Mine does it as well- Most amps I've had have done it to some degree, but the pop the Mesas make is pretty minimal compared to something like the GK 800RB for example (something I'm having a hard time getting used to with that amp!).
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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Mega-thread part Four!
- Thread starter Chef
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Mine does it too. I got a 12" 8 ohm scout combo & it makes a li'l 'click' at the warm up end. Concerned me a bit at 1st, but it all works superbly, so I just took it as normal.
Hi Guys,
Wow. What a thread. I'd like to thank you all first off, as the the reviews, debates and references here led me to buy my Walkabout Scout Combo. I was always a Trace guy before and I tried the WA 15" Scout side by side with the Trace Elliot 1210.
I know its all about personal taste, but the Trace sounded "artificial" in comparison to the WA 15". The WA had more character, depth and "authenticity" for me. Not sure if these are the best adjectives, but you know what I mean I guess.
The WA gives my MIA Jazz a warm, growly sound when the gain goes past 2 o'clock. When not driving the tubes, I get a lovely resonant tone I've been searching for since my teens (I can't describe it - but U2 (The Edge not Adam) playing "40" at Red Rocks is the sound I mean). Great amp. One happy customer.
Wow. What a thread. I'd like to thank you all first off, as the the reviews, debates and references here led me to buy my Walkabout Scout Combo. I was always a Trace guy before and I tried the WA 15" Scout side by side with the Trace Elliot 1210.
I know its all about personal taste, but the Trace sounded "artificial" in comparison to the WA 15". The WA had more character, depth and "authenticity" for me. Not sure if these are the best adjectives, but you know what I mean I guess.
The WA gives my MIA Jazz a warm, growly sound when the gain goes past 2 o'clock. When not driving the tubes, I get a lovely resonant tone I've been searching for since my teens (I can't describe it - but U2 (The Edge not Adam) playing "40" at Red Rocks is the sound I mean). Great amp. One happy customer.
I'll be rokcin' the Walkabout tonight;
with my Lakland ash/maple BG-P5 prototype, and
an ash/maple Sadowsky MV5
thru
The Epi UL410.
This all works out really awesome
Remember, when making eq changes with the Walkabout, "it might now sound like all that much sometimes" while your spinning the knobs. In reality, it's a subtle and very powerful eq, and really is making pretty big differences in a live mix.
I've kinda put my M9 back on the shelf, because this is soooo much more organic and sweet, which is really trippin' my trigger right now.
with my Lakland ash/maple BG-P5 prototype, and
an ash/maple Sadowsky MV5
thru
The Epi UL410.
This all works out really awesome
Remember, when making eq changes with the Walkabout, "it might now sound like all that much sometimes" while your spinning the knobs. In reality, it's a subtle and very powerful eq, and really is making pretty big differences in a live mix.
I've kinda put my M9 back on the shelf, because this is soooo much more organic and sweet, which is really trippin' my trigger right now.
No gig for me tonight, but I sold my M9 and am hoping the 4 Ohm Avatar TB153 will allow the Walkabout be pretty much the only head I play out, even without PA.
I've had my WA for about a week now, and the EQs definitely going to take me awhile to get used to. Being more acclimated to sliders, as well as the really basic EQ on my SWR WorkingPro 12, the Mesa's controls feel a lot more sophisticated and "professional" to me. That said, IMO, this amp is more than living up to the lofty praise of this mega thread. The sound of my P bass through this little monster is like a big juicy steak for my ears.
I'm officially a Mesa convert.
Next mission: saving up for a Berg AE212 cab!
I rocked the WA Scout Stack last night with my SR5. Man, what a pleasure it was. The stack behaves a lot like a pair of 15's IMO. Big, round, warm, and clear.
Things got a little louder than expected. Gain at noon and master at 10 and it was kickin'.
I'm on the lookout for a 410. I just dig 10" speakers. A good 410 would play nice with both the WA and the M6. I just might look into the Epi410. I've also been considering a Genz Neox 212. So many options...
Things got a little louder than expected. Gain at noon and master at 10 and it was kickin'.
I'm on the lookout for a 410. I just dig 10" speakers. A good 410 would play nice with both the WA and the M6. I just might look into the Epi410. I've also been considering a Genz Neox 212. So many options...
Do yout think the WA has enough power to drive Avatar TB153? As pointed out by Chef, the fEarful is prbably not the best match due to its' need for more power; wonder how differently the TB153 will react.
+1 regarding small EQ changes to how the amp sits in the mix; a little can go a long way in finding the sweet spot for a particular band, song, or room
I came close to coming home with a Scout 12 extension cab the other day but a few things put me off. First it was an 8 ohm cab which would pair a little funny with my 4 ohm Scout combo cab. Second, it was a one off cream colored tolex and looked a bit funny with my black Scout. And third, when I tried the cab, it was nowhere near as loud and punchy as my Scout combo and seemed to be farting out badly.
Now this cab has been sitting for years at a local store and has been used extensively in the store customers trying out gear. The cab looked perfect but I think the driver may have had a problem. I was really bummed as I was about to make the deal but am glad I tried it out first. I think my pair of Mesa Powerhouse 115's have spoiled me as they just tear the walls down with my Walkabout.
Now this cab has been sitting for years at a local store and has been used extensively in the store customers trying out gear. The cab looked perfect but I think the driver may have had a problem. I was really bummed as I was about to make the deal but am glad I tried it out first. I think my pair of Mesa Powerhouse 115's have spoiled me as they just tear the walls down with my Walkabout.
I will be finding out very shortly. On arrival home tomorrow I am gonna do a direct volume comparison with 3 cab setups and 2 heads: 4 Ohm TB153, LDS 8 Ohm 15/6 and mismatched Scout 12 cabs (one 4 and one 8 Ohm). My earplugs are ready.
Full band mix comparison will have to wait a bit.
There's no question it will drive the cab fine. My question is how much louder it will get than my 8 Ohm LDS. I can only do quiet gigs with the WA and 8 Ohm LDS and have to use an M6 with that cab to have some headroom. I've decided that I'd rather fiddle some with my cabs so I can use the WA more, as opposed to using a more powerful head.
Good I expect as I have played mine through (2) 4x10 SWR's, an Ampeg 15, and a GK 1x12 Neo Series II. Sounds good with all of the above.
Using the WA with a variety of speaker cabs is key. I *almost* convinced myself I needed a more powerful head for some occasions, but fact is, paired with the right cab(s), the WA has yet to let me down, and nothing else I buy will sound that good. Right now, my 4 ohm Uber 212 and 8 ohm Aggie DB112nt paired together are an absolute monster with the WA providing the juice- and I'm mostly playing keyboard synths through this rig these days. Clean and creamy, I like to call it.
I love my Scout 15.. It's perfect for most gigs.. Just wondering if the M-Pulse 600 is the bigger version of the Walkabout head.. I have a M-9 with a HT-322 for bigger/outdoor gigs which I like, but really love the tone of the Walkabout head...
To my ear, no, absolutely not. Been there, tried that, was really disappointed by it.
Not to my ears, either... IMO, the M-pulse 600 sits in between the BB750 and the M6/M9, as does the WA(but in between the BB750 and M-pulse 600) - when thinking of warm tones... More specifically, if I were to place those amps in order starting at the warmest(tubey) tones, I'd go:
BB750
WAs
M-pulse 600
Carbine M6/M9
*To me*, the BB750 was warm, but wouldn't stay clean enough, and the WAs aren't quite powerful enough for my needs - and the Carbines aren't warm enough *for me*... So, that leaves me with the M-pulse 600, which is warm and clean - like the WAs, and more powerful - not not as warm as the WAs...
So, you *might* find that the M-pulse 600 just about gets you there, all things considered - like I did... Now, a 600 watt version of the WAs would be IT!!! - although I have zero complaints about my M-pulse 600...
Edited to add - I just noticed this is post #600 on this thread - how ironic...
- georgestrings
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