Pondering Some New Ideas, Need Some Input

[_Some Dude]

Would you be interested at the price of say the Fillmore?

Yes.

200w seems like a happy medium.

 

[agedhorse]

Yes.

200w seems like a happy medium.

Ok, would you be alright if it was $500+ more than the cost of the Fillmore?

 

[_Some Dude]

Ok, would you be alright if it was $500+ more than the cost of the Fillmore?

Hell yes.

For me, the sticking point is solid state vs tube. Financially, I'm willing to go out on an edge for a tube amp because it fits my perception of value.

I'm also a guitarist, and $500 more than a Fillmore is still cheaper than a Dual Rectifier/Mark V and is on par with the cost of a TC-50. It's also around the same general price as a Heritage SVT, and a Mesa would be a premium product that is made in America.

 

[gtirard]

This was just released: BOSS - KATANA-500 BASS HEAD | Bass Amplifier

Although I didn't think I would care for a digital amp (I didn't really think it could bring any useful new features), this one is interesting I think. At least it looks and feels like a real amp. Lots of new (useful?) features. I don't know exactly what the "Cab Resonance calibration" feature does, it could be cool or pure marketing?

But all what's been said here about product lifespan remain true - I'm not sure I would spend $800 on an amp not knowing how long it's going to last (be it for repearability issue of risk of technological obsolescence).

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

The new Boss amp above has some features similar to what I posed earlier as "just throwing out a spitball idea" where you would have the option to connect to a smartphone to make some operations work. (I did not say that I would personally buy into it myself, but that this type of thing seems to be inevitable). Note that to have bluetooth communication capability on this amp, you have to buy an optional module that attaches to the rear of the amp.

I will say that having a USB B out to host connector, which looks like it allows the amp to essentially act as an interface to a DAW is cool, (although maybe attractive to a limited number of potential buyers).

I wonder if there will be a version with greater output power coming later.

Overall, I would have little interest in this amp for what I do.

 

[melloncollie]

Ok, would you be alright if it was $500+ more than the cost of the Fillmore?

500 more than which Fillmore?

 

[Old Blastard]

I want to speak for all the folks who want the best but can barely afford it. I have a 2004 Toyota Corolla pushing 300,000 miles. I love it for what it does and especially because it has been stone-cold reliable since I bought it used in 2006. I also have a Genz Benz Contour 500 combo that I love because of its sound and performance and the fact that it has been stone-cold reliable since I bought it used in 2013.

I gig about every other weekend in one of two bands -- original 90-style alt-rock and Americana. I also play in jam house bands. My sound palette is not huge but it is varied.

I am currently shopping for a brand new Genzler/Mesa/Bergantino product of about 300 to 800 watts that weighs about 6 pounds (3 kilo?) and cabinets that weigh less than 35 pounds because I'm old and toting 50-pounds up and down stairs hurts pretty much every part of my body.

I'm happy with something that will last 20 years and give me a good, solid range of sounds. A DSP emulation device that degrades or fritzes out in 10 years is not what this old boy is hoping for. I'm already wary of new computerized cars with three separate LANs that manufactures expect to croak in 10 years.

I'm willing to pay good money for great gear. Great money for OK gear that will be as useless as my Windows 8 machine in 7 years is not my jam.

Thank you.

Carry on.

 

[musicmansf]

This was just released: BOSS - KATANA-500 BASS HEAD | Bass Amplifier

Although I didn't think I would care for a digital amp (I didn't really think it could bring any useful new features), this one is interesting I think. At least it looks and feels like a real amp. Lots of new (useful?) features. I don't know exactly what the "Cab Resonance calibration" feature does, it could be cool or pure marketing?

But all what's been said here about product lifespan remain true - I'm not sure I would spend $800 on an amp not knowing how long it's going to last (be it for repearability issue of risk of technological obsolescence).

You could probably throw any Boss product off a 10 story tall building and it would still work because Boss.

 

[gtirard]

You could probably throw any Boss product off a 10 story tall building and it would still work because Boss.

Yes, but even if it's rock solid, you still have the risk of technological obsolescence, and I just discovered that what they advertise as a 500W amp is in fact a 500W ****Peak**** amp!! Now, that alone will keep me away from it, because I hate being taken for a fool.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Let's dream of something else, just for fun…

You could design a 800W class D power amp that could house small preamp modules inspired for the current Subway range - same kind of modular concepts like the Synergy guitar amps. There would be a 400+ preamp module as well as a Subway and a Subway+ preamp modules, and we could buy the main amp with as many preamp modules we want to cover different styles. While we're at it, the preamp modules could also be used as standalone preamps for silent recording or IEM gigs.

I've only glanced through this thread, but your idea could be made in a package like the API 500 Series system.

Andy can design all sorts of modules for it: EQs, compressors, preamps, comprehensive HPF/LPF filters, effects - tremolo, reverb, phaser (set to stun, only), flangers (with a real micro reel-to-reel recorder that is operated by a front panel ribbon controller or similar), etc. Pretty much, the world is your oyster... Or, not.

 

[agedhorse]

500 more than which Fillmore?

100

 

[musicmansf]

Yes, but even if it's rock solid, you still have the risk of technological obsolescence, and I just discovered that what they advertise as a 500W amp is in fact a 500W ****Peak**** amp!! Now, that alone will keep me away from it, because I hate being taken for a fool.

Fair. I got rid of the second gen Line 6 modeler because I was finally ready to elevate my guitar side-hobby setup.

 

[Stepdice]

Although I have never played a 400/400+, I would love to see the great features already included on the D800 that I own (headphone out, Aux in, simple EQ/easy-to-use voicing type control, pre/post EQ DI. Other features that I would personally like to see, although unsure if they would be feasible/liked by others, would include:

1) built in tuner
2) onboard compressor
3) separate drive circuit
4) tube preamp
5) HPF and a LPF/cab sim that could be manually controlled to either work on just the DI/just the speaker out/DI and Speaker out together/or both off completely. A LPF/cab sim on the speaker out would be handy for us who use FRFR cabs (I.e Barefaced).

Essentially, these features would allow me to forgo my pedal board and just plug directly into the amp. I see many people with similar pedalboards as myself (tuner, compressor, drive, di/tube pre), especially boards setup for amp less gigs, so it would be handy having all of those features in one box that can power cabs too. That way it may appeal to the amp and cab crowd as well as the ampless crowd provided it isn’t too big.

 

[agedhorse]

Addressing the compressor challenge because it's the easiest, there are so many favorite and disliked compressors out there (one player's favorite is another's hated) that what ends up happening is a compressor that ends up suiting a small number of players. Same applies to the drive circuit (to a lesser extent) and also tuners... in fact tuners tend to be a lot more difficult to design for bass (and acoustic guitar), and there are many examples that don't track all that well. The tuner algorithms are still very much evolving IMO, and will continue to improve over the next 5 or so years.

 

[agedhorse]

Brought up in a PM to me earlier… how interested would folks be in Mesa styled rack “head cases” for the rack mountable models?

 

[_Some Dude]

Brought up in a PM to me earlier… how interested would folks be in Mesa styled rack “head cases” for the rack mountable models?

I think the headshells for the 19" heads (like a Carbine) made sense as an option for those that just wanted to set the head on a cab and had no intention of actually rack mounting it.

I don't think headshells on something that's WD800 sized makes sense, because the only reason to add rack ears to it is so that you can rack it as part of a touring rig. If you wanted to use it as a head, you'd just remove the rack ears and set it on the cab in stock form.

Plus the cabs are 19" wide. A headshell that fit a 19" rack would be wider than cab its on top of.

IMO/YMMV.

 

[coy garcia]

I have rack cases, never again. I only stopped using my 400+ cause it's too big/heavy to roll accross cobblestone on the way to the stage. You could always offer those ears for people that want rack mount.
Active electronics compress, tube amps compress those that want more (not me) could get the pedal of their choosing. Unless it came with a built in wireless system I would still need a pedal board where my tuner lives.. and most amp tuners are wonky anyway IMHO.
My ampless gigs only let me bring a DI on my pedalboard.
I can't imagine any gigging player would want something over 50-100 watts or 20 lbs today..unless they have roadies. A DI tube version could satisfy my ampless gigs..and a small head for everything else, with familiar tone and controls.
Just my opinion as 1 player.

 

[agedhorse]

I think the headshells for the 19" heads (like a Carbine) made sense as an option for those that just wanted to set the head on a cab and had no intention of actually rack mounting it.

I don't think headshells on something that's WD800 sized makes sense, because the only reason to add rack ears to it is so that you can rack it as part of a touring rig. If you wanted to use it as a head, you'd just remove the rack ears and set it on the cab in stock form.

Plus the cabs are 19" wide. A headshell that fit a 19" rack would be wider than cab its on top of.

IMO/YMMV.

They would probably look better on the wider 410 or 2 x 410 rigs

 

[FeltTipPen]

Since more and more people are going IEM, why not put it into a smaller preamp style form like the Subway DI and DI+?

I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[Wasnex]

I think the headshells for the 19" heads (like a Carbine) made sense as an option for those that just wanted to set the head on a cab and had no intention of actually rack mounting it.

I don't think headshells on something that's WD800 sized makes sense, because the only reason to add rack ears to it is so that you can rack it as part of a touring rig. If you wanted to use it as a head, you'd just remove the rack ears and set it on the cab in stock form.

Plus the cabs are 19" wide. A headshell that fit a 19" rack would be wider than cab its on top of.

IMO/YMMV.

Love the look.

Not really very practical though. It's sort of a fashion over form proposition IMHO--> The case adds quite a bit of bulk & weight, and does not provide much protection for the front panel. The factory cases were also fairly pricey IMHO.

I have factory cases for my M9 and Titan. My Strategy is the stand alone head as is my Buster. The D180, 400, and 400+ are not racked or cased. However, I bought and reinstalled factory feet, so they sit nicely on a table or stack on top of each other. If I were to tour them, I would probably put them in rolling racks. Odds of that happening (insert imaginary number here)