Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread part Four!

[NickRich]

I do push these puppies pretty hard, this dog bit back!

If you're blowing your 4 ohms speaker, it's because you're pushing it too hard, with too much watts into a single speaker. You need more of them, hence switching to two 8 ohms cabs.

If not, there are great probabilities you'll the same problem again.

I recently decided to change my two scout cabs to 8ohm, and bought two 8ohm replacements.

 

[Chef]

or two 4 ohm cabs,
or
one 4 and one 8 ohm cab.

but yeah, two cabs.

or, one bigger cab like a 212, 410...or 8x8!

 

[rodl2005]

I was STAGGERED by the amount of volume I got outta my WA running at 4 ohms into my Bergantino NV215! Absolutely floored me! & the rest of the band! I'd actually taken my LMII along in case the WA was gonna run outta headroom

The NV215 isn't as loud as the NV610 cab is either(maybe not quite as loud as the NV412 is either(haven't tried nor looked at that) But I DO remember using my old Ampeg 100w V4BH > NV610 & it having quite a bit more headroom than when I ran the same amp thru the NV215.

I Often use my WA - in either it's scout combo WITH another 1x12(AE112) OR the WA head with the AE212- I LOVE both these rigs, & both are 4 ohm, but thru the NV215 it was another level entirely.
A couple of times I've been CLOSE to- but not 'AT'- the limit of the WA's limits as far as volume goes, when using 2 x 12"s - this was when playing with an 11 piece funk/soul band-5 voc's, 3 horns, keys guitar etc,,, oh & LOUD drummer!!!

But with the NV215 it seemed I had another 1/3 to 1/2 MORE headroom!! CRAZY but great!!!
Not only was it loud enough by a long shot, but the tone - with a Precision with flats & later on that night a Jazz with nickel rounds- was to die for.

EVERYONE in the band exclaimed about it!!! Even the crotchety ol' keyboardist (who always reminds me the JAZZ bass is the "Rolls Royce" of basses ;-) was saying it was the best bass sound he'd ever heard!

 

[lpdeluxe]

Even the crotchety ol' keyboardist (who always reminds me the JAZZ bass is the "Rolls Royce" of basses ;-) was saying it was the best bass sound he'd ever heard!

What? "The Rolls Royce?" What a peculiar characterization. I'd call it the "Chevrolet Bel Air" maybe.

OK, back to the MBWAS....

 

[rodl2005]

I think the Stones have seeped into his 'inner workings'. Pity the Stones' stage volumes haven't tho- he always complains of everything being too loud.
We DO play pretty loud, but only as loud as our HARD hitting drummer is acoustically......

 

[Chef]

I used the trusty Walkabout head with two LDS 2x8's, stacked vertically, last night.
Put the 2x8+mid driver on top, 2x8+horn on the bottom.
I had my old gold top'd Reverend PJ out with them.

I set the input gain to where it juuuust started breakin up when set to bridge pickup and hit it hard.

It was delicious!
Big, fat, organic, a wonderfully vintage and clear top end, and perfect in the mix for the blues/jazz gig I had last night.

 

[MG Bass]

Is the Walkabout safe to use @ 2 ohms ?

I know some people have said it's Ok but dos anyone actually drive it with 2 ohms load
and been hassle free or do things get a bit too hot??

thanks.

 

[stingray56funk]

Is the Walkabout safe to use @ 2 ohms ?

I know some people have said it's Ok but dos anyone actually drive it with 2 ohms load
and been hassle free or do things get a bit too hot??

thanks.

Chef uses his at 2ohms quite often...he'll probably pipe in here soon. I've never run mine at 2 ohms, but there are a few that do regularly.

 

[CElton]

Is the Walkabout safe to use @ 2 ohms ?

I know some people have said it's Ok but dos anyone actually drive it with 2 ohms load...

All night long.

 

[RickenBoogie]

I've done 2 ohms without problems, but prefer not to push it like that. Though recently, I've started using it at 2.6, again, no0 issues, just huge fat WA tone in spades. Yum.

 

[MG Bass]

Being in Australia we have 240V, would this cause any problems with 2 ohms ??

 

[vin*tone]

^^ Doesn't matter. The amp runs off the same voltage after the power transformer.

 

[vin*tone]

Just got a Noctua NF-RF fan in the mail today. Lookin forward to pimpin my W.A.



I was thinking we need a W.A pimpin thread. It's hard to find commonly sought info on tech upgrades like fans and valves without digging pretty deep in these 4 massive threads.

 

[Chef]

I run mine almost always at 2 ohms.
I've had three, it's never been an issue with any of them.
The owners manual on the early ones used to specify it was ok, and a former Mesa employee said it was rigorously torture tested a 2 ohms, and put out 55o watts doing it.

You can search the megathreads for posts by me and find where I've quoted that in every thread but this one as I just got tired of digging it back up...

 

[MG Bass]

Thanks guys for your help.

Thinking about running 2 x EA Wizzy110s with a Walkabout as a real Mini tubey type rig.
Those EA wizzy10s are amazing for the size and weight.

Has anyone ever tried the Wizzys with a WA?

 

[tombowlus]

Chef uses his at 2ohms quite often...he'll probably pipe in here soon. I've never run mine at 2 ohms, but there are a few that do regularly.

I have an older redface WalkAbout, and it has never given me a hint of trouble when driving a 2 or 2.67ohm load (and I have done most of my gigging on my Walkabout driving loads of either 2 or 2.67 ohms).

 

[tombowlus]

Has anyone ever tried the Wizzys with a WA?

Yup! I own two Wizzy's, two M-line Wizzy's, and two Wizzy 10's, and I've used my WalkAbout drive each stack. It is a good match, IMHO.

 

[NOLA Bass]

Got my travel bag for it today, ready for my next gig on Nov. 13 to try it out live!!!

 

[Chef]

the bag is a tight fit, but, nice.

 

[hensonbass]

I'm thinking of buying one of these walkabout heads. It's a older red faced model. I hear these heads have problems with the effect loop. Are they a serial loop? This head you supposedly have to have a through cable connecting the send to receive to complete the circuit.