Mesa Walkabout - what is the louder version?

[gillento]

Hi,

I recently got a used Mesa Walkabout and I REALLY like it thru my db212 cab.
What amp gives me the same sound with more headroom/loudness?
Mesa Pulse 600?
Aguilar db750/1?
Ashdown ABM500?

[CL400Peavey]

A second WA head and db212 cab.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by CL400Peavey

A second WA head and db212 cab.

[CL400Peavey]

Originally Posted by gillento

I know its kind of a cop-out answer. But if you want more of what you have, why not just get more, of what you already have?

[Primakurtz]

FWIW, I too love the Walkabout tone. I have found more & better & fatter & waaaayyyy louder with the Aguilar DB750.

[gillento]

I am convinced that my db212 cab is enough cabwise as it takes all my 500watt amps perfectly.

[CL400Peavey]

Originally Posted by gillento

I am convinced that my db212 cab is enough cabwise as it takes all my 500watt amps perfectly.

Is it the 4 Ohm version? Maybe see about getting two 8 Ohm DB 212's then. If you want the tone from the WA then you need the added sensitivity to make up for the power limitation.

[Modern Growl]

The closest amp in circuitry design to the Walkabout is the Mesa Big Block 750. It’s closer than any of the M-Pulse amps per a technician at Mesa Boogie I had this very same conversation with.

Other than those – the TC Electronic RH750 & Aguilar DB751 are both very loud and warm/fat sounding heads.

[Alex1984]

Yes, I agree, the Big Block series (BB750 and Titan) is probably the closest to the WalkAbout, or at least what I like out of my WalkAbout. It took the WalkAbout and emphasized more of the tube warmth, and gave it more grunt. The Carbine series went exactly opposite of that, and the M-Pulse series took more of a middle ground.

[RickenBoogie]

I agree, the bigger Mesa heads are as close as you'll get, but even they aren't exactly WA tone. Hate to say it, but the answer of 2x WA heads, and 2x DB212's is the actual correct answer. I've played ALL of Mesa's bass amps, and the WA is a thing unto itelf.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

I agree, the bigger Mesa heads are as close as you'll get, but even they aren't exactly WA tone. Hate to say it, but the answer of 2x WA heads, and 2x DB212's is the actual correct answer. I've played ALL of Mesa's bass amps, and the WA is a thing unto itelf.

Agreed - if they made a higher watt version of the WA, I'd probably already have it... IMO, the M-pulse 600 gets closer than the BB750 does - the Streamliners by Genz-Benz are almost there, too...


- georgestrings

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by gillento

I am convinced that my db212 cab is enough cabwise as it takes all my 500watt amps perfectly.

And yet you want to go louder. The best way to do that is more speakers. If you cannot add more because of impedance limitations a second amp is called for.

[spector_boogie]

yeah if your ohms situation can handle it, just add another cab.
300W through a 412 setup would be friggin plenty. i run 600W with my M6 through my Mesa 412 setup and I have the Master at maybe 9:30 and i'm drowning out my rehearsal room.

[MuthaFunk]

A pair of 4 Ohm 212's will nab ya 500W RMS out of the WA. I run mine at 2 Ohms and loud volumes regularly without any problems. As a precausionary saftey measure I removed the backplate off my combo to allow the factory vents to function better.

500W Rms into 412's is pretty loud. I can't imagine one needing more for any stage.

[spector_boogie]

The WA does 500W @ 2 ohms?
Yeah, through a 412 that's like enough to compete with a few full stacks, easily lol.

[Alex1984]

Mesa unofficially said it'll run at 2 ohms. But honestly, even if it's the 300 ohms @ 4 ohms, going through a 412, that's already plenty of volume.

[pfschim]

Originally Posted by spector_boogie

The WA does 500W @ 2 ohms?

yes, it will do 2ohms all night long without any basic issues.

OTOH, my 6 years of experience with my WA at 2ohms (4ohm WA 12 + 4ohm Scout 12) says that the WA gets a little squishy if pushed at 2ohms.

I want the great WA tone, but the clean, warm tube compression version of the WA, not the grindier - gain past 1 o'clock version, so with my basses I run the gain just below noon, and master to taste for the specific gig.

If I do this with the 2 cab setup (so 2 ohms) it seems like it gets too flabby when the master needs to be at noon or more, so I tend to run the gain a bit lower to adjust for that percieved flabbyness effect. Then the master goes up a bit, but as has been reported here more than once, the WA master really does not deliver much more juice after noon-ish on the taper.

A big part of this issue is probable in the passive radiator 12" cabs themselves. I don't think they can really handle much more than 160w or so (each). Another (admittedly all Mesa) approach would be to use WA/Scout 15 cabs, which handle more power.

I really love the WA tone at lower and medium volumes, but like some others here, I am struggling to strike a balance with this amps usable volume and the best ohm level and number of drivers when I need more.

best of luck

[RickenBoogie]

My solution to get the most out of my Walkabout is running a 4 ohm GB Uber 212 for most situations, (300 watts 2x12), and adding an 8 ohm Aggie DB112nt for a 500 watt @ 2.6 ohms 3x12 rig. (2 ohms is apparently closer to 550 watts). This 3x12 set up can get louder than I would need to, but still stay clean and true to it's tone. Gain and Master never exceed just past noonish, and usually, I only bump the passive mid beyond noon, all other eq knobs lower. I have not yet met a room where I needed any extreme eqing to compensate- and 90% of the time, it's just the 2x12.

[lomo]

As above-best way to get louder WA tone is with more speakers BUT, if it's the clean or minimally overdriven WA sound you crave (there are a lot of tones in that little magic box), then the BB750's clean channel will pretty much nail it. The Titan (which is essentially a pair of BB750s) should also do it (but I haven't A/Bed that one). Personally, I love not only the WA tone but the gain structure, form factor and look. After a few years of looking for a way to make it loud enough, I have settled on a 4 Ohm Bassic 115 and an 8 Ohm Bassic 112. A good 8 Ohm 112 on top of a 4 Ohm 212 will also get plenty loud. BTW, using the WA as a pre into a poweramp won't quite do it as some of the special sauce comes from the tube-driven MOSFETS.

[joebar]

with the WA-add more speakers.
i have run one through a mesa PH 4 12 cab @4 ohms and it is more than enough.
also ran it through an SVT fridge and again, more than enough.
also have run it through 2 12`s @2.67 ohms and it gets plenty loud and stays sweet.