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New mesa subway amps and cabs!

#1,325
redstrand said:
Is it just me or is the WD fond of 12’s? Asking for a friend.
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Just a tone monster with my GK neo 212 4 ohm cab. I can almost say "cabs". The damping control really brings out different dynamics. I thought I would just leave it loose, but there is some stuff that sounds better to me set high.

I had limited time with it for the last week, (Gig Report - Dr Thumpenstein @ Thumpenstein's basement) but I had some quality time with it tonight. I'm digging it more than ever. It handles anything I can throw at it tonewise, from Motown to classic rock, fusion, funk, blues, and tonight, reggae.

But, as Vincent Vega said, "It's the little differences." The lights don't blind me like my last amp. The USB port keeps the iPod charged. The EQ becomes more impressive the more you use it, and it was impressive out of the box. I can tune up with the mute engaged. It sounds awesome at high and low volumes. Guitarist is coming by next week for a jam, I can hardly wait!
 
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#1,326
Lovep said:
All this great word of mouth about the WD has got me curious...

Has anyone ever compared the Darkglass MT900 vs WD800?

I know these are different animals primarily due to the OD pedals built into the DG head.

Any thoughts?
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I had an MT900 for an hour before I sent it back. Didn't seem to have an HPF (or at least an effective one) - the 12" on my Hathor was moving ridiculous amounts even at relatively low volumes. That was a no-go for me. Other than that it was a nice looking head, but nothing tonally jumped out at me. The WD800 otoh had me from the first note, and I like it more and more. It is by far the most flexible *and* easiest to get a good sound out of head I've had. Set everything at noon - sounds great. From there they sky is the limit.
 
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#1,329
kesslari said:
That’s so weird- why swap a tube in a floor demo amp?
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IME this is because many people assume engineers spend half their time cutting costs in product design and figure that without a single calculation or any insight what so ever into the design itself they can make an instant improvements by swapping parts. Unfortunately their quick look at individual part specs through a one dimensional lens completely ignores a system trade space look that tells the story of a balanced design solution, thoughtfully developed through many hours of engineering analysis. That's my take on it anyway...
 
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#1,330
Al Kraft said:
IME this is because many people assume engineers spend half their time cutting costs in product design and figure that without a single calculation or any insight what so ever into the design itself they can make an instant improvements by swapping parts. Unfortunately their quick look at individual part specs through a one dimensional lens completely ignores a system trade space look that tells the story of a balanced design solution, thoughtfully developed through many hours of engineering analysis. That's my take on it anyway...
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Generally, cost cutting isn't something that I am saddled with when designing new products. These are the same tubes we use in the highest end guitar and bass amps we make (or made), and we back it up with the longest warranty in the industry too.

It's too bad these assumptions are made, then propagated around the internet. Some of the blame comes from the tube resellers, but guess where all those raw "screen-out" tubes that don't meet our performance or baseline reliability specs end up??? Often these very resellers.
 
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#1,331
agedhorse said:
Generally, cost cutting isn't something that I am saddled with when designing new products. These are the same tubes we use in the highest end guitar and bass amps we make (or made), and we back it up with the longest warranty in the industry too.

It's too bad these assumptions are made, then propagated around the internet. Some of the blame comes from the tube resellers, but guess where all those raw "screen-out" tubes that don't meet our performance or baseline reliability specs end up??? Often these very resellers.
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The only reason I have swapped out tubes in the past is to get to a smoother type of distortion earlier. Mesa usually ships tubes with a lot of headroom.

Getting a nice tube break up is,desired... sometimes.
 
#1,332
Not really related to Mesa here, apart from in a Walkabout 8 yrs ago.
I've used all tube amps all my bass playing life, 40yrs, and I could count the number of times that I HAD to change tubes on one hand.
People greatly underestimate just how long tubes last, even power tubes. Imo/ime etc...
Of course, I'm rarely really pushing those power tubes.
I did swap the pre amp tubes in my Walkabout, just to try a different tone/ overdrive etc...
I've had one amp get a beer spilt into it = new power tubes
One amp Id used for a good 10yrs, and in the early 90s I changed power tubes.
My V4B is probably the most likely amp to need a new set (I bought a matched set when I found a good deal a few yrs ago, so they'll go in there) as it's just 100w and gets driven the hardest. But even that amp is still going strong and it's maybe 5 yrs old.
 
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#1,335
Fro68 said:
Which cab would you guys recommend with the WD800 for mostly home use?
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What do you call "for mostly home use"? For several years my old band practiced in my basement at levels that required everyone wear earplugs (not sure why we had to practice so loud :rollno:). That "for mostly home use" required a large custom built (LDS) 2-12 cabinet.

So, start there, that's my recommendation. :D
 

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