Available Now at Northeast Music Center!

MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 Bass Amplifier Head

The warmth and harmonic character of a Class A tube preamp meets 800 watts of lightweight MESA power. The MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 brings the soulful character of the legendary WalkAbout preamp into the modern Subway platform, creating a remarkably powerful, expressive, and portable professional bass amplifier weighing only 7 pounds.

The MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 is much more than another lightweight Class D bass head.

Its story begins with the MESA WalkAbout.

Players loved the round, warm, harmonically rich character of the WalkAbout's tube preamp, but increasingly wanted that personality paired with greater power and modern portability.

MESA listened.

The WD-800 combines a two-stage Class A vacuum-tube preamp featuring a MESA 12AT7 with the lightweight Class D power architecture of the Subway family.

The result is an amplifier capable of delivering:

800 watts at 4 or 2 ohms and :400 watts at 8 ohms

from a head weighing only:7 pounds.

Available from Northeast Music Center, the Subway WD-800 is an outstanding choice for the bassist who wants the convenience of a modern lightweight amplifier without giving up the warmth, dimension, and responsiveness that make a great tube preamp so satisfying to play.

KEY FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS:

• 800-watt professional bass amplifier head
• 800W @ 4Ω or 2Ω
• 400W @ 8Ω
• Two-stage Class A vacuum-tube preamp
• 1 × MESA 12AT7 preamp tube
• Lightweight Class D power amplifier
• 8 / 4 / 2-ohm impedance switch
• Variable Power Amp Damping control
• Active/Passive input switch
• Input Gain with Clip indicator
• Variable High-Pass Filter — 25Hz to 125Hz
• Fully active 5-band EQ
• ±12dB Bass and Treble
• Passive Mid control
• 3-band semi-parametric EQ
• Low-Mid frequency sweep: 80Hz–1kHz
• Mid frequency sweep: 150Hz–2.5kHz
• High-Mid frequency sweep: 300Hz–5kHz
• Parametric EQ selectable/bypassable
• Master Volume
• Fully buffered Series Effects Loop
• Balanced XLR Direct Output
• Pre/Post DI selection
• Line/Mic DI level selection
• Ground Lift
• Tuner Output
• Play/Mute switch
• External switching for Parametric EQ & Mute
• 2 × SpeakON speaker outputs
• Headphone output
• Auxiliary input
• USB power outlet
• Protection, Limit & 2-ohm load indicators
• Fan cooled
• Optional 2-button footswitch available separately
• Gig bag with shoulder strap included
• Aluminum chassis
• 7 lbs.
• 4" H × 12" W × 11⅜" D
• Built in Petaluma, California

WALKABOUT SOUL — SUBWAY POWER

This is the heart of the WD-800 story.

The original WalkAbout became loved for something that doesn't always show up clearly on a specification sheet:Feel.

Its tube preamp could sound round.Fat.Warm.Responsive.And harmonically complex.

MESA wanted to preserve that character while giving modern bassists considerably more output and a dramatically lighter amplifier.

So rather than simply redesigning another solid-state Subway preamp, MESA brought the WalkAbout-inspired tube preamp concept into the Subway platform.

That's what makes the WD-800 special.

It's not exactly a WalkAbout.

And it's not simply another Subway D-series amplifier.

It's a deliberate combination of both ideas.

A REAL CLASS A TUBE PREAMP

Inside the WD-800 is:

1 × MESA 12AT7

operating within a:

Two-Stage Class A Vacuum-Tube Preamp.

That distinction matters.

The WD-800 isn't simply using a tube as decoration or as a marketing feature.

The tube preamp is central to the amplifier's personality.

It contributes warmth, harmonic complexity, dimensionality, and the responsive feel that inspired MESA to revisit the WalkAbout concept in the first place.

For players who appreciate the convenience of modern Class D amplification but sometimes find ultra-lightweight heads a little too clinical, the WD-800 offers a very compelling alternative.

800 WATTS OF MESA POWER

The WD-800 delivers:

800 Watts @ 4 Ohms

800 Watts @ 2 Ohms

and:

400 Watts @ 8 Ohms.

That's serious professional power.

And because the amplifier is designed to operate at 2 ohms, players have considerable flexibility when building larger multi-cabinet Subway systems.

One cabinet for smaller jobs.

A larger cabinet for bigger stages.

Multiple compatible cabinets when greater coverage is required.

The WD-800 gives you the power platform to build around your needs.

ONLY 7 POUNDS

Now put that 800-watt output into perspective.

The entire WD-800 weighs:

7 lbs.

That's remarkable.

You have a genuine Class A tube preamp, sophisticated EQ, professional DI, effects loop, tuner output, headphone output, auxiliary input, USB power, variable power damping, and an 800-watt power amplifier.

Seven pounds.

The included gig bag with shoulder strap makes the point even clearer.

Your bass amplifier can travel over your shoulder while you're carrying something else.

For a working bassist, that's not a small advantage.

VARIABLE POWER AMP DAMPING

One of the WD-800's most interesting features is its:

POWER AMP DAMPING control.

This lets you alter the way the amplifier interacts with the speaker system.

The settings are:

LOW

MEDIUM

HIGH

At the Low setting, MESA describes the response as looser, more relaxed, and blooming—more reminiscent of the feel associated with tube power amplification.

Move toward High and the low end becomes tighter, with greater punch and more accurate tracking.

Medium provides a balance between the two.

This isn't simply another EQ control.

You're changing the feel and response of the power amplifier.

That's a very different experience.

HIGH-PASS FILTER — 25Hz TO 125Hz

The WD-800 also includes one of the most useful controls available on a modern professional bass amplifier:

A variable:

High-Pass Filter

adjustable from:

25Hz to 125Hz.

Why does that matter?

Because not every extremely low frequency coming from a bass rig is helping your sound.

Subsonic energy can consume amplifier power.

It can increase speaker excursion.

It can make a room sound boomy.

And it can reduce the sense of definition in the bass.

The High-Pass Filter allows you to remove unnecessary low-frequency energy while retaining the musical fundamentals you actually want.

In a difficult room, this control can be invaluable.

SERIOUS EQ CONTROL

The WD-800 gives you substantially more tone-shaping capability than a simple Bass/Mid/Treble amplifier.

The main EQ includes:

Bass

Passive Mid

Treble

along with a sophisticated:

3-Band Semi-Parametric EQ.

The sweepable frequency ranges are:

80Hz–1kHz

150Hz–2.5kHz

and:

300Hz–5kHz.

This allows you to target specific areas of the bass spectrum rather than simply boosting or cutting broad predetermined frequencies.

Need more punch?

Want to remove room resonance?

Need your bass to sit differently around the kick drum?

Want more pick definition?

Need to tame aggressive upper mids?

The WD-800 gives you the tools to do it.

SWITCH THE PARAMETRIC EQ IN OR OUT

Another excellent feature is the ability to:Select or bypass the Parametric EQ section.That means you can create a fundamental amplifier sound using the main controls and then use the semi-parametric section as an alternate EQ contour.

With the optional footswitch, the Parametric EQ can be remotely switched.That opens up some interesting possibilities.One EQ curve for fingerstyle.Another for slap.A different midrange profile for solos.Or simply an alternate tone for a second bass.That's genuine real-world flexibility.

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE — BOTH ARE WELCOME

The front-panel input includes an:

Active/Passive switch.

That makes it easy to optimize the input stage around very different instruments.

Vintage passive Precision Bass.

Active five-string.Jazz Bass.

Modern extended-range instrument.High-output pickups.

Lower-output vintage electronics.The WD-800 was designed to accommodate the kinds of instruments professional bassists actually bring to a gig.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECT OUTPUT

A professional bass amplifier needs to work just as well with the front-of-house system as it does with the cabinet behind you.The WD-800 provides a:

Balanced XLR Direct Output

with:

Pre/Post selection

Line/Mic level selection

and:

Ground Lift.

That gives you considerable control over what you're sending to the mixing console.

Use Pre when you want a more independent signal.

Use Post when you want your amplifier's tonal shaping incorporated into the DI feed.

It's exactly the kind of flexibility working bassists and sound engineers appreciate.

FULLY BUFFERED SERIES EFFECTS LOOP

Unlike the original D-800, the WD-800 provides a:

Fully Buffered Series Effects Loop.

That makes it easier to integrate external effects into the amplifier while maintaining proper signal integrity.

Compression.

Modulation.

Delay.

Multi-effects.

External processors.

The WD-800 can sit comfortably at the center of a sophisticated modern bass rig.

TUNER OUTPUT + MUTE

MESA also includes a dedicated:Tuner Outputlong with a front-panel:

Play/Mute switch.

That makes silent tuning easy.

And with the optional external footswitch, Mute can be controlled remotely.

It's a small feature until you're standing onstage between songs.

Then it's exactly the kind of feature you appreciate.

HEADPHONES, AUX INPUT & USB POWER

The WD-800 isn't limited to the stage.

It also provides:

Headphone Output

Auxiliary Input

and:

USB Power Outlet.

The Aux input makes it easy to practice along with external audio.

The headphone output allows private monitoring.

And the USB power outlet can provide power for compatible external devices.

Those features make the WD-800 considerably more useful away from the gig.

BUILT FOR MODULAR SUBWAY CABINET SYSTEMS

The WD-800's output architecture makes it particularly well suited to MESA's Subway Ultra-Lite cabinet family.

The amplifier can deliver:

400 watts into an 8-ohm load

or:

800 watts into 4 or 2 ohms.

That gives you the freedom to build the rig around the job.

A compact 1x12.

A 1x15.

A 2x10.

A powerful 2x12.

Or compatible multi-cabinet configurations.

At Northeast Music Center, that's one of the reasons we like the Subway concept so much.

You don't necessarily need one enormous bass rig.

You can build a modular system and bring the amount of cabinet you actually need.

BUILT IN PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

The Subway WD-800 is built in:

Petaluma, California, USA.

Its aluminum chassis helps keep weight remarkably low while protecting the professional electronics inside.

The WD-800 represents an interesting combination of MESA history and modern MESA engineering.

The inspiration comes from the WalkAbout.

The power and portability come from the Subway generation.

The result is an amplifier that connects those two eras.

THE BEST OF TWO MESA BASS PHILOSOPHIES

This is ultimately what makes the WD-800 such an appealing amplifier.

You get:

WalkAbout-inspired tube warmth.

A two-stage Class A preamp.

One MESA 12AT7.

800 watts.

2-ohm capability.

Variable power damping.

High-pass filtering.

Semi-parametric EQ.

Professional DI.

Effects loop.

And all of it weighs:

7 pounds.

At Northeast Music Center, we'd recommend the Subway WD-800 to the bassist who loves the convenience of today's lightweight amplification but still wants an amplifier with personality.

Something that feels alive under the fingers.

Something capable of warmth and bloom.

Something that can also become tight, controlled, and extremely powerful when the music requires it.

The WD-800 isn't simply about making a bass amplifier smaller.

It's about combining tube character, serious tonal control, modern power, and genuine portability into one professional MESA head.

One 12AT7. 800 watts. Seven pounds. WalkAbout soul with Subway muscle.

That's the WD-800.

 

Northeast Music Center is a full line Music retailer located in Northeast Pennsylvania- We are an Authorized Mesa Boogie Dealer and purchase these products direct from MESA HEADQUARTERS IN PETALUMA CALIFORNIA. We do not obtain our MESA AMPLIFIERS or other MESA products from "jobbers" or other dealers. Our MESA AMPLIFIERS AND CABINETS come to you in the factory boxes with factory packing material. We will, upon request, and also randomly, open the box prior to shipping to check that all contents are included and that no damage has been found in shipping from MESA to our Store location. Northeast Music Center does reserve the right to sell these products in our store to daily walk in customers. It is our goal to always have this product in stock and if for any reason we sell out, we will reorder immediately as long as this MESA AMPLIFIER is currently produced for resale by the company. We will order the amplifier in a ample quantity to fill your order. It is our goal to make your experience a good one; We invite you to ask any and all questions about this product.  Please do not purchase this item if you can not pay. This is a new Mesa with full 5 Year factory warranty to the Original Owner. 3 Year Warranty on Speakers.