Available Now at Northeast Music Center!
Warm tube character, 400 watts into a compact 2x10, exceptional tonal control, and a complete MESA bass rig that's powerful enough to gig while remaining remarkably easy to transport. The MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 paired with the Subway Ultra-Lite 2x10 gives the working bassist a beautifully balanced combination of portability, articulation, punch, and genuine MESA personality.
The MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 combines the warm character of a two-stage Class A tube preamp with a lightweight Class D power section capable of 800 watts at 4 or 2 ohms and 400 watts at 8 ohms. Its preamp uses a genuine MESA 12AT7 and was inspired by the much-loved WalkAbout bass amplifier.
Pair it with MESA's Subway Ultra-Lite 2x10 Diagonal cabinet, and you have an exceptionally portable professional bass system. The 2x10 is an 8-ohm cabinet, so the WD-800 delivers 400 watts into this single-cabinet configuration. The cabinet itself is rated for 600 watts thermal RMS and uses lightweight Subway Neodymium speakers with a high-frequency horn.
Available from Northeast Music Center, this is a great choice for bassists who want a smaller rig without settling for a small sound.
• MESA/Boogie Subway WD-800 Bass Amplifier Head
• MESA/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 2x10 Diagonal Bass Cabinet
• 400 watts from the WD-800 into this 8-ohm cabinet
• WD-800 capable of 800W @ 4Ω or 2Ω / 400W @ 8Ω
• Two-stage Class A tube preamp
• 1 × MESA 12AT7 preamp tube
• Lightweight Class D power section
• Variable Power Amp Damping control
• Variable 25Hz–125Hz High-Pass Filter
• Extensive 5-band EQ architecture
• Selectable/bypassable 3-band semi-parametric EQ
• Passive Mid control
• Balanced XLR DI
• Buffered series effects loop
• Headphone output
• Auxiliary input
• USB power outlet
• 2 × SpeakON amplifier outputs
• WD-800 gig bag with shoulder strap included
• 2 × Subway Neodymium 10" speakers
• High-frequency horn with premium attenuator
• Tuned front-ported Tri-Porting™ cabinet
• 8-ohm cabinet impedance
• 600-watt average thermal RMS rating
• 98.1dB sensitivity
• 126dB maximum SPL
• Lightweight Italian poplar construction
• Fitted cabinet slipcover included
• Built in Petaluma, California
The WD-800 was created in direct response to bassists who wanted the personality of MESA's celebrated WalkAbout amplifier with substantially more power and the portability of the Subway platform.
At the front of the WD-800 is a genuine two-stage Class A vacuum-tube preamp using a MESA 12AT7.
That gives the amplifier something many lightweight bass heads deliberately avoid:
Character.
There's warmth and harmonic dimension to the WD-800, but MESA combines that character with a modern Class D power section, sophisticated EQ and extensive control over the amplifier's response.
It's a hybrid design in the best sense of the word.
There's an important distinction between this package and the WD-800/2x12 combination.
The Subway 2x10 is:
8 Ohms
The WD-800 produces:
400 Watts @ 8 Ohms
So with this single 2x10 cabinet, you have a 400-watt bass rig.
And for many players, that's exactly the attraction.
You get a compact cabinet for rehearsals, recording sessions, club gigs, church stages, and countless other situations where an enormous bass stack simply isn't necessary.
But the WD-800 still has substantially more power available when you need it.
This is where the modular nature of the Subway system becomes particularly attractive.
The WD-800 isn't limited by the single 2x10.
The amplifier is capable of operating at 8, 4, or 2 ohms, with a selectable impedance setting.
That means you can begin with this compact 2x10 configuration and expand the system later while observing the proper total impedance and power-handling requirements.
MESA itself highlights the 2x10 as a modular solution: use one cabinet for smaller situations or combine cabinets when greater output and coverage are required.
That's a very practical approach for the working bassist.
The Subway 2x10 uses MESA's lightweight Neodymium speakers.
Ten-inch bass speakers have long been popular because of their:
Punch
Midrange articulation
Definition
and:
Fast response.
MESA specifically describes the Subway 2x10 as the compact option for players who prefer the articulation and focus associated with 10-inch speakers but don't necessarily need the size of a traditional 4x10.
That's precisely where this cabinet fits.
It's small enough to remain manageable but substantial enough to function as a legitimate gigging cabinet.
MESA arranges the two speakers in a diagonal configuration rather than simply stacking them vertically or placing them horizontally.
That allows the enclosure to remain remarkably compact while retaining the surface area and output advantages of a genuine 2x10.
The cabinet measures only:
21" H × 19.25" W × 18.25" D
and weighs:
43 lbs.
Add the WD-800's 7-pound weight and the complete amplifier/cabinet combination comes in at approximately:
50 pounds total.
That's impressive for a professional tube-preamp bass rig.
The Subway 2x10 isn't simply a lightweight box containing two speakers.
MESA uses its tuned front-ported Tri-Porting™ design along with lightweight Italian poplar and aircraft-style bracing.
The goal is straightforward:
Reduce unnecessary weight without sacrificing the structural integrity and controlled response required from a professional bass cabinet.
The result is exactly what the Subway name suggests—a cabinet designed around mobility without abandoning serious performance.
The 2x10 also includes a dedicated high-frequency horn with a premium attenuator.
That's especially useful for modern bass sounds.
Slap and pop.
Fresh roundwound strings.
Active electronics.
Effects.
Pick attack.
Extended-range instruments.
All of those can contain significant upper-frequency information.
The horn reproduces that detail, while the attenuator lets you decide exactly how much of it you want.
Don't mistake compact for quiet.
MESA rates the Subway 2x10 at:
98.1dB average sensitivity
with a maximum SPL of:
126dB @ 1 meter.
That's serious output from a cabinet weighing only 43 pounds.
For many real-world playing situations, one 2x10 may be all the cabinet you need.
The WD-800 gives you far more tonal control than a conventional Bass/Mid/Treble amplifier.
Its EQ architecture includes:
Bass
Passive Mid
Treble
plus a selectable/bypassable:
3-Band Semi-Parametric EQ
with sweepable ranges of approximately:
80Hz–1kHz
150Hz–2.5kHz
300Hz–5kHz.
That gives you tremendous control over how the bass interacts with the cabinet, room, band, and PA.
Instead of simply making the bass brighter or darker, you can find specific frequency areas and shape them.
The WD-800 also includes a continuously variable:
25Hz–125Hz High-Pass Filter.
This is one of those controls that becomes increasingly valuable once you've learned how to use it.
It can reduce unnecessary sub-low-frequency energy.
Tighten the bottom end.
Help control a boomy room.
Increase perceived clarity.
And reduce the amount of amplifier and speaker power being wasted reproducing frequencies that aren't contributing meaningfully to your sound.
For a compact 2x10 rig, that level of control is particularly useful.
Then there's one of our favorite WD-800 features:
Power Amp Damping.
Instead of simply changing the frequency response, this control changes how tightly the power amplifier interacts with and controls the loudspeaker.
MESA describes the lower setting as producing a looser, more relaxed and blooming response reminiscent of tube power.
The higher setting tightens the low end and creates greater tracking accuracy and punch.
Medium provides a blend of the two.
So you can make this compact 2x10 system feel:
Looser and warmer
or:
Tighter and faster
depending on your instrument and playing style.
This may be where the WD-800/2x10 package really shines.
The head weighs:
7 lbs.
The cabinet weighs:
43 lbs.
The amplifier includes its own gig bag with shoulder strap.
The cabinet includes its own fitted slipcover.
So you're not buying a lightweight amplifier and then pairing it with an enormous cabinet that defeats the entire purpose.
The complete system was designed around portability.
Both components are built in Petaluma, California.
That's important to us at Northeast Music Center.
This isn't simply about assembling the smallest or lightest bass rig possible.
There are plenty of ways to do that.
The Subway system is about creating a genuinely professional, highly portable bass rig while retaining the engineering, construction, and tonal personality players expect from MESA/Boogie.
That's ultimately what makes this particular combination so appealing.
One WD-800.
One 2x10.
Approximately 50 pounds total.
400 watts into the single cabinet.
A real tube preamp.
Sophisticated EQ.
Variable damping.
Professional DI.
And the ability to expand the speaker system when greater output is required.
At Northeast Music Center, we'd recommend this rig to the bassist who wants something genuinely manageable without buying an amplifier they'll outgrow the moment the gig gets bigger.
The 2x10 keeps the rig compact today.
The WD-800 gives you room to grow tomorrow.
Tube warmth. 400 watts into the 2x10. Two Neodymium 10s. Serious MESA tone in a rig you can actually move.
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.
