Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[pfschim]

congrats on the new Walkabout. Outstanding amp! Still my personal favorite as long as overall volume needs match the amps clean volume limits.

the original Walkabout, like the OP's, has different para EQ points than the later versions. If you look, you see his center points are: 60hz, 340hz and 2k. On my v2 Walkabout (Silver face w/black markings and a switchable FX loop) the para EA points are: 160hz, 1.2k and 6.8k. But really they should all sound very similar. Nothing more/less desirable between all versions.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

Congrats- they are killer amps still and mine has become my main amp over the last few years after many years of being a backup/small-show rig!

@agedhorse has pointed out that there were several circuit adjustments over the years of the Walkabout, but from a player's perspective I don't think there is much if any perceptible sound difference between them- just aesthetic changes (different screen print colors over chrome on the early versions, later version was on an all-black base with white printing) and a few mechanical things (dual input jacks replaced with a single jack + switch, addition of FX Loop Bypass switch on back). It looks like yours is from a similar era from mine by the screen print color, and mine has served me without issues (apart from a preamp tube replacement or two long ago) for 14 years or so now.

I have a couple of Ampegs tube amps (an SVT and a PF-50T). I like them both, but I needed something more portable for practices and gigs. Since this amp has a couple tubes in it, I figured it would still give me some of the character I'm looking for. It's surpassed my expectations.

My Ampegs are definitely louder (even the 50-watt one), but this should be fine for the places I'm playing. And on that note, I'm about to power it up again. You know you like a piece of gear when you feel a compulsion to use it any time you think about it.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

congrats on the new Walkabout. Outstanding amp! Still my personal favorite as long as overall volume needs match the amps clean volume limits.

the original Walkabout, like the OP's, has different para EQ points than the later versions. If you look, you see his center points are: 60hz, 340hz and 2k. On my v2 Walkabout (Silver face w/black markings and a switchable FX loop) the para EA points are: 160hz, 1.2k and 6.8k. But really they should all sound very similar. Nothing more/less desirable between all versions.

Since the EQ bands are sweepable, the center points probably don't matter too much. I do like the center points they chose for mine though. 340 can be a nice place to scoop out. 60 offers a good spot to boost (though this amp has more than enough low end where I haven't felt the need to do that). And 2K is a nice spot to add finger clank or simply a "hi fi" kind of sound.

I've actually got my low band all the way down at 30Hz and have it rolled off a bit. Even though I play a 4-string in standard tuning -- so around 41Hz as my lowest pitch -- I found that dialing it back at 30Hz helped improve the sound in my boomy room. I'm getting a really crisp but not overly bright rock tone that I'm in love with.

 

[NoSlapForYou]

Highlighting my ignorance of all things electronic here, but…
Re: HPF, is there any benefit to hitting a tube preamp with the full spectrum of frequencies (then cleaning it up post-preamp) vs. hitting it with a pre-filtered signal? Or vice versa?

I think I can speak a bit to this as someone who's been studying mixing for years.

Saturating low end is always a dicey proposition. It can sound cool, but it can also get really muddy and undefined. In the studio, a really common practice among mix engineers is to duplicate a bass track. One of these two identical tracks has an extreme low pass (down to 250 Hz or so). The other is just the mids and highs. The low end is kept completely clean. The high end is the "character" track and is distorted in some way.

So, by that logic, it seems like it might be preferable to avoid running your low end through a tube preamp to avoid distorting it.

On the other hand, tube saturation adds harmonics, which add complexity to the signal. So I can see an argument for adding the full spectrum of the signal to introduce the maximum amount of harmonics. Then later, if you remove some of the low end, you may retain more of that harmonic information than you would have otherwise.

I don't think there's a clear "right" way to proceed here. I tend to default to removing frequencies I don't want before I pass them through the next step of my chain, but I also break that rule all the time.

 

[agedhorse]

I think I can speak a bit to this as someone who's been studying mixing for years.

Saturating low end is always a dicey proposition. It can sound cool, but it can also get really muddy and undefined. In the studio, a really common practice among mix engineers is to duplicate a bass track. One of these two identical tracks has an extreme low pass (down to 250 Hz or so). The other is just the mids and highs. The low end is kept completely clean. The high end is the "character" track and is distorted in some way.

So, by that logic, it seems like it might be preferable to avoid running your low end through a tube preamp to avoid distorting it.

On the other hand, tube saturation adds harmonics, which add complexity to the signal. So I can see an argument for adding the full spectrum of the signal to introduce the maximum amount of harmonics. Then later, if you remove some of the low end, you may retain more of that harmonic information than you would have otherwise.

I don't think there's a clear "right" way to proceed here. I tend to default to removing frequencies I don't want before I pass them through the next step of my chain, but I also break that rule all the time.

I don’t think you are understanding the concept of the HPF as it applies to bass amps.

You are describing one RECORDING technique that isn’t actually very popular. It was kind of a goofy fad actually but came from multi-band compression where the filters were phase coherent for summing purposes.

 

[burgerdj]

I’ve got the urge to roll some tubes in my Walkabout. I’ve currently got a matched pair of Tung-Sol in V1 and V2. I have been reading through a bunch of old threads with some good recommendations but I’m curious if anyone has tried any new combinations. I’m looking for a bit more articulation and a tighter low end. I read somewhere on TB that using a 12AU7 or 12AT7 in V2 might get me pointed in that direction. All thoughts welcome!

 

[agedhorse]

Maybe

 

[sunbeast]

I’ve got the urge to roll some tubes in my Walkabout. I’ve currently got a matched pair of Tung-Sol in V1 and V2. I have been reading through a bunch of old threads with some good recommendations but I’m curious if anyone has tried any new combinations. I’m looking for a bit more articulation and a tighter low end. I read somewhere on TB that using a 12AU7 or 12AT7 in V2 might get me pointed in that direction. All thoughts welcome!

I played around with tube flipping in my Walkabouts many years ago, and can say it IS an amp that is sensitive to different tube nuances (many hybrids are not). I can't recall if I tried different tube types at all, but I probably did. I also can't remember what I ended up choosing for the two positions in my remaining Walkabout, but I think v1 was a JJ 12ax7 and I think a slightly tighter low end was one of the reasons. I'll have to open it up again at some point

 

[Gary OSU]

Hi everyone, hoping I can get some recommendations from this mega-thread. I've been using an Aguilar TH 350 into Aguilar SL212. I've been wanting to switch out the head and cabinet but I have terrible analysis paralysis. After a lot of reading and video watching, I decided I wanted to get a Mesa TT800. I haven't been able to try one, unfortunately, and now it's looking like they are backordered. But I have stumbled upon a Walkabout for under $500. I've read a lot of things on this forum about the Walkabout and how good they sounded. I'm wanting to pair it with a 115 cab. I mostly play musical theater gigs where I've got a DI and use my amp on stage as my monitor (no in ears sadly). So even though I don't need it to be loud into the house, I need it to be loud enough to hear over the rest of the band on stage which usually includes at least two guitars, two keyboards, and a drummer. The one I'm looking at looks a little rough cosmetically, but I can return it if I'm not happy with it. So my question is, should I get this Walkabout and try it out since it seems to be a pretty good price, or should I wait to get the TT800 or something else? Thanks!

 

[agedhorse]

Be sure you can thoroughly test it out, if repairs are needed they can get expensive and some parts have limited availability.

 

[Gary OSU]

Be sure you can thoroughly test it out, if repairs are needed they can get expensive and some parts have limited availability.

That's really good advice. Even though I know I can take it back within a certain period of time if it isn't doing it for me, it's good to think about viability of future repairs.

 

[agedhorse]

That's really good advice. Even though I know I can take it back within a certain period of time if it isn't doing it for me, it's good to think about viability of future repairs.

Just want to be sure you are aware of this challenge by being as transparent as possible, we don't want you to be disappointed in the event of a problem down t he road. It may (likely) have no problems and last a long time too.

 

[Gary OSU]

I really respect your transparency a lot and that, combined with your participation in these forums, and the overall solid reputation of the company and its products really have reinforced my decision to go to with a Mesa product when I upgrade.

Side note: I just finished a three week run of Jersey Boys playing guitar through my Fillmore 50 and it was a champ through every show!

 

[MuthaFunk]

Hi everyone, hoping I can get some recommendations from this mega-thread. I've been using an Aguilar TH 350 into Aguilar SL212. I've been wanting to switch out the head and cabinet but I have terrible analysis paralysis. After a lot of reading and video watching, I decided I wanted to get a Mesa TT800. I haven't been able to try one, unfortunately, and now it's looking like they are backordered. But I have stumbled upon a Walkabout for under $500. I've read a lot of things on this forum about the Walkabout and how good they sounded. I'm wanting to pair it with a 115 cab. I mostly play musical theater gigs where I've got a DI and use my amp on stage as my monitor (no in ears sadly). So even though I don't need it to be loud into the house, I need it to be loud enough to hear over the rest of the band on stage which usually includes at least two guitars, two keyboards, and a drummer. The one I'm looking at looks a little rough cosmetically, but I can return it if I'm not happy with it. So my question is, should I get this Walkabout and try it out since it seems to be a pretty good price, or should I wait to get the TT800 or something else? Thanks!

I'm of the mind that you should try it out and see if it will suit you. Since you'll have the option to return it, why not try it? I've gigged a Walkabout Scout 12" for years mostly with PA support and it suited me perfectly. It's not a loud combo but I've always used it as a stage monitor along with drums and been satisfied.

The walkabout has a great reputation for reliability if it's used with a minimum load of 4 ohms. If that matches your cab(s) you may find you'll be very happy and save a few $$.

I personally moved on to the WD-800 for it's lighter weight and now use the Walkabout solely in the studio. I originally got the WD-800 not only for the lighter weight but also more modern features it offers. Fast forward a number of years later and a different project, and I've come to appreciate the fantastic headroom it offers. If you think you may end up wanting more power down the road, perhaps a new amp is worth the wait.

 

[Nebadon2000]

I wanted to get a Mesa TT800. I haven't been able to try one, unfortunately, and now it's looking like they are backordered.

TT800 is available at zZounds, NStuff Music and American Music Supply now

 

[bumble yeti]

TT800 is available at zZounds, NStuff Music and American Music Supply now

NStuff Music is AWESOME!!!
Just like my Walkabout.
Been a customer for over 30 years.

 

[sunbeast]

Hi everyone, hoping I can get some recommendations from this mega-thread. I've been using an Aguilar TH 350 into Aguilar SL212. I've been wanting to switch out the head and cabinet but I have terrible analysis paralysis. After a lot of reading and video watching, I decided I wanted to get a Mesa TT800. I haven't been able to try one, unfortunately, and now it's looking like they are backordered. But I have stumbled upon a Walkabout for under $500. I've read a lot of things on this forum about the Walkabout and how good they sounded. I'm wanting to pair it with a 115 cab. I mostly play musical theater gigs where I've got a DI and use my amp on stage as my monitor (no in ears sadly). So even though I don't need it to be loud into the house, I need it to be loud enough to hear over the rest of the band on stage which usually includes at least two guitars, two keyboards, and a drummer. The one I'm looking at looks a little rough cosmetically, but I can return it if I'm not happy with it. So my question is, should I get this Walkabout and try it out since it seems to be a pretty good price, or should I wait to get the TT800 or something else? Thanks!

Since you have the option of return, I would definitely give the Walkabout a shot. My Walkabout 15 combo has become my favorite amp these days (after t mostly just serving as a backup for tube rigs for over a dozen years) and gives more than enough stage volume for my bands with similar setups without ever needing to crank it or even close (if anything I often need to watch out from overpowering some of the smaller guitar combos my bandmates use at times as the Walkabout can put out a chunky tone). Presumably in musical theater you aren't playing with heavy metal drummers or anything so I suspect you'll also be good. I also own a Mesa WD800 which is great and cops most of the Walkabout vibe, but the Walkabout gets 90% of my play time. I had the TT800 (which I traded to a TB'er for the WD) and it is also a great amp, though IMO much less versatile than the Walkabout/WD800 and there is something in the midrange character of the Walkabout that makes me want to play through it all the time that the TT can't cop. Of course if you are a pro it might make sense to grab something new and under warranty just to be safe too...

 

[Nebadon2000]

something in the midrange character of the Walkabout

When I was in the 'Home Hi Fi' field Mosfet powered Amps alway's had very 'Tubeish' Midrange that I liked

 

[smeet]

I have a WD800 and like it quite a bit. Would a Walkabout head give me much different? How would it compare to a D800 or D800+?

If it matters, I use a barefaced Three10T, Audiokinesis Hathor, and Berg HDN212.

 

[sunbeast]

I have a WD800 and like it quite a bit. Would a Walkabout head give me much different? How would it compare to a D800 or D800+?

If it matters, I use a barefaced Three10T, Audiokinesis Hathor, and Berg HDN212.

The Walkabout is darker and has IMO more complex saturation options/elements, particularly when pushed a bit. @agedhorse has commented in depth about how difficult it would be to replicate those saturation characteristics while scaling up the power and so the WD was an attempt to mostly replicate the cleaner side of the Walkabout at any volume (potentially a downside of the Walkabout is that it’s character can change noticeably depending on volume, getting looser/gooier as you push it). It seems like for most Walkabout users who have used both the WD hit it out of the park in this regard, and it does still have a pleasant overdrive character of its own too which is a plus. I love both amps, but the Walkabout gets the most use as I don’t need more stage volume than it provides solidly most of the time these days and am very familiar and attached to its inherent character and quirks (plus I have it in its 15” combo form, which makes it convenient apart from the considerable weight!).