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Anyone using Mesa Walkabout into an Accugroove Tri-115

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by pfschim, Jun 30, 2008.

  1. Jun 30, 2008 #1
    pfschim

    pfschim Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass

    Apr 26, 2006
    SF Bay Area
    I have been using my Walkabout 12 + Scout 15 combination for a while now and love the tone. Before I went with the all MB rig, I had been very interested in the Accugroove cabs, but only had the chance to try a Tri-112. I liked it, but did not listen too hard as it was not on the top of my list at the time. Also, I am more of a 15" player (please no flames from the technology./engineering guys).

    I have read some posts and reviews here about the Accugroove cabs and this has reignited my interest. My object would be a smallish/lightish rig (they are like 38lbs .. right ?) with my Walkabout head that delivered a punchy, solid low end in a faily transportable package.

    So, I have the Walkabout and I am interested in how a Walkabout sounds driving a Tri-115. Does anyone here have any experience with using a Walkabout and an Accugroove Tri-115 ?
     
  2. Jun 30, 2008 #2
    CliffD

    CliffD Supporting Member

    Jan 27, 2008
    No but that sounds sweet! I'm looking at getting two Tri 115L's to pair with either my walkabout or a markbass TA503!
     
  3. Jun 30, 2008 #3
    RickenBoogie

    RickenBoogie

    Jul 22, 2007
    Dallas, TX
    Haven't tried that pairing, but it could only be good, me thinks. Great amp + great cab usually means great sound.
     
  4. Jul 1, 2008 #4
    Rhythm5

    Rhythm5

    Dec 29, 2006
    Palmdale, California
    I just picked up a Tri115 a week or so ago to go with my WA, but have been so busy at work, I really haven't had a chance to try it out :bawl:

    I'll can tell you this much...the Walkabout with the Tri115 sitting under a Berg AE410 is just devastating!

    I'll try and post a review of just the WA with the Tri115 in a couple of days when I het a moment to myself.
     
  5. Jul 1, 2008 #5
    rockstarbassist

    rockstarbassist Inactive

    Apr 30, 2002
    The Woodlands, TX
    Endorsing Artist: HCAF
    I at one point used an M-Pulse 600 --> Tri112L + Gordo 118.

    It needed a bit more juice, b/c of the 118, but the 600 into a Whappo "Sr" is just sick.

    That's a can't-miss rig.
     
  6. Jul 1, 2008 #6
    pfschim

    pfschim Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass

    Apr 26, 2006
    SF Bay Area
    hey Rhythm5, a review from you on the WA + Tri115 would be great. Reading your posts from the past, it seems like our general rig and tone goals are similar.
     
  7. Jul 1, 2008 #7
    pfschim

    pfschim Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass

    Apr 26, 2006
    SF Bay Area
    well dude, that's close but not what I'm aiming for. Looking for a smaller (smallish - lightish) rig that still has solid booty and punch.

    Truthfully, I'm not totally clear on what I'm chasing here as I am really very happy with the WA 12, by itself and in combination with either the Scout 15 or PH12 that I have. I guess Accugroove cabs, with their dedicated mid drivers, always intrigued me as I really don't like tweets, but do want nice clean mids and upper mids. OTOH, I do not consider my tone goals to include "hi-fi" .. so maybe its just a fools errand.

    but I can be a fool and I do have the $$, so lets rock! :bassist:
     
  8. Jul 1, 2008 #8
    rockstarbassist

    rockstarbassist Inactive

    Apr 30, 2002
    The Woodlands, TX
    Endorsing Artist: HCAF
    I only say that to mean that IME, Mesa+Accugroove has been sweet beyond sweet, so the WA+Tri115 should sound stellar!
     
  9. Jul 2, 2008 #9
    njjazzman2002

    njjazzman2002 Supporting Member

    Jun 16, 2007
    New Jersey
    I prefer 15" speakers, too. Previous gear included a SWR Basic Black and Mesa Buster 200 1X15 combo...loved them both...it's the tone! After mucho A/B'ing, my current 'smallish-lightish' rig is the Mesa Walkabout + Accugroove Tri115L...all that tone w/o the extra weight. It's a quality rig with the solid booty and punch you can only get from a 15. Highly recommended.
     
  10. Jul 2, 2008 #10
    pfschim

    pfschim Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass

    Apr 26, 2006
    SF Bay Area
    Thanks for the reply nj, can you compare the WA Tri115 to the WA 12 combo ? Any further insight into the sound of your rig, tone goals, type of music it's used for, size of venues ??

    I am doing mostly jazz/blues/funk/world music/originals in either a trio or a quartet format. Medium volume, lots o'dynamics, rare to get bass in FOH. Using 4 basses: Lakland 44-02 dlx fretless, Turner Ren 4 fretless, Lull MV4 Jazz, Fender Am. Active Jazz dlx. All active (other than the Turner piezo arrangement).

    Looking for an "old school" sort of tone, with solid lows/low-mids, but mid punchy, but not very hot on the top end. Warm tube saturation but no "grind" (hence the WA, which is great for that sound IMO). Mostly a finger style player but I do slap for emphasis, not constantly. Slap tone goals are way more Rainey influenced than Wooten/Miller.

    Ultimately I know that if I want to really understand if the Accugroove Tri115 might work for me I'm going to have to sit down with my WA and try it out. But, these cabs are not standard fare in most if not all shops. Even here, very close to where they are built (Santa Clara ??), I have only seen one Tri112 at a great shop called Gelb Music.

    Also, I really dig the Mesa Walkabout, so I'm honestly not sure why I'm GASing like this .. heh, its human nature .. and TB does not help at all !

    anyway, any more info you can provide will be welcome.
     
  11. Jul 4, 2008 #11
    njjazzman2002

    njjazzman2002 Supporting Member

    Jun 16, 2007
    New Jersey
    Sounds like our goals are similar.... I seek an old school tone via fingerstyle playing of blues/jazz/funk/latin/rock. Group and venue sizes are similar. One apparent difference is that you play active basses; my basses are passive (vintage P-bass, Lull V4 Jazz).

    Walkabout Scout 12 with its passive radiator is a great sounding combo....it's popularity on TB is a testament. I know from reading some of your previous posts how knowledgeable you are about this combo in both the 12 and 15versions. IME, if you like that tone, you'll like the WA + Tri115L, too...maybe even better.

    IMO, the WA + Tri115L is a major step up from the WA Scout combo in many ways...much tighter sounding than the Scout 15 and deeper sounding than the Scout 12... the 6" mid adds alot, too. It's a challenge to make an apples-to-apples comparison: Scout was designed w/ 'limitations' (e.g. dimensions) of being a combo cab; Tri 115L is a 3-way design; price points for cabs-only are a few hundred dollars different.

    Is the change worth the extra $$? My ears said Accugroove. The best advice is to listen before you buy b/c your ears could say something different.

    One last point: IMO, for a trio or quartet, the WA can drive the Tri115L to a pleasing level of loudness without the speakers breaking up. Loudness was a concern I had with the WA + Tri115L since at 8 ohm it's only drawing 165w of the amp.
     
  12. Jul 4, 2008 #12
    pfschim

    pfschim Just a Skeleton with a Jazz bass

    Apr 26, 2006
    SF Bay Area
    hey thanks for the detailed follow-up. Much appreciated. Your dead on with the "need to go out and try it" comment, but the hands-on reflection is very good.

    Side note - Mark from Accugroove may have seen my post here and emailed me. So, maybe we'll see where I might be able to try out a Tri115 to see how it works with the WA and meets (or not) my tone goals. I'll look him up next week and see whats up.

    Thanks again .. Happy 4th
     
  13. Jul 4, 2008 #13
    Rhythm5

    Rhythm5

    Dec 29, 2006
    Palmdale, California
    Ok guys, I started writing the Walkabout/Tri115 review and it got a little long winded, as I tend to ramble, so I started a new post on the Tri115. I included some thoughts on the Walkabout as well.
    http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=448936


    In a nutshell, the pair sounds great when I am doing pickstyle rock. The 15 really makes up for the lows you lose by using a pick. On the other hand, I found the combo a little lacking in punch and focus when playing fingerstyle. As the Tri115 is a 8ohm cabinet, you are getting less than 200watts out of the Walkabout, and I think that has a lot to do with the lack of punch with the Tri 115. As an experiment I ran the Walkabout's pre through my Stewart 2.1 power amp, and it was a whole other story. This was quite simply an amazing tone. The Tri115 also sounds great with the Shuttle 6.0, and until now, I haven't been a big fan of the Shuttle. I really think the Tri115 sounds best with an amp with a little more clarity and power than the Walkabout provides. This isn't really an old school Motown sounding 15 cab, it sounds much more modern. Of course this is just one man's opinion. Your milage may vary.