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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

I’ve had a Scout 12 with both 4 ohm and 8ohm speakers and a 4 ohm Scout 15 (which I still have) and find the Scout 15 to put out MUCH more clean volume than the Scout 12. Oddly I don’t actually find the Scout 15 to be significantly “tubbier” sounding on the bottom either. It has a cleaner low-end that actually sounds less congested and less farty at loud volumes IMO. The Scout 12 at 8 ohms actually sounded better to me than the 4 ohm and had pretty much equal max output as well...
I've owned and gigged both the WA/Scout 12 and 15 cabs, and I agree that the 15 just fit the amp better. Handled more of the WA's 300w before distorting/farting, delivered more SPL .. etc etc ...
The reason I only have a WA 12 left in my gear collection is the portability factor, and I only use it for very small/quiet gigs or rehearsals.
When I was using the WA cabs exclusively, my favorite combo was the WA12 on top of a Scout 15. Very nice combination even though it was a 2 cab situation.
It's interesting to me that Mesa somewhat promotes the 12+15 combination with its newer Subway cabs too.
 
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Agreed. I always felt the 12 , the 8 ohm, could only handle about 2/3rds of the power the WA put out. ...so about 130w . Mine would get farty then at least.
I loved MY WA amp thru Berg NV215. ..BEAUTIFUL and I tried it into my Fender Bassman Pro Neo 115s a cuppla times. .... great too

I know it has been said at least a few times in the WA threads that a good HPF (Broughton, fDeck - I use the microThumpinator) goes a long way to increasing the usable output of the WA and cleaning up any muddiness. At this point I really can't imagine gigging without one.
 
I know it has been said at least a few times in the WA threads that a good HPF (Broughton, fDeck - I use the microThumpinator) goes a long way to increasing the usable output of the WA and cleaning up any muddiness. At this point I really can't imagine gigging without one.
Yeah the fDeck 3 def pairs well with the WA especially at high volumes
 
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Would using the EQ section to dial back 30 or 40 Hertz be basically the same thing as using an HPF?
It does work similarly in a pinch. I used to do that with my WA before I got the fDeck, especially when I had it in the Scout 12 combo that really benefitted from a tighter low-end input. The difference is that the fDeck and others are shelving filters with very steep cut-off curves (so you're affecting surrounding frequencies above the cutoff as little as possible), whereas a general amp EQ will have a much wider curve and shallower cutoff
 
Would using the EQ section to dial back 30 or 40 Hertz be basically the same thing as using an HPF?

I always do this when playing it with a drummer-maybe not as "perfect" as a high quality HPF........ but sometimes perfect is the enemy of good....then I bump up the mids at around 250, dip the "gank" zone at around 1500 and smile......
 
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Soooooo......what's that toggle switch for in the upper middle?
 
This looks like an after market mod ...... maybe an effects loop bypass.

Changes MUST be labeled or it's a hack job. Looks like somebody may have hacked in an effects loop bypass mod, but the switch should be centered over the jack AND LABELED.
 
It has the silver face panel. SN# WK 002267. I wonder how many versions of the head Mesa released? I wonder if this was a first gen before the FX bypass was officially added? Maybe it was only a factory option back then. If it's a user mod, got to be the cleanest install I've ever seen. Looks factory on the inside
 
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It has the silver face panel. I wonder how many versions of the head Mesa released? I wonder if this was a first gen before the FX bypass was officially added? Maybe it was only a factory option back then.
I have a silver face model in my WA Scout 112 and just checked the back. It was bought new in the box and registered with Mesa. Mine was a later version with the factory effects loop by-pass switch and that switch and associated labeling looks like the ones shown in the other pictures. However, the rest of your labeling on everything else is identical to mine. My best guess is that you have an earlier silver face version and someone did the effects loops by-pass themself.
 
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It has the silver face panel. SN# WK 002267. I wonder how many versions of the head Mesa released? I wonder if this was a first gen before the FX bypass was officially added? Maybe it was only a factory option back then. If it's a user mod, got to be the cleanest install I've ever seen. Looks factory on the inside
That's my guess. The earliest versions had two inputs (vs an Active/Passive switch) and no FX bypass
 
It has the silver face panel. SN# WK 002267. I wonder how many versions of the head Mesa released? I wonder if this was a first gen before the FX bypass was officially added? Maybe it was only a factory option back then. If it's a user mod, got to be the cleanest install I've ever seen. Looks factory on the inside


Yes, yours is simply an older one before Mesa started installing a bypass switch. Lots of discussions way back on WA's cutting out and people installing a short cable in the fx in/out to keep them going. Eventually people were installing bypass switches, and finally eventually Mesa caught on and started installing them at the factory, as well as an update on older ones.
None of the silver/red faced ones I had had switches, and I've only seen a few silver/black faced ones with factory switches. Pretty safe to say all the black face ones have factory switches.
 
Oh crap
Oh crap

Playing at church - not loud, and using the Walkabout as a DI (no speaker attached)
Suddenly the sound in the PA shifts and the bottom end goes... and there's a hot smell.... from my walkabout.... :(

Opened her up and looks like the transformer has gone - it was still hot 3 hours later and has got some stuff leaking/melting out of the wrappings.
Any idea how much this is going to cost to fix?
It's an older silver and red face with SN: WK-000672 so not exactly new and under warranty
Sad face
 
Call customer service at the factory, they will get you in touch with the right guy to get you an accurate answer.
I've in the UK so the website pointed me towards a distributer over here. Think that's the right thing.

The current one was made in Czech Republic so if I'm lucky it will come from there and avoid 2x import duties for leaving the EU then reentering
 
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