Mesa Boogie Bass 800D

[Merton]

This looks very very cool

 

https://www.gibson.com/en-gb/blogs/gibson-gazette/how-the-mesa-boogie-bass-800d-channels-50-years-of-bass-amp-innovation

[Beedster]

Oooh, lovely Boogie retro 👍

[ProjeKtWEREWOLF]

Oh, I like the look of that.....and switchable impedance down to 2 ohms. 

[chris_b]

I wonder if this is the work of @agedhorse ?

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I wonder if this is the work of @agedhorse ?

I’m hoping he’ll be along to confirm, either way nice to see a small amp that doesn’t look the same as all the other small amps…

[Pow_22]

valve pre-amp and class D power?  Looks nice but hasnt this already been done to death?

[Musicman20]

42 minutes ago, Pow_22 said:

valve pre-amp and class D power?  Looks nice but hasnt this already been done to death?

It has, but Mesa are a different breed and these are all built in the USA (not that it is a big deal really as any country can make a great amp).

 

For 999, I think that is reasonable. I expected more. 

 

I am interested in this.

[thodrik]

I do like the tone controls, simple layout and overall retro look.

 

£999 is good for a Mesa bass amp. My Walkabout combo cost me about £1500 quid in 2008, and the Big Block 750 I really wanted at the time was £1800 which is more expensive than any of the current heads in 2025. 

 

This is very much the Mesa amp I would be looking at if I was going to get another one, unless they release a class D Big Block...
 

[agedhorse]

8 hours ago, chris_b said:

I wonder if this is the work of @agedhorse ?

 

8 hours ago, Beedster said:

I’m hoping he’ll be along to confirm, either way nice to see a small amp that doesn’t look the same as all the other small amps…

Correct, this is my work.

 

8 hours ago, Pow_22 said:

valve pre-amp and class D power?  Looks nice but hasnt this already been done to death?

Good question and I agree (in general) somewhat, but we now have 3 different hybrid models, and all 3 are very different from each other in tone, texture and feel. The WD-800 is modeled after the Walkabout, with the updates that many players asked for, this amp is modeled after the Bass 400+ with significant player driven updates as well.

 

I spend most of my time over at TalkBass, there were over 300 players over there that provided input on what they would like to see if we were to do an amp like this, and a LOT of the suggestions made it into the final version. 

 

Here's a link to the thread, there are informative comments and a couple of our test players have contributed to the thread, including some gig videos. For a (refreshing to me) change, we deemphesized the obligatory bass slap w**ker videos because that's not representative of real life, and instead are focusing on gig and studio demos. I would expect  there to be more of these in the next week or two, once players receive their amps.

 

I also begged for better EU access to these amps (we all share your frustration), and it looks like making a fool of myself groveling may have produced results! Thomann says they will have them available within the week on their website.

 

Here's a link to the thread:

(sorry, link won't embed)

 

Here's a link to the owner's manual:

https://www.gibson.com/cdn/shop/files/MESA_Boogie_Bass-800D_Product_Manual.pdf?v=14438764719515208578

 

 

 

 

Edited 21 hours ago by agedhorse

[Beedster]

8 hours ago, agedhorse said:

Correct, this is my work

 

Thanks Andy, nice work 👍

[Steve Browning]

Excellent stuff, @agedhorse Andy. I'd like to look at that, if only Rebecca (UK office) would actually get back to me as promised!!!

[ossyrocks]

Andertons and Peach are both offering this at a cheaper price than Thomann.

 

Another one to add to the "must try one of these" list!

 

Rob

[thodrik]

Great manual as well. Mesa generally do very good manuals which deliver technical information in a really player-friendly manner. 

I normally expect to see selectable mid frequencies on modern amps, so it is nearly refreshing to see an amp with simple pre-set bass, middle and treble controls like an old school valve amp. 

Yepp, definitely on my list.

 

[chris_b]

I believe a couple of guys on Talkbass road test the prototypes and have input to the manuals. While they might not make the final cut, @agedhorse is open to suggestions and ideas, and is consequentially a good guy to have designing our bass amps.

[eude]

Some great clips of this amp in live use.

 

 

[agedhorse]

5 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

Excellent stuff, @agedhorse Andy. I'd like to look at that, if only Rebecca (UK office) would actually get back to me as promised!!!

If you don’t get a follow-up from her, message me and I will look into it. They may be a little overwhelmed due to the interest in this new amp.

[eude]

And another, with some dreaded slap playing

 

[agedhorse]

1 hour ago, thodrik said:

Great manual as well. Mesa generally do very good manuals which deliver technical information in a really player-friendly manner. 

I normally expect to see selectable mid frequencies on modern amps, so it is nearly refreshing to see an amp with simple pre-set bass, middle and treble controls like an old school valve amp. 

Yepp, definitely on my list.

 

we have tried hard to make the bass product owner’s manuals solid, accurate and educational documents. In the bass team’s opinion, players buying premium amps with a premium price tag also deserve a premium manual. It’s just part of a premium experience.

 

25 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I believe a couple of guys on Talkbass road test the prototypes and have input to the manuals. While they might not make the final cut, @agedhorse is open to suggestions and ideas, and is consequentially a good guy to have designing our bass amps.

Correct, one of our test players (also an engineer) has been helping write and edit the manuals since the WD-800, and the other came onboard starting with this model. They are really solid players with good communication skills, so the manuals contain a strong player perspective. They both have extensive playing (and gigging) experience with the new amp too. 

[agedhorse]

6 minutes ago, eude said:

And another, with some dreaded slap playing

 

Actually, I agree with you here!
 

If you check out the thread on TalkBass, I’m hoping to have some real player generated videos rather than the frustratingly slap-fest oriented stuff that seems to dominate the marketing world. 
 

While somewhat useful, it’s also pretty limited for a real world player.

Edited 5 hours ago by agedhorse

[thodrik]

1 minute ago, agedhorse said:

we have tried hard to make the bass product owner’s manuals solid, accurate and educational documents. In the bass team’s opinion, players buying premium amps with a premium price tag also deserve a premium manual. It’s just part of a premium experience.

 

 

 

I still have my manual from the Walkabout from 2008 and it is a really quality document. 

I have a couple of high end amps where the manual is simply a schematics design, some very obvious warnings (this amp is loud, keep away from fire) and all the different things that will invalidate the warranty. 

The extra effort is really appreciated. 

[eude]

9 minutes ago, agedhorse said:

Actually, I agree with you here!
 

If you check out the thread on TalkBass, I’m hoping to have some real player generated videos rather than the frustratingly slap-fest oriented stuff that seems to dominate the marketing world. 
 

While somewhat useful, it’s also pretty limited for a real world player.

I love slap playing, but, it never really shows the character of an amp all that well.

The live videos that have been uploaded to the Talkbass thread are very very good though.

[agedhorse]

1 hour ago, eude said:

I love slap playing, but, it never really shows the character of an amp all that well.

The live videos that have been uploaded to the Talkbass thread are very very good though.

That’s EXACTLY the challenge, showing what the amp is capable of for the average real world player. 
 

The videos are very real world, Gus is a great player in multiple genres and has extensive experience with the new amp. He snuck it out on one of his tours, stealthy like, and there were no issues or problems over numerous shows. 

 

I worked with Doug Johns, a great slap player (and a lot more than that) while at Genz Benz. Well worth checking out, imo. 

[Beedster]

Andy, at the risk of derailing a thread celebrating what is probably an outstanding unit, when I saw the photo I have to admit my heart leapt as for a few seconds I assumed it was an all tube head. Dare I ask whether Mesa have any plans to build a small-format all-tube head like the Ampeg PF-50t? 

[Steve Browning]

I would still love to see a Pre/DI based on a Subway valve design (or this one).

Edited 3 hours ago by Steve Browning

[agedhorse]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

Andy, at the risk of derailing a thread celebrating what is probably an outstanding unit, when I saw the photo I have to admit my heart leapt as for a few seconds I assumed it was an all tube head. Dare I ask whether Mesa have any plans to build a small-format all-tube head like the Ampeg PF-50t? 

Another good question, nothing is off the table and personally it's something that I would like to do... in part to honor my dad's memory since he started his engineering career during the (all) tube era designing servo amplifiers (which are similar to audio amplifiers). He then went on to handle spacecraft attitude control on the Mariner Mars project which allowed him to step away from strictly hardware design and into the control systems side of servo theory. My dad passed away 2 years ago at the age of 90, this model was the last amp that he provided his insight on (he remained interested in engineering and math until his death). It's also why I followed in his engineering footsteps at university.

 

1 hour ago, Steve Browning said:

I would still love to see a Pre/DI based on a Subway valve design (or this one).

I wouldn't rule this out either, but there's nothing immediate on the table either.

 

I'm always open to hearing what YOU PLAYERS would like to see, sometimes that's what provides the impetus for new projects.

Edited 2 hours ago by agedhorse