Mesa Bass 800D

[metropolis_4]

It's a slippery slope to Katana land. It would all rest on their marketing to talk the buying public into buying something in the SS realm and it would have to be expensive to guarantee they keep their "status symbol" status.

Yeah that would get tricky. Price it too low people write it off as as a cheap entry level amp; price it too high people will complain that a SS amp shouldn’t cost more than $5

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah that would get tricky. Price it too low people write it off as as a cheap entry level amp; price it too high people will complain that a SS amp shouldn’t cost more than $5

I imagine it would fall in the same realm as their Subway bass amps. $999-$1299.

 

[metropolis_4]

I imagine it would fall in the same realm as their Subway bass amps. $999-$1299.

They’d have to really believe that budget minded metal players who are willing to spend $1000 on a solid state amp is a big enough market to support it. I mean, I think it could be done, but it would be a hard sell

The whole idea is starting to smell like Blackstar to me.

 

[JiveTurkey]

If it did come in at $1299; I would be spending a few hundred more for a good used piece with tubes.

 

[metropolis_4]

If it did come in at $1299; I would be spending a few hundred more for a good used piece with tubes.

I think that’s what everyone would be thinking

 

[paisleywookiee]

They’d have to really believe that budget minded metal players who are willing to spend $1000 on a solid state amp is a big enough market to support it. I mean, I think it could be done, but it would be a hard sell

The whole idea is starting to smell like Blackstar to me.

I think it’ll be a tube preamp into class D, and will effectively replace the EL84 amps.

 

[metropolis_4]

I think it’ll be a tube preamp into class D, and will effectively replace the EL84 amps.

Historically that hasn’t been a very popular or successful type of product. They’d have to convince us it’s not gonna be like one of those other tube pre - SS amps we’ve been unimpressed with in the past

 

[paisleywookiee]

Historically that hasn’t been a very popular or successful type of product. They’d have to convince us it’s not gonna be like one of those other tube pre - SS amps we’ve been unimpressed with in the past

And yet historically people aren’t as happy with EL84 amps either.

 

[metropolis_4]

And yet historically people aren’t as happy with EL84 amps either.

Yeah but doesn’t it seem like swapping 2xEL84 for 2x6L6 might be an easier sell than changing it from tube to solid state?

EL84 or SS aren’t the only two possibilities if we’re going to look at it that way.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah but doesn’t it seem like swapping 2xEL84 for 2x6L6 might be an easier sell than changing it from tube to solid state?

EL84 or SS aren’t the only two possibilities if we’re going to look at it that way.

The problem is that it’s barely cheaper to make an EL84 amp than it is an EL34 amp. They’re effectly losing money on the smaller amps, when they sell them for $1200 or whatever.

 

[EOengineer]

Historically that hasn’t been a very popular or successful type of product. They’d have to convince us it’s not gonna be like one of those other tube pre - SS amps we’ve been unimpressed with in the past

You aren’t wrong but there are SOME signs of movement that even fairly traditional players could be coaxed in that direction. The Blug stuff would probably be the best example I could think of in terms of generating some serious converts who evangelize the technology, and those stomps are $900 now.

I’m honestly not sure I trust Mesa to get this right though, and am hesitant to suggest they could pull off what Blug is doing. I agree it could be a hard sell and most of us would probably just chase the used classic stuff.

 

[metropolis_4]

The problem is that it’s barely cheaper to make an EL84 amp than it is an EL34 amp. They’re effectly losing money on the smaller amps, when they sell them for $1200 or whatever.

I don’t know anything about their business model

 

[paisleywookiee]

I don’t know anything about their business model

I do.

 

[paisleywookiee]

You aren’t wrong but there are SOME signs of movement that even fairly traditional players could be coaxed in that direction. The Blug stuff would probably be the best example I could think of in terms of generating some serious converts who evangelize the technology, and those stomps are $900 now.

I’m honestly not sure I trust Mesa to get this right though, and am hesitant to suggest they could pull off what Blug is doing. I agree it could be a hard sell and most of us would probably just chase the used classic stuff.

Oh trust me, between the two products I’m aware of, I trust them with neither. Especially under Gibson rule.

 

[Desertdweller]

Oh trust me, between the two products I’m aware of, I trust them with neither. Especially under Gibson rule.

An updated Triaxis or a modernized Mesa preamp would be the product I'd want to see from them. Something like the RedSeven Leviathan, Friedman IR-X, with onboard digital power amp and IR sims, and ideally a retro-futuristic look like the TC 2290 pedal would be a day 1 purchase for me.

 

[paisleywookiee]

An updated Triaxis or a modernized Mesa preamp would be the product I'd want to see from them. Something like the RedSeven Leviathan, Friedman IR-X, with onboard digital power amp and IR sims, and ideally a retro-futuristic look like the TC 2290 pedal would be a day 1 purchase for me.

 

[Desertdweller]

Oh I've considered the Leviathan, it ticks all the boxes except for how boring it looks.

 

[metropolis_4]

Triaxis pedal

 

[LCW]

Mesa/Gibson should have picked up what was left of Matrix and have access to some good Class A SS power amp tech.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

Mesa/Gibson should have picked up what was left of Matrix and have access to some good Class A SS power amp tech.

Gibson's current model is to only destroy the heritage of solid companies. More satisfying than letting an already dying company wither away to nothingness...