Mesa Boogie Walkabout Megathread; Part Two - Page 18

illidian · #**341** 10-23-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CElton

Chef, so when it's out of the head case, it looks like this? With the handle on the side? Does it look like that when it's removed from the Scout?

Mine has a handle in what appears to be the same place. It's a silverface model with the back detailing.

kittyboy · #**342** 10-23-2009, 03:40 PM

Has Mark V been out for a while now, or is this a brand-new development, and if so what's different?

(my next head is going to be a walkabout or a V4BH)

**Chef** · #**343** 10-23-2009, 03:40 PM

CElton: yes, to both.

Kittyboy: no tech spec changes, just the blackout and bakelite knobs. Aesthetics.

illidian · #**344** 10-23-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittyboy

(my next head is going to be a walkabout or a V4BH)

I would've loved an older V4B. The V4BH amps are pretty good too (especially the old MIA ones). The Walkabout doesn't do the 100% tube thang, but it's so much smaller/lighter, you never have to replace a full set of tubes (just a couple 12AX7's), and you can always dial in "your tone."

The V4BH amps rock, but just be mindful of the onset of full tube distortion in a 100 watt monster.

Carebear · #**345** 10-23-2009, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittyboy

Has Mark V been out for a while now, or is this a brand-new development, and if so what's different?

(my next head is going to be a walkabout or a V4BH)

I don't want to hijack the thread when it's all about the Walkabout, but the Mark V is pretty much a jacked up Mark IV with individual tone settings on all channels for the first time in Mark history and a bunch of other features.

http://mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/M...rk5/mark5.html

Worth mentioning is that Mesa now offers a 40th Anniversary Mark V in special hardwood, indicating they've settled on the current design and won't come out with a revised model in a couple of weeks as they did with the Road King, leaving many Road King owners upset.

Rshafer · #**346** 10-26-2009, 11:14 AM

Anyone ever play a GK neo 212 with the walkabout head?

Doodaddy · #**347** 10-26-2009, 10:06 PM

I'm pretty pumped about my Walkabout that's on the way.

BillyB_from_LZ · #**348** 10-27-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodaddy

I'm pretty pumped about my Walkabout that's on the way.

Congrats! Hopefully it treats you well!!!

What did you buy? Head, combo???

Matt Dean · #**349** 10-27-2009, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef

I used a mesa diesel 115 under my scout 12 for quite a while.

I bet that sounds pretty darn good. I play through a diesel 15 (and m pulse 600) for coffee house gigs and it sounds excellent as well.

Doodaddy · #**350** 10-27-2009, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyB_from_LZ

Congrats! Hopefully it treats you well!!!

What did you buy? Head, combo???

Head only. I think it will pair well with my Bill Fitzmaurice Jack 210.

Manfloozy · #**351** 10-28-2009, 08:21 PM

I received all my Walkabout bits this week.. with the combo arriving today. I love the tone of the head.... it is goodness... still out to lunch on the cabs. It might be the NEO thing... but for some reason the depth goes buh bye below low-G. Keep in mind this is at very low relative volumes... but compared to the Epifani PS115... it doesn't seem to have as much ... umph.... boom... depth...

One thing I am trying to diagnose right now is rattle/vibration in the cabs. It could just be packing peanuts... or something stupid (I hope). I'm going to have a buddy of mine come check them out and see if I can't exorcise the unwanted noise from them. Pics and reports soon.

The head is a Silver/Black with input switch. One woofer appears to be vented in the center (the extension) with no Player Network, and the combo is not vented, with player control.

**Chef** · #**352** 10-29-2009, 12:32 AM

sometimes the back panel foam gives out, leaving room for the back panle that seucres the head to vibrate.

krovx · #**353** 10-30-2009, 11:59 PM

A few questions for the Walkabout crew, and Chef I think your experience will be very fruitful.

I use to own a lot of bass rig stuff and became really happy once I encountered Mesa. For some reason I just love Mesa bass tone. I had a 400+, but then sold that off and bought an M6. At the time I was in a brutal metal band, and the M6 killed it with my Powerhouse 1200 cab. I sold most of my gear and I am now in grad school.

I am looking for a quality combo now that my space is limited, and I may play in a few various settings, but will not need nearly the headroom of my last rig. I loved the M6 for its modern and aggressive tone, yet it was very flexible, I could dial in anything with that head. Plus the DI was superb, I always received countless praise from the soundboard.

I first heard a lot of high praise for Markbass and its tubiness. I figured it would sound vintagey and not up to par with my taste. How wrong I was! I really enjoy dialing tones in on those combos, great for all kinds of playing, including slap. The samples I have heard online seem to put the WA in a similar tone spectrum, intriguing me. BTW Chef, I enjoyed your tone in that clip of your band.

The Walkabout Scout appeals to me for various reasons:

1. Mesa gear is well built and their CS is amazing. I am always comfortable buying used Mesa gear, and for this reason I can get a killer deal on a Scout combo.
2. I LOVE that the head can be easily removed from the scout cabinet. In this setup I could purchase a bigger cab to leave at the 'practice space' and then simply move the head back and forth.
3. Mesa can get loud, I bet even though this is head is only 300 watts. I always feel like I get more power out of Mesa watts than other brands. I just remember my M6 burying my SVT 4 Pro, ( 600 watts versus 1400 watts) Of course this is entirely my subjective opinion

4. I think a lot of thought went into the Scout cabinet and from everything I have read on TB guys really dig it.

Areas of concern:

1. I love the look of the new WA, looks like a baby M6. I notice the combo I am looking at is silver, does that mean anything?
2. No Speakon? Does it really matter?
3. I have not heard the amp in person...

I am now in Chicagoland for school so I am trying to track down a store that has Mesa bass gear, I think GC is now stocking Mesa gear? I use a pbass with flats and a Sterling HS.

Thank you everyone for the boatloads of info I have been reading the past two hours on this unit.

**Chef** · #**354** 10-31-2009, 12:13 AM

The newest Walkabouts are blacked out like the M6.
Previous version is aluminum and black paint.
Earliest versions are aluminum and red paint.
The only diffs are the active/passive switch versus separate inputs, and the fx bypass switch.

The Walkabout doesn't have the top end sheen that the M6 has, and it is much more tubey when pushing the input gain.
It does pop out of the combo easily, and works very well with bigger cabs.

lomo · #**355** 10-31-2009, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krovx

Areas of concern:

1. I love the look of the new WA, looks like a baby M6. I notice the combo I am looking at is silver, does that mean anything?
2. No Speakon? Does it really matter?
3. I have not heard the amp in person...

.

Not having Speakons is no biggie IMO. If you can, play one. The differences between the WA and Markbass will be very clear very quickly. The WA 12, compared to the MB CMD112P, is overbuilt, as loud and lower, but heavier. For me it was love at 1st listen, but it's not the most practical product on paper-no tuner out, no mute, small but not really light and not as powerful as many other options. The value (for me) is in the tone and responsive/flexible eq and well-engineered gain stage. Tonewise, the WA will do what the Markbass does and a whole lot the yellow box cannot.

BillyB_from_LZ · #**356** 10-31-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krovx

...I am now in Chicagoland for school so I am trying to track down a store that has Mesa bass gear....

What part of the Chicago area are you in?

krovx · #**357** 10-31-2009, 08:02 PM

I am actually outside of Chicago in Libertyville

Honk'n_down-low · #**358** 10-31-2009, 08:04 PM

Gasing for a Walkabout Rig - still love this Picture!

He's saying - yep, I'm done!

Hizzoner · #**359** 10-31-2009, 08:15 PM

bass club down in the city has mesa gear
grad school in l.ville?

BillyB_from_LZ · #**360** 10-31-2009, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krovx

I am actually outside of Chicago in Libertyville

You might try (phone first to check inventory):

Music Gallery 2558 Green Bay Rd. Highland Park IL 60035
(847) 432-6350

Basically take Route 22 East until it ends at Green Bay Rd. and turn right for about a half of a block.

or

Music Center Inc. 7700 Greenbay Rd. Kenosha WI 53142
(262) 697-9393

Take I-94 to Highway 50, head east to Green Bay Rd, turn right and it's less than 1/4 mile south.

Then, for fun head north on Green Bay road, cross Hwy 50 and visit Music Go Round in the shopping center on the NW corner.