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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

#2,481
Worldeeeter said:
To all the talk about the HandBox R-400 being a "Walkabout Killer":

My R-400 showed up today. After playing with it for a couple hours, and even doing some A/B comparisons with the Walkabout, I'm not ready to say this thing is a higher-output replacement for the Walkabout. Here's my impression:

-The R-400 has a TON more clean headroom than the Walkabout. It projects amazingly well; you can just slap on your bass with all you got, and it pops!

-No mid control; just bass and treble EQ knobs, and a contour knob that (unlike Mesa's attempts) actually does something. All the way left, it's completely flat, and all the way right, it's a big mid scoop that is more bass than treble boost. I like it at around 9:00, just above flat. I don't miss a mid-EQ adjustment at all.

-The gain doesn't give you any dirt/grind until the 1:00mark (the word "crunch" is printed at that marker). It's not as grindy as the Walkabout's distortion. The R-400 has 3 x 12AX7 tubes, and they generate a more flappy-sounding distortion. Definitely not as mean-sounding as the Walkabout. With the gain at 3:00 on both amps, this difference is obvious. Also, the R-400's distortion is more pronounced in the lower frequencies, and not so much on the G string. It's there, just more subtle.

-With the gain around 11:00, changing from fingerstyle to slap/pop/funk, the R-400 vaults itself way past the Walkabout. When the thumb and finger start working, it turns into a different amp without touching a knob. The punch this thing packs is insane. I had to do all kinds of screwing around with the EQ on the WA to get it in the same neighborhood as the R-400, and it still didn't sound nearly as good.

In conclusion, I think that funk, groove, pop, and related style players will pick the R-400 in a heartbeat. My first thought was: "This is how the Carbine amps should have sounded!". However, I'm a metal and punk player, and I'm not ready to sell my Walkabout just yet. It packs that mean, natural-sounding distortion that I've never been able to pull from any other amp.

I'm going to take both amps to band practice and see how they both sound in a different room. Plus, my band will provide feedback on both amps, and I'll make a decision on which I'm moving forward with. Even if I start gigging the R-400, I'l probably keep my Walkabout around, as it's the most unique-sounding high-gain amp I've ever owned.
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OK - BIG correction, now that I have fiddled with the amp a bit more:

Just to the right of the gain knob, there's a BRIGHT button and a DRIVE button. Upon depressing said DRIVE button, the R-400 turns into a hot rod of epic proportions. The distortion is grindy, creamy, and hard. This is my new favorite amp ever. That one button makes a huge difference. Couple that with the EQ controls that create a mid boost when the bass and treble are minimized, and a mid scoop when both are augmented, and the contour knob that allows even further shaping, and this is the simplest, yet most versatile amp I've ever encountered.
I believe I'm gonna list my Walkabout in the classifieds now. Someone is going to acquire a great rig, with my two 12" Scout cabs and the WA head. It has served me well.
 
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#2,483
markmck79 said:
They didn't. The 15"s are Eminence, as well. I have one of the last 15" extension cabs made (in fact, I was told by my dealer it was "THE last") and it has the 15" Eminence Neo in it.

I know that Mesa went to alnico on the Powerhouse series at one point for cost reasons, but I was also told by Mesa that they couldn't do the same on the Scout cabinets because of tuning and that they were unable to find a satisfactory substitute. I am really surprised that anyone has a Scout cab, 12" or 15", that would come from the factory with an ceramic driver after hearing that statement.

On Mesa's online store they only show neo Scout replacement speakers, and in fact, all the ceramic bass speakers they show are more expensive than the neo options.
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So they told you pretty much the opposite of what they told me? Go figure. The tech I talked to was discussing specifically the Scout cabs, and I even made the comment that the weight savings was part of the attraction of the scout cabs for me. At the time I was contemplating getting another 12" driver thinking one of mine may have a problem, turned out not to be the case.
 
#2,484
I'll throw out there too, at one time, I had a installed a pair of the PH12 ceramic speakers in my two Scout cabs. Did not like it at all... sold them, and promptly went back to the stock Eminence Neos. Didn't realize at the time they weren't suited for that cab tuning, particularly with the passive radiator-equipped Scout cabs. :bag:
 
#2,485
slofut said:
So they told you pretty much the opposite of what they told me? Go figure. The tech I talked to was discussing specifically the Scout cabs, and I even made the comment that the weight savings was part of the attraction of the scout cabs for me. At the time I was contemplating getting another 12" driver thinking one of mine may have a problem, turned out not to be the case.
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I doubt we will know the accurate story, unless @agedhorse chimes in on this topic. I will say that the combo and extension cab I bought new both had the neos and I've never seen or heard of another Scout cab that had anything other than a neo as OEM (until you). Was your cab purchased new or is there a chance a previous owner switched out the driver?
 
#2,486
markmck79 said:
I doubt we will know the accurate story, unless @agedhorse chimes in on this topic. I will say that the combo and extension cab I bought new both had the neos and I've never seen or heard of another Scout cab that had anything other than a neo as OEM (until you). Was your cab purchased new or is there a chance a previous owner switched out the driver?
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I don't know, I think they were Neo but will ask around. I don't know much about the history of the older speaker products.
 
#2,487
markmck79 said:
I doubt we will know the accurate story, unless @agedhorse chimes in on this topic. I will say that the combo and extension cab I bought new both had the neos and I've never seen or heard of another Scout cab that had anything other than a neo as OEM (until you). Was your cab purchased new or is there a chance a previous owner switched out the driver?
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Both my 12's are neo, bought the 15 from an individual but it was new in the factory cartons, plastic and tags still on, hadn't been unboxed $400 if I remember correctly! One thing for sure, that big magnet makes a big difference in portability!

This does make me wonder though, anyone else with an alnico driver in a scout cab?
 
#2,488
I am quite sure my Scouts have all had neos in 'em. I am certain that Mesa ads for the combo from years back used to specify neo....someone with more free time than me can prolly verify that. It's funny that someone posted above that he believed the secret to the Scout tone has something to do with the ceramic magnet in the driver.....when there's quite prolly no such magnet in his driver. Humans......we wanna believe what we wanna believe...........I have this fantasy....that basic critical thinking and the history of Homo Sapiens be taught in all high schools......I'll keep dreaming.....
 
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#2,489
A little off-topic from Scout cabs but I just thought I would post a picture of a little combo I tried this week. If you like punchy and grindy, this is pretty awesome.
IMG_0854.JPG
 
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#2,490
agedhorse & Al Kraft, Re: the 2x12, high efficiency 'Eagle Scout,' just saw one of these advertised used - an M-Pulse Venture 600 212. Didn't realize Mesa had done something like this previously. My cab would be voiced like and have the esthetics of the Scout, weigh a LOT less than the Venture with the speakers stacked directly on top of each other in a narrower format. It could be a 2x12 stand alone cab or combo. Could work with either the WA or Subway.
 
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#2,493
bumble yeti said:
agedhorse & Al Kraft, Re: the 2x12, high efficiency 'Eagle Scout,' just saw one of these advertised used - an M-Pulse Venture 600 212. Didn't realize Mesa had done something like this previously. My cab would be voiced like and have the esthetics of the Scout, weigh a LOT less than the Venture with the speakers stacked directly on top of each other in a narrower format. It could be a 2x12 stand alone cab or combo. Could work with either the WA or Subway.
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IIRC they did a Carbine M6 and 212 combo that was quite impressive as well. If I were to pick a favorite Mesa PH cab it would be the 212, so IME Mesa has a track record as a long ball hitter when it comes to 212 cabs that rock. Now we just need to see their lighter weight, high performance entry blow us away as well!
 
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#2,494
adam montminy said:
A little off-topic from Scout cabs but I just thought I would post a picture of a little combo I tried this week. If you like punchy and grindy, this is pretty awesome. View attachment 1077262
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My exact main bass (except colour) and head...I'm planning of buying the svt210av x 2 as well...how does it work for you? Do you need the bottom cab for tone goals? I'm a little worried about the svt being bass shy, but I'm thinking of buying it in order to benefit from its well known natural hpf effect, so I really don't know. Sometimes the barefaced bb2 is too bass heavy for me and for the WA
 
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#2,495
Al Kraft said:
IIRC they did a Carbine M6 and 212 combo that was quite impressive as well. If I were to pick a favorite Mesa PH cab it would be the 212, so IME Mesa has a track record as along ball hitter when it comes to 212 cabs that rock. Now we just need to see their lighter weight, high performance entry blow us away as well!
Click to expand...

Yup. I had one of those. At a svelte 122 lbs., it had wheels, rub rails, and a handle on the back. It was a monstrous combo amp, and SOOOO loud. I love Mesa 12" speakers, but their cabs are insanely heavy.
I bought my Walkabout rig (that I'm currently selling) while I still had that Carbine 212 combo, and I let my band A/B it with me. They all voted for the Walkabout hands-down vs. the Carbine. I ended up selling that combo to a dude who had a teenage son that was learning bass, and he was giving him the amp for Xmas. Somewhere in Charlotte, a teenage kid has an amp that can break windows.
 
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#2,499
sratas said:
My exact main bass (except colour) and head...I'm planning of buying the svt210av x 2 as well...how does it work for you? Do you need the bottom cab for tone goals? I'm a little worried about the svt being bass shy, but I'm thinking of buying it in order to benefit from its well known natural hpf effect, so I really don't know. Sometimes the barefaced bb2 is too bass heavy for me and for the WA
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I never intended on using these two cabs together. I just happen to own them both and decided to see what they sound like together and it's quite a good match. The Hathor actually can sound a lot like the SVT with the mid switch up and treble switch down and all of the ports plugged.
About the SVT210, honestly this cab is sort of a love/hate thing with me. Sometimes I love the fact that it doesn't have much low bass and doesn't make everything in the room rattle like my big ported cabs, but sometimes I really miss the big bottom. I think it definitely works in some rooms with some bands as long as you're in the PA for the house. I used it with my Prodigy (that I sold) for a little jazz club gig and the first thing the soundman said was "Can you give it some low bass?" Granted, I only own one of them and have toyed with the idea of buying another and I know it would be much louder and more full but you're still never going to get low lows out of a pair. It's just not there. But then again, if you don't like low lows, it's probably perfect because the overall tone is pretty great. It's very present and full sounding, albeit without the low lows.
 
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#2,500
I should add that my favorite feature of the Hathor is the pluggable ports. It's a really fantastic idea and it works great in practical use. Boomy room or home rehearsal- plug them all. Outside or dry room - open them up. On paper, the specs Duke gives for the low end don't really seem like much of a change but it's really quite a big difference in the feel of the low end in the room.
And for the SVT210, I think if it had just a touch more low end it might be the perfect small cab for me. But it's definitely bordering on "not enough bass" for my tonal goals.
 
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