Well the old Mesa's must have become junk...

[Al Kraft]

If space and money are not an issue, I see no reason to consider any of the Mesa line from original WA to WD-800 making anything obsolete or useless in some way. I do see the choices expanding and at the same time the versatility of tones/voicing in those choices expanding as well.

My last gig with an original WA a week ago went fine, and my gig with the D-800 two days earlier went equally well, and the one two days before that with a GK MB500 also was great. Nothing wrong with having a lot of choices to pick the perfect tool for the job.

That said, the WD-800 looks (and sounds) so attractive to many of us because it was designed with our collective inputs helping inform the design choices...is it really that surprising that when we see an amp that checks off our combined wish list points we'd really like it a lot? OBTW, who here would not see value in a slightly used head that still has more factory warranty left than most heads come with originally??

 

[esoxhntr]

I'm so cynical about the fickleness of TBers that I'm surprised no WD-800s are in the classifieds yet.

Wait another few minutes...

 

[groooooove]

the only case where i think it's a valid connection between new one / old used ones being sold a lot is when the new one is an obvious updated version of the old. ie, very similar sounding with a few modern features in a much smaller/lightweight / more power package, will lead to the old one going for cheap and for sale all the time.

in other cases, people buy/sell gear. sometimes a lot of gear. I had a deal fall through a while ago because the buyer saw 2 other of the same item available and took it to mean it must be no good. I think we put too much stock in this - what is considered an obsolete amp, like a LMII from 2010, is actually a killer piece of gear and we're lucky we get can good stuff so cheap.

 

[Doug Parent]

I find these assertions about Talkbass members being "fickle" is missing the point. In the last 10 years there have been many new and groundbreaking advancements in terms of new technology and developments that have given bass players far more choices than ever before. There are far more nuanced differences and wide variety of tonal options for bass players now that, you could literally be buying and selling for years before you get around to finding your nirvana. It's not about fickle, it's about a kid in a candy store the size of Costco.

 

[4stringmf]

I will try to give a test to the WD-800 in terms of being close to the WA. Because i had a M-Pulse 360 which was claimed to be a bigger WA which was not for anything. I honestly have not found any SS head any close to the WA. Only the Aguilar 750 which you may need a Camel to drag around

I bought my MP 360 for the same reason, with the extra bells and whistles it included. I think a lot of us were sort of misled as to it being a "bigger brother" to the walkabout, and had I known about the difference at the time, I definitely would have tried it out. I still play and love my 360 though! The WD will come to me eventually as I test drove last weekend and it blew me away.

 

[nostatic]

The WD-800 isn't a replacement for the D-800/D-800+, is another distinctly different flavor of amp that may suit some players better, especially players who are in playing situations where they can use the additional features and are not as constrained by the increased size & weight.

Some of the D800/D-800+ amps being sold are back-ups where the players have more than one. Because of the transferable warranty, it gives these players better options than sitting on them and the buyers are in a better position than buying other used amps with no warranty.

Agree on the first point - they sound different out of the box.

I always have two amps (main and backup) and one preamp pedal (for IEM or straight to FOH). I'm also rather endlessly curious about tone, so experiments happen. In my case, it isn't an indictment of the gear, and I will always cop to being nuts. Just ask my wife...

 

[PullThePlug]

If I had the money and the means... I'd definitely be a gear flipper. I adore trying out different equipment, from basses to pedals to heads and cabs... strings, picks, even instant drop tuners.

It's so much fun to play around with.

 

[songwriter21]

You've been on TB since '08 and just now are figuring that out?

Unless I require a bigger combo for a sans in-ear band, I haven't had desire for more gear for around a year now.

It's fun seeing credit card debt actually go down!

 

[oldrocker]

Probably never been a better time to buy a used Walkabout. I tried one in a music store a couple of times and honestly couldn't understand what the fuss was about. IMHO, the amp seemed incredibly under powered and the lows were totally out of control and difficult to tame.

...

Of course everyone's mileage will vary but I play a Walkabout 12" combo paired with another 12 inch cab. This is loud enough, stand alone for bar shows. It does need FOH support for larger outdoor shows but always more than enough stage volume.

I'm not a big knob fiddler but even I can tame the lows just by backing off on the low and bass controls a bit.

 

[Daniel Piper]

Come on people, we all know the drill.

This is TB

We like gear. New gear the mostest.

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

Im good unless they offer a tube pre/ di then I may be tempted it would need to be pretty epic tho to dethrone my custom Verrelen meatsmoke pre

 

[lermgalieu]

I've still got my D-800 and Subway cabs and no plans to part with them. And I AM fickle on most bass-related issues.

 

[logdrum]

I am really behind the times. Did not know this was just released. I was really surprised that they did not include a tube pre right from the start

 

[Wasnex]

Of course everyone's mileage will vary but I play a Walkabout 12" combo paired with another 12 inch cab. This is loud enough, stand alone for bar shows. It does need FOH support for larger outdoor shows but always more than enough stage volume.

I'm not a big knob fiddler but even I can tame the lows just by backing off on the low and bass controls a bit.

I love to twiddle with knobs, and the EQ section of the WA and WD-800 seem ideal for this type of fun. It's been a very long time since I tried out the WA. I looked for an extended time and finally found one in a Guitar Center while I was on tour. I believe I tried it with both the 12" and 15" Scout cabs and I don't think I had any trouble dialing in the highs and mids, but I could't find what I considered a decent compromise in the low end.

It's possible something was wrong with the amp or cabs, but my experience seemed consistent with the common complaints I later found. More power and a variable HPF are the right tools to address the specific problems I experienced, so I think the WD-800 has potential. If I come across one in the wild, I'll be happy to take it for a spin.

 

[quilanthegreat]

I'm curious if the Aguilar AG700 and Tone Hammer 700 have a role to play? I suspect @BogeyBass is correct though, people are just looking for some extra cash during the holiday season.

 

[Marctbass]

Fine with me. Just picked up a mint D800 cheap!

 

[lomo]

......I'm a long-time Walkabout fanboy and I currently have and love both original Walkabout and D800+ heads.......I am sure at some point down the line I'll buy a WD800....but right now I'm a wee bit disappointed that the immediate effect of the WD800 release has been a flood of used D800/ 800+ heads in the TB classifieds.....I was kinda hoping to see some original Walkabout heads for cheap......maybe hoard another one......my 800+ can handle anything loud or where the load needs lightening, and the Walkabout is still my all-time fave bass tone for low/sane volume situations, which describes 99% of my current needs.

 

[dave64o]

I was pretty excited to hear about the WD-800 and was just about ready to pull the trigger on a WD-800 after reading through these threads. But then something surprising happened.

I'm not currently gigging, but I'm playing in two different regular (i.e. weekly) jam sessions plus I just started with a third that expects to play about twice a month. I made a point to use my D-800 in each, which let me hear it in different types of rooms playing different types of music on different basses with different players at different volume levels through different cabinets. After doing that a few times, I concluded the D-800 sounds D**N good and I actually talked myself out of buying the WD-800. I love the idea of having even more flexibility and tweakability but, as of now, I'm *extremely* happy with what I have and will stick with it. It just works that well.

And I think the fact that the "entry" model is so good that it convinces me not to upgrade speaks volumes about the design of this series of heads!

 

[Jim C]

For those that are angry, this thread was meant to illustrate that people change gear no matter how loyal they may be on a given day, how much they liked what they had yesterday, or beacuse the next one might be better.

Better than what?
We've had great amps for 45 years that could have been used on any stage or on any record.
We change equipment for enjoyment and to lift our spirits to play better with more creativity.

Jimmi Vaughan once wrote that rather than new gear, he prefers a new pair of shoes to make him feel more creative and play better on stage. What ever works is the thing to do.

Perhaps there is more expendable household income in the US than I realize (although the stock market and 401K's don't show this).
I'm doing backflips as my daughter is graduating a semester early, dual major, and on the Dean's list and at a tough school.
Maybe some day I can drop a couple K without a second thought.

The idea that more than 5% of these amps being sold are backups is not something I believe.

Now here's where it gets interesting.
Mesa gear really holds it's value.

Remember when the Carbine's came out and the M9 had more than it's share of issues?
So much so that it if it went back for warranty it came back with 33% less power.
With any other brand, people would be screaming bloody murder.

Why did Meas not get trashed?
It is a very fine amp and people will put up with issues if the quality is there from the start so long as it is covered under waranty.

Look at the price of used Carbine's. They sell for a fortune on the used market.
They aren't made anymore and the used prices have never gone down.

A used WA has been selling for $500-600 for the last 5 years with no decrease in site.
The 800 and 800+ don't seem like they are going for much less than they were 6 months ago.
This stuff holds it's value.

If you play music as your only means of income, at least you can write off some gear.
But not for a very large percentage just like automobile mileage. You don't get $.55 cents off per mile on taxes.
OTOH, I don't believe that the new WD800 is going to get you any more work than the 800 or the 800+.

It strikes me odd that many of these amps have been sold sight unseen and without trying them.

I think Andy is one of the most talented and knowledgable amp designers on the planet.
His reputation speaks for itself and the time he spends here is a testiment to his desire to help educate and get things straightened out. I doubt that there is any reason he supports GB equipment other than out of good of heart.

But, I don't care if the guy walks on water, his say so on an amp (or paint brush) is not enough for me to immediately buy an amp without trying.
I think the panitngs and illustrations of Robert Rauschenberg are incredible; Andy may hate them.
It's all good.

Of course, some folks have time and don't mind sending amps back that they were just testing without a real commitment in mind. That's cool if that's your thing.

So, good on Mesa for trying to (and usually succeding) in making better MI amplifers.
I like their bass amps, their guitar amps not so much.

Nobody ever got ahead in the music buisness being a follower.

I am intereested in reading more reviews of this new amp.
And, I was one of the many that wished for a 1kW WA.
Sounds like a good amount of DNA has been designed in, with some of the not so good removed.

Thanks for listening Mesa.
Perhaps this will inspire more manufacturers to do the same!

 

[agedhorse]

I don't know man, I see a total of 12 Subway heads (split between the D-800 and the plus) out of the last 450 classified listings, that's only 2.5% which doesn't seem like "flood" numbers to me. It should be noted that I see other popular models with their own fans being sold in similar numbers. Add in 3 preamp-DI's and a few cabinets and it doesn't seem all that much activity at all. Maybe some, but certainly not the majority, and at least 2 of those amps were from players who owned 2 of them.