Any GB Streamliner owners purchase the Mesa Subway D-800?

gustobassman

gustobassman

I'm only here for the after party..
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Mar 31, 2011
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#1
First off, my GB Streamliner isn't going anywhere, it's by far the best amp I've owned. HOWEVER - The new Mesa has got me itching for a different flavor and I'm curious if there are any STL owners who have bought the ticket to ride on the Mesa Subway. What are your thoughts between the two? Are you preferring one to the other and why? I've noticed my Streamliner sounds better with some cabs than others, is the Subway similar in that aspect as well? I'm hopefully going to be doing a comparison locally soon, but I was looking for input from others in the meantime.

G.A.S. is a terrible (but sometimes awesome) condition.....:bassist:
 
#2
There are a few comparison comments in the big Subway thread. Maybe some of those folks will chime in here, too.

I just purchased an STL900 off the TB classifieds. I debated the Subway but think the STL descriptions sound more like what I'm looking for, coming off my old 70's Ampeg V4 that I've been using in our studio for a number of years. And the TBer selling it is planning on picking up a Subway.
 
#5
Pickebass said:
Having owned both, I would put the Mesa as a blend of the streamliner and the shuttle. The streamliner can get too wooly and the shuttle more steril than I like. The Mesa also seems really loud for its power rating
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Ok, I get where you are coming from. I was able to try the Mesa for a very short time through a Berg CN212 at a friends house and it was impressive.

Rugaar said:
There are a few comparison comments in the big Subway thread.
Click to expand...

I'll have to dig around again. That thread has gotten pretty big!
 
#6
Pickebass said:
Having owned both, I would put the Mesa as a blend of the streamliner and the shuttle. The streamliner can get too wooly and the shuttle more steril than I like. The Mesa also seems really loud for its power rating
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Pretty much this. Streamliner is very thick in the low-mids set "flat" (for the amp). I usually had to cut the low mids a lot to get a tone I was looking for, then I didn't have a high mid control to either deal with gank or get some cut. Also the Streamliner had some compression on the note attack due to the preamp tubes. The D-800 is a quicker amp in that regard. And plenty loud.
 
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#7
gustobassman Im in the same boat. My go to amp is a streamliner 900 (over the WT800 and AG500), I guess I have always chosen brighter amps. The streamliner is a great amp but I find myself turning off the tweeter in on and having the other on just a bit. (2 DNA 12N's). Maybe it's just GAS but I am set to make the plunge as soon as my local store get's one in...and I will keep the streamliner too. If they get it in this week I will give you my compare.
 
#8
It's been awhile since I gigged an AG500, but if memory serves I think the D800 is closer to that than the TH500 or Streamliner. Kind of a bit thicker AG500. I liked the AG500 - I found it to be a very articulate amp. Just once you go to a good micro, hard to go back to a lead sled - even one that isn't very sleddish...
 
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#9
estar said:
gustobassman Im in the same boat. My go to amp is a streamliner 900 (over the WT800 and AG500), I guess I have always chosen brighter amps. The streamliner is a great amp but I find myself turning off the tweeter in on and having the other on just a bit. (2 DNA 12N's). Maybe it's just GAS but I am set to make the plunge as soon as my local store get's one in...and I will keep the streamliner too. If they get it in this week I will give you my compare.
Click to expand...

UPDATE: D-800 vs Streamliner in head to head (hahaha) showdown! I was able to do a comparison today. I used the Subway D-800 and my Streamliner 900 through 3 different cabs. A Berg 210 (not sure which), Berg CN212, and an LDS 212 with 3012lf's (a 1212/6/1 basically). The same bass was used for the comparison.

Mesa- higher voiced in the midrange, can get really crispy. A lot of low end without being "too much". It was thunderous through the LDS cab. I really liked the voicing knob- it was very usable at both extremes. Kudos to Mesa on that. It sounded better to my ears through the Berg 210 over the 212. I'm not sure why. It shined with the LDS cab, as expected.

Streamliner- thicker in the low mids through all 3 cabs, opening up the tweeter on all cabs was necessary to get that crispy high end much more present in the Mesa. The 900 sounded best through both 212 cabs, although it blew the Mesa away through the LDS cab. To my ears it wasn't even a contest. Instead of having to roll or turn off the tweeter to "tame" the Mesa, the 900 just was absolutely even all the way across. In a word - BASS.

So in my completely unprofessional opinion I preferred the 900 to the Mesa. The Mesa sounded killer for what it is and I'm sure I would be more than satisfied using one. If anything I discovered I want 1212/6/1 more than anything else, lol! The combination of the Streamliner and that cab was THE tone I'm after..
 
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#10
Checked out Subway yesterday... Truly great tone, much more straightforward tone controls for slow learner like me wo bandaxall (sp?) interaction

Still something in the Streamliner may like more for specific applications so it's not going anywhere, but soon as Subways repopulate BSD getting one.

Probably will take over DI no cab Casino/Acoustic functions from GK MB200 which will likely go up for sale

Andy did it again
 
#11
I have both now, and am more excited about the Subway than I thought I would be. I'm running a Mesa PH210 and PH212. I loved the thickness, low-mid roundness, grindey-top... all of that about the 900. However, I didn't like that the gain knobs (input and master) were practically useless below 9 o'clock and (especially) above 3 o'clock. The signal just turned to crap and I felt like a lot of power was left on the table.
The Mesa 800, however, has plenty of raw power, and the tone-shaping is useful but not mind-bending. I dig it. Selling my 900. plus real power support for two ohms is just kinda silly and fun to have.
 
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