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New mesa subway amps and cabs!

#1,441
But
Al Kraft said:
...and yet another plus for the newer class D gear...try that with an Aguilar DB750/751 or SVT-2PRO... :)
Click to expand...

I'm calling unfair on this one.
Two different things.
Like comparing apples with hand grenades!

Here is a new game.
Be surprised by how many folks are selling their D800's or Pluss's to finance the WD800.
Be really surprised by how the M6 and M9 amps continue to hold their resale value at an extremely high rate.
I think some of the used one's sell for more than they cost new; and not a "vintage" piece of gear.
Same with DB 750/ 751's

I wonder if the WD800 will have the same iconic following?
 
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#1,442
treyandres said:
My observations from at-volume rehearsal last night are that the WD-800 is a great new amp. It has transparency and power at volume that the WA does not have while retaining some of the WA warmth. That said, it is a different amp. It is not a high-watt Walkabout. It has WA flavor, but the pre is different. I took the WD-800 and the Monique 700 to rehearsal last night, and the band unanimously preferred the punch and transparency of the Monique, which retails for nearly 3X the price...so that’s not entirely unexpected. They did all think the WD-800 sounded really great though. Better than the D800 I’ve been using at rehearsal for the last 4 months, and they all liked that amp too, though they preferred the warmth of the original Walkabout over the D800. The WD-800 is a great in-between with some really cool damping features in the power amp section. There are no wrong answers in the Subway line-up. It’s all solid kit.

This morning I tried the WA pre into the Hypex 700 power amp section of the Monique 700 in my home studio. Holy sh*t. It’s the sound I’ve had in my head for a while now. Going to try this configuration at the next rehearsal. Maybe it has something to do with the 1200w power board? I dunno. But the punch of the Hypex 700 is ridiculous, and it sounds just stupid amazing with Monique AND with the original WA pre. It’s nice to have fun toys to experiment with...
View attachment 3272560
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Wow, that's interesting.
The only reason to sell my WA was due to low power.
I tried pre amp out into a variety of differernt amps include an MBF800.
It would not sound like a more powerful WA.
I believe that Andy said that the driver tube has a lot to do with this.

In any case, congrats on getting the tone in your head (at least for now!)
 
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#1,443
Jim C said:
I wonder if the WD800 will have the same iconic following?
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I think it could be off to a good start!

OBTW - apples vs hand grenades was an interesting analogy. :) I do agree that these newer high powered heads are delivering in a way that in many cases rivals the older, heavier. bigger stuff. However, if bass amps are anything like classic muscle cars, there will always be an appeal and a market to some degree IMO.
 
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#1,445
The WD-800 is not identical to the Walkabout (wasn't intended to be), otherwise all the issues that players complained about would be present (especially at higher volumes). The increased transparency was one of the most requested changes (in addition to increased power). Also, the high pass filter helps with this and since the original Walkabout didn't have one it's not going to sound exactly the same.
 
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#1,446
Jim C said:
Wow, that's interesting.
The only reason to sell my WA was due to low power.
I tried pre amp out into a variety of differernt amps include an MBF800.
It would not sound like a more powerful WA.
I believe that Andy said that the driver tube has a lot to do with this.

In any case, congrats on getting the tone in your head (at least for now!)
Click to expand...

It’s not the ‘normal’ Walkabout experience, but it is indeed very nice. Nicer even to my ear than the WA through the WD power section with medium or low damping, which is decidedly more usual WA flavored. It has a high volume punch the WA never had. It’s more defined, but it sounds really great. And yes, it’s a never ending quest for that sound. But between the Monique and the WA pres through the Hypex, these are two really great sounds that I’m loving. We’ll see how it works with the WA pre at rehearsal on Tuesday night with a full band.

The Monique was pretty incredible too. Very clean, but very warm. Sits perfectly in the mix and you can hear literally everything you’re playing. I maybe like the WA by itself better in my studio, but it never sat in the mix like the Monique does with the band. If you have an opportunity, this Hypex power amp sounds incredible. The punch is amazing. It really thumps you in the chest.
 
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#1,447
There's some compression and limiting going on in the Walkabout that's in part responsible for it's lower volume flavor but this simply doesn't translate well under higher power conditions. In fact tha very benefit at lower volume quickly becomes a huge challenge as things get louder. It's also part of the articulation equation.
 
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#1,452
agedhorse said:
There's some compression and limiting going on in the Walkabout that's in part responsible for it's lower volume flavor but this simply doesn't translate well under higher power conditions. In fact tha very benefit at lower volume quickly becomes a huge challenge as things get louder. It's also part of the articulation equation.
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For sure. Mine don’t really get any louder past 12 ’o clock. Just muddier. That’s the challenge. Playing with guitar players using cranked-for-tone 40-50w vintage Bassman and Marshall tube heads into 2x12 cabs is damn near impossible with a 2x12 rig and a Walkabout. Easier with 3x12s at 2.67 ohms, but still pretty mushy at volume. A 700-800 watt power amp does the job nicely with the right pre. I don’t want to haul around an SVT cab anymore. Nope. I’m too old and my back hurts thinking about it. Starting to think about that 60lb 2x15 Subway though...
 
#1,453
Lowendtech said:
I got a box.
It’s made of cardboard.
It’s a cardboard coloured box.
The box is bigger than I expected.
It must have a pocket full of padding.
I should open it to see what’s in its pocketses.

Or I could go to dinner at my in-laws.

Hmm... decisions.
Click to expand...
Why are you even typing this?!?!:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:
 
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#1,456
Lowendtech said:
I got a box.
It’s made of cardboard.
It’s a cardboard coloured box.
The box is bigger than I expected.
It must have a pocket full of padding.
I should open it to see what’s in its pocketses.

Or I could go to dinner at my in-laws.

Hmm... decisions.
Click to expand...
Reminded me of the Malvina Reynolds song "Little Boxes"

 
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#1,459
Lowendtech said:
I got a box.
It’s made of cardboard.
It’s a cardboard coloured box.
The box is bigger than I expected.
It must have a pocket full of padding.
I should open it to see what’s in its pocketses.

Or I could go to dinner at my in-laws.

Hmm... decisions.
Click to expand...
You're killing us here...
 
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