MESA/Boogie D-800+ vs WD-800 - [DEMO]

[@peepsieD]

Best demo/comparison video ever thanks!

[@IvanBassist]

Glad you liked it!

[@cthomashalversen8604]

One of the most helpful videos in years. Kudos to you! I am going to order a WD-800 partially due to your efforts here. Thank you!

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks 😊 🙏🏽 Happy to help. Enjoy the WD! It’s a killer amp! Let me know once you get it :)!

[@blairhicks2740]

Oh my god, I'm so glad I found this video. I was all set to get the 800+ but the WD 800 is so much warmer and more complex. Thanks so much for this comparison!

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching! Glad you liked it!

[@wildvideos5662]

I have the D800+ and I think the WD800 sounds better in most cases. I still prefer the D800+ because I can make it sound and feel almost identical to the WD800 by using mild overdrive/tube emulation pedals (squashy/tubish respond with more bite/mids), but I don't think it's possible to make the WD800 sound or feel like the D800+. * I can also achieve similar tone and feel with my cali 76 compressor but it'll be a little more compressed and squashy compared to the WD800.

[@IvanBassist]

Both are killer amps :) Thanks for watching!

[@HarryRauer]

Thanks for shooting this real excellent Comparison!!! I also have an 800+. The WD seems to be slightly more "open sounding". Thanks again! Great job!

[@IvanBassist]

I'm glad you liked it, Harald! Thanks for watching :)

[@craigmoran893]

The WD seems to have more finger or fret noise, as well.

[@philreid984]

I did noticed that the passive mids you ran all the way up.or boosted on the WD or in the photo of it. Would liked to have heard it cut or about noon. Other than that, very good video!

[@james1939-s1c]

Perfect video, saved me the money and time of upgrading my d-800 to the WD-800. The minimal difference would be lost in the mix.

[@jacksonwrightmusic6805]

Thanks so much for this thorough demo. I am surprised how, more often than not, the D-800+ sounds thicker to me than the WD-800, even though I usually associate that kind of thickness with tubes. The WD sings but the 800+ has got old school Ampeg vibes (which I love but am not willing to lug around for gigs). I was leaning towards the WD but now I might be more into the D-800+... Thanks again for the fantastic review!

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching, Jackson! I’m glad you found the video helpful!

[@bigbri7519]

I've had WD800 for couple of years now and it"s a 10/10

[@IvanBassist]

It’s a great amp!

[@emanuelbassist]

Absolutely brilliant demo/comparison, thank you so much man this is incredibly helpful. Well done! I’d thought I’d prefer the 800+ but this gives me pause. I came to the Subway line from the Trans-Class Carbine line (and still own an M6 head & 412 cab). The D800 and 115/112 cabs have served me well!

[@IvanBassist]

You might want to check out the new TT-800, too 💪🏽

[@RickDeckardCain]

I'd love if you could do a comparison like this of the two Genzler heads: Kinetix and Magellan. Or the Kinetix and the WD-800 as they both have tube preamps

[@geekguitars]

I wasn't hearing much of a difference until the Pbass came in!. The WD800 has more of a singing midrange, you can definitely hear the tube. The D800 has the voicing switches though. Both sound killer!! I'm gonna stick with the WD800 on this one!! I can't begin to express my appreciation for you buying and taking the time to shootout these amps. Thank you!! You've answered my questions.

[@IvanBassist]

Happy to help! Yes, the WD definitely has something going on in the midrange. It's a beast of an amp!

[@AJbassist]

@@IvanBassist WB got lil magic moof but norml sub is way more ampegy/carbine inspired , arent they both p basses . more or less

[@IvanBassist]

I was running the Dingwall as a PJ :) Yeah, the D-800+ has a different character in the low end@@AJbassist

[@AJbassist]

@@IvanBassist hearing u play makes me miss mesa , but for my tone am pretty sure ill end up with ad200 / BASS TERROR 500 :)

[@geekguitars]

Yea they're both Ps. Dingwalls are a very different animal. Great basses, just not for me.

[@Garrett-In-Canada]

I have the D800+ just bought it the other week new with a 400watt 15 mesa and love it

[@IvanBassist]

Awesome! That’s a great combination 🔥🔥

[@Garrett-In-Canada]

@@IvanBassist yeah and if I ever feel the need I can just get a second cab to get 800 watts

[@barondavis5692]

Nice comparison. There seems to be little difference in sound/tone between the two Mesas. There’s a much bigger difference between the basses. Let’s see, the 800+ is less $, lighter, smaller and doesn’t have tubes to break or replace. Easy choice for me. Thanks for the post.

[@dmccombe7]

Really surprised there's not as much in it as i thought there would be but the WD800 wins it for me with that slightly warmer rounded feel especially when boosting the various frequencies. Fantastic review and much appreciated as i have been looking at replacing my Mpulse 600 with the WD800.

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching! If you can, take a look at the TT800. I haven’t tested it (yet), but i’ve heard great things about it :)

[@dmccombe7]

@@IvanBassist I had a look at the TT800 few days ago but there's too many options for me. My Mpulse 600 runs almost flat with very slight changes on passive EQ. Para EQ is normally off and only used to cut Lo end frequencies in certain venues to help remove stage boom. Think i'll stick with the WD800 altho after seeing this clip again the D800 would probably do whatever i need.

[@IvanBassist]

Check this one out if you’re thinking about the D800. It’s the same preamp: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV66dJyghduhha8

[@peadookie]

@@IvanBassist I've got a tt800 coming on Monday based on this exact demo.

[@IvanBassist]

Awesome! I wanna give that one a try, but the shipping to Europe has a major delay at the moment

[@Hendrik46562]

Hi, how much noise do you get from the fan?

[@IvanBassist]

Hendrik Schroeder it’s very quiet ✌🏽

[@hermanmunster3184]

i currently own a swr 400 head , owned it for 25 years,, not an easy amp to set up to get a good tone quick looking to upgrade soon, really impressed with demo, but which one with a 15 inch lite speaker, i play 50 60 70s music, thanks for sharing your knowledge and pro bass techniques

[@IvanBassist]

Hey Herman, i kept the WD-800 together with a Mesa Subway 1x15”. It’s a great combination that suits many different playing styles. The D-800+ is definitely a superb amp, but I preferred the natural mid voicing of the WD. I’m sure you will be happy if you get one those amps and pair it with a Mesa 1x15” 😁

[@hermanmunster3184]

thanks ivan , really appreciate your advice,

[@CNick75]

What song is that first one?

[@IvanBassist]

Sorry! KZbin marked your comment as spam :( That riff is from Carry On My Wayward Son :)

[@johndaniel4597]

It might have been useful to demo the voicing control which substantially changes the sound?

[@IvanBassist]

Yes. I'm aware of that, but that opens up SO many new possibilities that I would've ended up with a 30 minute video

[@johndaniel4597]

Indeed, but it is a very effective control and even briefly showing how it fattens up the sound when rotated clockwise wouldn't have gone amiss. About a year ago I bought the D-800 which I thought would be sufficiently simple and effective for my purposes- and so it is. Listening to both heads in your demo, I thought there would be a more discernible difference than is apparent - all credit to Mesa engineers. Damn good video.

[@IvanBassist]

John Daniel i did a full demo on the D-800+, too 🙂

[@barbasschancleta]

What a dilemma, I tried the d800 + and loved it, but right now it is discontinued and I have seen a second hand wd800 that I cannot test. Which head sounds more defined? Thanks

[@IvanBassist]

Hi David! Do you mean that it’s discontinued as not being produced anymore or that it’s not available at stores at the moment?

[@barbasschancleta]

@@IvanBassist They say that Gibson absorbed the brand and right now nobody knows if they are going to continue manufacturing in the same place with the same components or if they are going to take the factory to another site and change components. Which of the two sounds cleaner to you?

[@IvanBassist]

Hmm as far as I know the D-800+ is still in production, but there are supply chain issues happening across many industries which is affecting the production. The D-800 sounds clean than the WD imo

[@barbasschancleta]

@@IvanBassist gracias, en europa no se puede comprar ningún modelo, ni el d800, ni el d800+, ni tt800, ni wd 800 incluso ni si quiera la DI

[@IvanBassist]

@@barbasschancleta Lamentablemente es por los problemas causados por la pandemia. Por eso tampoco he podido probar el TT-800

[@shiningcut7]

Based on my ear, the wd800 has more definition. Is it because of the tube?

[@IvanBassist]

Yeah, they’re voiced differently. The WD has more midrange bite, which makes it more clear in a mix. The D-800+ can sound thicker and also “glassier” (think modern slap tone)

[@pmillergroove1]

I have the WD-800. Is there a way to get rid of the overdrive sound?

[@IvanBassist]

If you want to play clean, you need to boost the master volume higher than the input gain. The manual has some very useful information about this. Definitely worth reading 😊

[@tshapiro1000]

Which allows you to boost the 'ultra lows' best?

[@IvanBassist]

For quick and easy boosting, I think the D-800+ would work best due to the "Deep" switch. However, the WD has some more natural low end content when set flat, if i'm not mistaken. Boosting the low mids @ 80 Hz on the WD achieves a similar effect to the "Deep" switch on the D-800+ according the Andy, the guy who designed both amps. Hope this helps!

[@mikefaceymusic]

Great demo! To my ears the WD800 takes it, but it's close. The WD can do the D800 more clinical sound and also the tube warmth, but not vice versa. That being said IME using both amps the single most important tonal control on either head is the mid scoop knob ("voicing" on the D800 and "Passive Mid" on the WD) and these were not demonstrated on this video, those would be really helpful to potential users of either!

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching, Mike! I agree and I’m aware those were not featured. I had to cut it like this because a) I had over 40 minutes of footage that I had to edit, b) you can hear the difference between both amps with the samples as they are at the moment. I have done separate demo videos of each amp where I do show each feature :)

[@CharlySong-f2s]

TT800 used on this recording kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKWcl4uZZqifl7s this track has 3 different keys and this kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJ7PmGR_r7x2Zq8 using different modes

[@revelationsoundstudio]

The WD has a more rounded sound and I prefer it.

[@IvanBassist]

Love it. Such a killer amp 😁

[@1funkybasslady]

Keef Richards Interesting you say that because I hear just the opposite! I think the 800+ sounds more rounded and warmer. Both amps are very articulate, but to my ears the WD sounds slightly more suited to slap while the 800+ sounds more suited to classic rock and jazz, but it could also sound great for slap/pop with just slightly less edge than with the WD. Perhaps that is the difference between a man’s hearing and a woman’s hearing! When I was in college studying music I took a “Physics of High Fidelity” course. It was in that course that I learned that according to the Fletcher-Munson Curve women naturally hear high frequencies more readily than men, and conversely men hear lows more readily than women. This explains why when women listen to music they “turn up the bass”, and when men listen, they tend to want to boost the treble frequencies. Maybe this is why you prefer the WD and I prefer the 800+. That said, I suspect we could both adjust either amp to suit our ears and thus be happy with either. To Ivan..This was another great demo/comparison! I love that you play the same riffs when switching amps. This gives a truly accurate demonstration of the differences between amps. Keep up the great work! Only problem is that my watching/listening to this will cost me a lot of money as I plan my trip to the Mesa Boogie store!

[@HeavyBells]

Which amp is better for occasionally running some high gain distortion or fuzz pedals?

[@IvanBassist]

Both were designed to work well with distortion/fuzz. The mids on the WD are voiced a bit more aggressive, though

[@dmccombe7]

Great demo but why is the passive Mid on the WD800 fully clockwise when the D800 had a nuetral mid range setting. Seems a bit odd not to have the EQ exact same. I've noticed that on other WD800 reviews where the assive mid is full on. Does the amp lack that much mid presence when flat. Nice choice of bass riffs too.

[@IvanBassist]

Thank you! Well, the passive mid is cut only. From the manual: "This is a passive control with cut only, the amount of cut roughly proportional to the counter-clockwise rotation of the control." If you watch my demo on the WD you can hear what it does to the tone :) Cheers!

[@IvanBassist]

Oh and to answer the question about lacking mids. Even if the passive mids are set at 12 o'clock, it's got more mids than the D-800+.

[@dmccombe7]

@@IvanBassist Thanks for clearing that up and it now makes sense. Just never seen that before an an amp. The amp sounds great even at 12 o'clock position but lot nice fully clockwise.

[@IvanBassist]

@@dmccombe7 Happy to help! Indeed. I leave it fully clockwise pretty much all the time. Love those mids :D

[@Spritsailor]

The tube definitely gives the bass more bite, more depth and cut through.

[@RenoLaringo]

There seems to be more scoop with the d800 which I prefer. Also there seem to be less fretbuzz to be heard with the d800. Seems like the WD800 is more like Hi-fi tough. Imho...

[@IvanBassist]

The D-800 is actually a pretty “flat” sounding amp and the WD has more pronounced mids 😁 A lot depends also what kind of cab you are using

[@RenoLaringo]

@@IvanBassist Hey! Thank you so much for your input Ivan! I'm really struggling as which of the two I am going to buy. I'm a former guitar and tenor sax player. So I also would have to buy the cab(s). I was lurking towards the Mesa ultralite 1x15 neo. Maybe a second 2x12 cabinet but I'm not even sure I would ever need it...I mostly play funk and blues. My bass is an Ibanez ehb1500. The WD800 seems like a very good and versatile little amp. (but I also like the size of the D800+). Take good care bro and thank you for your fantastic vids !!!

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching! This video might be interesting for you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnSnaGh5fdCXjs0

[@analogaudiorules1724]

wd has a lot more meat, ive been looking up ever bass head ever even so far as using pro amps, but man, im interested in this amp now, always loved the masa stuff, especially their vintage tube stuff which is to die for. I've been waiting for the hartke lx 8500 to come out, but ill be considering these. My main issue is with my health issues in not being able to lift heavy things, when my nerve issues and tendon problems heal, this may be the baby i choose!! Keep playing dude, and please take care of your hands.

[@IvanBassist]

Thanks for watching! Like I mentioned in the other video, the new TT800 *might* be what you are looking for if you’re already familiar with their vintage amps :)

[@justinlefevre542]

Don’t consider, just buy one. I have a blue tolex Mesa walkabout scout, Mesa m9 carbine with 410 powerhouse cab and picked up a used d800+ tonight. Not trying to be a fanboy but the Mesa stuff is so much better. I’ve had so much equipment and Mesa is light years ahead in terms of quality. Up until about 3 years ago I used to be a die hard Hartke fan and used my trusty 5500 bi amp. I went out and purchased (2) hydrive 112’s and the brand new at the time TX600 amp. I can honestly say that was the most disappointing underpowered amp I’ve ever had. Sounded great, but absolutely no volume and could not hear myself in a full band situation. My 300 watt walkabout and 350 watt Aguilar tone hammer would blow the doors of a supposedly 600 watt hartke tx600. Hopefully if you get the newer Hartke it will be improved upon. Trying out the d800 tonight and that thing is a monster with lots of clean headroom. Save yourself the aggravation and just get the Mesa.

[@jorgesousa84]

to my ears the wd

[@IvanBassist]

Great amp :)

[@eloysuopunki7926]

Is it just my ears but to me the D800+ sounds more "springy" and the WD800 sounds more "crunchy"?

[@IvanBassist]

Hard to tell because each one of us has a different idea of what that sounds like, but there’s definitely a difference between the two

[@sonofliberty92]

Its that pre amp tube.

[@IvanBassist]

The WD-800 is tube driven. The D-800/D-800+ is not

[@sonofliberty92]

@@IvanBassist yea that's my point

[@geekguitars]

Ba-hah!! First comment!!