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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

#2,641
You're absolutely right about that, Al. I repair high-end saxophones for a living and am a sole proprietor. If I don't do quality repairs every time, my reputation suffers and eventually, I won't be able to eat.
I frequently have to turn away repair work on cheap junk instruments simply because they're not worth repairing and they don't hold adjustment for any length of time.
The tech I used to use years ago stopped repairing musical instrument gear altogether because of the very thing you're talking about.
On the other hand, the tech that repaired my Walkabout did comment that the amp was "really really well-made, except for that stupid fuse holder." It has been reliable and flawless ever since and it's probably the one amp I will never sell.
 
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#2,643
the yeti said:
I think you're both right, for whatever that's worth. A local relationship has great value, just like the in house Mesa knowledge.
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I agree 100%. I also think Mesa makes some of the best bass amps on the market and my experience with their service seems to be an anomaly, based on all of the positive comments from others. Sometimes sh** happens and it sucks when it happens to you, that's all.
 
#2,644
adam montminy said:
I agree 100%. I also think Mesa makes some of the best bass amps on the market and my experience with their service seems to be an anomaly, based on all of the positive comments from others. Sometimes sh** happens and it sucks when it happens to you, that's all.
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It should be noted that Mesa Hollywood is a separate entity from the Mesa Petaluma factory. I've had pretty good luck with them, but I can also drive over there and speak to em in person so it's a different situation...
 
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#2,645
sunbeast said:
It should be noted that Mesa Hollywood is a separate entity from the Mesa Petaluma factory. I've had pretty good luck with them, but I can also drive over there and speak to em in person so it's a different situation...
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The Mesa Petaluma factory handled my issues, not the Hollywood store. I bought the original amp from the Hollywood store and they had me send it to the factory when I called them with the problem so everything I said applied to the factory.
 
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#2,646
adam montminy said:
The Mesa Petaluma factory handled my issues, not the Hollywood store. I bought the original amp from the Hollywood store and they had me send it to the factory when I called them with the problem so everything I said applied to the factory.
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Ah cool- thanks for the clarification! I just know I was a bit confused the first time I went to Mesa Hollywood and asked some warranty questions and they directed me to contact Petaluma. I've had nothing but good experiences with both Hollywood and Petaluma for warranty issues for what it's worth (Mesa Hollywood does do some warranty repairs and updates), so I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience (Your experience reminds me of a much faster version of a warranty job done on an SLM-era Ampeg for men years ago- Ampeg had me ampless for a full 6 months!).
 
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#2,647
staccatogrowl said:
Definitely sounds like a generally frustrating situation. However, I wonder, "Did your amp possibly leave the factory in tip-top condition, ready to roll, only to have something jostled in the shipping/trip back?" Otherwise, I find it difficult to imagine that they would intentionally or carelessly return your amp in a non-functioning state.
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Maybe I wasn't clear in my post. The amp they sent back to me was a brand new Walkabout that they upgraded me to after they couldn't diagnose the problem in the original one. They offered to send back the original unit un-repaired or upgrade me to a new one for $200 so that's what I did. And the new one was not DOA. It worked great until it shut down in the middle of my first two gigs. It turned out to be a problem with the fuse holder.
 
#2,649
adam montminy said:
Has anyone else been to the Mesa website lately? It appears the only bass amps listed now are the Subways and Prod/Strat!
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Makes sense. The M9 Carbines were initially plagued with major reliability issues (LOL, I went through 3 that all had issues, including a "bad fuse holder")...and now that the Subways seem to be selling like hotcakes, providing (IME/IMO) outstanding power, tone and value, my guess is Carbine sales dried up as abruptly as transparent government.
 
#2,650
Right, when the Subway came out I expected them to discontinue at least the Walkabout since that used to be their "lightweight" amp. I'm not sad to see the Carbine go. I tried an M6 one day and I thought it was the exact opposite of what I like in a bass tone. It's a little sad to see the WA go out of production but I'm happy to have one and definitely won't be selling it now, that's for sure.
 
#2,653
If it is now out of production, I could say that I understood this ending, but I figured this move could take a longer time as Agedhorse was discussing with us without confirming a deadline and, instead, pushing the discussion further. Anyway, I would be really surprised and in awe if Andy tells us that a new WA is still being considered. Sometimes, even if very rarely, I can be wrong and I am more than happy to admit it.

I'm tracking for a new album in these days and, guess what, the WA is producing the best DId tones of the world bar none, too good to be true. No need for compressors or other tricks, it just works and rules. Neck pickup with a healthy tube distortion and the classic, high profile P bass sound is there in my studio.
 
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#2,654
Al Kraft said:
Maybe a Mesa 212 super cab type design that allows the WA to give 110% might be the ultimate product idea here. Mesa would have an all purpose cab that may appeal to lots of different folks, but has a special value for WA owners.
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Just want to bring this back around again to @agedhorse 's attention. You can brand it however you want (Subway, etc), but I think this should be next on the cab design list and should have good compatibility for us legacy Walkabout owners, to boot. I would definitely pre-order one of these...
 
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#2,659
There are plenty of Walkabouts available, as well as a good number of M6/M9's. As demand evaporates for the larger, heavier platforms, ALL manufacturers are evaluating the suitability of these platforms in light of dwindling interest. There will always be a (very) vocal minority that laments the demise of avtechnogy, but generally these folks already are well equipped and those looking for new amps do not share the same views of the "good 'ol days". Therefore, manufacturers respond with the practical realities, and it becomes increasingly important to evolve n a meaningful, logical way.

I assure you all that I have been listening and learning from our discussions here. There are some exciting technologies (related to what we have learned from the Subway project) that I am working on, with some particularly interesting applications in the bass market.

I can't discuss them at this time, but we can revisit this more in the future. It's an exciting time to be a bass player for sure!
 
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#2,660
The only good novel is that the WAs should sell for less money as a discontinued product. By the way, I'm no way a nostalgic man remembering the good ol days. It's just that I love the WA tone. If Mesa manages to deliver that quality with lighter and cheaper to build amps, I will consider that! Until then....

Given the amount of thoughts about a new WA and all the fear about the death of the current one, spread trough pages and pages of this forum, I would have liked a word about this from Andy, as a sign of respect and good practice, instead of a casual revelation looking at the Mesa website. But, I know, it's just how I conceive things
 

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