Mesa M-Pulse 600

[drbassman]

Well, this might be my last "in search of that tone" post I'll do for awhile.  Having rediscovered the Scout last week, I found a like new M-Pulse 600 and made a low ball offer (these things were over $1300 new) and got it!  It's the big brother of the Scout, and I have come to realize that these amps are real gems and some of the best I've heard from Mesa.  If you've never tried one of these, you should.  Great hybrid performers and it's a shame they are discontinued now.  But I have 2 of them so I'm happy!   

Ironically, the first amp I tried when I decided to move up to gigging years ago was an M-Pulse 600 combo.  I wanted that amp so bad, but at the time thought it was too expensive and settled for the Scout.  The headroom and depth of the bass on an M-Pulse amp is incredible.  I should have gone there a year ago, but just didn't really consider it. Now I have the best of both amps!

[drbassman]

Played a great gig last night with the Scout and wow did it sound great.  I was left trying to figure out why I left the Scout and tried other amps.  I realize now it was the move from my mutt rig with the 15" Scout cab and the Ampeg PF115.  I wanted matching cabs and got two Mesa Powerhouse cabs.  That was my first mistake.  They sounded nothing like my old rig and I spent months trying to fix the sound/tone.  Going back to the radiating cabs was a good first step but the Pridigy did not work well with them.  In between the Musicman amp and rig did ok but was still not what I wanted to hear.

The simple fix was to return to the original pairing.  It's now clear to me the Mesa engineers knew what they were doing when they designed the Scout/M-Pulse series and the radiating cabs.  What a great combination of amp and cabs. 

[drbassman]

Got the MP 600 today and it's in great shape.  Spent its entire life in a massive road case, so it's got minimal cosmetic dings.  I plugged my 4005 clone into it and I can't believe how good it sounds!  As I said before, this is one amp they should not have discontinued.  With the big EQ setup and built in compression, this amp has everything you'd ever need and the sound/tone/power to boot!   I know I've thought I found what I was looking for in the past, but this amp is a real gem.  It will go to practice to meet the Mesa cabs next week.

[drbassman]

Played the m-Pulse at practice last night and loved the sounds I could get out of it.  All of the knobs can be a bit intimidating but I'm learning to use the EQ and compression so things should get even better with time.  This is a great amp and I'm really pleased with it.

[Highlander]

There are so many good rigs that have just gone south due to "updates"...

Nice that this is working out...

[Nocturnal]

I remember reading reviews when these came out saying that the eq system might be a bit much for some players to get used to. Are you getting more comfortable with it?

[rahock]

There are so many good rigs that have just gone south due to "updates"...

Nice that this is working out...

Ain't that the truth. Terms like "update" , "new and improved", "enhanced performance" etc. usually mean, we just F'd up a good thing and raised the price .
Rick

[Highlander]

Rick... perhaps there's a subliminal link to Gibson's R&D dept...?

[Pilgrim]

I remember reading reviews when these came out saying that the eq system might be a bit much for some players to get used to. Are you getting more comfortable with it?

The average player doesn't know what a graphic EQ does, much less parametric EQ. But Bill is edjumacated.

[georgestrings]

I just noticed this thread - congrats on the new amp, drbassman... IMO, the M-pulse 600 is one of the best bass amps ever made - I've had one for a few years now, and have no intention of parting with it... I don't usually use the semi-para EQ, just the regular 3 band, and use different gain settings for different sounds... Here's mine:








     - georgestrings

[drbassman]

Wow, that's a nice looking rig.  Thanks for the tips on the EQ, I'll be playing with mine for a couple weeks I'm sure before I get it all figured out.  The real beauty is all of the variation you can get out of this thing, it's amazing.  Also, the depth of the tone and voice that it has is exactly what I've been looking for over the last year or more.  Do you use the compression at all?

I've also been looking for the pedal that goes with it.  What's the model number on yours?

[georgestrings]

Wow, that's a nice looking rig.  Thanks for the tips on the EQ, I'll be playing with mine for a couple weeks I'm sure before I get it all figured out.  The real beauty is all of the variation you can get out of this thing, it's amazing.  Also, the depth of the tone and voice that it has is exactly what I've been looking for over the last year or more.  Do you use the compression at all?

I've also been looking for the pedal that goes with it.  What's the model number on yours?

Thanks - I typically don't use compression at all, although that amp's is one of the best on board comps I've ever used... I have used the comp when sharing my rig with an opening act - to protect my speakers against a potentially out of control right hand... The other amp I use alot is the Streamliner 900 - those are two of the "tubiest" hybrids I've ever used...

My footswitch pedal has B-LINK-1 on the front, and a 5 pin midi jack for connecting to the amp - hope this helps,


   - georgestrings

[drbassman]

Thanks!  Looks like the pedal is no longer made so I'll have to keep an eye out for a used one.

[drbassman]

Thanks - I typically don't use compression at all, although that amp's is one of the best on board comps I've ever used... I have used the comp when sharing my rig with an opening act - to protect my speakers against a potentially out of control right hand... The other amp I use alot is the Streamliner 900 - those are two of the "tubiest" hybrids I've ever used...

My footswitch pedal has B-LINK-1 on the front, and a 5 pin midi jack for connecting to the amp - hope this helps,


   - georgestrings

Set up the MP 600 with some extra bass on the two lowest EQ settings and a little compression.  It sounded great at practice the other night.  It really makes me think of a big B-15 kind of tone.  Again, it's the deep rich bottom end I've been seeking.  It just sounds great to my ears.

[Dave W]

I'm glad you finally found a combination that works for you.