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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!

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#861
I also agree with the majority on the tonal qualities of what I consider the greatest hybrid amp ever built. The Streamliner is more like the MPulse 600. I never could figure that out, with the Mesa's I mean. They always called the 600 the WA "bigger brother". Never did see that, much as I wanted it to be true.
 
#862
KJung said:
I've gigged both heads quite a bit. They sound way different, even though they are the only two hybrids that in any way (IMO) sound like they have an all tube signal path. In that way they are similar.

The Streamliner, of course, will bury the Walkabout volume-wise (many times over). it is much deeper down low, much more glassy up top (really cops that 'all tube treble' response like a Sadowsky SA200 or an SVT run REALLY low and clean).

The Walkabout is much brighter (bright meaning that upper midrange brightness and a bit of distortion that is baked into that amp to my ears. It is also big down low, but that can lead to a bit of looseness due to the relatively low power. The DI is a bit funky on this amp... no way to run it pre EQ.

Where the Shuttle is big and clean and pure and wide, with that very pure 'studio pure' top end, the Walkabout will always growl and grunt a bit (which is somewhat of a Mesa trade=mark) and is more upper mid present/bright up top.

Both are miracles of engineering IMO. Just like every all tube amp sounds quite different, these are quite different takes on an amazingly realistic tone and feel that brings to mind an all-tube signal chain.

+1 though... the Streamliner is in no way the much sought after 'more powerful Walkabout'. It is its own thing, and a bit closer in tone to the MPulse600 (another great 'all tube emulation amp) than the Walkabout.
Click to expand...

Again,I totally disagree that the STL is anything like the SVT. I owned a SVT for yrs & 95% of the time ran it totally clean at low vol.~I just can't see ANY likeness between the 2.
Oh, one. I really liked the STL's overdrive tones. Similar to a cranked SVT-with the right eq, but as I found out-the eq-or voicing- of the STL was what just didn't work for me.
Glad it does work for many, but, sadly, not for me.
But, back to the WA. THANK GOODNESS it's such a versatile little beast , I end up using it for about 80% of gigs. In it's Scout combo for some & with other cabs for others.
& yep, I wish it had a pre/post eq too!
 
#863
rodl2005 said:
Again,I totally disagree that the STL is anything like the SVT. I owned a SVT for yrs & 95% of the time ran it totally clean at low vol.~I just can't see ANY likeness between the 2.
Oh, one. I really liked the STL's overdrive tones. Similar to a cranked SVT-with the right eq, but as I found out-the eq-or voicing- of the STL was what just didn't work for me.
Glad it does work for many, but, sadly, not for me.
But, back to the WA. THANK GOODNESS it's such a versatile little beast , I end up using it for about 80% of gigs. In it's Scout combo for some & with other cabs for others.
& yep, I wish it had a pre/post eq too!
Click to expand...


The Walkabout is very cool. And again, +1 every amp sounds different. The 'clean SVT' thing just comes to mind for me with the Streamliner played through a sealed 10" cab. I assume if you played them both side by side through a more 'transparent cab' the differences would be quite large.
 
#866
KJung said:
The Walkabout is very cool. And again, +1 every amp sounds different. The 'clean SVT' thing just comes to mind for me with the Streamliner played through a sealed 10" cab. I assume if you played them both side by side through a more 'transparent cab' the differences would be quite large.
Click to expand...

I played the STL I owned thru so many cabs I lost count. But I did try it thru SVT810(MIK) & A BERG NV610
& still no cigar.
I really wanted the STL to work for me, so I ain't 'against' it.
But O find real tube amps totally different. None have that huge fatness & hardly any mids that I found the STL has. The STL SOUNDED great by itself, but lost in a mix.
I also played with the gain (with button off & on) & eq's heaps too. As I said, I really wanted it to work for me!
Tube amps, that I've used all my life are, to me, the opposite. They sound pretty flat to me, & often a li'l boring by themselves, but shine in a band mix. Like the WA too.
See- I brought this back OT! :-P
 
#867
Finally gigged the Walkabout/2xGK112 vertical stack.
With the Rev PJ it was nice enough, I tweaked mids a bit at 2khz and treb a bit a 6khz to get it shiny enough for me.
With the Sadowsky MV5, which is pretty bright by nature, I went back to flat, and I really liked that. Big, phat, organic, meaty mids, no overdrive, and with the Sadowsky, plenty of shine and cut. Boosted Sadowsky treble a tad, cut passive tone a tad, bass flat.

The two GK's are plenty loud and efficient, and made for plenty of headroom for me; input at noon, master at about 9 oclock.

I may use that rig more...
 
#869
Chef said:
Finally gigged the Walkabout/2xGK112 vertical stack.
With the Rev PJ it was nice enough, I tweaked mids a bit at 2khz and treb a bit a 6khz to get it shiny enough for me.
With the Sadowsky MV5, which is pretty bright by nature, I went back to flat, and I really liked that. Big, phat, organic, meaty mids, no overdrive, and with the Sadowsky, plenty of shine and cut. Boosted Sadowsky treble a tad, cut passive tone a tad, bass flat.

The two GK's are plenty loud and efficient, and made for plenty of headroom for me; input at noon, master at about 9 oclock.

I may use that rig more...
Click to expand...

You know, it is a really nice combination!
 
#870
Apart from the Scout cab, the best sound I've had with a different cab was using the WA into my Berg NV215 LUSH!
But, I haven't had the WA sound anything but good into any cab I've tried it with.
I particularly like it with the Scout & a Berg AE112 stacked.
Have heard nothing but good things re the GK NEO 12" cabs-both 112 & 212
 
#872
Had a gig with back line yesterday. SWR 350 over an Ampeg 410 classic, with the tube ports on the bottom. Since I don't care for SWR amps, I pulled the Walkabout from the combo. Played old Jazz with flats. Sounded big and greasy the way I like it. When Who Do You Love was called I just cranked the pre amp and got some filth. Did me proud, that little amp.
 
#873
Chef said:
IMO, the SVT brings a lot of mids and low mids to the game.
IMO, the SL900 didn't.

The Walkabout is quite rich thru the mids, IMO

YMMV, etc.
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I've been playing around with an SL900 for a few weeks now- I find that it does remind me of the tone I would get with my SVT or 400+ when I'd set the volume really low. Then turning either of those amps up increasingly pushed more power into the midrange harmonics and away from the deep lows, where the Streamliner just stays smooth and deep into really loud volumes. I find the Walkabout is closer tonally to a tube amp when pushed than any other solid-state amp I've ever heard, as it also tends to get more mid-forward when pushed without getting harsh at all (possibly one benefit of the lower headroom of a 300 watt amp). The Streamliner by itself can't even touch the upper mid beauty of the Walkabout, though I can approximate it pretty well with my Rusty Box pre before the amp. I think the Streamliner has a decent amount of low-mid content, but it is overpowered by the deep low end. If I run a relatively shallow high-pass filter before the amp set at around 100hZ (been using an fDeck HPF pre), with the Bass control on the amp almost all the way off I still have plenty of low mids, but with a much more Walkabout-eque low end at higher volumes. I have really been digging the SL900 + HPF + Rusty Box combo into my NV610, but it'd be nice if I could dial something similar in without the need of the Hi-pass filter (I still use the Rusty Box, just EQ'd differently with the Walkabout)...
 
#874
I've gone through this thread and read about pairing with a bunch of different cabs, but has anyone paired a walkabout with an 8 ohm Powerhouse 4X10?

For when I need volume I usually go to my Eden WT800 with the PH 4X10. When I need to be really loud I throw an 8 ohm Eden 210XLT on top of the PH410 and run the WT in bridged mono mode.

I just picked up a used walkabout that I'm thinking of using in place of the WT800 and looking for any experience or guidance.
 
#875
i love my walkabout. i have the 8 ohm combo with 8 ohm ext. speaker and it really kills with my am. dlx p bass and stingray. its always set flat. i kick on my bddi set flat for instant reggae/dub tone. something about the wa preamp and bddi together is just beautiful. very thick. i recently used it for acoustic guitar and my piezo equipped larrivee went from a duck mating call to a very warm and very pleasant sound. the tubes and passive radiator really help warm up the guitar. im sure its great for hollowbody basses and uprights.
 
#877
tcald2004 said:
i love my walkabout. i have the 8 ohm combo with 8 ohm ext. speaker and it really kills with my am. dlx p bass and stingray. its always set flat. i kick on my bddi set flat for instant reggae/dub tone. something about the wa preamp and bddi together is just beautiful. very thick. i recently used it for acoustic guitar and my piezo equipped larrivee went from a duck mating call to a very warm and very pleasant sound. the tubes and passive radiator really help warm up the guitar. im sure its great for hollowbody basses and uprights.
Click to expand...

Lakland Skyline Hollowbody with flats into the WA is very nice!
 
#878
It'll power both of them just fine.

Willicious said:
i just wrapped the build of my fEARful 15/6 cab, and am really enjoying it with my WA head.
The KappaLite 15 seems to like a little less db at 50hz. Ballsy tone heaven.

Just wish I had more than 300W on tap, as I'll be building a second 15/6 soon. :hiding:
Click to expand...
 
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