New mesa subway amps and cabs!

[57pbass]

I’ve spent countless hours A/B’ing the WD800 and the Classic Walkabout...side by side..same cabinets and basses... after a few hours I realized that ...aside from sharing the same name..they’re very different and I have moved on. Comparing anything to a legendary classic Walkabout is a very tall order.

I flipped my D800 for a Walkabout a few months ago because I wasn’t digging the “class d” thing. The WD800 is pulling me back in and I’m loving the results and functionality of the WD800. MESA is such a great company and they always get it right..

I’m on winter break right now and season begins next month..I will than have a chance to crank this head with my cabs and really hear this in action..

I wonder what the reaction would be if this head was launched with a different name..

 

[mmbass21]

I'm with @nostatic and how he describes it. I'm understanding with what the others have said as well. I also depend on pedals when using dirt and the WD shines at the point right before break up to give that mean edge I've been looking for. I'm lucky that at the moment I have too many cabs and have tried the WD with all but one of them and there is a huge difference from cab to cab with the WD.

With a BF BBII I find it too bright and I'm still trying to find the tone I'd like to hear from it. My favorite is with a BF One10, maybe because there's no horn in it but it's just smooth, articulate and really reactive with the damping knob.

There are a ton of factors to weigh in but it's simply put that we all have a certain tone we want to hear. I will say it's been fun testing at volume!

 

[treyandres]

Yep, there is no 'right' answer. Everyone has a sound in their head that they're trying to find, and that may change frequently. Set flat, the WD-800 does not do what the D-800 does. The D-800 makes a classic throaty fast Mesa sound set flat to my ears, which is great. The WD-800 is a different kind of amp set flat. More transparent, not very colored, bright. The damping feature brings some really neat stuff into the equation. The para EQ means you can make it sound like a lot of different stuff. I made it sound a lot like Monique one afternoon. I made it sound a lot like a Walkabout the first day I had it. I made it sound a lot like my D-800 on another day. It's a bit of a chameleon. That means you can make it do a lot of stuff. But it may not do the sounds you like as well as the amps that make those sounds naturally/natively. It seems to have a bright, transparent character when set flat as it's own 'voice', which may be right up your alley, but that is not what I was looking for when I bought it. I was simply looking for a louder Walkabout. The Walkabout is probably my desert island bass amp. I love Mesa amps. They have made a lot of them. 2 of the 3 bass amps I'm keeping are Mesa. If the 400+ wasn't 50lbs, I'd have one of them too. This one in particular is just not for me.

 

[agedhorse]

Try turning your WD-800 up to above where the Walkabout is capable and I think you will find more Walkabout there.

The increased articulation and more controlled low end were both often requested changes, challenges that caused some players to be unable to use the Walkabout at gigs.

It's not an exact Walkabout but bigger, that's not what was intended. It is however in the same tone family, but with changes specifically asked for by the bass player community. Be default, these changes may make it less favorable for some players but more favorable (or even simply usable) for others.

Also, the D-800 is less voiced than the WD-800 if this helps.

 

[mmbass21]

@treyandres I don't know if you've ever tried a Berg B amp but that is the ultimate chameleon. To me there isn't a tonal comparison between the two as they are both fantastic at what they both do well. The B amp takes the life of whatever you put into it you get out, the WD has much more character and warmth to it right out of the box. A few knob tweaks and the B amp can get there too, but you can always tell what your raw bass tone is with out any pedals or effects running in front of course. I thought that I liked that for a while but as time has gone on I preferred my tone from the D800+ but always felt it was hair dark when I played with flats which is currently on my #1 bass right now.
I don't get that feeling from the WD, to me it adds the flavor to my tone that I wanted from the B amp and the WD still keeps the transparency that I like from the B amp but adds the presence to the mids I've been missing with the D800+. The D800+ is incredible with the BBII though, it's a perfect match for that cab. I really need to try the SW cabs, Mesa dealers are not too close to me, most only have guitar amps and no bass equipment. It's about a 3hr drive to Bass Central, wish I had the time.

 

[treyandres]

Try turning your WD-800 up to above where the Walkabout is capable and I think you will find more Walkabout there.

The increased articulation and more controlled low end were both often requested changes, challenges that caused some players to be unable to use the Walkabout at gigs.

It's not an exact Walkabout but bigger, that's not what was intended. It is however in the same tone family, but with changes specifically asked for by the bass player community. Be default, these changes may make it less favorable for some players but more favorable (or even simply usable) for others.

Also, the D-800 is less voiced than the WD-800 if this helps.

I'm gonna take it to rehearsal tomorrow night again with a silver face WA and do another A/B shootout. Increased articulation and more controlled low end are things I was expecting in a high power Walkabout and things that I would have welcomed on paper, but I'm really not hearing much of what I liked about the old WA in the WD. Maybe it's because I'm not using Subway cabs? When I A/Bed the WD to the Monique, the Monique sounded better. When I A/Bed the Monique to the Walkabout, a smile literally came to my face when I plugged in the WA and realized how good it sounded up against the $$$$ Monique...just like a really good old friend, with lots of baked-in character that makes it very unique. I'm running it pretty much at maximum cleanish volume with 3x12s at 2.67 ohms. I mentioned before, the old silver face pre into the WD power section was pretty nice and closer to what I was expecting when I was auditioning it at home. I'm surprised to hear that the WD is more voiced than the D-800, because the D-800 sounds a lot more like a typical fast Mesa to me. And I like it a lot.

 

[treyandres]

@treyandres I don't know if you've ever tried a Berg B amp but that is the ultimate chameleon. To me there isn't a tonal comparison between the two as they are both fantastic at what they both do well. The B amp takes the life of whatever you put into it you get out, the WD has much more character and warmth to it right out of the box. A few knob tweaks and the B amp can get there too, but you can always tell what your raw bass tone is with out any pedals or effects running in front of course. I thought that I liked that for a while but as time has gone on I preferred my tone from the D800+ but always felt it was hair dark when I played with flats which is currently on my #1 bass right now.
I don't get that feeling from the WD, to me it adds the flavor to my tone that I wanted from the B amp and the WD still keeps the transparency that I like from the B amp but adds the presence to the mids I've been missing with the D800+. The D800+ is incredible with the BBII though, it's a perfect match for that cab. I really need to try the SW cabs, Mesa dealers are not too close to me, most only have guitar amps and no bass equipment. It's about a 3hr drive to Bass Central, wish I had the time.

Never tried a Berg anything other than a Mesa Prodigy through a Berg 2x12 cab with a 70's P-bass in a local shop. It sounded really nice.

 

[agedhorse]

Well, it is what it is

 

[JOME77]

@treyandres I don't know if you've ever tried a Berg B amp but that is the ultimate chameleon. To me there isn't a tonal comparison between the two as they are both fantastic at what they both do well. The B amp takes the life of whatever you put into it you get out, the WD has much more character and warmth to it right out of the box. A few knob tweaks and the B amp can get there too, but you can always tell what your raw bass tone is with out any pedals or effects running in front of course. I thought that I liked that for a while but as time has gone on I preferred my tone from the D800+ but always felt it was hair dark when I played with flats which is currently on my #1 bass right now.

Oddly, I had the Berg Forte' and the sound of my Fender P-Bass with chrome Flats just sounded too clear and open. That's the primary reason that I tried the Mesa D800+. I wanted a warmer, thicker tone. And I got it. So much better than the sound of flats using the Berg Forte'. Granted I didn't have a B|Amp that has the ability to tweak the center points of all the EQ's but I strongly didn't want that capability. If I go to a restaurant, Just give me a menu with a few really good selections to choose from. Don't confuse me with 101 selections/choices.
Maybe I'm just too simple but I want a bass tone that cuts well in a live mix, doesn't sound boomy and is focused so folks can hear the notes that I'm playing. That's why I went back to a P-Bass. The best music room bass sounds that I've gotten just never translate in a live mix.
IMO the D800+ falls perfectly between the Berg Forte' (with just basic 4 band EQ) and the vast EQ capability of the Berg B|amp. It has HPF, Voicing and Semi-parametric 2 bands of mid's. More than enough to tweak my sound.
It's only been 24 hours but I'm loving the sound of the D800+.

 

[TrentB]

Well I ordered the Subway 2x15 today. Should be drop shipped from Petaluma on Monday and hopefully it’s here by Tuesday for rehearsal.

Got rid of my NV610t, SVT 212av and SVT CL today too.

Now I’ll be down to 2 amps, 2 cabs, and 2 basses. Feels good downsizing.

 

[Al Kraft]

I'm surprised to hear that the WD is more voiced than the D-800, because the D-800 sounds a lot more like a typical fast Mesa to me. And I like it a lot.

To my ear, the D-800 has a bit more Carbine character in terms of being quick and clear sounding, so your impression matches mine. I think the WD-800 was designed to give a little more harmonic interest/depth to the notes, but I would not necessarily have referred to that as voiced in comparison to the D-800. While the WD-800 is also inherently brighter than the D-800, I also find it more tonally versatile and the WD-800 can be as dark as you like (or at least as I like).

 

[treyandres]

I just A/Bed the WA and WD for an hour again, and put the WA pre through the WD return as well. WA>WA send into WD return>WD as far as tone goes for me. What I’m missing is a bit of a quick ‘mwah’ fretless kinda sound, a bounce, and a bloom. That’s the best way I can describe it. And it’s missing through the WD power section as well. I can crank up the treble and mid on the WA and get close to the EQ feel of the WD. But I cannot get it to bloom. It’s just not there. And that is the signature sound of a Walkabout that I love.

It’s a great amp; I think it’s just not for me. And that’s ok. I have 2 Walkabouts now so I can move more air with them. No worries, mon!

 

[bobcruz]

I just A/Bed the WA and WD for an hour again, and put the WA pre through the WD return as well. WA>WA send into WD return>WD as far as tone goes for me. What I’m missing is a bit of a quick ‘mwah’ fretless kinda sound, a bounce, and a bloom. That’s the best way I can describe it. And it’s missing through the WD power section as well. I can crank up the treble and mid on the WA and get close to the EQ feel of the WD. But I cannot get it to bloom. It’s just not there. And that is the signature sound of a Walkabout that I love.

It’s a great amp; I think it’s just not for me. And that’s ok. I have 2 Walkabouts now so I can move more air with them. No worries, mon!

Andy indicated that the WD might be more WA-like at higher output. Maybe if you throw the 2-ohm switch to cut power and run it through a higher ohm cab or cabs to keep volume below ear-shattering, you could find some bounce and bloom? My Streamliners don't have a 2-ohm switch but I run them through a pair of cabs at 16 ohms using a series cable and they have the WA bounce I was looking for. I could even sense it through some inefficient high-ohm headphones I have. I don't know if that will apply to the WD but if I had one, I'd try it. Cheers, Bob

 

[treyandres]

Andy indicated that the WD might be more WA-like at higher output. Maybe if you throw the 2-ohm switch to cut power and run it through a higher ohm cab or cabs to keep volume below ear-shattering, you could find some bounce and bloom? My Streamliners don't have a 2-ohm switch but I run them through a pair of cabs at 16 ohms using a series cable and they have the WA bounce I was looking for. I could even sense it through some inefficient high-ohm headphones I have. I don't know if that will apply to the WD but if I had one, I'd try it. Cheers, Bob

I ran it last week into 3x12s at 2.67ohms with the switch at 2ohms at a rehearsal and it was unanimously out-performed sound-wise by Monique. I A/Bed Monique Tuesday night at rehearsal with a Walkabout into the same 3x12s at 2.67ohms and half those in attendance preferred the Walkabout. No one thought the WD sounded bad, they just preferred Monique or the WA. It was missing that bounce and bloom to my ears.

 

[agedhorse]

I ran it last week into 3x12s at 2.67ohms with the switch at 2ohms at a rehearsal and it was unanimously out-performed sound-wise by Monique. I A/Bed Monique Tuesday night at rehearsal with a Walkabout into the same 3x12s at 2.67ohms and half those in attendance preferred the Walkabout. No one thought the WD sounded bad, they just preferred Monique or the WA. It was missing that bounce and bloom to my ears.

Then is sounds like the new amp isn't working for needs. This is why it's always good to try an amp out. Different strokes.

 

[kesslari]

Then is sounds like the new amp isn't working for needs. This is why it's always good to try an amp out. Different strokes.

NOOOO!
ONE amp to RULE THEM ALL! ONE AMP TO BIND THEM!!

 

[igrok]

I’ve been playing my walkabout for many years now and also wanted a higher powered version. I had the streamliner for a while, and while it was great in the living room I found that at a gig it simply got lost. I then got the D800 and it too sounds great in the living room. At a gig, to my ears, I found it sounded a little too sterile. Went back to the walkabout. Now I got the wd800. I understand what some are saying about being bright forward — in my living room it sounds brighter but I simply tweak a knob or two. But at a gig, oh my! Just gigged it for the second time on Thursday and its warm presence, rich and lush yet clear and clean, easily meeting a loud drummer, just had me grinning all night. And the rest of the band also heard me really well, which sometimes has been a struggle at louder gigs. The low damping provides that more rubbery feel at volume, while switching to medium or high gets it closer to the d800 feel but still with some zing. This is all just to my ears of course, but I’m really enjoying this amp.

 

[agedhorse]

The more articulate, a little brighter and less wooly attributes at gig volumes were probably the 3 most often asked for changes because as @igrok found, it really helps the bass sit better in a band mix (especially as the volume increases).

 

[mmbass21]

I’ve been playing my walkabout for many years now and also wanted a higher powered version. I had the streamliner for a while, and while it was great in the living room I found that at a gig it simply got lost. I then got the D800 and it too sounds great in the living room. At a gig, to my ears, I found it sounded a little too sterile. Went back to the walkabout. Now I got the wd800. I understand what some are saying about being bright forward — in my living room it sounds brighter but I simply tweak a knob or two. But at a gig, oh my! Just gigged it for the second time on Thursday and its warm presence, rich and lush yet clear and clean, easily meeting a loud drummer, just had me grinning all night. And the rest of the band also heard me really well, which sometimes has been a struggle at louder gigs. The low damping provides that more rubbery feel at volume, while switching to medium or high gets it closer to the d800 feel but still with some zing. This is all just to my ears of course, but I’m really enjoying this amp.

This is my exact feeling with the WD live at volume. It cuts better than any other amp I've used in recent years, better than the D800+. I feel this amp was made to be played at gig volume to really shine. It gets better and better as you turn it up.

 

[AMJBASS]

You guys are making me want one of these That said I am pretty freaking happy with the D800+. It just works so well for what I do. Also 100% agreed about the brighter sound sitting better in a mix. Generally I find even a slightly more aggressive tone at home will tend to sound round and warm but clear when playing a gig(especially out front). A similar analogy would be how a p-bass sounds soloed at home as compared to how it sits in a band mix or in a track.