dmccombe7

I sent one at weekend but didn't expect a response till during the week. Thought i would send another one thru their website page this morning just in case i typed in the wrong email address. I'll have a look at their FB page. Thanks @wateroftyne Edited to say PM'd thru their FB page too so hopefully they get one of my messages. Dave

Out of curiosity are HB quick at getting back to you via email. ? Dave

That's a great story and typifies what i thought they would be like if i ever met them. Dave

I'd agree with that. They were producing some fantastic songs and i believe the Edge made a comment that he wished U2 could produce songs like Big Country. Had things not taken a bad turn i quite believe they would have taken over the mantLE from U2. Just a personal opinion of course. My punk band plays Into the Valley which is also an amazingly powerful song. With a drop D on the E string it may well have been one of the early songs to have that AFAIK. Think that was back in late 70's. Dave

Big Country were an amazing band. Saw them support Bowie at Sunderland in 80's think it was Glass Spider tour and they were better than Bowie. Fantastic live band, so much power and energy. Sad Dave

Glad you told me that Mike. I have been considering the Ashdown and you're the first person to say they couldn't quite get on with it and i think your amp history has a similar vane to mine. I was a bit concerned about buying a new amp from Poland mainly beccause there is no support network for repairs under warranty if needed but by sound of it they are a rugged amp. I definitely have a severe GAS for the all valve WB-100 after hearing the various vids on it. It seems to have more presence than the Mpulse and R400 but not by much. Sent HB an email this morning asking for costs to send either amp to UK and i'll take it from there. The Mesa thing is sad as they seemed to have a great range of new Subway amps and they were very popular for this to happen and kill sales for them. Now people like myself will have no option but look elsewhere. I honestly thought i was a Mesa man till the end but how things change. Dave

You dont get a compliment like that very often. Well done sir. Now curious what gear you were using 😂 Dave

I spent 2 yrs researching the Mesa subway gear and put my order in for the TT800, 210 and 115 rig hoping i would have it all within 3 mths. The cabs arrived from different shops but the amp kept getting put back. The order went in April 2021 over a year ago and now that its been put back to a maybe 2023 but no guarantee i just cant be bothered waiting that long for any bit of kit no matter what it is. 2 years is far too long to wait. Its left me disappointed with Mesa but there are probably a few other manufacturers in same position so its unfair to single out Mesa. Its all down to Covid. I had looked at the R400 before i ordered the Mesa rig but i already had the Mpulse600 and PH212 and loved it and that's what swayed me to the Subway rig. Alas i need to look elsewhere. No telling how many years i have left to keep playing but i want to have the best rig i can over the next few years. Not that i have any health issues but i might get fed up gigging again as i did in early 90's. Living for today is the way to go rather than living on a "maybe". Another amp i am looking at is the Ashdown ABM EVO IV 600 but i'm not a fan of that pale blue facing. I do like the look of the Geezer Butler head but at £400 more its a bit much as there's no way i need additional slave outputs which is the main reason for the added cost. I might hold off and see what comes up on BC as i still have my trusty old Mpulse600 which sounds lovely thru the 210 / 115 cabs. A bit long winded but i've been on the JD while making dinner so i'm nice, warm and happy at moment Dave

I was disappointed altho i understand reasons behind it. Andy from Mesa has been top notch and even PM'd me when he heard about it. You just can't get any better than having someone like @agedhorse on the bass forums. I'm gonna miss that level of support. Who knows ........ i might still get one when they eventually manage to ship to UK in next few yrs. Was funny but a lot of guys on TB went from the D800+ to the TT800 or WD800 and decided to go back to their D800+ so i'd be absolutely positive its the route you want to go down or you just keep the D800+ as a back up. One guy from US even offered to drop his price on his TT800 to help get it over to me as he wanted to go back to D800 basic amp. Some great people on our bass forums. I'm now looking at Handbox amps. Just missed 2 on BC. Dave

You guys are making me so jealous. Think i'm gonna email HB on Monday morning rather than wait for one to appear on BC ads. Dave

That was something that sold it to me. My Mpulse is basically flat with maybe a touch of mid boost. In the punk band i have used the paraEQ mid boost frequencies when my strings are getting a bit old and dull. Mostly i use the paraEQ for cutting ultra low bass frequencies. Dave

I think you mentioned that in your advert that it was loud enough and that's what kind of swayed me towards yours. No probs i wasn't quick enough to get yours but i've since changed my settings on amp sales page to get notifications right away when new ads appear. I'm glad i saw your advert as i would never have looked at an all valve 120W amp but the tone from those WB-100 amps is incredible. Depending on price from HB i'll either go for the WB first and if not the R-400 will work for me too. I might keep an eye on BC ads for couple of weeks before i jump in and buy direct from HB. Dave

I've been following all your Youtube clips and was very impressed by the R-400 and then i heard you use the WB-100 and it was more powerful sounding with regards the tone yet the clarity was still there. The R-400 i think would be more than adequate volume wise for what i'm doing but the WB-100 at 120W was a bit worrying altho having read many reviews including the BC & TB threads it doesn't appear to be an issue. Also noted that many Mesa Mpulse users have changed over to HB which is always a good sign. I'll send Leszek an email to see what he can offer me. I've never bought outside UK but from what i've picked up from our very own @Steve Browning is 3% import tax plus 20% VAT plus shipping. I think i can accept that ok. Many thanks for your help ...........and your vids. Dave

I see that on their website but didn't realise Handbox had any dealers in UK at all. ? Dave

What a fantastic tone. I've decided on a Handbox since my Mesa TT800 order fell thru unless i wait till 2023 and maybe it will happen. I'm not sure whether i prefer the R400 or this WB100 but that is so sweet in your vid clip. Loving the band too. All sound very professional musicians in there. Nice one. Someone mentioned to me that SIMS were a dealer as they have Handbox advert on their website but from what i can find there are no actual dealers in UK. Do you know if i simply contact them thru their website address it will be answered. ? Dave

I'm very interested in the Handbox amps probably the R-400 head. I was curious to know if anyone in UK has bought one recently and how much was added on for import tax plus VAT (i can calculate that myself) plus any other costs i'm not aware of. All in all what was the total additional cost on top of the amp itself. Dave

I'll check it out to see what's there. Dedicated threads can be a bit biased tho as i found out on the Mesa thread on TB. You dont want to criticise Mesa on that forum. LOL Dave

Tried Aguilar and not so keen and had a Streamliner 600 many years ago but the new amp just doesn't do it for me. I have listened to quite a few Genz youtube clips. Dave

Great thread as i'm now searching for a lightweight amp to replace the Mesa TT800 i'm not getting. I see you have the Handbox. Does it have enough mids as i like to add mids with my mpulse600 with the punk band. Looking at the Handbox the mids knob is more like a mid cut ? Any helpful advice there would help me a lot. Also curious about the Darkglass Microtubes V2 900 and Ashdown ABM EVO IV 600 / 1200 altho its not exactly lightweight. Dave