Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread 8

[jnewmark]

Originally Posted by Chef

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It can get loud enough...just not clean enough, for me.

ymmv, of course.


Originally Posted by Chef View Post
As close as I can get to that is two Baer ML112's.
Giggable for me, but, into the dirty zone. For me.
YMMV

Did you ever try a Streamliner ? I'm wondering if it can cop the WA tone with more power.

[Chef]

I had an SL900 for one gig.
Totally not my thing, tho others like them a lot.
Too bottom heavy, flubby, mid and treble shy, for me.

ymmv, etc.

[lomo]

Originally Posted by wateroftyne

I still like the idea of the 112, for a different flavour - a little more 'round' and a little less 'bark'...

If round is your thing, I cannot think of a single 12 that sounds better than a Scout. IME it's less barky than any other 12 I have played except a 12/6 fEarful or similar, which also play well with the Walkabout. The Audiokinesis is a hifi/monitor type sound, others (PH 112, EA Wizzy, GB Neox, Eden 112 xlt, GK Neo-ll, older Berg AE) are more middy and Epifani is scooped. I have not tried Aguilar DB series or the current Berg HDs. Other reviews suggest the Aggie GS boxes are scooped as well, but I've not played those with a WA.

There's a lot of love for the Baer 112 as well, but from what I've read, it doesn't sound "round" (which I take to be fairly linear with substantial bottom and no mid hump to speak of). Maybe Chef can add more...

[Chef]

for round/soft/vintage, the scout is hard to beat.

the Baer are for sure mid forward. great cabs, but prolly not "round"

[wateroftyne]

Yeah - I used to have the Scout and it was great but (IMO) a PITA to lug about...

[rodl2005]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Did you ever try a Streamliner ? I'm wondering if it can cop the WA tone with more power.

Agree totally with Chef. I bought one back when (where I live-no GB dealers & no-one else has this stuff to "sample") & found it almost useless, no joke.
Too big & flubby down low, no punch in mids. Plenty of hi's, but no solid lows, so....? I cut the lows, but had to so much I was left with a weak clangy bottom.
Some like it, but I couldn't get it to work for me
Totally different to a WA.

[wateroftyne]

Same thing for me re: Streamliner. Flubby and indistinct.

[NOLA Bass]

I have a Scout 12 and 15. They are the best for a nice round, warm, vintage tone.

[NOLA Bass]

I had a Streamliner too. I used it for one gig. It just didn't have the punch or character of the WA.

[lomo]

Originally Posted by wateroftyne

Yeah - I used to have the Scout and it was great but (IMO) a PITA to lug about...

The 12 would be easier to haul if it had side handles, but isn't any heavier than other 112s out there. It's much more of a pain to haul as a combo, because the diff between 35 and 50 lbs is significant for a somewhat awkward, 1-hand carry. As a cab, I don't find it to be a problem. The 15, however, is ridiculous as a cab or a combo. Not having side handles on that is an inexcusable design flaw IMHO. GREAT sound and match for the WA though.

[McFarlin]

Originally Posted by wateroftyne

Cheers, all. It turns out the HT112 for sale that I was looking at isn't an ER, which has killed the GAS.

I still like the idea of the 112, for a different flavour - a little more 'round' and a little less 'bark'...

I owned the HS210 and HT112ER at the same time and did a lot of testing/A-B'ing at home and during rehearsals.

Amps used were a Shuttle 9.0 and a Demeter VTBP-201s

My tone lingo isn't great (also suffering New Year's Day soupy-brain), but here goes...

As you probably know, the HT-ER rig has a significant amount of inherent lower frequency. It seemed like a thickness I could feel in the floor and hear all around from the walls. Seemed like I could sense a small amount of pressure from the low end. (Before reading more about physics and driver sizes I thought this was just what happened with all 12" drivers.) To me it was a great sounding cab.
At home
Solo

At first I used it paired with the IP112ER and the Demeter. On most indoor stages the low-end was overkill, even with the Dem. and instrument bass knobs set flat. (This was with a quieter 5-piece instrumental ensemble.)

With louder or aggressive bands the 12s didn't seem to fit.
Very clear, deep, not much happening in the midrange, pretty even mids-to-highs.

Then I got the HS210. That's when I learned I didn't care for the HT-ER tweeter. The HT tweeter sounded more separate from the driver (and what I would describe as thin or sharp), where the HS tweet sounds to me more like an extension of the driver and not so distinct/separate, a bit smoother/warmer.

I was happier with the more aggressive midrange of the HS210. It's definitely not nearly as deep and wide sounding in the low frequency (part of being more efficient/low excursion/mid tuned?). But I think the low-end of the HT-ER stuff is a bit excessive. The only time I felt it necessary was during an outdoor show with no PA support.

I think they sounded similar enough that the HS is a good transition for a person who appreciates the HT-ER sound but wants it a little “meaner” sounding, or for standing-out more in a busy/loud context. And probably vice-versa, if you want the clear studio-monitor effect with big bottom.

Comments from my (loud) bandmates after I started using the HS210 went something like, "I can finally hear you."

I tried the HS210/HT112ER with the Shuttle 9 a few times. It was a great sound in the living room. They complimented each other well. But live it never worked. The sound room-to-room was inconsistent and overall my playing was indistinct (part of why I stopped mixing driver sizes.)
I preferred the HT112ER/IP112ER stack to the IP/HS210 and the HT/HS210. I prefer the 1 or 2 HS210 config. to all the others.

The single HT112ER and Shuttle was loud enough on a small-ish stage w/ PA support, but the compliments on my tone started after the HS210 took over (great results mic’d or mic’d+DI, playing a custom semi-hollow mahogany 4-string w/ dual coils panned to the neck p/u, mids rolled-in hard).

Then I got a Walkabout.

Finally, the sound I was looking for. I think it's perfect for anyone who enjoys the Demeter pre stuff, but wants more EQ flexibility and grit. The warmth is there, but it's fuller/deeper, not so "glassy", and can get real mean.
It eventually won over the Shuttle, which in comparison sounded over-compressed and too thin/brittle, and...I know this sounds silly, but...digital.

The Walkabout and HS210 does it for me. There are situations where I feel like I need more, and I have started to bring-out the second HS210 for loud shows (the 4ohm Scout cab couldn't hang, and I didn't like the tone/feel nearly as much).

With the Walkabout, I could see the HT112ER being useful, especially for quieter upright gigs (vs. the HS210) or wanting a very clear sound for recording. I feel like the lows would be overkill (though easy to dial-out).
I think a downside is the efficiency. Pretty sure it's better to have more power to run the HT stuff, and the 185(?)@8 from the Walkabout wouldn't gel with the HT stuff like it does the HS. I am basing this on reading other opinions in these threads. Never used the WA with the HT.

Another reason I chose the HS210 over the HT112ER was speed. Staccato parts sounded more precise/tighter through the HS woofers/box. That's important to me as a companion to the WA, which I find a bit looser/slower than what I was used to with the Shuttle.

Hopefully this was at least semi-coherent and helpful. Please ask questions if I didn't get to the point here.


Also, regarding the Streamliner thing discussed earlier on this page, I agree with you guys. The day I tried the Walkabout, I also tried a Streamliner (don't remember if it was 600 or 900). I took my HS210 cab and my rude/ganky ASAT bass. The Streamliner sounded very warm, but muffled and indistinct. Set flat, it sounded like we rolled out all the mids/high-mids. There didn't seem to be any punch. Disappointing since I liked the Shuttle and read good things about the Streamliner. Saw another guy using a Streamliner 900 with a SWR 4x10 and a P-bass in a Meters-esque 4-piece, and he just wasn’t there. I felt the bass but didn’t hear him. They’re way too polite for my taste.

[wateroftyne]

That's REALLY useful - lots of food-for-thought there. Thanks for your time!

The suggestion that the HT112 might be a bit mid-shy suggests it might not be the cab for me...

[speyer]

I recently acquired a Streamliner 600.

I bought the SL600 because my WA was frequently going into thermal 'protect' on our long 3 hr rehersals. (fyi, no headcase) We are a loud classic/modern Rock band and my WA is being used at 90%+ maximum power (gain@2'oclock and master@3-4 o'clock) with 2 TC RS210's and shutting down every night!


While I did hope the SL600 would share more qualities with the WA, I find it to be completely different and a fine sounding amp... and the finest digital I have owned. It has much more power, fantastic sounding DI, nice features and will not shut down on me on the loudest gig. I am able to get it to sound similar to my WA... less that Mesa Boogie 'magic' the WA seems to possess. I use an Empress Para eq in the loop and I can get a perfectly usable tight bass response and grindy bright mids through my TC cabs.

I do feel that that the voice of the SL is pretty scooped, which is why I prefer to use the Para-eq with it. However, I think that with the SL series amps, if you aren't prepared to (or okay with) really tweaking the passive eq... you will never realize the full potential of the amp on it's own.

I do preffer my WA in every way EXCEPT the lack of power, which I was hoping would never be an issue for me So, much like many of us out there... if Mesa does a 600+watt WA, I will be in heaven.

[speyer]

Originally Posted by McFarlin

The Walkabout and HS210 does it for me.

I would Love to get my hands on a pair of HS210's to use with both the WA and the SL600.

I have used Bergs.. HT's, IP's and the Demeter too, but never the HS series cabs. I have heard great things about them, and they really seem to be coming back into favor these days!

[NOLA Bass]

Originally Posted by lomo

The 12 would be easier to haul if it had side handles, but isn't any heavier than other 112s out there. It's much more of a pain to haul as a combo, because the diff between 35 and 50 lbs is significant for a somewhat awkward, 1-hand carry. As a cab, I don't find it to be a problem. The 15, however, is ridiculous as a cab or a combo. Not having side handles on that is an inexcusable design flaw IMHO. GREAT sound and match for the WA though.

You know, that was my experience too. I have my 12 scout combo sitting empty and my Walkabout in a Mesa headcase on top of a 15 ext cab. The head case may be a little heavy, but I found the combo just really awkward. Even the 15 ext cab is a little awkward with just the single handle on the side. Why they do it like this is beyond me. I've thought bout trying to install a handle on each side, but was worried I'd mess the cab up.

[McFarlin]

Originally Posted by wateroftyne

That's REALLY useful - lots of food-for-thought there. Thanks for your time!

The suggestion that the HT112 might be a bit mid-shy suggests it might not be the cab for me...

Isn't the AE112 supposed to be a bit deeper but still mid-present (high-mid instead of low-mid)?
Earlier you mentioned "a little more 'round' and a little less 'bark'". The B version of the AE112 is supposed to be re-voiced to have what I saw people refer to as "smoother high-mids and highs". I guess that's less bark, but still midrange present (more than the HT). I don't know if high-mid qualifies as "bark" in the same way the low-mids do with the HS210.
Also, AE efficiency is supposed to be better at converting the low watts of a Walkabout to volume (vs. the HT).
I consider the AE series often when I start thinking I need another set-up. Then I'll read forums for what adds-up to a few hours. Finally, I remember I won't like any tone better than what I have now, and that instead of drooling over different gear I really just need to practice.
(As I sit here typing, I am mostly just putting-off the writing/recording time on my schedule for this evening.)

Originally Posted by speyer

I would Love to get my hands on a pair of HS210's to use with both the WA and the SL600.

I have used Bergs.. HT's, IP's and the Demeter too, but never the HS series cabs. I have heard great things about them, and they really seem to be coming back into favor these days!

I have no experience with TC cabs, but I read another post recently claiming the RS210 and HS210 have a similar vibe.

[pfschim]

Originally Posted by NOLA Bass

You know, that was my experience too. I have my 12 scout combo sitting empty and my Walkabout in a Mesa headcase on top of a 15 ext cab. The head case may be a little heavy, but I found the combo just really awkward. Even the 15 ext cab is a little awkward with just the single handle on the side. Why they do it like this is beyond me. I've thought bout trying to install a handle on each side, but was worried I'd mess the cab up.

I have used a WA 12 for 6 years now and never found it a challenge to move. I added the Mesa "tone luggage" cart thing to my WA and it works great in just about all gigging situations (other than when the ground is either soft/muddy, or very uneven like gravel or cobbles). Never worried about side handles after I put the wheel-y rack on the cab.

[emblymouse]

I started with just the head, then I got a 12 ext. cab. This was great, but I eventually wound up with the regular Scout cab combo. I much preferred carrying these separately, the combo was a little too awkward and just heavier enough to bother.
I had the cart/dolly thing too but it really rattled on the job.

[pfschim]

Originally Posted by emblymouse

I had the cart/dolly thing too but it really rattled on the job.

that's interesting to hear, I've had mine on for years and never had any rattling. The Mesa cart is admittedly not the most robust design, but it has worked well for me.

[BBQV]

A strange thing happened during todays rehearsal. I plugged in and turned the master volume up to about 10 o'clock. During the first song it sounded thin and weak, I turned it up slightly and still couldn't hear myself. About halfway into the second song the volume suddenly doubled and the full sound appeared.

I ran the Walkabout head through 2 x SVT210AV, a total load of 4 ohms, nothing but a tuner between it and the bass (a '55 Precision clone). The head had been below 0 degrees Centigrade during last night but indoors for at least 4-5 hours before plugged in.

What do you guys think caused this?