Product: Mesa/Boogie Buster Bass 200 Amp
Price Paid: USD 350 USED
Submitted
04/03/2009
at
10:52pm
by
Tim Merman
Email: tmerman<at>att dot net
Features
:
9
This amp is about 10 years old and I paid $350.00 for it. It has been discontinued by Mesa Boogie and now they make mostly solid state junk. I say "junk" because; I feel if your going to use solid state, you may as well buy something cheap, as they all sound pretty much the same. $350.00 was a great deal and I would not expect to find another one that "cheap". It is all tube w/ (6 X 6L6) & (3 X 12AX7). Rated 200 watts; but seems more powerful. Single channel w/ 7 Band graphic, foot switch-able. FX loop. Balance out w/ speaker mute switch. A feature I wish it had is 2 channels; that is so I can run a keyboard bass or bass synth pedals at same time. I usually play through a vintage SVT, this is no "SVT"; but it is nice.
Sound Quality
:
8
Sound like to tube amp. Very clean; good lows, some hum when graphic is on. Sounds better than most bass amps; but it is "not an SVT". I have an old Fender Bassman 135 Silver face and it sounds kind of like a fender; but louder w/ more bottom.
Reliability
:
10
It's a Mesa Boogie. Very high quality.
Customer Support
:
6
Mesa Boggie does not have an email sight for questions etc.
What's up with that? Come on you guys, it is the 21st century. I sent them a question in writing about two months ago and have not gotten a response yet. Maybe I need to phone them; but they don't have an "800" number, and I don't want a big phone bill. They do have a sight to down load manuals for discontinued items such as this which is very nice of them.
Overall Rating
:
9
I have been playing for a very long time (still have my original 1972 SVT). I have two SVT Bass amps., a vintage Fender Bassman 135, a GK for practice and this Mesa Boogie. Play 6 and 5 string bass. Overall, if you see a Buster Boogie buy it. They have been dicontinued. I have owned a variety of amps including: GK, Eden, SWR, Yorkville, Sunn, Accustic 360 etc. and this sounds better than any solid state amp. I also had a Boogie 400 at one time; but it was so clean it sounded like a solid state amp.; the buster sounds better.
