Mesa/Boogie Adds New Amp, Cabs, and Preamp Pedal to Subway Series

Mesa/Boogie Subway WD-800 Head with Bass

Mesa/Boogie has expanded on their Subway series of bass amplification with the Subway WD-800 head, three new cabinets, and the new Subway+ DI preamp pedal. The products are built in their Petaluma, California shop.

The WD-800 is an 800-watt head that brings together a two-stage tube preamp with a powerful class-D power section. “The Subway WD-800 is a direct response to player feedback and the longstanding demand for a more powerful version of our classic WalkAbout Bass Head We’ve combined the warm, soulful sounding magic of the WalkAbout tube preamp with the musical Class D Output Power used in our Subway D-800 and D-800+, to create the ultimate lightweight hybrid standalone head.” It also utilizes the WalkAbout’s rotary Tone and semi-parametric EQ controls while pulling the high pass filter from the D-800.

A new Power Amp Damping control allows for tuning and mixing of the sub-low frequencies, effectively letting you tailor the tracking and feel of the power section. Setting it to Low produces a looser feel like a tube amp, while High tightens the low end for punch and accuracy in tracking. Medium blends both settings to meet in the middle.

The new Ultra-Lite bass cabs in the Subway Series include an 800-watt 2×12, an 800-watt 2×15, and a 1,200-watt 4×10. Each of the models is built in a vertical format out of lightweight Italian poplar and fitted with Mesa/Boogie’s Subway Neodymium speakers. As a result, their weights range just 52 pounds for the 2×12 to 60 pounds for the 2×15.

Finally, the Subway+ DI-Preamp takes the elements of the Subway D-800+ amplifier and put it at your feet. “The new DI-Preamp draws on the design elements from the popular Subway D-800+ amplifier, virtually all gain and level control, tone shaping, 2-band semi-parametric EQ and interface potential all wrapped in a compact DI box that’s hand-built in MESA’s shop.” It also has plenty of connectivity with an XLR balanced preamp output, a 1/4-inch unbalanced preamp output, and a balanced direct output with a pre/post switch and a ground lift.

The new Mesa/Boogie Subway products will be shipping soon and are available for pre-order. The WD-800 has a street price of $999. The cabs are priced at $1,199 for the 2×12 and $1,499 for the 2×15 and 4×10. The Subway+ DI-Preamp will go for $379.

Mesa/Boogie Subway WD-800 Bass Head Features:

Made in Petaluma, California
800 Watts @ 4 or 2 Ohms / 400 Watts @ 8 Ohms
Light-Weight Class D Power Amp & 8/4 or 2 Ohm Impedance Switch & Variable Damping Control
Active/Passive Input Switch
Play/Mute Switch
Input Gain with Clip Indicator (O/D LED)
Variable High-Pass Filter (25Hz-125Hz)
Fully Active 5-Band EQ (+/- 12dB) featuring Bass, Treble and a selectable/bypassable 3-Band Semi-Parametric EQ Sweepable from 80Hz-1KHz, 150Hz-2.5KHz & 300Hz-5KHz respectively
Passive Mid Control
Master Volume
POWER DAMPING choices enable you to tailor the tracking and feel of the power amp. (Low, High, and Medium)
Balanced XLR Mic Level (DI) Out with Pre/Post, Line/Mic & Ground Lift Switches
Fully Buffered Series FX Loop
Tuner Output (back panel) with Play/Mute Switch (front panel)
External Footswitch Jack for Tuner/Mute & Parametric EQ (footswitch sold separately)
Headphone Output
Auxiliary Input
USB Power Outlet
Protection, Limit & 2 ohm LED Indicators
2 Speakon Speaker Output Jacks
Fan Cooled
Gig Bag w/Strap
2 Rack Spaces (optional Rack Ears available)
Dimensions: 4″ H x 12″ W x 11.375″ D
Weight: 7 lbs.

Mesa/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 2×12 Bass Cabinet Features:

800 Watts RMS
4 ohms
Custom Subway Neodymium Speakers & High-Frequency Horn w/Premium Attenuator
Tuned Front Ported Tri-Port Porting with Aviation style bracing (superior strength/reduced weight)
Lightweight Italian Poplar Cabinets – Legendary Mesa Quality Construction
Combination Speakon & 1?4″ Input and Parallel Output
Recessed Metal Handles
Black Bronco Vinyl with Black Metal Grille
Lexan Corners
Slip Cover
Weight: 52 lbs.

Mesa/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 2×15 Bass Cabinet Features:

800 Watts RMS
4 ohms
Custom Subway Neodymium Speakers & High-Frequency Horn w/Premium Attenuator
Tuned Front Ported Tri-Port Porting with Aviation style bracing (superior strength/reduced weight)
Lightweight Italian Poplar Cabinets – Legendary Mesa Quality Construction
Combination Speakon & 1?4” Input and Parallel Output
Recessed Metal Handles
Black Bronco Vinyl with Black Metal Grille
Lexan Corners
Tilt & RollÔ Casters
Slip Cover
Weight: 60 lbs.

Mesa/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 4×10 Bass Cabinet Features:

1200 Watts RMS
4 ohms
Custom Subway Neodymium Speakers & High-Frequency Horn w/Premium Attenuator
Tuned Front Ported Tri-Port Porting with Aviation style bracing (superior strength/reduced weight)
Lightweight Italian Poplar Cabinets – Legendary Mesa Quality Construction
Combination Speakon & 1?4″ Input and Parallel Output
Recessed Metal Handles
Black Bronco Vinyl with Black Metal Grille
Lexan Corners
Track-Loc Casters
Slip Cover
Weight: 55 lbs.

Mesa/Boogie Subway+ Bass DI-Preamp Pedal Features:

Preamp derived from the renowned Subway D-800- Bass Amp
Input Gain
Footswitchable Variable Boost
Variable High-Pass Filter (30Hz - 125Hz)
Variable Voicing (Flat to Vintage Scoop), Fully Active 4-Band EQ (+/- 12dB of Bass, Low-Mid, High-Mid, Treble) with Sweepable (variable) Low-Mid (150Hz - 1800Hz) & High-Mid (300Hz-5000Hz) Frequency Controls
Deep Switch (for enhanced low-end)
Bright Switch (for enhanced top-end)
Master Volume
Mute/Tuner Footswitch
Tuner Output
Balanced XLR Direct Mic Level Out with Pre/Post & Ground Lift Switches
Line Level Preamp Outputs - Unbalanced & Balanced with Ground Lift Switch (drives any power amp)
Instrument-Thru Output
Powered by AC or Battery, auto-switches to battery if AC fails
Dimensions: 2″ H x 8″ W x 5.5″ D
Weight: 2 lbs.

Get Bass Gear News in your inbox.

Stay up to date on the latest bass gear news (every Thursday).

Share your thoughts