Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[Al Kraft]

yeah, I think the WA+Berg connection is a pretty well proven good thing. CN212, HDN212, NV610, NV412 .. all have great reviews with the WA. I'm sure there are others too.
I always "liked" the WA + Scout cab combination. I used several variations; 1x12, 2 x 1x12, 1x12 + 1x15, but it was the CN212 that really made it happen for me (at the time).

I think you won't be disappointed

There was an especially nice blending of the CN212's solid, tight, but not overly present low end and the WA's low end fullness that sort of brought the cab to life while taming the heavy bloom you can sometimes get with the WA.

 

[tombowlus]

Has anyone tried the new HG310 with their Walkabout?

Not yet!

 

[pfschim]

Has anyone tried the new HG310 with their Walkabout?

I am real interested in the idea of a sealed 3x10 like the HG310 with any of my amps .. including the Walkabout.
... but I am trying to keep my amp/cab GAS under control. Been focusing on P basses lately and I can really only handle one GAS attack at a time.

 

[kringle77]

I am becoming obsessed with the sound of this amp run into the nv610. I stumbled into a setting that is nothing like I would normally try. First, I am running my brought on bp to cut lows below 80hz. Bass 11:00, mid 11:00, treble 1:00, gain 10:00, master wherever I need it but, I can get useful sounds from zero to max. My basses are very hot and I use a compressor. The low cut from the brought on really makes the od sound amazing and gives me a lot more headroom. The lower the passive mid, the less juiced the sound is as well, giving gain and master more useable range without actually sounding scooped. I can't wait to get the titan and know that all those extra watts will add another dimension to the low end but, this walkabout is amazing. I am very jaded by gear at this point but, this amp impresses me.

 

[kringle77]

Agedhorse, if mesa ends up doing an updated wa, I highly recommend a buffered adjustable high pass filter immediately after the input jack, before the tubes. Its shapes the sound as much as eq. The overdrive with it sounds so much like a 70's svt, maybe even better.

 

[markmck79]

Agedhorse, if mesa ends up doing an updated wa, I highly recommend a buffered adjustable high pass filter immediately after the input jack, before the tubes. Its shapes the sound as much as eq. The overdrive with it sounds so much like a 70's svt, maybe even better.

Agreed. A HPF in the chain (I use a micro thumpinator) really improves tone and headroom.

 

[agedhorse]

Agedhorse, if mesa ends up doing an updated wa, I highly recommend a buffered adjustable high pass filter immediately after the input jack, before the tubes. Its shapes the sound as much as eq. The overdrive with it sounds so much like a 70's svt, maybe even better.

Even if it affects the tone?

 

[markmck79]

Even if it affects the tone?

Clearly not if a negative impact, but I've only seen positives in my implementation.

 

[Al Kraft]

Clearly not if a negative impact, but I've only seen positives in my implementation.

I'm not sure, but I suspect that within the WA design there are some atypical things going on that give that amp its unique voice. I'm also guessing that layering in or adding on additional circuitry anywhere in its signal path may disrupt the very dynamics that make it unique. Sometimes you hit the jackpot with a certain formula/set of interactions and you can't change much before you start losing the magic.

 

[kringle77]

I'm suggesting it "because" you can effect the tone. There isn't any negative impact. You want a tighter, punch her tone, grittier od, crank up the hp. You want it stock, leave it all the way down. The broughton I'm using is a second order, as is the one on the d800+ I'm guessing.

 

[agedhorse]

I'm suggesting it "because" you can effect the tone. There isn't any negative impact. You want a tighter, punch her tone, grittier od, crank up the hp. You want it stock, leave it all the way down. The broughton I'm using is a second order, as is the one on the d800+ I'm guessing.

But you might be guessing wrong, as it's a compound 4 pole filter.

So I'm hearing that it's perfect the way it is, needs more power, needs more headroom, don't change anything, tighten up the looseness on the low end, clean up the wooly edge, don't change the tone, but add some additional tone changing elements.

I don't see how I can make everybody happy here. Anything done to satisfy one set of needs affects the others.

 

[kringle77]

Like I said, it was an assumption since I owned the 800 not, the 800+. Good luck guys, I hope that something great comes from this conversation.

 

[agedhorse]

Like I said, it was an assumption since I owned the 800 not, the 800+. Good luck guys, I hope that something great comes from this conversation.

The 800 has the same filter topology, just not with the variable compound part.

Yeah, it has helped me understand what I might be up against trying to recreate a newer version of the same amp... perhaps there are better approaches that appeal to some of the needs/wants/desires of a wider range of players who might prefer moving forward from the constraints of a purely legacy amp. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[Al Kraft]

The 800 has the same filter topology, just not with the variable compound part.

Yeah, it has helped me understand what I might be up against trying to recreate a newer version of the same amp... perhaps there are better approaches that appeal to some of the needs/wants/desires of a wider range of players who might prefer moving forward from the constraints of a purely legacy amp. Maybe, maybe not.

As an engineer in unrelated areas I often find that trying to enhance an already great, but older tech/legacy technology platform is less satisfying and more expensive in the end than just designing from scratch. The design trade space constraints you impose on yourself by starting with a legacy product baseline is sometimes more than all the creativity and innovation you can muster will be able to overcome.

 

[staccatogrowl]

I don't see how I can make everybody happy here. Anything done to satisfy one set of needs affects the others.

As in, "No good deed goes unpunished?" If I were to go for a new amp it would likely be the D-800+. I really like the added "+" feature set and would use several elements of that, but not all. Overall, that amp offers great technology at an affordable price point, with a US based company and service network. Hard to beat that combination. Otherwise, I would consider the walkabout a classic amp, like a B-15, and just enjoy it for what it is.

If I had a pile of money and needed more, then I would put my money where my mouth is and commission a custom amp. I am guessing that the initial outlay would be $2,500 to $3,000, with ensuing iterations being $500 to $1,000 more, depending on refinements. Then, it might take three to four iterations to hopefully reach the sweet spot. Someone here with specific demands for their amp should just commission a custom amp, just for them, exactly how they want it. Otherwise, it's "I know what I want and I'll tell you once I've heard it." So just go get that. .

 

[adam montminy]

But you might be guessing wrong, as it's a compound 4 pole filter.

So I'm hearing that it's perfect the way it is, needs more power, needs more headroom, don't change anything, tighten up the looseness on the low end, clean up the wooly edge, don't change the tone, but add some additional tone changing elements.

I don't see how I can make everybody happy here. Anything done to satisfy one set of needs affects the others.

There's absolutely no way to get 100% of musicians to agree on anything but I think there are some generalizations that can be made about what most people would like, for those people that want an updated WA. For everyone that loves it the way it is, they can keep on playing it. I think the "update" people are generally looking for a little more clean headroom as the #1 priority, then I think some of the "add-ons" that have been mentioned would be secondary, like HPF, mute button, speakons.
Again, there's no way to make everyone happy but I would trust you to just take those general suggestions and run with them and see what you come up with, with the help of some of your play-testers. If it ends up sounding like a completely different amp, then we will know for sure that it's not possible to make the "more powerful Walkabout" that everyone has been asking for for so long.

 

[bumble yeti]

Yeah, it has helped me understand what I might be up against trying to recreate a newer version of the same amp... perhaps there are better approaches that appeal to some of the needs/wants/desires of a wider range of players who might prefer moving forward from the constraints of a purely legacy amp. Maybe, maybe not.

WOW! I haven't seen this much activity in awhile. Oh yeah!
Good luck with that, kind sir. I'll be keeping mine as is, thank you. And so should YOU, my fellow TBers.
And, agedhorse, if you guys do design something better, this mega-thread will end. Who wants that?
BTW, no one's said how wonderful the DI is in awhile. "Wonderful." There I said it. And I meant it. What an amp!

 

[svtb15]

ya know,,,my main concern is that if you a start adding stuff. its not going to be like a WA anymore...
The New Mesa 800+ already has an adjustable HPF.. and its a good amp ..
So people want a walk about, or another completely different model..

Splitting hairs can be fine. Thats the TB way.... .But sometimes we should just play our basses..

Im not trying to be an butt holio at all..
But im watching the list that people are creating and IMO it totally deviates from the WA with such a myriad of additions it may not be able to do anyone of them well..

 

[sratas]

while I do agree with svtb15 to a certain degree, I'm quite worried about the WA being discontinued one day...this was the matter we discussed with agedhorse and the actual reason standing behind the requests of the community. I think this should not happen, because this amp is truly great, and Mesa would be lacking a niche tone is his lineup of amps. The strategy/prodigy and the carbines do not sound even remotely close to the WA. not better or worse, but very different. If mesa wants to drop the WA because of industrial and commercial reasons, they should build a new amp, even totally different from the WA, but aiming at a totally vintage gritty warm all tube tone. They could call it they way they want, it can be bigger, full featured etc but it HAS to have the tube complexity and grit, vintage oriented tones.

talking about the DI...it is definitely the best I have ever used and somewhat makes me smile when I see people spending big dollars on outboard devices...

 

[markmck79]

while I do agree with svtb15 to a certain degree, I'm quite worried about the WA being discontinued one day...this was the matter we discussed with agedhorse and the actual reason standing behind the requests of the community. I think this should not happen, because this amp is truly great, and Mesa would be lacking a niche tone is his lineup of amps. The strategy/prodigy and the carbines do not sound even remotely close to the WA. not better or worse, but very different. If mesa wants to drop the WA because of industrial and commercial reasons, they should build a new amp, even totally different from the WA, but aiming at a totally vintage gritty warm all tube tone. They could call it they way they want, it can be bigger, full featured etc but it HAS to have the tube complexity and grit, vintage oriented tones.

talking about the DI...it is definitely the best I have ever used and somewhat makes me smile when I see people spending big dollars on outboard devices...

I agree with sratas and svtb15. I've been lucky enough with the gigs I currently play I really don't need the additional headroom, but I understand those that do. I was also concerned about Mesa eventually abandoning the WA, so after trying a D-800, D-800+ and even a Prodigy, I just decided to buy a second silver face WA to keep as my backup. While clearly the other Mesa amps have more versatility, they are just missing the WA magic that is just the sound I have in my head.

I do appreciate agedhorse's participation here and I think Mesa could have picked no one better to do what he has done the last few years, I do think he might be attempting the impossible here and clearly no matter what happens not everyone will be happy.

I have to say I love my Mesa WA & cabs (& guitar amp & cab, too) and I do think Mesa is one of the few companies still dedicated to developing and addressing the needs of bass players (a lot to do with Andy). I'll be clearly watching from the sidelines what Andy can develop, but I don't think anything is going to pry my two WAs out my hands.