RE: [Harp-L] Mesa Boogie Bass 400

[Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>]

The old Bass 400 was available when I was researching and then purchased a MB Mark III for guitar. Those older boogies were really made well. The Mk III was a simul-class. 4 6V6s and a switch on the back where in the "A" position it would use only 2 of the 6L6s and was 15 very efficient watts. Like nothing I have ever seen/heard before in a 15 watt amp. Really loud. Then you could switch it to Simul-Class mode and kick in the other 2 6L6s (or 2 EL34s) and really shake the room.
 
If the Bass 400 is an old one (the new version is the Bass 400+), I would bet that it's of the best quality and would kick butt. Maybe too much for harp though.
 
>From Wikipedia: 
 
"Mesa's most famous contribution to the bass world stems from its line of all-tube bass amps. The first was the D-180, which ran from 1982 until mid-1985. It utilized six 6L6GC power tubes to deliver 180-200 watts and featured an optional six-band graphic EQ. It also featured cascading-gain input channels for more "crunch". Demand for a more powerful amp led to the development of the Bass 400, which replaced the D180 in mid-1985. It used six 6550 power tubes to push out about 250 watts; however, the cascading-gain channels were replaced with two separate hi- and low-gain channels. Mesa's supply of 6550 tubes was cut short in the late 1980s and they were forced to sell the 400 with 6L6GC tubes, reducing its output to that of the D180. The solution came in early 1989 in the form of the Bass 400+. It was the same as the 400 in most respects but was powered via twelve 6L6GC tubes for nearly 360 watts of power. The 400+ was discontinued in November 2007."
 
Buck
 
 
 
> Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:16:21 +0800
> From: tomcolvin@xxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] Mesa Boogie Bass 400
> 
> I have come across a used Mesa Boogie Bass 400 amp. My understanding is
> that it is an all-tube amp, making me wonder if it might be a good harp
> amp. Has anyone tried out this amp?
> 
> Thomas "Tomcat" Colvin
> www.bluesasianetwork.com