Boogie Walkabout

You should find a ton of posts on the Walkabout (many of them by me) if you do a search on this forum.

I really like mine and would recommend that you snag it, if you can get it at a good price.

Tom.

 

They've had mixed reviews on this forum, but so has just about everything. I've had mine for over a year and find it the best head I've ever used... lots of power, killer tone, light and easy to transport, etc., etc., etc.

So what's not to like? Some users have had reliability issues and some people think Mesa/bass amplification is like a square peg in a round hole.

FWIW, try it for yourself. If you like it, buy it. And that's alls I'm sayin'.

 

Tried the Walk-about w/1x10, 1x12 and 2x10 (or was the last one a 2x12?)... was not very impressed. Very thin, no tone... Mesa IS good at somethings (600 & Rectifiers)... I did spend a bunch of time with it and really wanted to consider it cause I needed a small rig... Was totally heart broken.

Great Concept... Being from Boston (22 years) and having lived in NYC for a brief period, I totally understand the need, great niche... needs to be improved on.

For close to the same cash (maybe less), pick up an Aguilar GS112, SWR workingmans head and a luggage dolly...


That's My Opinion

 

While I don't doubt your experience, I must say that I am very surprised. I find my walkabout to be the exact opposite. Warm, rich, well balanced, tone with tons of midrange character. Now, with all of the EQ options, I could see where it might be possible to get a thin tone out of it, but from my experience, you would have to try to do that. Set straight up it is very full. Perhaps the unit you tried was not working properly, or had a bad tube.

On the flip side, I have found the few SWR heads that I have tried (only the 350 and 400 come to mind) to be somewhat thin and scooped by comparison.

Just goes to show you that yes, your mileage may vary, and yes, we all perceive the world (and bass gear) differently!

Tom.

 

I agree with your last line fully...

The EQ issue, I messed around with for a while... the bass that I played throught it was my Warrior 5... and then when I got a little frustrated, G&L jazz (close to the jazz that I had at home) was at the store... Still I couldn't dial it in, but then again, It really could be me...

Tom, I have to say, you have a bunch of experience in the amp/speaker dept... So any input would be great. My SWR Bass 350 is ok, just ok... I agree it doesn't do everything, but set-flat with a little bass and even more low mids really is good for my basses most of the time...

I really did want the Walkabout to work for me... the size was really cool.

 

As luck would have it, I played through a Walkabout in a club last night.

It was driving a Bag End 15" and a Yorkville 15". I was playing URB which is a lot fussier with amps than EBG but it was very fat (I had to turn DOWN the bass EQ) and plenty punchy, no problem being heard in the band mix. On one tune I did some rockabilly slapping and it was very snappy sounding. The three other bassists (using a J, P and another URB) who used it all got great tones.

Overall I was impressed.

 

been in and out of bass for 35 years or so.

love my walkabout, have aggie gs 112 playing fender jazz 4, 5, 4 fretless and warwick 5. can't say enough good stuff about the mesa or the aggie,

got rid of swr gear for it, couldn't get the phat i wanted and now i can get the phat and all the hi-fi i want out of the mesa

ymmv

bill

 

My GS 112 came in yesterday!!!

I love it!!! I'm going to get another one (after this weekend's gigs)... and run both or just one for gigs... May be I need to check out the W'about with the new Aggie.

SWR, well (I hear ya and might do the same)...What I really want is a Walter Woods! Just the $ and time is impossible to deal with.


I will try out another W'About at another store and give it another chance... Do they make them with more watts than 250? I would like to have about 5-600 watts

 

might as well go for the M-pulse if your looking for 600 watts.

 

Same pre-amp stage?

 

j-raj

Yup. The Walkabout actually is an M-Pulse line amp, just the smallest. It is rated at 300w into 4 ohm, but I believe that to be conservative. To my ears, it sounded much louder than the 330w (into 4 ohm) Eden Time Traveler I compared it with. The M-Pulse 360/600 give you more bands of EQ (which I personally probably wouldn't need), a very nice compressor, and a tuner output (which they really should have added to the Walkabout). I would think that one of the M-Pulse line of amps would sound phenomenal with your Aggie(s).

I have tried the Bass 350 and I agree, it's better than some, but still not really "there." If the Boogies don't float your boat, I'd try out Eden or an iAMP. Of course, Walter Woods would be most excellent, but yes, they are expensive.

Tom.

 

Tombowlus et al.,

I must apologise....

I have just recovered for a big case of 'Head-up-my-assitis'!!!

Afterwork I went to Atlanta Discount Music to pick up a cab that I had on consignment (change of heart- not selling it, not related to this thread).

... and they had A Walk-About, M-Pulse 360 & 600... I got to try the 2x10 M-Pulse combo briefly (I got there close to 7pm)... and I looked over and remembered.... I was mixing up the 'Porta-Bass' (Ampeg) with the Walkabout !!!

So I was totally talking about The Porta-Bass when I was commenting on the thin tone and unhappiness with the 'Walk-about'... Opps !!

The M-Pulse that was in the Combo, I think it was the same head as the 360, sounded great! I'm going to go back there with the Aggie and my Triad (and my own bass this time) and try out the M-Pulse 600.

Sorry for the mix up.

 

Yea, the Porta does suck.

you'd think a company with an SVT, tube grindy happy history as Ampeg, they'd at least figure a way to stick a tube preamp in that thing, but Euphonic "we can make transitors sound soooo sexy" Audio, they are not.

but the Walkbabout is pretty happenin'. great clean & mean, tube tone that really can go toe to toe with Eden's mini heads. but i gotta say, its a crap shoot. i've seen some well built ones, and a few shoddy ones. i've heard some great ones, and a few crappy ones. prolly has ALOT to do with the awful, chinese made, Mesa "chosen" tubes, but oh well...