Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[two fingers]

Yes, more so with the internally larger 12" extension (no cut-out in back for the amp) rather than the 12" combo, but both have served me very capably for funk/pop/soul/reggae in noisy pubs and for stage monitoring (if I'm in the PA and monitors of course) even in huge venues indoors and out. Placing it smartly using walls or corners for reinforcement helps if need be.

4 Ohms in my case, often with a low B being put to good use, and sometimes I've felt I was pushing it but not in a bad way. I've also had it be virtually inaudible, even with an extra 12", if having to place it in the middle of a large room with very loud guitar and drums playing hard/funk rock.

I actually prefer the 12" for live use, as it punches harder than the 15" and is a much easier carry. The 15" can go deeper, and I guess louder, but I don't feel it's effectively louder in the sense that it's a wider and woolier sound so the 12" is better or more easily heard.

With an HPF in front of a 15" combo and matching cab, it will punch your face off. It's a little loose in the bottom without an HPF. With it, that rig simply kills.

 

[StayLow]

Safe to say we're all familiar with the experience of hearing subtle drum or bass details more clearly on a car speaker, or maybe even a bluetooth or other decice speaker vs. what's perceived through a "proper" full sound system with big speakers?

Engineers would exit the studio to check the mix on car speakers back in the day, or through a mono 3" speaker.

I'd say that's the 12" vs. the 15" WalkAbout/Scout combos and cabs, and maybe that's why I've often found the 12" seems easier to hear, and work with, in a live setting. Especially if you're using walls or corners for reinforcement.

 

[StayLow]

With an HPF in front of a 15" combo and matching cab, it will punch your face off. It's a little loose in the bottom without am HPF. With it, that rig simply kills.

Friday night sexy talk!

Thanks. Soon I'll try exactly that.

 

[pfschim]

Friday night sexy talk!

Thanks. Soon I'll try exactly that.

yep, an HPF is very useful with the Walkabout. Helps focus all its available power on the right frequencies and gets the most out of this wonderful tone box.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Hot, hot, hot, hot, HOT that is gorgeous! All of it.

Cheers to you, sir!

How does one go about having the grill cloth changed?

There's nothing like the periodic changing of the fraying Scout handle, is there? I went to a house party once where band were playing, and on arrival of course walked into the kitchen to wedge my bottles into the fridge and there at the dining table is a kid swapping to a new WalkAbout combo handle. Not sure if I was more surprised at this, or if he was when I empathized with what he was doing.

Thanks!

I took the four screws out of the front and took the grill over to the guy who built the cab and had him do it using the same cloth that I picked for the head case so it would match. He was able to use the silver piping from the original grill, too. When I got it back,,I didn't want to out four screw holes in the front of it, so I used two small pieces of dual lock, instead. We will see if it holds, but it seems right right now.

He also gave me the same metal corners that he used on the head. I installed those at home.

I can't believe I waited so many years to fix the handle on the Scout! Your party story sounds like something I'd experience. Nice!




I'm currently having a torrid affair with the B-15S, but the Walkabout will always be my true love. I'll probably have my guy make me a matching headcase for the WA so I can use it with the matching sparkle 2x12 I'm going to have made when gigs start back up, again.

 

[Al Kraft]

maybe that's why I've often found the 12" seems easier to hear, and work with, in a live setting. Especially if you're using walls or corners for reinforcement.

+1...the 12" was my choice for this very reason.

 

[StayLow]

I took the four screws out of the front and took the grill over to the guy who built the cab ..

I may be missing something this morning. The cab pictured is a Mesa Scout cab. You took the grill over to the guy who built that cab?!

I'm currently having a torrid affair with the B-15S, but the Walkabout will always be my true love. I'll probably have my guy make me a matching headcase for the WA so I can use it with the matching sparkle 2x12 I'm going to have made when gigs start back up, again.

Brilliant plan!

 

[bassmonkeee]

I may be missing something this morning. The cab pictured is a Mesa Scout cab. You took the grill over to the guy who built that cab?!



Brilliant plan!

Yep, the guy who built the head case for the Ampeg put new cloth on the baffle for the Walkabout from the same yard of cloth he used for the top grill on the front of the head. He removed the original black cloth and stapled on the new.

EDIT: Sorry that should have said case. Not cab.

 

[Leo was right]

Testimonies festival occure, thanks folks!

 

[sunbeast]

I suspect that an HPF and compression run in series before the 15 combo would have an even more beneficial effect than when placed in front of the 12.

I find the Walkabout plenty compressed naturally, but I do ALWAYS use an HPF and have since I had the Scout 15 so that probably has something to do with my impressions of it. I found the 12 speakers were easy to overpower regardless of whether I had an HPF and that speaker distortion is probably a part of the “sound” of that cab for most people! The original 4ohm Scout speaker was an OEM version of the original Eminence Deltalite (not the II series like the 8 ohm), and that speaker had pretty terrible bass performance and power-handling by today’s standards

 

[treyandres]

Used the ‘Walk-A-Rumble’ again tonight for an outdoor ‘social distancing’ gig in a neighborhood cul-de-sac. Was just enough to get it done with the SL212 and without any PA support. Wishing I’d had a little more so I had some headroom, but it did the job. And sounded pretty great doing it. Had several nice-to-watch hips and boodies shakin’, so I think it did the job.

Raked in over $200 in donations for Meals on Wheels of Central Texas, and everyone did a pretty good job of distancing. Was pretty nice to see that folks could still have a good time without being crammed together.

 

[pfschim]

I find the Walkabout plenty compressed naturally, but I do ALWAYS use an HPF and have since I had the Scout 15 so that probably has something to do with my impressions of it. I found the 12 speakers were easy to overpower regardless of whether I had an HPF and that speaker distortion is probably a part of the “sound” of that cab for most people! The original 4ohm Scout speaker was an OEM version of the original Eminence Deltalite (not the II series like the 8 ohm), and that speaker had pretty terrible bass performance and power-handling by today’s standards

also, keep in mind that the original 4ohm Walkabout/Scout 12" driver was probably only mechanically able to handle about ~165w ... and at 4ohms, the WA was delivering its full 300w (with the knobs twisted to the right). Of course, the 15" driver was likely able to handle more power too. I feel like I've gotten way more performance out of the WA amp using cabs with multiple drivers, and more efficient drivers/designs as well as an HPF to keep useless low frequencies out of the signal chain all together.

 

[WoodyJ]

also, keep in mind that the original 4ohm Walkabout/Scout 12" driver was probably only mechanically able to handle about ~165w ... and at 4ohms, the WA was delivering its full 300w (with the knobs twisted to the right).

A couple years ago I installed a 450W 4ohm Eminence 3012 Kappalite in my Scout 12 - Problem solved. However, Eminence no longer lists the 4 ohm version.

But I am mostly a "15" guy and wish I could have found a Scout 15 when I bought mine back in 2007 or thereabouts. Those have a larger passive radiator, too.

 

[agedhorse]

4 ohm drivers are a challenge because often (not always) the sensitivity is lower. Combo w this with the fact that many newer bass amps can deliver ~800W into 4 ohms and the recipe for destruction is very real.

 

[StayLow]

A couple years ago I installed a 450W 4ohm Eminence 3012 Kappalite in my Scout 12 - Problem solved. However, Eminence no longer lists the 4 ohm version.

But I am mostly a "15" guy and wish I could have found a Scout 15 when I bought mine back in 2007 or thereabouts. Those have a larger passive radiator, too.

I can't find that a 3012 ever existed, only 3012LF and 3012HO which are both 8 ohm.

Interested since I have a Kappalite 3012HO kicking around somewhere, bought for a different cab, along with several OEM speakers from MESA for the Scout cabs. Stock has always sounded great to me, and honestly I'm not hearing much difference between the 4 Ohm and 8 Ohm stock speakers other than some difference of where the Master vol. is when it all starts to sound gritty. In the 15's if I want band volume, I find myself preferring the 8 Ohm but maybe because that's a much fresher speaker.

Willing to try a swap since I have that same/similar Kappalite.

Has there been much discussion of suitable replacements and any differences?

@agedhorse, do you have an opinion on this? Anyone?

My notes indicate there was "valuable speaker discussion" on this thread circa March 12 2019 so I'll go back to re-read that. Others may also find something useful there on this subject.

 

[sunbeast]

I can't find that a 3012 ever existed, only 3012LF and 3012HO which are both 8 ohm.

Interested since I have a Kappalite 3012HO kicking around somewhere, bought for a different cab, along with several OEM speakers from MESA for the Scout cabs. Stock has always sounded great to me, and honestly I'm not hearing much difference between the 4 Ohm and 8 Ohm stock speakers other than some difference of where the Master vol. is when it all starts to sound gritty. In the 15's if I want band volume, I find myself preferring the 8 Ohm but maybe because that's a much fresher speaker.

Willing to try a swap since I have that same/similar Kappalite.

Has there been much discussion of suitable replacements and any differences?

@agedhorse, do you have an opinion on this? Anyone?

My notes indicate there was "valuable speaker discussion" on this thread circa March 12 2019 so I'll go back to re-read that. Others may also find something useful there on this subject.

The only 4 ohm Scout 12 speaker I ever saw/used was an OEM Deltalite (which have the vented dustcap and are a major downgrade from the later Deltalite II in power and excursion), and the 8 ohms I used were all OEM Deltalite II. I think some later ones used different speakers, at least for a time (I swear there was a short time when they weren’t even neos, back when neodymium prices spiked for a bit but I could be wrong there).

 

[WoodyJ]

I can't find that a 3012 ever existed, only 3012LF and 3012HO which are both 8 ohm.

Mine is a 4 ohm LF. The 4 ohm version was available as a Kappalite 2015LF-4 and was discontinued soon after I bought mine.

The LF isn't supposed to work well with a Scout 12 (I've been chastised...) but it does work fine for me with a bit of EQ and horn tweaking. Noticeably more clean headroom and a much rounder low end than it had with the stock Eminence speaker that it came with in 2007.

I was in a gear downsizing mode a couple years ago and considered selling the Scout 12 because I generally am not a fan of a standalone 1x12 bass rig but the speaker swap convinced me to keep it - forever.

Based on Agedhorse's sage advice some time ago after I had done the swap, yes, if I had a do-over, I'd get an 8 ohm HO and I might be happier than I am now, but I am very pleased with it as is.

 

[StayLow]

The only 4 ohm Scout 12 speaker I ever saw/used was an OEM Deltalite (which have the vented dustcap and are a major downgrade from the later Deltalite II in power and excursion), and the 8 ohms I used were all OEM Deltalite II. I think some later ones used different speakers, at least for a time (I swear there was a short time when they weren’t even neos, back when neodymium prices spiked for a bit but I could be wrong there).

Yes, some were ferrite. Not sure which, when or why. Maybe the original 8 Ohm option?

Scouts were all standard 4 Ohm originally. If you wanted 8 Ohm it had to be ordered that way per fine print in the original dealer's order forms.

 

[agedhorse]

The 3012 became the 3012HO. The LF version is pretty dark.

Ultimately, the 4 ohm choice wasn't as beneficial at originally expected. The sensitivity penalty was higher than was suggested.

 

[bassmonkeee]

The 3012 became the 3012HO. The LF version is pretty dark.

Ultimately, the 4 ohm choice wasn't as beneficial at originally expected. The sensitivity penalty was higher than was suggested.

Should I look at replacing the 4ohm speaker in my WA Scout to an 8 ohm?