amp for awhile. Really pristine and clear and neutral sounding head. If ever there was an amp that made a case for owning two $1000> bass amps that would be it. (I wouldn't even consider the Forte since I'm such a tone tweaker I would want it all)...... But the WD800.....with that passive mid control and damping control....I was back and forth with those two controls all night and was finding a plethora of tones just to start with. That damping control gave me the impression I had two different bass cabinets on the fly. One was tight and thick and the other wide and loose. Kind of like switching back and forth between speaker cabinets. What other bass amp gives you those choices? If I was playing reggae or a lot of blues, damn, that wide setting would be IT. Hey Gus are you reading this?

 

[Doug Parent]

That cab is my favorite so far with the WD, although I haven't giged it yet.

Yeah the HDN212 seems to have a voice that works quite well particularly with the WD800. More so than the D800+ where I was doing more "fiddling" during the gig to find my sweet spot. The WD800 seems to offer up a multitude of sweet spots. I have my HDN212 for sale in the classifieds but now I may take it down. The high mid character of that cabinet really makes it easy to cut through with the WD800.

 

[mmbass21]

Yeah the HDN212 seems to have a voice that works quite well particularly with the WD800. More so than the D800+ where I was doing more "fiddling" during the gig to find my sweet spot. The WD800 seems to offer up a multitude of sweet spots. I have my HDN212 for sale in the classifieds but now I may take it down. The high mid character of that cabinet really makes it easy to cut through with the WD800.

I have the HDN112/210 that I've used with the D800+, WD, and B amp. While I really like WD through that combo, I simply don't like either of the cabs by themselves outside of the B amp. The WD matches really well with the HDN's but I'm exploring Barefaced right now. The WD through the One10 is other worldly and I'm not digging it through a BB2. I just can't get the tone I want with the BB2 so far which is a bummer because it's such a great 1 small/light cab solution for me.

 

[Doug Parent]

I have the HDN112/210 that I've used with the D800+, WD, and B amp. While I really like WD through that combo, I simply don't like either of the cabs by themselves outside of the B amp. The WD matches really well with the HDN's but I'm exploring Barefaced right now. The WD through the One10 is other worldly and I'm not digging it through a BB2. I just can't get the tone I want with the BB2 so far which is a bummer because it's such a great 1 small/light cab solution for me.

I hear you. My next cab will probably be the Subway 212, I have a feeling the Subway line probably works pretty well together by keeping it in the family.

 

[57pbass]

I hear you. My next cab will probably be the Subway 212, I have a feeling the Subway line probably works pretty well together by keeping it in the family.

Doug, I’m also intrigued by the Subway 2x12..but that 2x15 looks awesome...

 

[kesslari]

"On FedEx vehicle for delivery"
5 very happy words.
To be paired with a MAS B28 and 1,8.

 

[mmbass21]

I hear you. My next cab will probably be the Subway 212, I have a feeling the Subway line probably works pretty well together by keeping it in the family.

I was thinking about the the Subway 212 but the One10 tone with the WD has that it factor for me over everything else that I have tested. I'm looking into the Two10s and if that stays on point with the One10 everything else goes...I hope

 

[nostatic]

I have a Two10 ordered, I suspect it will kill for rock/funk stuff. The Hathor/Changeling remain my go-to on gigs but curious about another voice.