PF-50 or Subway D-800 +?

[NKBassman]

If you're planning on taking it out of your bedroom even once for a gig, get the Mesa.

 

[lermgalieu]

This is definitely an apples/oranges type of question

 

[GregT]

The Mesa would be my choice for what you seem to want to accomplish. If you wanted to play small/medium venues and classic rock, country, and jazz was your music, I'd say the Ampeg. Not that either wouldn't do well. They would. Those are just two very different amps.

That being said, I would love to have the Subway, but I am satisfied with my amp for now and have no reason to "upgrade". But if I did......... I'd have a Subway D-800. For some reason, I didn't think the Mesa Engineering was a Mesa/Boogie though.

 

[JJR58]

I will say that the Ampeg has got the steam to push an 810.

More so then one would think.

 

[Chef]

Hello guys ,
I m new in this forum ! I would like to ask ,
What amp between a Mesa Boogie Subway D-800+ Head and an Ampeg PF-50T Bass Head
you would choose and why?
I know they are different amps but because they cost similar what should i get?
(For prog rock/metal)
(I want an small amp for recordings , small gigs etc )

That's you're comparing a 50 watt tube head to an 800 watt solid state head tells me you kinda don't have any idea at all what you want; other than something in a specific price range.

Personally, I couldn't take a 50 watt bass tube head to rehearsal.
In my experience, for me and what I want/need; that's about 450 watts short.
I do not play in Very Loud Bands either. We're all Old Guys with jazz roots.
YMMV; etc.

 

[matti777]

I've owned both and chose the PF50T but then I'm not gigging so power is not important I've got a GK for that anyway. The warm tone is super nice.

 

[SpirosGer]

ok guys after a small research after all the advices u gave me i concluded (ssssss mesa)

 

[arai]

Good choice

 

[Dp1363]

ok guys after a small research after all the advices u gave me i concluded (ssssss mesa)

You'll be very happy with the Mesa D-800. I have had mine for over a year and I'm still thrilled with it. Definitely a gas killer. Plenty of power, good tone and great fit and finish. The best part is, if have any questions about it the man who designed it (Aged Horse) is here on TB.

 

[SpirosGer]

hey gus till next saturday my subway d 800 will be here ! thanks a lot for your help all !

 

[((KamiKaZe))]

i am biased here because i want the PF20-T so you know my answer, they sound like butter but i also want a Class D for gigging and the Subway D800 is my favorite too, we have similar tastes

 

[BassmanPaul]

For me, Subway any time day or night!

 

[Kukulkan61]

Mesa D 800+ because everybody is getting it cause it's the newest and baddest...

 

[Al Kraft]

Good choice on the Mesa. Both are excellent for what they were designed to do and they are reasonably capable of doing...of those two, IMHO the Mesa will give you much greater utility over time.

 

[Korladis]

PF-50T for recording. D-800 for gigging (metal at least).

 

[jbd5015]

Id pick up a PF50T on demo from one of the good guys (sweetwater etc), and find an appropriate clean power amp for the gigs where you need TONS of power. That should keep the costs down a bit. Sure it increases the schlep factor for those loud gigs, but if you want tube tone, there is a price. The PF50 + a power amp would still be lighter than an SVT or equivalent big tuber.

What kind of cab are you running through? I still say that the PF50 is surprisingly loud through an efficient cab. If you are looking for grindy awesome tone, just dime it for stage and put it through FOH from one of the 3 DI options on the amp...

 

[bumperbass]

Id pick up a PF50T on demo from one of the good guys (sweetwater etc), and find an appropriate clean power amp for the gigs where you need TONS of power. That should keep the costs down a bit. Sure it increases the schlep factor for those loud gigs, but if you want tube tone, there is a price. The PF50 + a power amp would still be lighter than an SVT or equivalent big tuber.

What kind of cab are you running through? I still say that the PF50 is surprisingly loud through an efficient cab. If you are looking for grindy awesome tone, just dime it for stage and put it through FOH from one of the 3 DI options on the amp...

I agree with this. If you're going to compare based on a tone YOU LIKE between these two heads than the only fair comparison is to plug the PF-50's last DI (off the output transformer) into a decent class d amp. It doesn't have to be an 800 watter, either, just loud enough to compare the two through a given cabinet. This amp caught my eye right away. If it sounds like an Ampeg, I'd like to try even the PF-20.

 

[Mushroo]

Piggybacking on @bumperbass 's comment, I'm curious if anyone has ever used an Ampeg PF20T or PF50T as a preamp into (or through the effects loop of) a Mesa Subway D-800 or 800+ for extra power? What was your experience? How did you wire everything up, what was the signal path? How did it sound? Are the units physically compatible in size for stacking (I think the 800 is too narrow but the 800+ might be just right)?

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Actually, you're all wrong. @Bugeyed Earl had the perfect solution for metal....

 

[GreyBeard]

Thank you very much all for your replies! So as it seems most people here prefer mesa.But again its a full tube amp vs class D amp . I dont care about how much loud will be the amp so i dont care about how many watts will be . Instead i want to take the amp with the "Best" sound quality thats my point .

If "Best" means clean and uncolored then the Mesa class D is your amp. If tube compression and baked in ampeg tone is your "Best" then the T50 is your amp. These 2 amps are about as different as 2 amps can be. Almost like comparing a sports car to a tractor trailer. Both are "Best" depending on who you ask.