Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread Part 10

[agedhorse]

I'd call customer service at Mesa and see what they recommend. They have (or at least had) a person there who is by reputation possibly the world's expert on WA's.

Obviously if Andy has other advice or suggestions, that would always be my first choice for a next step.

I would call in and ask for Kris in customer service. He will be able to check directly with our service manager.

 

[freedomryder]

Thank you! I will give Kris a call and see if we can get this figured out.

 

[DionClassic]

So there was a cheap Neo Faital 12pro300 here in the classifieds that I picked up (so that I could get rid of the 4ohm 12). To my surprise it sounds great in the scout cabinet and it feels a bit lighter too. Anyone else tried this speaker in a scout? I wonder if they are similar to the deltalite…

I pulled the 12” in my scout and it’s the one with the see through dust cap. I have it listed cheap for anyone looking for a backup just keep in mind it’s 4ohms.

 

[agedhorse]

So there was a cheap Neo Faital 12pro300 here in the classifieds that I picked up (so that I could get rid of the 4ohm 12). To my surprise it sounds great in the scout cabinet and it feels a bit lighter too. Anyone else tried this speaker in a scout? I wonder if they are similar to the deltalite…

I pulled the 12” in my scout and it’s the one with the see through dust cap. I have it listed cheap for anyone looking for a backup just keep in mind it’s 4ohms.

The 12PR300-8 is a good replacement as is the Deltalite II 2512-8. Both are reasonably close to the original 8 ohm driver.

The driver you had in it is the original series 1 Deltalite, which IMO is harsh and generally not a great driver.

 

[DionClassic]

The 12PR300-8 is a good replacement as is the Deltalite II 2512-8. Both are reasonably close to the original 8 ohm driver.

The driver you had in it is the original series 1 Deltalite, which IMO is harsh and generally not a great driver.

Ok awesome info. I believe it is the Genz Benz gnx12350 version so I’m not sure how different it is from the original

 

[agedhorse]

Ok awesome info. I believe it is the Genz Benz gnx12350 version so I’m not sure how different it is from the original

Close enough LF-wise but different mid voicing that’s a little closer to the Deltalite voicing.

 

[DionClassic]

Close enough LF-wise but different mid voicing that’s a little closer to the Deltalite voicing.

Now that I have an 8ohm scout cab, I feel more comfortable pairing it with a subway, would the 115 be compatible or is it better to stick to the 112 in this case?

Both are on sale at my local music store this month so now is as good a time as any.

 

[agedhorse]

Now that I have an 8ohm scout cab, I feel more comfortable pairing it with a subway, would the 115 be compatible or is it better to stick to the 112 in this case?

Both are on sale at my local music store this month so now is as good a time as any.

Either will be fine.

 

[Stealth57]

I'm just posting here as a new Walkabout head owner so I get notifications from TB.

 

[Crabby]

 

[Crabby]

View attachment 7498915

I scooped this gorgeous cream tolex WB today and could not be happier. It’s a 2009 dated amp and is about as mint as you could ever want. I’m a huge WB fan and own two other heads. This one is a total gem though.

 

[sunbeast]

View attachment 7498915

Dang the standard Scouts like mine looked great, but those custom ones could really pop! If you plan to gig it, I've been super happy with the padded cover I got for my Scout 15 from "Coveramp" on Reverb (or they have a website as well). I wore through two of the original covers over 5 or so years once I started gigging my Scout regularly, but the new cover has been on for a year and a half and still looks new.

 

[Crabby]

I’m lucky to have a few walkabouts in the stable but this is the only combo so fun to have a different colour.
Here’s my trusty head that I’ve owned since about 2012

 

[Jack]

Hi guys,

Considering joining the WA scout club as one is available to me locally. Some questions though. Firstly, what is the issue with the mosfets? Just that they are no longer available? If 'my' amp developed a mosfet issue would it be repairable? Secondly, what's with the passive mid control? Seems odd to me that it's described as passive, but then also as boost only. Is up, down or 12 o clock flat?

Thanks.

 

[MuthaFunk]

I believe I read somewhere here that a flat mid setting was approx 75% or 3 O'clock. Don't quote me on that though...

As for the mosfets, they are no longer available. There are fakes that don't have a great track record for reliability. That said, if you keep your WA at a 4 ohm or higher load with your cab selection and the fan is working, the likelihood of blowing up your mosfets is very low.

Some of the talk around the mosfets and their replacements stems from Mesa releasing paperwork that said the minimum impedance for the WA to be 2 ohm but "recommended 4ohm minimum" after they got some units shipped back with failed mosfets, which are these days unobtanium.

I've personally ran my WA many times at 2 ohms as when I ordered it the stock scout speaker from Mesa was 4 ohm, and I also ordered the matching extension cab which was loaded standard with a 4 ohm driver as well. 8 ohm was a custom order in 2015. Mine has been fine for all these years.

All this to say, If you keep the cabs at 4 ohm minimum the walkabout is a wonderfully reliable and incredible sounding amp.

 

[agedhorse]

The MOSFETS are no longer available and the only replacements (Exicon) have shown to be inconsistent.

All other replacements on eBay, Ali Express, etc. are fakes and NOT lateral parts.

 

[marc40a]

View attachment 7498915

That's beautiful.

I grabbed a gorgeous burgundy leather with a wheat grill off of reverb some years back, but it arrived damaged!

Was hoping to have an amp aesthetically nice enough for a place in the living room. Looks like you have one!

 

[MarkA]

...what's with the passive mid control? Seems odd to me that it's described as passive, but then also as boost only. Is up, down or 12 o clock flat?

Thanks.

I have to think that "boost only" in the old Walkabout manuals was a typo and that it was supposed to read "cut only." The rest of the description of the mid-control (which refers to "attenuation" and "removing frequencies") describes cutting, not boosting.

from the manual:

...MID: This is the only passive style control in the string of rotary tone controls...Unlike the BASS, this control is a boost only {I think it should read "cut only"] and while it can competently remove this broad spectrum of midrange from the mix, it cannot provide the extreme attenuation of an active style control...​

​

Been years since I had my Walkabout but, as I recall, the amp is voiced so that, with the passive mid control fully open (minimum attenuation), there is a baked-in mid bump. It's not that dialing the mid control up (more open) boosts the mids the way an active control would, but that they are already boosted a bit relative to "flat". A passive control (apart, maybe, from the effects of some resonance-peak, which is beyond my rather low pay grade in this area) should only cut frequencies. A passive mid was used for its "more gradual and musical response" (or something like that) relative to the more surgical nature of the other controls.

I believe I read somewhere here that a flat mid setting was approx 75% or 3 O'clock. Don't quote me on that though...

The WA never sounded entirely flat to me, but I seem to recall flat-ish (or the impression of it) happening with the mid control well past halfway (but not fully) open (which jives with what you're saying).

 

[Jack]

I have to think that "boost only" in the old Walkabout manuals was a typo and that it was supposed to read "cut only." The rest of the description of the mid-control (which refers to "attenuation" and "removing frequencies") describes cutting, not boosting.

from the manual:

...MID: This is the only passive style control in the string of rotary tone controls...Unlike the BASS, this control is a boost only {I think it should read "cut only"] and while it can competently remove this broad spectrum of midrange from the mix, it cannot provide the extreme attenuation of an active style control...​

​

Been years since I had my Walkabout but, as I recall, the amp is voiced so that, with the passive mid control fully open (minimum attenuation), there is a baked-in mid bump. It's not that dialing the mid control up (more open) boosts the mids the way an active control would, but that they are already boosted a bit relative to "flat". A passive control (apart, maybe, from the effects of some resonance-peak, which is beyond my rather low pay grade in this area) should only cut frequencies. A passive mid was used for its "more gradual and musical response" (or something like that) relative to the more surgical nature of the other controls.


The WA never sounded entirely flat to me, but I seem to recall flat-ish (or the impression of it) happening with the mid control well past halfway (but not fully) open (which jives with what you're saying).

A typo would make perfect sense, thanks.

 

[MarkA]

A typo would make perfect sense, thanks.

I don't know for sure that that's the case, but it sure seems that way to me.