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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

#3,341
I have JJ gold pins in my current WA, and in the past have typically used the std JJ in previous WA's. I still have a Russian2 and the JJ to me just has noticeably more of everything.
I also have some late 50's RCA 12AX7's that have a fabulous top end glassy sound in the WA, but they're also lighter in the low end... they'd make a great recording tube if I ever use it for that.
 
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#3,342
I’m in the walkabout club now. Picked up what I’m seeing is a “red face” (silver with red lettering) on the cheap. I’ve had it about a week but recovering from surgery so I didn’t get to mess around with it until last night. These amps are the type of amp that sounds so good it makes you play better. Even with worn out strings.
I used the direct out to a Scarlett 2i4 into headphones and it’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything like that coming out of my fingers. Dare I say it reminded me of my SVT days? I don’t miss carrying one around but i do miss the practically and plug and play aspect of it. Now I can carry it around.
 
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#3,343
Callused Finger said:
I’m in the walkabout club now. Picked up what I’m seeing is a “red face” (silver with red lettering) on the cheap. I’ve had it about a week but recovering from surgery so I didn’t get to mess around with it until last night. These amps are the type of amp that sounds so good it makes you play better. Even with worn out strings.
I used the direct out to a Scarlett 2i4 into headphones and it’s been a long time since I’ve heard anything like that coming out of my fingers. Dare I say it reminded me of my SVT days? I don’t miss carrying one around but i do miss the practically and plug and play aspect of it. Now I can carry it around.
Click to expand...

Glad you liked the amp... enjoy!
 
#3,346
I used my walkabout with the Bergantino AE410 that I got a few weeks ago. I've also tried it with my Subway 112 and 115 but none of these really bring out the flavor of the Walkabout head the the way the Scout cabs do. That truly is something special and I'm thinking that If I can't get the volume I need for a gig out of the Walkabout/Scout cabs I won't use the Walkabout head.
I'll bring a couple of amps along with my Scout cab and extension to a gig in 2 weeks and report back on what combo I like.
Anyone else care to comment on other amps and Scout cabs?
 
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#3,347
I don't have any Scout cabs.
this year I've been using two powerhouse 210 cabs.
I also have two PH212's, these are much deeper than the 210's.
I also have an old Mesa 215, those have a lot of mids to them, so it sounds great as well.

There is a venue we frequent that is a pretty long distance (4hr drive), and they have an Ampeg 810 there cab so I just use it. the cab sounds very muffled compared to any Mesa cab, and it robs the Walkabout of sweet hairy tone.
 
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#3,348
I love the Walkabout amp, but do not have so much love for the Walkabout/Scout cabs.
But I did really give it the ol' college try.
I started out with the Walkabout 12 8ohm combo. I still have that combo arrangement and its very nice for small practice or acoustic gigs.
I added an 8ohm Scout 12 for a 2x12 rig.
I swapped the Scout 12 for an 8ohm Scout 15 and had a 12+15 rig for a while (which was my favorite all WA/Scout combination)
I went back to a Walkabout 12 + Scout 12 after a year long tour of Europe, and then more or less gave up on the WA/Scout cabs and went with Berg cabs (CN112, CN212 and NV610) and have never looked back.

I feel as if the WA/Scout cabs are not particularly efficient. I also felt like the passive radiators on the WA/Scout cabs worked pretty well for low to medium volumes, but when pushed, they got sort of flubby (IMO). Combined with the WA's tendency to be a bit warm/hairy/fuzzy anyway.. particularly at the top of its volume range, I just felt like the WA/Scout cabs were not the right solution for me. I came to the conclusion that more drivers, and more efficient drivers is the way to go with the WA.

I have been happily gigging the WA with CN212 (4ohm, 104dB) and recently added a CN112 which I can combine to make a "CN3x12", which is just a wonderful sounding rig. Unfortunately, it's also a 2ohm load and I caused my WA to shut down after a recent long loud gig, so I am back to the drawing board about how to get the killer WA tone and get enough loud and clean(ish) volume to cover everything I'm doing these days. The NV610 certainly does this, but its a pretty large/heavy package to haul around on a regular basis.

the search goes on!
 
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#3,349
I ran my WA with a CN212 and later an HDN212; I felt that was about the best you could go with one cab. These days I keep it at home with a 1x15 Scout extension for practice and writing. Though I do wonder if anyone has tried a WA with a Barefaced Super Twin or Big Twin II, and had an opinion on those vs the Bergs.
 
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#3,350
pfschim said:
I love the Walkabout amp, but do not have so much love for the Walkabout/Scout cabs.
But I did really give it the ol' college try.
I started out with the Walkabout 12 8ohm combo. I still have that combo arrangement and its very nice for small practice or acoustic gigs.
I added an 8ohm Scout 12 for a 2x12 rig.
I swapped the Scout 12 for an 8ohm Scout 15 and had a 12+15 rig for a while (which was my favorite all WA/Scout combination)
I went back to a Walkabout 12 + Scout 12 after a year long tour of Europe, and then more or less gave up on the WA/Scout cabs and went with Berg cabs (CN112, CN212 and NV610) and have never looked back.

I feel as if the WA/Scout cabs are not particularly efficient. I also felt like the passive radiators on the WA/Scout cabs worked pretty well for low to medium volumes, but when pushed, they got sort of flubby (IMO). Combined with the WA's tendency to be a bit warm/hairy/fuzzy anyway.. particularly at the top of its volume range, I just felt like the WA/Scout cabs were not the right solution for me. I came to the conclusion that more drivers, and more efficient drivers is the way to go with the WA.

I have been happily gigging the WA with CN212 (4ohm, 104dB) and recently added a CN112 which I can combine to make a "CN3x12", which is just a wonderful sounding rig. Unfortunately, it's also a 2ohm load and I caused my WA to shut down after a recent long loud gig, so I am back to the drawing board about how to get the killer WA tone and get enough loud and clean(ish) volume to cover everything I'm doing these days. The NV610 certainly does this, but its a pretty large/heavy package to haul around on a regular basis.

the search goes on!
Click to expand...

This is exactly what drove the development of the Subway cabinets, extrapolated from the Powerhouse cosmetics since there were no combos.
 
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#3,351
pfschim said:
I have been happily gigging the WA with CN212 (4ohm, 104dB)
Click to expand...
This is my favorite cab with the WA head. IMO it provides as much volume with "that tone" as I can seem to get out of a WA. Using a HPF with the WA head also seems to get me a little more clean volume without having to resort to risky 2 Ohm operation.
 
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#3,352
mikeswals said:
I have JJ gold pins in my current WA, and in the past have typically used the std JJ in previous WA's. I still have a Russian2 and the JJ to me just has noticeably more of everything.
I also have some late 50's RCA 12AX7's that have a fabulous top end glassy sound in the WA, but they're also lighter in the low end... they'd make a great recording tube if I ever use it for that.
Click to expand...

I just replaced the stock tubes in a WA head with a set of JJ ECC803S gold pin tubes.
I definitely noticed a change in tone. They sound a lot better than the Mesa stock tubes.
The overall tone with the JJs is more hi-fi with warm lows, not muddy, slightly mid-scooped, and brilliant highs.

Another tube combination I'm using is a Genelex Gold Lion Premium (B759) in V1 and a JJ ECC803S gold pin in V2.
This combination brings out more mids than two JJ ECC802s and produces a richer tone in my opinion.

Since I currently own two WA heads, I'll probably run two JJ803s in one amp and the Genelex/JJ combo in the other.

Other tubes I've tried include:
JJ ECC83s
Tung Sol 12AX7
Ruby 12ax7ac5 HG+
Electro Harmonix 12ax7EH

None of these tubes impressed me with the tone they produced except for the Ruby in V1 when used with the JJ803s in V2.
But when compared to the dual JJ ECC803s combo, the dual JJ ECC803s sounded better in my opinion.

I've read a review on the Tube Store's website regarding the North Electric 12AX7 being a good replacement tube for a WA head.
I might buy one to satisfy my curiosity.
Has anyone else used this tube?

Additionally, I read a few reviews about the Telefunken 12AX7/ECC83 smooth plate.
That tube seems to be a favorite among a few TBers.
But, at $500 a tube, that's a little out of my price range since I'm not gigging on a regular basis.

This adventure in tube rolling was interesting.
I did not realize changing tubes would affect the tone to a point where it would be noticeable.
The only other amp I've swapped out tubes in was a SWR Bass 350.
I swapped out the stock Groove Tubes tube with a Mesa tube, but did not notice a change in tone.
 
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#3,353
mikeswals said:
I don't have any Scout cabs.
this year I've been using two powerhouse 210 cabs.
I also have two PH212's, these are much deeper than the 210's.
I also have an old Mesa 215, those have a lot of mids to them, so it sounds great as well.
Click to expand...

I've been using a SWR Goliath Jr 2x10 cab with my WA head.
I like it better than the Scout 115 Cab.

I also used a SWR Workingmans 4x10 (which I replaced the stock speakers with Eminence speakers from a Goliath).
It sounds good too, but is not as portable as the 210.

I'm tempted to take my WA head to a local boutique bass store and try out some Mesa or Bergantino cabs.
From what I read, the Berg HDN212 seems to be a favorite among other TBERs.
 
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#3,354
sheltjo6 said:
I've been using a SWR Goliath Jr 2x10 cab with my WA head.
I like it better than the Scout 115 Cab.

I also used a SWR Workingmans 4x10 (which I replaced the stock speakers with Eminence speakers from a Goliath).
It sounds good too, but is not as portable as the 210.

I'm tempted to take my WA head to a local boutique bass store and try out some Mesa or Bergantino cabs.
From what I read, the Berg HDN212 seems to be a favorite among other TBERs.
Click to expand...
The 4 Ohm Berg 212 cabs are a very nice match-up. I like the CN212 as it is quite efficient and seems to tame the WA low end so that it sounds a little tighter and cleaner - warm without too much bloom. From my very minimal time with one, the HDN212 seems equally good in this respect.
 
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#3,356
Coolhandjjl said:
At almost twice the price of an Ampeg 212AV it better be!!
Click to expand...
it is.
has the Ampeg 212AV become some sort of cab performance/value benchmark ?
I mean, I'm sure its a perfectly fine cab, but as a big brand standard cab, I'm guessing it is not really in the same class as the Bergs as far as design and components.

I'll echo Al Kraft's comments that the CN212 is a wonderful match for the Walkabout.
 
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#3,357
Coolhandjjl said:
At almost twice the price of an Ampeg 212AV it better be!!
Click to expand...
I've always been well served by the Ampeg products I owned, but IMO none were in the same class as Bergantino. Whether twice the price is a fair difference, all I can say is that IME as an engineer getting that last 20% of performance can be as costly as getting the first 80%.

I think many name brand commercial cabs sound great, but few measure up to the exceptional level of quality and performance I've experienced with Bergantino products. At the end of the day if you can afford either and the difference matters, the Berg is definitely an upgrade to first class.
 
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