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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!
- Thread starter Chef
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Just got a Walkabout Scout from a local CR guy and I'm really digging the sound! One issue: a fairly loud humming that can be heard when not playing. I'm playing an '09 P-bass that I suspect is at least part of the issue, but the hum is certainly louder through the WS. Anyone have ideas for a remedy?
Is the hum audible with the volume on the amp turned down? How about with the volume turned up, but with no cable plugged into the amp input? If there is no noise in either of these situations, it is probably not the amp but the bass combined with the environment (lighting on faders, flourescent lighting, bad electrical grounding or ground loop in the bass or in the wall, computer or other electronic equipment causing interference, etc...)...
Ground loop is always a good place to start. Use one of those 2prong to 3 prong adapters on the ac power and see if that works.
Just used my new walkabout combo at church today with my 75 reissue. Verything flat with master at 3 and gain at 2. I love the grind the amp put out. Was never a fan of distorted sounds but this is my first amp with any kinda tube. I think I'm in love. This makes my markbass rig sound too contained and safe
+1 to the fantastic grit sounds in the Walkabout. My last amp was an Ashdown ABM 500, which I thought had a really nice driven tone, but I still felt compelled to use my VT bass pedal with it for a little more cutting grit. Since I got the walkabout... no more need for the VT, and my naturally overdriven tone (Rick or Precision played with pick, gain knob set around 1:30-2:00) is fantastic. I used to even kick on overdrive and fuzz quite a bit, these days I rarely even feel the need... I might do away with the pedalboard altogether now that I've got the Walkabout. Great little amp!
It's funny... It was my love for the VT Bass pedal that drove me to look for an amp that sounded like that and I ended up with a Scout. Dishes that sound out like buddah.
Just checked all of the above back at my house. Seems to be the bass. Whenever I crank up the volume on it the hum gets louder. If I crank the amp and leave the bass at a lower volume, its better. Amp itself throws a bit of noise when cranked, but nothing out of the ordinary. I guess I need to look into shielding on the bass. The odd thing is that this was not a problem (I don't think) through another amp I sometimes use with the band. Oh well, the guitar players send out plenty of buzz and hum I guess I need to join the parade!
Worth trying your bass with a different cable, and then a different bass before you give up on hum; fwiw, mine is reasonably quiet
Here's a link to a little experiment I did. My friend lives in Koyoto Japan and makes weird techno music. I took a 35 min. live show of his and layed some Dub Bass on top with my Walkabout DI out.
The sound is so fat clean and deep even despite it being an MP3. I was so pumped to hear how it sounded.... My playing is a different story...
I just improved all in one take as though I was there playing live with him and it's a little sloppy. I didn't review the whole track before I started recording but it is what it is. Enough excuses for my playing.
The bass sound at the end around the 29 min. mark sounds particularly huge. The beginning is pretty cool too.
The point of this post??? The WA can do dub with style!
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The sound is so fat clean and deep even despite it being an MP3. I was so pumped to hear how it sounded.... My playing is a different story...
I just improved all in one take as though I was there playing live with him and it's a little sloppy. I didn't review the whole track before I started recording but it is what it is. Enough excuses for my playing. The bass sound at the end around the 29 min. mark sounds particularly huge. The beginning is pretty cool too.The point of this post??? The WA can do dub with style!
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What kind of cab/speaker situation were you using with the other amp? In a whole band setting, to be heard you are probably pushing the amp and cab pretty hard I would imagine. I wouldn't recommend just a single 12" Scout cab for playing with a whole band unless it is a jazz gig with a light-handed drummer- otherwise you are probably pushing both the amp and cab into significant compression to get enough volume, which will make the noise when you aren't playing much louder. If your previous amp had a bigger cabinet, it required less power to get the same volume so you didn't need to turn it up loud enough to make the noise from you bass problematic.
Just a theory based on some of my early amp experiences!
lomo said:
Nooooooooo! Say it ain't so! Sorry to hear it Lomo. Please let us know what you moved to as there isn't any obvious amp to go from the WA.
Gone back to M9. Not nearly as sweet a tone, but no slouch and handles everything with all the whistles I like
If and when the Walkabout stomp edition materializes, I'lll be back!
Sorry to hear this news; I was about to buy an Avatar 15/6 but couldn't resist a lighweight Stingray that popped up.
You could always use a more effecient cab (read heavy) cabinet.
Didn't you get a Streamliner?
If not have you tried one as a possible WA replacement?
You could always use a more effecient cab (read heavy) cabinet.
Didn't you get a Streamliner?
If not have you tried one as a possible WA replacement?
Lomo;
totally can't blame you. The M9 totally rocks on'es face right off and then some.
For loud jobs, with my WA, I tend to use speeks that make a tall vertical stack.
I just got two 8 ohm GK112's, and an MB Fusion. I'm pretty hopeful that the 2x112 vertical stack will work well with the Walkabout as well.
Personally, I think you might have a tube going bad, cause I never push mine hard enough to make it overdrive, and with the right cabs it's loud enough for my big jobs; and I don't go thru the mains.
totally can't blame you. The M9 totally rocks on'es face right off and then some.
For loud jobs, with my WA, I tend to use speeks that make a tall vertical stack.
I just got two 8 ohm GK112's, and an MB Fusion. I'm pretty hopeful that the 2x112 vertical stack will work well with the Walkabout as well.
Personally, I think you might have a tube going bad, cause I never push mine hard enough to make it overdrive, and with the right cabs it's loud enough for my big jobs; and I don't go thru the mains.
I have a SL900 and like it.....don't love it, though. I use it for practice and like the phones out/aux in for that. I'll keep it as my backup but will play the M9 when we gig. I much prefer the M9 in our live mix and enjoy the compressor as well. I have simply wasted too much time trying to get the WA to be loud enough for me to persist. If I was willing to haul a 610 or even a pair of 210s it might work, but I'm gonna pack it in for now and go back to what is proven for me: M9 on LDS 15/6. I need to spend more time with Band In A Box and less in the gear classifieds, LOL.
It didn't impress me at our last gig (with the LDS), but was "fine". I dfinitely prefer the M9 and am willing to carry the few xtra pounds.
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