WD800 vs Bass-800D

[mikecd1]

There's something very reminiscent about the new Mesa 800D and the Demeter Bass800D. I had a Bass 800D for a while alongside my subway d800 and in speaking with Jim Demeter discovered the amplifier sections were identical according to him. Loved both amps, but sold the Demeter to fund other projects and felt my subway slightly more versatile plus I'd been using for years already. This new Mesa reminds me even more of the Demeter and am curious of what additional similarities in the preamp stage there might be besides the 12ax7 tube. Did not see the frequencies of the EQ controls, but the new Mesa seems a much better buy with all specs I've seen especially the variable HPF. Don't need it, but def wanna try one!

 

[WG Plum]

There's something very reminiscent about the new Mesa 800D and the Demeter Bass800D. I had a Bass 800D for a while alongside my subway d800 and in speaking with Jim Demeter discovered the amplifier sections were identical according to him. Loved both amps, but sold the Demeter to fund other projects and felt my subway slightly more versatile plus I'd been using for years already. This new Mesa reminds me even more of the Demeter and am curious of what additional similarities in the preamp stage there might be besides the 12ax7 tube. Did not see the frequencies of the EQ controls, but the new Mesa seems a much better buy with all specs I've seen especially the variable HPF. Don't need it, but def wanna try one!
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I had one of the first of the Demeter 800Ds and sold it because it kept going into protect. Loved how it sounded, but I just could not get it to work properly.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

What is your verdict?

Never used an 800w. I’ve had a WD-800 for the last 4 years that I have no objection over. It’s a pretty good head and very versatile. Tremendous tonal control.

 

[agedhorse]

There's something very reminiscent about the new Mesa 800D and the Demeter Bass800D. I had a Bass 800D for a while alongside my subway d800 and in speaking with Jim Demeter discovered the amplifier sections were identical according to him. Loved both amps, but sold the Demeter to fund other projects and felt my subway slightly more versatile plus I'd been using for years already. This new Mesa reminds me even more of the Demeter and am curious of what additional similarities in the preamp stage there might be besides the 12ax7 tube. Did not see the frequencies of the EQ controls, but the new Mesa seems a much better buy with all specs I've seen especially the variable HPF. Don't need it, but def wanna try one!
View attachment 7387524

While the two amps use the same power module, there is a LOT more going on with all of the Subway models, each power section sounds and feels different because of this.

Also, there’s absolutely no issue with any Subway amp shutting down, even driven hard into a 2 ohm load. This further differentiates why the implementation is so critical to the performance.

The protection circuits in the Subway amps shut the amp down in the event of over-voltage, under-voltage, illegal loads (sub-nominal impedance, excessively under-damped reactive, short circuit, over-temperature) and the safety margins are substantial.

We’ve been using this platform for almost 12 years with no issues.

 

[Nebadon2000]

I mentioned that I have a WD earlier in the thread....just curious what others who have played both ,felt about them compared to each other. I play hard metal, doom metal, rock, and mess with funk.

I have WD and very content BUT
based on Music you play from few demo's I have heard along with player discriptions B 800D would be worth a listen

Saying that IME the WD has the ability to handle your Music competently

 

[sunbeast]

I don't have an 800D and haven't been able to demo one yet, but I did play metal through a 400+ for years and have owned a Walkabout for many years and a WD800 as well for the last few years. I think for metal and more forward genres the 400+ was/is a killer amp, and I suspect the 800D will be right there with it if it keeps the vibe well at all (and demos seem to suggest it does, better than the TT800 I had for a bit). These days I love the sweeter more laid-back vibe of the Walkabout/WD for the music I play, but if I were still playing in a heavier group I'd probably have grabbed a 800D at release based on my Mesa experiences. Given I can get by with my Walkabout in basically all my gigs these days I may still give the 800D a try as a different tonal alternative and sell the WD800 given how close it and the Walkabout are voiced.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I’m a very happy D800 plus user and I have considered the 800D but I already use a Cali 76 and a Noble in front of the D800 Plus so I have the tube thing already that I’m very happy with.

If I get to the point where I need another amp, the 800D would be the one but I’m not there right now

 

[tombowlus]

I pretty much agree with most of what has already been said, and I've commented on this elsewhere, but I'll throw a few more cents in.

First off, as intended, the WD-800 is very reminiscent of the WalkAbout, both in terms of how it sounds and also how I use it. Meaning, the tone controls are laid out in similar fashion, and I tend to do approach the tone tweaking in similar fashion, with similar results. The WD-800 does bring some more options to the table, which is great, IME/IMHO. The WalkAbout does still "feel" a little different to me, but again, the WD-800 is clearly an evolution of the WalkAbout.

Also very much as intended, the Bass-800D is very reminiscent of the Bass 400/400+, again, not only in terms of how it sounds, but also how to use it. Like the WD/WalkAbout dynamic, I approach tone tweaking on the 800D very much as I would on my Bass 400, but I once again want to say how much I love the HPF on the 800D. I am also extremely impressed with how close Andy was able to get the inherent sounds of the 800D to the Bass 400/400+. It is also interesting to me how well this "simple" tone stack works, even in this world of more precise control. While I really do love and appreciate the three bands of semi-parametric mids on the WD-800/WalkAbout, it is amazing how well you can dial things in with three bands, an HPF, and a couple of switches.

So, as for how they compare, it largely is like comparing a WalkAbout to a Bass 400/400+. The WalkAbout is a bit more smooth, and you have a lot of fine-tuning options, and the Bass 400/400+ sounds a bit "bigger" and more "lively," with more of that "3D sonic texture" I really love from great tube gear. The sense of fullness, with clarity and excitement, was what initially attracted me to the Bass 400/400+ (and D-180), and Andy has done a wonderful job of capturing this in the 800D.

If you made me pick just one, right at this moment, I'd go with the 800D, and I have been a pretty big WD-800 for a while. That being said, if you told me that I could only play through a WD-800 for the rest of my life, I'd die a happy man.

 

[4stringmf]

Sorry, missed that

Well, I'd do the BD800, based on what I have heard tell on the BD and what I know from my WD. Both glorious amps but the BD might be the one for you

I am very intrigued. I as much as I love the walkabout/wd and M-pulse sound and platform ....to me, I feel like they are somewhat of a blank canvas, and that I have a lot of freedom to shape the tone and sound (all very friendly to sort pedals). With that being said, the eq's on them have been an absolute Godsend when I need to cut through the mix, without having to bump the volume. My guitar player loves how easy it is to work it when we are negotiating frequencies. Sooooo, I guess I'm being a bit apprehensive that I could lose that tool if I was to go with something like the b800d . So I guess the WD is more versatile, and the B800d is more of a one trick pony?

 

[Snake101st]

This could make for an interesting poll, say, a year from now:

Did you sell off your other Subway amps after acquiring your Bass 800D?

I had a D800+ and wanted more heft and tube feel, so went to the TT. When the 800D was announced, I knew it was the subway model for me, since I pretty much only used the Boogie channel.

Bought the 800D really early on in that thread and absolutely loved it, so I sold the TT not long after that.

Having said that, the Strategy 8.88 is my main amp that I bring out for the important stuff (recording, headlining gigs) due to personal preference and liking the high mids on that beast + the general vibe having that in a rack on top of your cabs at shows... but the 800D could absolutely do those things in addition to what I use it for primarily (rehearsals, any gigs we're not headlining or when I know the load in/out at a venue is not ideal, practice at home, etc).

So yeah... Can't recommend the 800D enough!

 

[tombowlus]

I am very intrigued. I as much as I love the walkabout/wd and M-pulse sound and platform ....to me, I feel like they are somewhat of a blank canvas, and that I have a lot of freedom to shape the tone and sound (all very friendly to sort pedals). With that being said, the eq's on them have been an absolute Godsend when I need to cut through the mix, without having to bump the volume. My guitar player loves how easy it is to work it when we are negotiating frequencies. Sooooo, I guess I'm being a bit apprehensive that I could lose that tool if I was to go with something like the b800d . So I guess the WD is more versatile, and the B800d is more of a one trick pony?

While the WD is definitely more versatile, I feel like the 800D is definitely more than a one-trick pony. It's like a stable of glorious varying ponies, who all share some DNA.

 

[agedhorse]

I am very intrigued. I as much as I love the walkabout/wd and M-pulse sound and platform ....to me, I feel like they are somewhat of a blank canvas, and that I have a lot of freedom to shape the tone and sound (all very friendly to sort pedals). With that being said, the eq's on them have been an absolute Godsend when I need to cut through the mix, without having to bump the volume. My guitar player loves how easy it is to work it when we are negotiating frequencies. Sooooo, I guess I'm being a bit apprehensive that I could lose that tool if I was to go with something like the b800d . So I guess the WD is more versatile, and the B800d is more of a one trick pony?

The BD is a fairly broad stable of trick ponies, there’s a lot more versatility built into it.

Edit: looks like Tom beat me to this description!

 

[skier 913]

I am very intrigued. I as much as I love the walkabout/wd and M-pulse sound and platform ....to me, I feel like they are somewhat of a blank canvas, and that I have a lot of freedom to shape the tone and sound (all very friendly to sort pedals). With that being said, the eq's on them have been an absolute Godsend when I need to cut through the mix, without having to bump the volume. My guitar player loves how easy it is to work it when we are negotiating frequencies. Sooooo, I guess I'm being a bit apprehensive that I could lose that tool if I was to go with something like the b800d . So I guess the WD is more versatile, and the B800d is more of a one trick pony?

I'm probably going to get a bit of hate mail for this...but,
I think based on your genre of music the WD fits the bill and is already working good for you.
I have the D-800 for 8 years now and when I got the '800D' I kinda expected it to be vastly different, like as if I was getting a full tube amp. It did not provide that feeling of night and day difference to me. It sounded superbly Mesa family (as do all the different mesa cabs I also a,b,c'd) but it wasn't soooo different that I wanted to discard my D800.
It is different however than the others, like comparing different wines, but not like comparing whiskey to beer to wine. I think the whole deal is an audiophiles dream, but to the common man, as long as you have a Mesa amp and cab, it will kick but!
If you didnt quite like your current mesa amp, and felt it needed to be slightly different , then there are different flavors of the Mesa wine, or if you are a gear junkie, or a mesa fanboy and wealthy,then by all means get each one.
I was going to keep both, I loved the grind, the bright switch, high/low gain, hpf, and power switch on front not rear, but what finally made me return it was that spinning the passive tone knobs back and forth and not getting the same cut/ boost response as my active tone control D800 has, I couldn't live with it that way. I thought for a minute that maybe the pots were defective? but naww, it couldnt be. It's just that I never owned a passive stack amp and since my D800 was still Mesa family I was already happy...

 

[agedhorse]

Sorry, IMO and IME the D-800 and the Bass 800D sound very different and especially feel different.

The tone stack eq on the Bass 800D is completely different than the Baxandall eq on the D-800, that’s very much a part of the voicing of the Bass 800D. If you don’t like it, that’s fine but since you are unfamiliar with that style of eq, it’s just a lack of experience rather than being “defective”.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The BD is a fairly broad stable of trick ponies, there’s a lot more versatility built into it.

Do you have any photos of these here trick ponies?

 

[Jeff Scott]

It is different however than the others, like comparing different wines, but not like comparing whiskey to beer to wine. I think the whole deal is an audiophiles dream, but to the common man, as long as you have a Mesa amp and cab, it will kick but!

But, what?

 

[skier 913]

Sorry, IMO and IME the D-800 and the Bass 800D sound very different and especially feel different.

The tone stack eq on the Bass 800D is completely different than the Baxandall eq on the D-800, that’s very much a part of the voicing of the Bass 800D. If you don’t like it, that’s fine but since you are unfamiliar with that style of eq, it’s just a lack of experience rather than being “defective”.

It's 100% lack of experience on my part, just saying that I initially was puzzled as to why i wasn't getting the response I expected.

How it sounded though was great, big and more grindy than the D800 and notes less immediate. I just wanted active tone controls that I was used to.
When I played the WD it seemed more mid aggressive and a bit brighter and the 800d was a bit warmer sounding plus more grit.
The D800 is clean and fat which I like for reggae and my type of rock.

 

[skier 913]

But, what?

Kickass

 

[4stringmf]

It's 100% lack of experience on my part, just saying that I initially was puzzled as to why i wasn't getting the response I expected.

How it sounded though was great, big and more grindy than the D800 and notes less immediate. I just wanted active tone controls that I was used to.
When I played the WD it seemed more mid aggressive and a bit brighter and the 800d was a bit warmer sounding plus more grit.
The D800 is clean and fat which I like for reggae and my type of rock.

The part you said about, the 800D being a bit warmer sounding with more grit than the WD is something that I would like to experience

 

[tombowlus]

Be aware the any amp can be persnickety depending on many factors. The type of bass, your strings, your pickups among these.

I noticed only ONE instance where the 800D was "difficult" to dial in. It's a very odd one too. I have 4 passive basses and I ran the 800D through my Subway 12s and my Phil Jones Compact 4s. Turns out 3 out of 4 basses were great with both cabinets. The 12s being bit more middy the PJs C4s. But working with the tone stack I always found the sweet spot and dialed them in . Great beefy lows on both.

The 4th bass was odd. A Fender Jazz fretless with Bart Classic Dual P/Us and TI Jazz Flats. The PJ cab was ok and easy to dial in. But for the life of me, the 800D x SW 12 wouldn't settle down. I had to really back down on the mids. It worked best with the bass boost on and the HPF at 5. It's a losing proposition, it took a little jockeying around to get it right.

It's funny. I had one of the other fretlesses, another Fender Jazz with Bart B-AXIS p/us AND TI flats and it sounds great on both cabs. I get a great old school sound out of both. Warm and strong. No prob with the mids on the 12s. Same type of bass, same type of strings, but different pickups from the same maker though.

The verdict: The 800D is a keeper!

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. I recently picked up a PJB Compact 2, and so far, I've only tried it with the 800D (and yes, I know this head is "too powerful" for this cab, so I am being very careful on the gain/volume), but man, those two seem to do very well together! Can't wait to try the 800D with some of my other PJB cabs - which have always seemed to love tube power, so perhaps the 800D's native voicing will do them justice.