Mesa Boogie Bass Amps...

Steviewevie95

Steviewevie95

Mar 24, 2015
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Portland, Oregon
#1
I've been looking to upgrade my amp for awhile now and I've always been a big fan of Mesa Boogie guitar amps (My dad is a guitarist and he runs through a Mesa Lone Star and 4x12 cab and gets one of the best guitar sounds I've ever heard.) My question is Are Mesa Bass Amps just as well built and tonal diverse as their guitar amps? Which ones would you talkbass guys recommend?

I'm currently running an Ampeg SVT 7 pro through a 362 Sonic Maximizer (a really old version I found at a pawn shop) and Lexicon 200 to an 8 x 10 SVT cab.

Also money isn't really a concern for me because I just got a promotion and a raise at work and could afford their top of the line stuff! :D

Any info helps! Thanks

Steve
 
#2
I am a huge fan of Mesa heads and cabs. Basically what I have been using for the past 10 years. I own/have owned some of their guitar stuff as well and use a Tremoverb (Dual Rec) currently.

The bass heads come in a range of flavors. All of them sound awesome. IMO the most iconic is the Bass 400+ with a 12 6L6 power section (can generally be found for ~$900 used). I dont think you can go wrong with a Mesa. You can save a lot on the used market too.

What kind of difference or similarity would you be hoping for with the upgrade?
 
#3
Steviewevie95 said:
I've been looking to upgrade my amp for awhile now and I've always been a big fan of Mesa Boogie guitar amps (My dad is a guitarist and he runs through a Mesa Lone Star and 4x12 cab and gets one of the best guitar sounds I've ever heard.) My question is Are Mesa Bass Amps just as well built and tonal diverse as their guitar amps? Which ones would you talkbass guys recommend?

Any info helps! Thanks

Steve
Click to expand...

Have you checked the various Mesa Boogie Megathreads? They should tell you all you need to know.
 
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#5
Steviewevie95 said:
I've been looking to upgrade my amp for awhile now and I've always been a big fan of Mesa Boogie guitar amps (My dad is a guitarist and he runs through a Mesa Lone Star and 4x12 cab and gets one of the best guitar sounds I've ever heard.) My question is Are Mesa Bass Amps just as well built and tonal diverse as their guitar amps? Which ones would you talkbass guys recommend?

I'm currently running an Ampeg SVT 7 pro through a 362 Sonic Maximizer (a really old version I found at a pawn shop) and Lexicon 200 to an 8 x 10 SVT cab.

Also money isn't really a concern for me because I just got a promotion and a raise at work and could afford their top of the line stuff! :D

Any info helps! Thanks

Steve
Click to expand...

Making a direct comparison between Mesa guitar amps and Mesa bass amps is a bit of an apples to oranges kind of thing. Not convinced there's much to be gained from that. But Mesa Boogie bass amps are the real deal - very well-conceived, well-designed, well-constructed...and sound very, very good. Excellent hard rock amps especially.

As far as a recommendation is concerned, the question is: 'Based on what particular criteria?' Maybe you could be a bit more...specific? :eyebrow:

MM
 
#10
eldorado2001 said:
I've lived with a Mesa Prodigy head for a year, and if I was doing it over I'd get the Strategy, for the extra headroom. The Prodigy runs out of steam too soon IME (playing without FOH reinforcement).
Click to expand...
What cab are you using?

Since I've played in a doom metal band for the last few years using a D-180, it's hard for me to imagine not having enough volume with a big, loud cab.
 
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#11
Mystic Michael said:
Making a direct comparison between Mesa guitar amps and Mesa bass amps is a bit of an apples to oranges kind of thing. Not convinced there's much to be gained from that. But Mesa Boogie bass amps are the real deal - very well-conceived, well-designed, well-constructed...and sound very, very good. Excellent hard rock amps especially.

As far as a recommendation is concerned, the question is: 'Based on what particular criteria?' Maybe you could be a bit more...specific? :eyebrow:

MM
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I'm looking to try and get a pretty universal tone. I play in a trio and need to cut through and fill a lot of space, I do everything from picking and tapping to slap pop and fingerstyle.
 
#12
Sartori said:
What exactly are you looking for? All tube or hybrid or what?

Also, probably best to ditch the sonic maximizer.
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I have never had anything besides a solid state amp (GK Backline 600 and Ampeg SVT 7 Pro) But I'm really looking for a good clean tone that's got more "oomph" then the SVT. The tone seems a little muddy when the bass is too high on it and I like having that quaking bass frequency but still having defined notes.

Also: Why would you ditch the sonic maximizer? just curious.
 
#14
Also thank you for all the replies so far! I've been really looking at the Carbine Series and the Strategy head right now, but unfortunately none of the stores in my area have any in stock.
How do the Carbine heads sound in comparison to the Strategy?
chaosMK said:
I am a huge fan of Mesa heads and cabs. Basically what I have been using for the past 10 years. I own/have owned some of their guitar stuff as well and use a Tremoverb (Dual Rec) currently.

The bass heads come in a range of flavors. All of them sound awesome. IMO the most iconic is the Bass 400+ with a 12 6L6 power section (can generally be found for ~$900 used). I dont think you can go wrong with a Mesa. You can save a lot on the used market too.

What kind of difference or similarity would you be hoping for with the upgrade?
Click to expand...
I wanted more tonal variety and clarity but still sounds similar to an Ampeg on the right settings. I love the Ampeg tone but I can never seem to dial in a good clean tone that is loud :/ That just might be my fault though.
 
#15
Sartori said:
What cab are you using?
Click to expand...

Hartke XL cabs, a 115XL and a 410XL (yes, I'm one who mismatches cabs) for outdoors or just the 410 indoors, or 2 of the 210XL stacked vertically. I tried using a GK 212 Neo, but I didn't like how the 212 and Prodigy combination sounded. The Prodigy gets pretty d@mn loud but I prefer less distortion. My Hartke HA5500 is my main amp now. I can always get a good sound out of it with any of my cabs, and it can get loud as heck without breaking a sweat.
 
#16
Over the past 15 years or so I've owned and gigged 2 M-Pulse 600s, a M-6 Carbine, a Walkabout and I've been gigging a Buster 200 on top of 2 Diesel 115s for a few years now. I'm a pretty hard-use user and I've only had one fail, which was the Carbine. My all tube buster has been bullet proof - I dig the tone, I dig made in Petaluma CA and I dig the people who work there. I'm going to buy a D800 in a few weeks... I'm a huge fan of Mesa. :)
 
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#17
Steviewevie95 said:
I'm looking to try and get a pretty universal tone. I play in a trio and need to cut through and fill a lot of space, I do everything from picking and tapping to slap pop and fingerstyle.
Click to expand...

The fact is, any number of makes & models of amplifier could do that for you. What you're asking for are some very fundamental qualities that almost any good bass amp can provide. Just depends on what your particular ear deems "a good tone" vs. "a not so good tone". It's pretty hard for anyone else to ever make a call like that on your behalf.

That said, IF you're sold on Mesa Boogie, then your description says "M9 Carbine" to me - for versatility, clarity, and power. Just my single, subjective impression.

MM
 
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#18
Steviewevie95 said:
I have never had anything besides a solid state amp (GK Backline 600 and Ampeg SVT 7 Pro) But I'm really looking for a good clean tone that's got more "oomph" then the SVT. The tone seems a little muddy when the bass is too high on it and I like having that quaking bass frequency but still having defined notes.

Also: Why would you ditch the sonic maximizer? just curious.
Click to expand...
Because the Sonic Maximizer essentially just a fancy mid scoop (well, more accurately a low boost and a high boost).

I would go for either the Strategy then.

eldorado2001 said:
Hartke XL cabs, a 115XL and a 410XL (yes, I'm one who mismatches cabs) for outdoors or just the 410 indoors, or 2 of the 210XL stacked vertically. I tried using a GK 212 Neo, but I didn't like how the 212 and Prodigy combination sounded. The Prodigy gets pretty d@mn loud but I prefer less distortion. My Hartke HA5500 is my main amp now. I can always get a good sound out of it with any of my cabs, and it can get loud as heck without breaking a sweat.
Click to expand...
Ah, you want less distortion.

I pretty much never play clean, so even though my band plays absurdly loudly (doom metal is like that), 180 watts into a (loud) 2x15 is enough for me.
 
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#20
Much to be said about Buster as a good all-around. I owned one and loved it. I always thought it was ideal for a clean tube rock tone.

Steviewevie95 said:
But I'm really looking for a good clean tone that's got more "oomph" then the SVT. The tone seems a little muddy when the bass is too high on it and I like having that quaking bass frequency but still having defined notes.
Click to expand...
The EQ could be part of your problem. To find a good place in the mix in a band setting you don't need massive lows- it actually helps to cut them (the reason being that in a full band especially rock/metal genres there is already a lot of low end from the guitars and kick, so adding more lows can actually muddy things up). I tend to keep the boomiest lows flat or slightly cut and drive low midrange (100-250 Hz) a bit more. This adds actual punch and a little more growly presence in the mix.
 
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