Seeking new class D head, $700 or less, 500+ watts (more preferred)

Hey buddy,

Bite the bullet and get to $799...sounds really good with or without a bunch of distortion...
Darkglass Microtubes 500 v2 - 500-watt Bass Head

 

Acoustic Image Clarus SL

 

Aguilar.

 

MarkBass BIG BANG on SALE NOW at MF.
$499!!! Yup, I just bought one..

 

I’ve owned the Veyron T and still own the BH800. If you like the M, you may not like the T, as the highs are more muted and I think you would consider it colored in tone vs the M.

I found the Veyron T good but kind of a one trick pony, whereas the BH800 is more flexible IME, and thus why I still have it. BH can do flat or lots of color with EQ shaping and Tone prints. I use SepctraComp & Drive all the time, but given your desires (no onboard compression not distortion), you likely would not want to use that.

 

The Ashdown Rootmaster RM500 Evo/Evo II and RM800 Evo/Evo II have completely flat preamps, with no color at all. I've verified this on the test bench with an oscilloscope. (Assuming you leave the EQ flat or defeat it entirely.) 3dB point on the HPF is ~25 Hz, and they're flat up to over 20KHz.

Keep in mind that Ashdown's VU meters lie, and you need to keep them below about 10:30 to ensure no preamp clipping. (The meter is RMS, not peak, and there's no envelope follower, so it underestimates input amplitude by a lot.)

Try to find the RM800 Evo II with the black front panel. The mirrored front panels look great, but are impossible to read under real-world conditions, let alone on a dark stage!

 

Quilter.

 

I’m gonna also suggest getting a hold of a Darkglass, you can more than likely find a V1 within your budget, that’s the one I got! I’ve had it since it came out and it’s an incredible sounding amp. You can use it as a 2 channel amp, clean or dirty with the Vibtage Microtubes or B3k circuits built in or you can blend them together like I do and get a very rich and sweet tube amp sound. I run mine with some VMT blended into my clean tone and it sounds great

 

buy something used. To be frank, most on this list is cheap gear engineered to a price or marketed to beginners by companies that don’t exactly have a storied past in bass amplification. I got a used Genzler 800 for $500 by shopping around and just recently got a used TH500 for $500 as well. Both in mint condition and they have been very reliable, and come from companies that stand behind their products. TC and Bugera are cheapo behringer brands, and you already had a peavy fail, and peavy, if ever cutting edge, has been an inferior brand for decades. Hartke would be a decent choice by a well respected brand but you can easily get an amp that is much higher quality and made in America by a Mesa or Aguilar, for the same price.

 

This. All of this. Hunt and peck for a used Mesa Subway amp. And then just don't worry about it. It will work forever. And if it ever quits their customer service is stellar.

 

Umm, what?
Bugera, sure. But TC is absolutely not a "cheapo Behringer brand". TC Group is now owned by Music Tribe, who also owns Behringer, Bugera, et al. TC's own products haven't taken a massive dive in quality, as your post seems to suggest, and they definitely aren't cheap.

 

Gallien-Krueger MB Fusion 500W Tube Preamp Ultra-Light Bass Head | Reverb

You can get a used mb fusion500 for obo $500

 

Get a used Mesa D800 or D800+. You won't be disappointed.

 

This. If you look hard enough you may be able to pick up a used WD800 or TT800 close to your price range.

 

I own a couple of TC pedals, a ditto+ is one of my faves. But they were never an amplification brand. It's not like they have a long lineage in bass amps, it's a newer product line by a brand trying to sell something outside of their core competencies at a cheap price that's mfg. in China. Why anyone would invest in that when for the same price you can get a used mesa that's designed and mfg'd in the u.s., by someone who frequents this very message board offering all sorts of free help and advice, is beyond me. Different strokes for different folks.

 

I had the Veyron tube and mosfet versions at one time and preferred the mosfet. Mostly just wanted to try them and flipped them both. If you're not 100% against used, look for a used D-800 / D-800+.

 

I'm surprised the Rumble club hasn't spoken up yet. Rumble 500

 

I picked up a GK MB 500 roughly two winters ago - time to lighten up and try something different. I was a little worried that I was skimping on the power, but after only one or two gigs it was no mystery that I was getting bigger and better sound than ever.

I also play through a pair of 2x10's that I like to set up in a vertical stack. Since our PA isn't terribly big and powerful (yet), I often play without PA support in a rock/dance cover band.

On its own, this head has what seems to be a nicely clean 'n clear sound - I haven't tried pushing it toward that legendary grind that some folks have loved with other GK heads like their 800RB. But I recently dusted off an Ampeg BSP preamp I've used in the past and tried this in front of my head. This 2-channel pre has a rather warm and fat sounding clean channel that the band noticed (in a good way ) as soon as I added it to my chain.

If I lost this head and had to go get something tomorrow, I might think of looking for a funky Mesa like a D-800, but I can honestly say that I could buy another MB 500 with confidence. I haven't needed to call upon GK's customer service, but their solid reputation has also given me extra peace of mind.