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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Megathread; Part Two

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Hi all

I used a WA and a Berg HS410, and currently 2 x HS210s, and it's a GREAT tone. I love it...

FWIW, here's a clip with the HS210s - the bass isn't totally prominent, but there's a few bits that jump out towards the end which might illustrate the tubiness of it all.



(Bear in mind I like it old school, so I'm using flats with the tweets rolled off).

Also... back on the fan issue...

I've said a few times that the fan on my WA isn't loud. I don't know whether mine is a freak or something.

We did some live acoustic recording in a small room last week using top-end mics, etc... two acoustic guitars, three vocals and a Scout combo -no-one picked up on the fan noise...

Strange..!
 
I have only the WA head so I use it mainly with HS410 or add the 115 for larger gigs.

Volume wise it is working without sweat with either combination. Tone wise - i didn't heard the WA Scout combo in person so I can't compare it directly, but I can just repeat notions about the all-tube impression. For other gigs I use HS410 with GB440 (Thunderfunk) head which is a bit quickier and has tighter low end. The WA head is more extended on the top and bottom, so it complements very good with HS410 which has smooth highs and relatively tight lows.

The HS410 is versatile cab that works very well in any situation calling either for quick solid state head or tube-like amp.


55j9le.jpg
 
Can you expand on what you did/didn't like? Is there any versatility with that rig?

The HS410 has a tad more low-end than the SA410, but I could dial in more on the SA, if I wanted to. The main difference is in the midrange, and I just found that I could get "my tone" (which is a full, yet quick and clear tone, sometimes with a hint of grit) more quickly with the HS than with the SA.

Tom.
 
Just a progress report to say that after bumming about fan noise initially, it has become a non-issue. At 1st I was used to my LM2, which had a whisper-quiet fan. This one is louder, but no biggie-and I'm sure it partly accounts for 2 Ohm stability as well. Last gig I played the wa head through Epi 112 and 210 and it wasn't quite enough for me, even in a small pub with 120 people. Next I may try 3 12s....
 
Also... back on the fan issue...

I've said a few times that the fan on my WA isn't loud. I don't know whether mine is a freak or something.

We did some live acoustic recording in a small room last week using top-end mics, etc... two acoustic guitars, three vocals and a Scout combo -no-one picked up on the fan noise...

Strange..!

Yours isn't a total freak. I have one of the older models and the original fan was noisy, so I know what people are talking about. About a year ago, I took it in and had all the updates done. Even though I didn't ask for it, I noticed on the invoice that they replaced the fan. Now I can barely hear it. I took a look at the new fan and it's the exact same spec as the old one. Go figure.
 
Yours isn't a total freak. I have one of the older models and the original fan was noisy, so I know what people are talking about. About a year ago, I took it in and had all the updates done. Even though I didn't ask for it, I noticed on the invoice that they replaced the fan. Now I can barely hear it. I took a look at the new fan and it's the exact same spec as the old one. Go figure.

for starters, I have never found the WA fan to be terribly noisy. I can only hear mine when I first fire up my WA, standing right next to it. Once I move away even a few feet any fan noise is gone (at least to my worn out hearing).

I am not surprised that a new fan from the same OEM (Sunon) is quieter. The noise level of the small electric device fans that are used in amps can get quite noisy with the collection of dust on the blades and wear on the bearings. So, a clean one will often be quieter than an older dustier one. This is true in PC's too. Also, the OEM models have modest manufacturing quality control, so two versions of the same fan can have quite different noise levels. Sunons fans are known to be fairly loud.
 
I tried one today (12' version). I tested it along with the walkabout head and a powerhouse 15'.

I must say that there's almost no difference. Of course that you get a bigger and more bassier sound from the powerhouse 15', but i gotta say that the scout version is pure gold! It really surprised me!

I have a few questions before buying it...

1. Will the 15' version give me the bass that's lacking in the 12' version?
2. Advices on using the scout with another scout extension? Ohms and so...
3. I want to have something different so i'm thinking of using mesa's custom design service. Are there any extra costs? Are they expensive?
 
I tried one today (12' version). I tested it along with the walkabout head and a powerhouse 15'.

I must say that there's almost no difference. Of course that you get a bigger and more bassier sound from the powerhouse 15', but i gotta say that the scout version is pure gold! It really surprised me!

I have a few questions before buying it...

1. Will the 15' version give me the bass that's lacking in the 12' version?
2. Advices on using the scout with another scout extension? Ohms and so...
3. I want to have something different so i'm thinking of using mesa's custom design service. Are there any extra costs? Are they expensive?

IME the 15 is much deeper than the 12. Having said that, I prefer the head with my Epi cabs, and have settled on a pair of UL210s. Their custom finishes are gorgeous and go from plain pricey to ridiculous (for the woods and leathers). Thanks for giving me an excuse to repost the pic :-)
 

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