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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!

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#81
The only vents on my Walkabout are in the facepanel as shown below. I've gigged at least one hundred gigs at 2.67 ohms with this 4 ohm Scout on top of a Bergantino EX112 8 ohm cab. Very GOOD sounding rig. Looked a bit contrasting, but stacked well and sounded great. Never overheated or had any issues whatsoever.

scout3.jpg
 
#82
When did never change it's meaning?
You didn't link a thread, you quoted a post.

With the blackface unit, no longer had Scout cabs.
My black head has always been in a Mesa headcase, never in a Scout cab. However, I have run the black unit at two ohms more often that at 4 ohms.

Hope that's clear...

When I had Scout cabs, when I wasn't running the Scout solo I most often ran at 2.67, with a 4 ohm Scout and an 8 ohm Diesel 115, though I did use two Scout cabs as my main thing briefly.


MuthaFunk said:
In the thread I linked above about running your Scout below 4 Ohms you stated you did run the Scout at 2 Ohms...:confused:
Click to expand...
 
#83
Chef, I hope you don't take this as an attack as I have read many of your posts and value your experience and opinion. I just want to know what is your experience with running the Scout with the Walkabout mounted in the Scout combo.

Originally the question asked in this thread was:

ishouldbeking said:
No top vents on mine either and mine was purchased new from the Mesa store in October. I am curious how many of you with the non-vented design have run yours at 2 ohms extensively WHILE IN THE SCOUT COMBO.. I'm currently running mine at 2.6, as recommended by Mesa staff, but I'm curious since I know lots of you use the heads with different cabs.
Click to expand...

Notice the Caps "WHILE IN THE SCOUT"

Your reply:

Chef said:
In a Scout combo=never for me.
Mine's been in the headcase since I got it.

I run it at 2 ohms more often than not.
Click to expand...

Now in this thread a day earlier:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/s...lkabout-scout-2-2-6-ohms-742327/#post10462126

You posted the following:
Chef said:
Really, I don't think it's a poor design.
I've had all three versions now.
Both my earlier Walkabouts I ran in the Scout, and often at 2 ohms.
I never had heat issues, even outdoors in mid-summer. The flow-thru cooling seemed very effective to me.

I no longer had a Scout cab when I got my '09 black-faced head; but I've run the new one much more often at 2 ohms than at 4 ohms. It's never flinched.

Nothin wrong with being cautious though..
Click to expand...

I'm just confused that's all...
 
#84
No offense taken; and, let me try again.

Only the newest of the new black face version has a vented top cover: therefore, all earlier versions are non-vented: yes?
I didn't even know they was a new top cover, and my current black face does not have the vented cover...

Both of my earlier silverface versions spent time in a Scout cab. Both of units got about equal time solo'd at 4 ohms, or, with a 4 or 8 ohm extension.
So, 2.67 or 2 ohms. Never had an issue, and when I was running 2.67 or 2 ohms, it was pushed hard, cause, ya know, it was required, or I wouldn't have brought the second cab.

When I went unemployed, I sold both Scouts, and both Diesel 115's; but kept the second gen Walkabout, and headcase. During this period, I used either one or two 4 ohm LDS 2x8 cabs. So, Probably 70% 2 ohm use. No Scout cabs left.

When the current blackfaced unit came out. I flipped my silverface.
I'ved used the black unit about the same 70% of the time at 2 ohms, but, always in the Mesa headcase.

Hope that's clear enough.
 
#85
Fired up the new Walkabout Scout + Scout Extension this afternoon on lunch and noticed something weird but perhaps it's just my ears. I had a Walkabout previously and as everyone has mentioned the fan was a bit noisy but you didn't notice while playing. Today there was the usual fan noise but in addition it sounded like the noise was being amplified, like a hiss through the speakers, tweeters turned off and it still did it. Also seems to buzz when I play an A on the E string and I can tell if its the speaker or a slight buzz from the fretboard. The tone is as I remember but a bit deeper which I attribute to the radiator cabs as opposed to my NeoX-212T which was the cab I was using before with the head. The buzz could also be attributed a bit to the snare and kit which rattles like hell when I play solo at the rehearsal space so I'll know more tonight after practice, but any ideas on the hiss. It sounded a lot like the hiss you sometimes get from DI through the PA but it was coming from my rig.
 
#89
FWIW I've never had any "noise" from my WA coming through a cab, only the fan. It should be waiting for me on Mon when I return from being on the road at a conference. I plan to do a fan mod on it, try some tube rolling and generally rock it out next week.....I have not enjoyed being without it at all!
 
#90
Gigged a *loud* garage rock show tonight, and had no trouble keeping up. Walkabout DI sounded great through the PA, and the little 112 Scout combo was only at 10 o'clock, with the main just over noon.

This thing rips, and each time I gig it, I feel sorry that the opening bands have such crummy gear.

:hiding:
 
#91
My Walkabout seems quieter than the last I had, could be the cabs though. Last time I was running through a 4ohm NeoX212T and never had the master above noon. Last night @ rehearsal running the two Scout Cabs @ 4ohms total and had master @ 3oclock and gain @ noon. Anyway, if I start tube rolling how do I tell which is moicrophonic? Isn't there like 6 preamp size tubes in the Walkabout?
 
#92
There are two tubes in there.
One preamp tube, and one tube sriving the mosfet power section.

To determine if one is micro-phonic, remove the top cover, plug in, power up, and tap gently on one, then the other with a pencil. If one is micro-phonic, it should ring out and make horrid noises.
 
#93
kaiser_sosea said:
Thinking about my post above a little more, could it be a tube that's gone microphonic or been unseated in shipping? Or is this just how walkabouts sound?
Click to expand...

Mine is dead quiet with the EQ reasonably flat; if I pin the treble, you will hear some hiss
Amazingly, the fan on mine is very quiet

Was pushing mine pretty good through the standard rehearsal rig with 2x15 w/ Altec 421's and was thinking that it was slightly more "hairy" around the attack of each note and that maybe my used tubes are allowing for slightly more distortion as they get older; band mates said not to change a thing; it might be slightly distorted (which is not my thing) but the way the bass sits in the mix is perfect

FWIW, I've played with this same guitarist on and off for over 25 years and he admitidly has never felt the need to gush over bass tone nearly as much as with the WA.
Previous heads were from Ampeg (3 Pro), Acoustic, SWR, Trace, Yamaha and SVP pre / power rigs.
 
#94
Also:
Master at three and volume at noon is as loud than that head gets. In fact, noon/noon is juuuust about as loud as it gets, and beyond that, you're really adding color, and not much more volume...
If you're going to have noise issues, that would be when they'd show up.
Yessir.
 
#95
Tried this the other night:

Volume at noon and master at about 10:30 - sounded good as always but was trying to get less wooliness - This is my normal set up
Then tried
Master on full and volume up to equal same loudness level (think it was at about 9:00) - not any cleaner but also not as 3-D, full, harmonically rich, etc.

My conclusion is that a WA (at least with the tubes I'm running) does not really change the clarity with the volume between say 8:00 and 12:00 however it does change the tonality; this of course asssuming that the master is adjusted for the same output voulme

Anybody agree / disagree?
 
#96
Jim C said:
Tried this the other night:

Volume at noon and master at about 10:30 - sounded good as always but was trying to get less wooliness - This is my normal set up
Then tried
Master on full and volume up to equal same loudness level (think it was at about 9:00) - not any cleaner but also not as 3-D, full, harmonically rich, etc.

My conclusion is that a WA (at least with the tubes I'm running) does not really change the clarity with the volume between say 8:00 and 12:00 however it does change the tonality; this of course asssuming that the master is adjusted for the same output voulme

Anybody agree / disagree?
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with your conclusion. Once I past noon, it's grit-city, but I haven't noticed much of a difference between -- say -- 9 and 11 o'clock. Maybe I'm not listening closely enough to gain variability, though.
 
#97
Jim C said:
Tried this the other night:

not any cleaner but also not as 3-D, full, harmonically rich, etc.
Click to expand...

That 3D full richness is what i just couldn't believe about the WA Scout I tried at GC. Will this amp do this with other cabs or is it a synergy of the amp and cabs? I've been looking at the GB S900 but, if it can't do the 3d thing......I may be back here in the WA thread...thanks
 
#98
It does it with other cabs
I've only used the WA with a Berg HT322, TL606, 2x15 w/ Altecs
When compared to an SVT, SVP / Power ampo, LMII, Acoustic 370, or SM400, the WA does the 3D full richness better IMO

The only thing I want is more power; if the SL can sound like the Mesa I'd switch but I'd have to be dead sure about the tonal qualities
 
#100
not the same, I know, but, I occasionally use my UL410 with the walkabout.
the walkabout "makes up" for some of the mid-scoop of that cab, so, it works well enough.
 
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