Sanity Check anyone?

[tooloudalex]

Ok so ive allways been under the impression, bigger is better, more is more, and i need a head and cab with a big rack.

ive been reading alot about a mesa boogie walkabout scout and am really liking the idea of a small compact amp, i allways have PA support at gigs, so i dont need a huge rig. i tried to get into effects and its just not working out, am i crazy for concidering selling my full rig and just getting a combo?

Current setup

LH500
SWR Goliath 2
Alisis 3630 Compressor
Boss RCE-10 Chorus


am i crazy? someone tell me im not..

[i_got_a_mohawk]

If the combo is going to work better for you, then why not?

I'd always prefer something where I could use a seperate head (lots of my gigs have the cab supplied), but it's down to what fits your needs most

[Monotheist]

a "big rack" is always better.

[tooloudalex]

well the thing i like about the walkabout scout, is the head is removable

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/WalkSct112


I just wish the local shop had some in stock to play, is this an item that GC usually keeps in stock? (the closest GC is 1 1/2 hr away so i dont go often)

[i_got_a_mohawk]

I wasn't sure if it was or not, but I knew some combos were like that, certainly more useful IMO!

Wouldn't know re-GC, we don't have them over here.

Try asking the staff at your local store if they can get one in and if they could do it for the price on Sweetwater (the price of Mesa gear usually doesn't change much between retailers).

[tooloudalex]

im sure they would, if not cheaper, my band and i have kept them from going belly up on a few occasions (we knew they were down so we bought some pretty high end recording stuff) so im sure they could, i was just hoping to try one BEFORE i commit to them that ill buy it, i feel bad asking them to order a high dollar item like that especially bass specific (they are mainly a school insturment store) because they sit on it forever :/

[Thumpdog]

I like modular setups and have looked numerous times at the convenience a Walkabout would provide. I tried Markbass combos and became frustrated with the critical placement requirements for "rear ported" cabinets. Most times this isn't an issue but on occasions, your stuck in a corner creating uncontrolled sonic booms. I still use MB heads and love them but these days, I opt for the modular (fit the rig to the gig) setup. This can be a small as a MB F-1 with a 1x10 cab or as large as the photo for the outdoor gigs....yes, I love Accugroove cabs!! I would like to try the Walkabout on a small gig some day. They get good reviews from fellow TB'rs

[tooloudalex]

Heh, that heafty rig doesn't for the small combo I'm after lol, I drive a civic and don't like my stuff left in the garage ha ha, I've thought about the thunder child but its 700+shipping, and I need to buy a head, seems cheaper to buy the walkabout

[sleepytime]

I played a charity event once where the backline provided a Mesa M6 Carbine with a Mesa 112. It was a struggle to hear the bass both onstage and in the audience. Sounded great, but no oomph. It was a small place, maybe 18-20 tables. The volume levels of the bands allowed normal conversation two tables from the stage, so we are not talking ear-bleeding sound. Drums were unmiked. I suppose you could fudge the EQ to maximize volume, if that is how you want to use your $1300 amp.

We had no PA support. If you are in the FOH and have a quiet stage, you are good to go.

I also have an LH500, but have a pair of 210's. With PA support, a single 210 will do. The LH500 sounds great by itself for my purposes. P --> Amp --> Cab. That doesn't seem like a lot to schlep.

[tooloudalex]

Forgot to mention The band setup I'm in is an AC30, a marshal halfstack (100watt) and a med to loud drummer

[Sifl]

Originally Posted by Monotheist

a "big rack" is always better.

Until you get older... (works on both levels!)

[sleepytime]

Originally Posted by Sifl

Until you get older... (works on both levels!)

How true.

[lomo]

The Walkabout 12 will be nowhere near as loud as your current rig but the 4 Ohm 15 version will come close. If you're thinking of the 12, I'd try your current head with a borrowed 12 cab before you commit. BTW the Walkabout 12 is no louder in 4 Ohms than 8 (I've had both side by side) as the driver maxes out well before 300 watts. Good luck.

[kosmicwizard]

Good post as always Lomo. OP in my mind you have a couple of options, you can go to a GC, you can ask your local store to order it in and buy from them, or buy it online. However yo go about doing it, might I suggest getting the combo in 8 Ohms and adding a like extension cabinet if needed later. All the best, Cheers.

[tooloudalex]

Lomo - Thanks alot for the info, i had assumed that 300W tube would blow what i currently have out of the water and hold up just fine in the band situation im in.

kosmicwizard - I hadnt thought about chaining another cab to it thats a really good idea!

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by tooloudalex

am i crazy? someone tell me im not..

You're crazy

Seriously, you should take a cue from Thumpdog. Modular is the way to go. Allows you to scale up - or scale down - to whatever size venue the gig requires. Smart.

IMHO, way too many players acquire gear and build their rigs too haphazardly, without thinking through the process first. Not nearly enough players think strategically about how to approach this process, over time, as resources allow and playing circumstances require. They should.

[/soapbox]

MM

[Colonel Monk]

Originally Posted by tooloudalex

Lomo - Thanks alot for the info, i had assumed that 300W tube would blow what i currently have out of the water and hold up just fine in the band situation im in.

kosmicwizard - I hadnt thought about chaining another cab to it thats a really good idea!

Assuming you're talking about the Walkabout - it's a hybrid, not all tube. Sounds pretty tubey though...

Yeah, they are quite loud but the combo alone is lacking in the speaker cone area department. No matter how much juice into a 12" speaker it's still just one speaker.

For many gigs it'll be more than enough. For some it could lack without good PA support. I have played three times outdoor parties with just the 12 and it was enough, but I'd have liked to have more...

I played a gig recently with Walkabout and Scout 12 & 15 and it was stellar-ish...

Many run two 4 ohms cabs at 2ohms: Most (as in almost everyone) have no trouble, I overheated my head (stupid heater register under amp) and blew a few resistors on the output. I now have two heads and I'm hoping to find a way to slave one.

I guarantee you two cabs at 2 ohms will keep up with your band, though not with tons of headroom. With two heads I'm hoping to fix that.

Also been thinking about LOMO's point, and thinking that if all the cabs I had were 8 ohm I could safely run 6 of them and that would be, well, killer.

[RickenBoogie]

One more voice to the mix. What Lomo said about the 8 ohm vs 4 ohm combo is dead on. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the 4 ohm 1x12 combo is useless for most situations. An 8 ohm combo paired with an 8 ohm matching ext cab would be divine. Or, like in my case, the head only, paired with a succulent 4 ohm 2x12 is also quite divine. Whatever else, the Walkabout head is an absolute tone monster, best hybrid design ever made, but it needs a pair of 12" spkrs, at least, to show you what it's capable of. In the 12" Scout package, it's nothing more than a really good sounding practice combo, imo.

[Crabby]

I was able to use my Scout 12 in a large jam situation and be heard easily but the amp was sitting on a hardwood floor and I think this helped. The 4 ohm cab choice is frustrating. I have wanted to order a matching extension cab for my Scout but am just not comfortable pushing the amp at 2 ohms. The cost of buying a matching cab in 8 ohms and a replacement 8 ohm driver is putting me off. I mostly use my Walkabout with a pair of Mesa 115 cabs and the amp really shines with these cabs.

[calypsocoral302]

If it's not big enough or loud enough to sonically-disembowel your first 2 rows of fans in the audience when you hit that low B, I'm not even remotely-interested!