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What's your favourite Mesa Subway Head?
- Thread starter esoxhntr
- Start date
Sadly, none, as I have not had the opportunity to try any of them around these here parts.
I started out with the D-800+ and never was able to get a great sound out of it. To me, for an amp to sound "right" it has to sound good with all tone controls at zero, or 12 o'clock. Then adjust to the room. After MANY EQing attempts with the 800+ it became stressful because soundchecks only last so long and I can't be parked in front of the amp turning knobs for too long while everyone else needs to hear me play. So one gig I brought out the SVT-II to play on my Subway cabs just to see and it sounded wonderful. But I didn't want to rely on an old, all tube amp that was heavy and fragile. We gig too much.
But I wanted to stay with the brand and tried the WD-800 because of its reputation of being tubey and to some, SVT-like. Admittedly, the WD tone controls were a little daunting, but something about the tone stack was much better sounding to me. In my band, we use lots of sequencers and synths so the tone spectrum is very crowded making bass difficult to be heard at times. Here's what I did: I snapped a photo of the manual's sample setting diagrams so that at the next soundcheck I quickly dialed in different settings. What worked out were two settings from the page could be changed during the set with the footswitch. "Slaptastic" and "Crisp, Clean Fingerstyle" can be toggled with the footswitch. Hooray! I was finally getting great tones again. Oh, the Damping control really works with keeping the sound tight and under control at high volumes especially when I slap and have to mute the strings. Otherwise there are unintended rumbly tones happening because I can get a little sloppy at times.
For a victory lap I picked up a D-350 for rehearsals and backup and it's been great too. I enjoy the EQ flat and the Voice control at zero on that one. I haven't gigged with it yet since I need a 2 ohm amp with my two cabs. If I need it as a backup, I'll run it through one cab.
For the record, I play fingerstyle, pick and slap with Jazz basses. My sounds are all over the map.
But I wanted to stay with the brand and tried the WD-800 because of its reputation of being tubey and to some, SVT-like. Admittedly, the WD tone controls were a little daunting, but something about the tone stack was much better sounding to me. In my band, we use lots of sequencers and synths so the tone spectrum is very crowded making bass difficult to be heard at times. Here's what I did: I snapped a photo of the manual's sample setting diagrams so that at the next soundcheck I quickly dialed in different settings. What worked out were two settings from the page could be changed during the set with the footswitch. "Slaptastic" and "Crisp, Clean Fingerstyle" can be toggled with the footswitch. Hooray! I was finally getting great tones again. Oh, the Damping control really works with keeping the sound tight and under control at high volumes especially when I slap and have to mute the strings. Otherwise there are unintended rumbly tones happening because I can get a little sloppy at times.
For a victory lap I picked up a D-350 for rehearsals and backup and it's been great too. I enjoy the EQ flat and the Voice control at zero on that one. I haven't gigged with it yet since I need a 2 ohm amp with my two cabs. If I need it as a backup, I'll run it through one cab.
For the record, I play fingerstyle, pick and slap with Jazz basses. My sounds are all over the map.
Another cool feature that the WD does share with some Subway amps: USB port on the back. I didn't mention it in my original post, but it sure came in handy last night when I had to work on some new songs and my phone was dead. Plugged in the charger and back to the woodshed, no sweat. I also use it to power a small LED light to use during gigs on dark stages.
D-800+ for me.
I owned the WD-800 and the TT-800 along with the D-800+ for quite a while. Tone wise, I kept going back to the D-800+. And yes, I use all Subway cabs. I have a pair of 212s and a pair of 410s. The D-800+ was just the tone for me. I had to set my TT-800 and Wd-800 free. Now I live peacefully with two D-800+ heads.
P.S.
The D-800+ also makes for a fantastic DI box.
I owned the WD-800 and the TT-800 along with the D-800+ for quite a while. Tone wise, I kept going back to the D-800+. And yes, I use all Subway cabs. I have a pair of 212s and a pair of 410s. The D-800+ was just the tone for me. I had to set my TT-800 and Wd-800 free. Now I live peacefully with two D-800+ heads.
P.S.
The D-800+ also makes for a fantastic DI box.
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,780
- 40,483
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
I'm a fan of all and own all models except the 800+. They each have their own unique sound and feature set that work nicely for me in different situations. If it matters, I was most surprised by how much I liked the TT-800 and D-350 models when I tried them. The D-800 and WD-800 were exactly what I expected.
I have both a WD800 and a TT800. One is the backup for the other, but I couldn't tell you which. I use the TT80 for the Doomtronica band and the WD800 for my roots/funk band.
Thanks to all who took part in the poll. It seems that the WD-800 is a clear, though not overwhelming winner. I thought that Hellman's would make a stronger showing, but maybe Miracle Whip has more of a following than I suspected?
More due to the fact that the local shop has a WD-800, AND that I like the sound of the head, I have brought it home for the weekend to try on a couple of gigs. I will report back on the great GK Legacy/WD-800 battle with any impressions I may develop.
Speaking of developments... a Subway 350 has also arrived at the same store. I will have to take that one for a spin in the near future. It is tiny... and cute... and simple. Who doesn't like simple?
More due to the fact that the local shop has a WD-800, AND that I like the sound of the head, I have brought it home for the weekend to try on a couple of gigs. I will report back on the great GK Legacy/WD-800 battle with any impressions I may develop.
Speaking of developments... a Subway 350 has also arrived at the same store. I will have to take that one for a spin in the near future. It is tiny... and cute... and simple. Who doesn't like simple?
It's even better than that, for me. All of the EQ knobs at 12:00 sounds great, so the only things I ever touch after powering it on are the gain, voicing, master volume, and mute switch. I get all the tone and volume I need, and it never even gets warm. (It's the only amp in the Subway series without a cooling fan -- it's designed to be silent, and to dissipate it's heat without needing a fan. My response: What heat?)
I will certainly give it a shot, but if the D-350 is pretty much like the D-800but with less power then it's likely not for me. First, when I tried the D-800 back in the day, it just wasn't quite the tone or feel that I wanted. Second, I'm playing a sealed 410 cab so the efficiency is not terrific, and I will likely prefer the headroom that an 800 watt amp can supply. But I will give it a shot.
It may not impress you the same way it impressed me. But one of the things that surprised me about that amp was how much volume is available to me.
Gig #1 last night... there was a lot to take in, because I was also trying out a different bass than I normally use. As it turned out, it was a good move. The order of operations was as follows:
Set1: FBass BN5/WD-800
It may or may not have been the best idea to begin with a new bass and new amp, but to me if an instrument or amplifier don't sound at least pretty good immediately set flat then there isn't much hope. Thankfully, there was hope. I started with the BN5 going passive only, and focused on getting the mid EQ right on the WD-800. The short version of the EQ settings was that they were set to a modified version of the Mesa "Slap Tone", but with slightly different frequencies and the low mids cut a bit rather than boosted. Damping was set to high - that is how I preferred it all night. About half way through the set I kicked in the preamp on the FBass (I think this is where the magic is on an FBass), and was very pleased with the versatility afforded with the tone controls on the FBass, in conjunction with the settings on the WD-800. Heck, I could even get a legit P Bass sound with the bridge pickup dialled back. I think we call this set a win.
Set 2: FBass BN5/GK Legacy 800
Nope. I struggled with it for a whole set. The FBass sounded "clinkey" with the preamp on, and dull with the preamp off... but still with a hint of "clink". The EQ controls that I normally find intuitive on the GK did not act that way at all with the FBass. I have a number of preamps on my pedal board, and usually one of them will give me a sound I can be relatively happy with, but not last night - at least, not with the FBass. To make matters worse, the GK was clearly noisier than the Mesa when adjusting pickups levels. Fail.
Set 3: PBass/WD-800
Yes. Hell, yes. the PBass needed minor EQ adjustments only. Two songs into the set and all was well. I was able to forget about testing gear and just play music. A happy combination the PBass and WD-800 were. "Like peas and carrots" to quote one Forrest Gump. There is not much tonal versatility on the PBass, but that's why I have preamp pedals, and they all worked and sounded exactly as they should. A definite win.
Tonight's gig will focus primarily on using three basses with the WD-800. I guess it's more of a bass audition night than an amp night. I want to see how the WD-800 handles my Alleva Coppolo LG5. I originally thought that maybe I could replace the PBass with the FBass, but the PBass simply does not want to be replaced... I've been trying for almost a year to find something that works better on my gigs than the PBass, and so far the PBass remains undefeated. I'm not necessarily unhappy about that.
Anyhoo, one round down, two to go, the WD-800 is up 1-0.
Set1: FBass BN5/WD-800
It may or may not have been the best idea to begin with a new bass and new amp, but to me if an instrument or amplifier don't sound at least pretty good immediately set flat then there isn't much hope. Thankfully, there was hope. I started with the BN5 going passive only, and focused on getting the mid EQ right on the WD-800. The short version of the EQ settings was that they were set to a modified version of the Mesa "Slap Tone", but with slightly different frequencies and the low mids cut a bit rather than boosted. Damping was set to high - that is how I preferred it all night. About half way through the set I kicked in the preamp on the FBass (I think this is where the magic is on an FBass), and was very pleased with the versatility afforded with the tone controls on the FBass, in conjunction with the settings on the WD-800. Heck, I could even get a legit P Bass sound with the bridge pickup dialled back. I think we call this set a win.
Set 2: FBass BN5/GK Legacy 800
Nope. I struggled with it for a whole set. The FBass sounded "clinkey" with the preamp on, and dull with the preamp off... but still with a hint of "clink". The EQ controls that I normally find intuitive on the GK did not act that way at all with the FBass. I have a number of preamps on my pedal board, and usually one of them will give me a sound I can be relatively happy with, but not last night - at least, not with the FBass. To make matters worse, the GK was clearly noisier than the Mesa when adjusting pickups levels. Fail.
Set 3: PBass/WD-800
Yes. Hell, yes. the PBass needed minor EQ adjustments only. Two songs into the set and all was well. I was able to forget about testing gear and just play music. A happy combination the PBass and WD-800 were. "Like peas and carrots" to quote one Forrest Gump. There is not much tonal versatility on the PBass, but that's why I have preamp pedals, and they all worked and sounded exactly as they should. A definite win.
Tonight's gig will focus primarily on using three basses with the WD-800. I guess it's more of a bass audition night than an amp night. I want to see how the WD-800 handles my Alleva Coppolo LG5. I originally thought that maybe I could replace the PBass with the FBass, but the PBass simply does not want to be replaced... I've been trying for almost a year to find something that works better on my gigs than the PBass, and so far the PBass remains undefeated. I'm not necessarily unhappy about that.
Anyhoo, one round down, two to go, the WD-800 is up 1-0.
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I have a D-800. D-800+ and a WD-800. If I could have just one it would be the WD-800. They are all wonderful in their own way but that WD is the one that always goes to the gigs. At the last gig I took the D-800+ along just in case I was not thrilled with the WD-800. Uh, I was thrilled with the WD-800.
It is nice to have real tone choices in one brand. Most heads from the same company sound very similar and many use the same preamp with different power amp modules. There is nothing really wrong with that IF you really want that certain sound and set of control features. Mesa has elected to make available amps that are individual in their tone and features. The three I have are all terrific in their own way but that WD-800 is just a killer head for me.
YMMV
It is nice to have real tone choices in one brand. Most heads from the same company sound very similar and many use the same preamp with different power amp modules. There is nothing really wrong with that IF you really want that certain sound and set of control features. Mesa has elected to make available amps that are individual in their tone and features. The three I have are all terrific in their own way but that WD-800 is just a killer head for me.
YMMV
I'm just a little bit curious about whether the poll is indicating which heads players own vs which they prefer. What I mean is that I personally voted for the TT800, because that is the one I own. But, I have NOT tried all of them; and I suspect many who have voted likewise are simply voting what they have, or have limited differential experience.
The TT800 does exactly what I prefer in a head; so, I have zero motivation to try any of the others. But, that's me.
The TT800 does exactly what I prefer in a head; so, I have zero motivation to try any of the others. But, that's me.
I've been fortunate to be able to try all of them (except the D350). The TT came along a couple of years after I had my WD. I gave it a spin wondering if maybe I should switch it up, but I just like the WD better.
The TT bumped the D800+ out of second place. I've always been a sucker for tube tones, so no surprise there. That Boogie channel!
But I'm really comfortable with all the EQ options that the WD has, and I hesitate to give that up. Not saying I wouldn't get one to expand my tone options, it's a great amp but that's a chunk of change for something that is clearly a want and not a need.
But if that Boogie channel came in a pedal…
That's a good question... Like any poll this is basically just an indication, but likely not a super accurate one. Depends on factors, I suppose. What I'm taking away from it is that there is definitely a model to suit a number of different end users, which speaks well to the creativity of the design team, and the willingness on Mesa's part to listen to their customer base.
Anyone who feels this way should try a 12AU7 (maybe everyone already knows this). I think I read that the Man himself preferred 12AU7 but the consensus of his development team went with 12AT7. Loved the 12AT7 from the first moment I heard it, but in order to have just a hint of flavoring, and in order to be one of the cool kids who go with the above mentioned opinion, I've had a JJ 12AU7 in that position.
I also leave Damping on high, so I'm happy to have this setting available instead of having it preset at some intermediate value.
To the thread: Sorry, I've never tried the other Subway heads.
Interesting... what do you find that the 12AU7 brings to the table?
