Steve Browning Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 These amps arrived from the US a couple of days ago and I immediately booked a rehearsal studio in order to check I'd wired up the rack correctly, and to give the amps a good go. As with all my Boogie amp purchases, I was buying 'blind' but I have never been disappointed so ordered one as soon as they were announced. My first Boogie head was a Bass 400 in the mid 80's and the fact that this used the same tone stack made it the amp for me (and my back). You can see I was running through two Subway 1x15 cabs. The basses were an SVL Reserve with flats, an old Precision with rounds and my A/E fretless which is active) with flats. I was joined (socially distanced-like) by @rumblefish who brought along an active bass - and his ears! The signal path was bass - tuner - amp - rack EQ in the fx loop - cabs. The EQ's were in bypass mode. I got the unit merely because the 400 has a graphic and I did use it on my one. The amps were rack-mounted using the Mesa kit. The ears weighed a good bit more than the amp I reckon!! This review is a first impressions review and I imagine I've only scratched the surface of what it can do. First of all, a big shout out to the manual. The best one I've read so far. Not only did it have all the info on the amp, it also had a comprehensive table of the ohm settings and power distribution for a number of cab combinations (1x8ohm + 1x4ohm etc). It's a question that comes up regularly and here was a table with all the permutations and the relevant ohmage setting. So, on to the amp. The 'executive summary' is an emphatic 'wow'. The amp (I was pretty much just using the Boogie channel) has all the tone you need and the combination of gain and volume give you everything you want in terms of grind. By way of comparison, I had my channel gain (on the 400) at about 1 o'clock. I ended up at about 3 on this amp. This gave it that bit of 'bite' when digging in a bit on the bass. The EQ section is typically Boogie with loads of variation on all the controls but the biggest differences coming in with judicial use of the mid controls. I had started off with the deep switch on but decided it was not needed in the end, the high pass filter remained fully counter-clockwise. With everything set at 12 o'clock it sounded wonderful and I didn't get a bad sound out of it. To my ears, the sound was pure 'me'. It's the sound I've had since those 400 and Diesel 2x15 days right through to today. It's a sound I love and always makes me smile. This barely scratches the surface, as I said. There are so many possibilities on the amp that I neither had the time, or the ears, to fully explore all the subtleties in this brilliant package. In my opinion, Mesa have delivered again. They took me from all valve to valve/mosfet without losing any of my sound and have now taken me on to valve/digital, again, without losing any of the sound. An exceptional amp and I now just have to wait until circumstances are such that I can run it up 'in anger'. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmayhem Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Thanx for the review/reflections! I have ordered one, and it will surface after the new years weekend. I will use it with my Genzler Bass Array cabs, either 2 x BA12-3 or BA210-3 + BA15-3 setup, depending on the scene/venue. The only Mesa amp I've owned was a Buster Bass top with a 115 cabinet, but that one sucked big! It was the most contra-intuitive amp I've ever owned. I couldn't get any decent tone out of it at all, just a lot of treble and super lows but nothing in between. I really anticipate getting the TT-800 in my hands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 You will really like the amp. I know what you mean about the Buster. When I first got the 400 all those years ago, I actually stopped using it because I couldn't get the right sound. Eventually I persevered and figured out the eq. The controls work with each other and it takes a time to get your head round it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 On 31/12/2020 at 15:58, Steve Browning said: These amps arrived from the US a couple of days ago and I immediately booked a rehearsal studio in order to check I'd wired up the rack correctly, and to give the amps a good go. As with all my Boogie amp purchases, I was buying 'blind' but I have never been disappointed so ordered one as soon as they were announced. My first Boogie head was a Bass 400 in the mid 80's and the fact that this used the same tone stack made it the amp for me (and my back). You can see I was running through two Subway 1x15 cabs. The basses were an SVL Reserve with flats, an old Precision with rounds and my A/E fretless which is active) with flats. I was joined (socially distanced-like) by @rumblefish who brought along an active bass - and his ears! The signal path was bass - tuner - amp - rack EQ in the fx loop - cabs. The EQ's were in bypass mode. I got the unit merely because the 400 has a graphic and I did use it on my one. The amps were rack-mounted using the Mesa kit. The ears weighed a good bit more than the amp I reckon!! This review is a first impressions review and I imagine I've only scratched the surface of what it can do. First of all, a big shout out to the manual. The best one I've read so far. Not only did it have all the info on the amp, it also had a comprehensive table of the ohm settings and power distribution for a number of cab combinations (1x8ohm + 1x4ohm etc). It's a question that comes up regularly and here was a table with all the permutations and the relevant ohmage setting. So, on to the amp. The 'executive summary' is an emphatic 'wow'. The amp (I was pretty much just using the Boogie channel) has all the tone you need and the combination of gain and volume give you everything you want in terms of grind. By way of comparison, I had my channel gain (on the 400) at about 1 o'clock. I ended up at about 3 on this amp. This gave it that bit of 'bite' when digging in a bit on the bass. The EQ section is typically Boogie with loads of variation on all the controls but the biggest differences coming in with judicial use of the mid controls. I had started off with the deep switch on but decided it was not needed in the end, the high pass filter remained fully counter-clockwise. With everything set at 12 o'clock it sounded wonderful and I didn't get a bad sound out of it. To my ears, the sound was pure 'me'. It's the sound I've had since those 400 and Diesel 2x15 days right through to today. It's a sound I love and always makes me smile. This barely scratches the surface, as I said. There are so many possibilities on the amp that I neither had the time, or the ears, to fully explore all the subtleties in this brilliant package. In my opinion, Mesa have delivered again. They took me from all valve to valve/mosfet without losing any of my sound and have now taken me on to valve/digital, again, without losing any of the sound. An exceptional amp and I now just have to wait until circumstances are such that I can run it up 'in anger'. What's the bass at the back of your rack Steve. Looks interesting. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted February 12, 2021 Author Share Posted February 12, 2021 It's a Fender Japan A/E fretless. It has a Lace Sensor in the usual position and a piezo in the bridge. The controls are (front to back) volume/active tone/pickup blend. Makes a great double bass sound on full piezo. Actually a very versatile bass. They did a fretless and a fretted and, as an HM model, a fretted and fretless with pointy headstocks. Only made for a couple of years I believe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 I've never seen one of those before Steve. Definitely a keeper then if its that rare. Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Just sold my old Porsche and about to put my order in to Andertons for a TT800 amp, 210 & 115 cabs. Amp and 115 cabs are on a 3mth delay (end of June) but that's ok. Not gigging till Oct. Listened to loads of youtube clips on all of the kit and also the 215 cab but i've settled on the 210 / 115 combination which historically was always my favoured option when i bought custom cabs. Just a wee thanks to you and a few others on BC that bought Mesa gear and always give great advice. I was caught between the TT800 & WD800 amps to be honest but i like the idea of being able to switch between the 2 channels for different sounds. Dave 👍 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmayhem Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Well, I ordered one, got it, tried to like it but couldn't stand an amp that DEMANDS a lot of tweaking to sound good in the way I like good sound. I found the amp very shrill with no bottom. I had to twiddle the life out of the knobs to find a decent tone. I don't like decent - I like good. After a month trying to like the amp I traded it for yet another Jule Amp Monique and matching Jule Amp M700 power amp. Still, yesterday I traded a bass for an older Mesa combo with just a few controls: the Carbine M6 212 combo. Maybe that one is a keeper... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 1 hour ago, bassmayhem said: Well, I ordered one, got it, tried to like it but couldn't stand an amp that DEMANDS a lot of tweaking to sound good in the way I like good sound. I found the amp very shrill with no bottom. I had to twiddle the life out of the knobs to find a decent tone. I don't like decent - I like good. After a month trying to like the amp I traded it for yet another Jule Amp Monique and matching Jule Amp M700 power amp. Still, yesterday I traded a bass for an older Mesa combo with just a few controls: the Carbine M6 212 combo. Maybe that one is a keeper... Oh that's not so good. Someone else told me similar and not to sell my Mpulse in case i didnt like the TT800 which is different. Maybe i need to have a rethink. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 (edited) 14 hours ago, bassmayhem said: Well, I ordered one, got it, tried to like it but couldn't stand an amp that DEMANDS a lot of tweaking to sound good in the way I like good sound. I found the amp very shrill with no bottom. I had to twiddle the life out of the knobs to find a decent tone. I don't like decent - I like good. After a month trying to like the amp I traded it for yet another Jule Amp Monique and matching Jule Amp M700 power amp. Still, yesterday I traded a bass for an older Mesa combo with just a few controls: the Carbine M6 212 combo. Maybe that one is a keeper... It's all subjective, of course, but I couldn't disagree with you more. As I have said, my Mesa journey has taken me through a number of different amps/cabs but I've retained (to my ears) the same sound throughout that journey. I have also said that I struggled with the eq when I first got my Bass 400, in the 80's, but perseverance has paid off handsomely and I've saved a fortune over the years. Edited April 1, 2021 by Steve Browning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 Found a couple of really good reviews on TT800 and one on the 210 & 115 cabs. Uriah Duffy doing the cab one and they do sound good. Spoken with guys on Talkbass and they love the new Mesa Subway amps. One guy has exact same rig i'm thinking off and using it in a rock band with a punk influence but also doing a few reggae and dub songs and he says the rig does it with ease. His EQ settings are almost flat but maybe using the bass boost switch. I've convinced myself that the TT800 210 & 115 cabs is the way to go for me. I find the PH212 cab is great but lacks a little definition for me and i'm hoping the 210 fills that gap. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 I really don't imagine you'll be anything but delighted. I have always been wary of mixing speaker sizes but am completely reassured by Andy's explanation of how the Subway series are designed to work together. I keep thinking of getting a 2x15 and 2x12 and moving on the two 1x15s. Common sense is maintaining a slight lead at the moment!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmayhem Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 I am glad we are different and have different preferences... The amp is really good if you like Mesa and all its "peculiarities", but personally I am not comfortable with that. Good quality, a lot of possibilities. My preferences are somewhat simpler, without the bells and whistles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 The Monique pre-amp, especially, is a wonderful looking piece of kit. Absolutely agree with you. Enjoy the new rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted April 2, 2021 Share Posted April 2, 2021 After thinking about this for the past few years and talking with Agedhorse from Mesa on TB along with advice from so many helpful people with differing opinions but all positive when doing research i decided to go for it this morning. Went for the TT800 amp, 210 & 115 cabs. Managed to get the 115 cab from Guitar Guitar as they had it in stock altho £80 more expensive and they wouldn't budge on price. 210 cab and TT800 from Andertons. Cab is in stock but amp on 3mth pre-order. All in all i'll have the cabs next week and amp end June. Gives me time to use the Mpulse thru the cabs at rehearsals in May tho. What i found about the cab set ups was that the 215 cab is a bit more focused than the 210 & 115 set up has a wider spectrum of frequencies. Think that means the mids and treble should be a bit sharper. At some point i might get another 115 cab to get the best of both worlds. Many thanks to everyone that helped me eventually decide. Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 (edited) An update on the TT-800 situation and not great news for anybody that would wish to have one in the UK. I was signed-up for the next batch of the TT-800s due at the end of June. It was a speculative order as I'm not really sure that the TT-800 will do what I'd wish from it - great reviews on here and elsewhere but the more I've seen and listened, the less convinced I've become that it's the lighter weight solution that will suit my preferences. Anyway, I digress. I've had regular updates from Andertons re: progress with getting Mesa gear into the UK - indeed, Andertons have been superb, as has Andy (aged_horse) - very creditable and friendly advice/service all round. I received a message last night in which Andertons explain that Mesa deliveries to the UK are unlikely to appear before the end of the year and more likely, orders will enter the UK early next year (on most of the range including the TT-800). The reasons given are (a) Mesa has chosen to concentrate on fulfilling orders from US dealers, and (b) delays are exacerbated as a result of ongoing and critical shortages of parts. I've no reason to doubt either of these explanations. I suspect too that the recent Gibson takeover has a role in all of this. Andertons express some dismay at the treatment of non-domestic dealers and I can fully understand and sympathise - the treatment of non-domestic players appears to be woeful too. Anyway, I'm out - a combination of misgivings re: suitability and a bit of a flounce related to Mesa's attitude to non US players. I'm off for another weetabix and it's back to the DB750/Hellborg pre combo that I'd hoped the TT-800 might rival/emulate. Sorry that this is probably very bad news for a number of Basschatters waiting patiently for the arrival of Mesa back orders Edited May 26, 2021 by three 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 The amps finally got a run-out on Friday night. It was a pub gig so no need for PA support. In addition to the amps, I have invested in Evidence Audio cabling throughout the rack and put a Mike Hill hum loop eliminator in so the two amps are permanently ready to go. I used the Evidence Audio monorail cable with the solderless plugs. The speaker cables are also Evidence Audio. As I have two cabs I will take the rig to the rehearsal studio soon and do a side by side comparison of one wired with my previous cables and one with the EA Siren cable. Anyway. The amps. I was really pleased with the result. Depth, clarity and warmth. Note the rack has a graphic eq in the path but it was in by-pass mode so no influence on the final result. The amp was everything I liked about the Bass 400 and more. An awesome piece of kit. Given that the power rating of the TT is double that of the 400, I am glad I didn't have to lift a rack containing 4 of those!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 I'm really looking forward to getting mine and the more reviews of the TT the better. 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 (edited) Not sure what hapened there but i posted that reply twice. 😁 Edited June 6, 2021 by dmccombe7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Just had a wee update from Andertons that my TT800 is now put back to Spring 2022. From what they say its now down to approvals taking longer than expected. I hope its worth the wait. Meanwhile i decided to buy a wee Markbass Nano 300W as a back up. Arrived today and it sounds really nice thru my PH212. It actually has a nice warm tone to it not dissimilar to the Mpulse. I was quite taken aback just how good it was and that was it running flat with my Jazz and Precision basses thru it. Does make me wonder what to do now but will try it at next rehearsal see how it sounds at volume with my SW210/115 rig. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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