Yep, that's the one!
It's also in one of the other versions of this thread, I saw it yesterday at some point while going through them.
On another note, I'll be picking up my Walkabout Scout Combo 1X12 tonight!
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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!
- Thread starter Chef
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Yep, that's the one!
It's also in one of the other versions of this thread, I saw it yesterday at some point while going through them.
On another note, I'll be picking up my Walkabout Scout Combo 1X12 tonight!
While the WA has tubes in it, it's still got a solid state power section driving the speakers... so technically, it isn't an honest-to-goodness valve amp.
It's just the next best thing!
Oh, and McCartney's cabs are discontinued Diesel Series (IIRC) 1516's and 2x15's.
OK, thanks...further research and further questions.
First I am not a purist....I want the valve warmth, and it was McCartney's sound that started me looking at Mesa amps. But I am worried that the valves need to be working at a certain level to sound good. How is the Walkabout at low volume...say jamming with an acoustic player in a loungeroom? And how well does the sound scale, say up to running it with 2X15s or similar in a medium size bar?
Second, I already own an EV TL bin, and the Diesel cabs are a straight copy it seems, even down to using an EV driver. So I could theoretically hunt down a second EV TL second hand, or even build one if I don't care about it looking different, and combine them with the WB head to get my 2X15 combination. Is anyone doing anything like this, and can you comment on how it sounds different from the scout configuration, and whether you can get a good sound both on stage and to FOH using this approach? Being a copy of the EV TL, the Diesel is an old design. What will I lose with this approach?
1) the Walkabout isn't a valve amp, it has one preamp tube, and one tube that drives the mosfet power section.
2) The diesel 115's aren't tuned as low as the scout cab. they won't sound as fat, but they work real well.
3) two of the diesel 115's is a crushingly great rig. I reloaded mine with Eminence 3015 neos.
2) The diesel 115's aren't tuned as low as the scout cab. they won't sound as fat, but they work real well.
3) two of the diesel 115's is a crushingly great rig. I reloaded mine with Eminence 3015 neos.
Yep, +1 to all that Chef says.
And, yes the WA will sound great at low volumes. I regularly use mine in an acoustic trio.
I can even easily dial in a nice overdrive, by cranking the gain level & keeping the master vol level low.
I regularly use my WA head with 2 x 1x15"s. Sounds fan-bloody-tastic!
And, yes the WA will sound great at low volumes. I regularly use mine in an acoustic trio.
I can even easily dial in a nice overdrive, by cranking the gain level & keeping the master vol level low.
I regularly use my WA head with 2 x 1x15"s. Sounds fan-bloody-tastic!
1) the Walkabout isn't a valve amp, it has one preamp tube, and one tube that drives the mosfet power section.
2) The diesel 115's aren't tuned as low as the scout cab. they won't sound as fat, but they work real well.
3) two of the diesel 115's is a crushingly great rig. I reloaded mine with Eminence 3015 neos.
Fast response. Wow, thanks.
Re valve vs mosfet, I understand Walkabout is a hybrid but I don't understand how it affects sound, since I have always been a solid state guy. (The Walkabout would replace a 30 y.o. Peavey Mk III head). My theoretical understanding is that the tubes have to be driven at a certain level to work their magic, and I had read the palaver about the interaction between the DI level and the Master. So I guess what I am really asking is, are all the tubes fully engaged regardless of where I set the Master.
Re Eminence, exactly what I was thinking of doing. That would give me 800W of handling for 300W of amp. I assume 300W is enough to make them respond? (My current TL is 150W so two of them would theoretically work but if I start driving the head beyond its rated power, who knows).
Oh, does the head case serve any functional purpose or is it cosmetic?
Well, define "make them work..."
The Walkabout at lower volumes, is nicely fat and creamy.
Raising the input level by degree changes tone from nicely motown/old school to more aggressive, to flat out grind and distortion, if that's what you want. The power section starts compressing lower notes along the way, just like a tube amp.
Yes, 300 watts with those 215's works them just fine.
That rig was louder than I ever needed to be.
BTW; the bass pictured, for those who asked is
a 1980 (first year of production) G&L L1000.
G&L= George and Leo, who you might remember worked together at Fender and MusicMan.
It's passive, ebony f/b, mahogany body,
one big aggressive humbucker with coil taps for dual parallel, single coil, single coil with bass boost
Controls are volume, treble cut, bass cut
The Walkabout at lower volumes, is nicely fat and creamy.
Raising the input level by degree changes tone from nicely motown/old school to more aggressive, to flat out grind and distortion, if that's what you want. The power section starts compressing lower notes along the way, just like a tube amp.
Yes, 300 watts with those 215's works them just fine.
That rig was louder than I ever needed to be.
BTW; the bass pictured, for those who asked is
a 1980 (first year of production) G&L L1000.
G&L= George and Leo, who you might remember worked together at Fender and MusicMan.
It's passive, ebony f/b, mahogany body,
one big aggressive humbucker with coil taps for dual parallel, single coil, single coil with bass boost
Controls are volume, treble cut, bass cut
My own approach is to ignore the theoretical and to embrace the actual (what's the difference between theory and actuality? Well, theoretically, there is none
). To me, the WA is THE single greatest amp I've ever played my Precision through, and I'm able to trust Mesa/Boogie to the extent of not second guessing their engineers (although they sure as hell should have asked me about the handle on the Walkabout Scout).
Also, yes, the DI is effected by master volume.
If you percieve this as a problem, it's easily worked around by not tweaking master volume on a live stage.
I always set the master and input gain where I need them for the night, and make dynamic changes with right hand attack/technique, so, it's never been an issue of concern for me.
If you percieve this as a problem, it's easily worked around by not tweaking master volume on a live stage.
I always set the master and input gain where I need them for the night, and make dynamic changes with right hand attack/technique, so, it's never been an issue of concern for me.
My own approach is to ignore the theoretical and to embrace the actual (what's the difference between theory and actuality? Well, theoretically, there is none
Same here, but I am going to have a limited amount of time to play with the head before I outlay what is, for me, a lot of money. So I am trying to understand what I need to look for.
I was adding a question about the head case as you were replying to my previous post. Does the head case serve a functional purpose or is it cosmetic?
I picked mine up last night, but I won't get to play through it until tomorrow night.
Stupid responsibilities...
Stupid responsibilities...
I agree the case looks pretty sweet.
Do you know how heavy it is? Too much weight isn't a good thing.
But is the sweetness of the case sufficient to offset the somewhat less sweet look on my wife's face at the extra money I spent?
She's smart...she just gives me permission to buy whatever I want, said in such a way that the guilt is unbearable. So hard to compete with a woman...they are SOOOO much better at mind games...
But she's worth it.
Seriously, I live 100 miles away from the nearest Mesa/Boogie dealer. Luckily I have a friend who plays bass in a jazz band who recommended it to me. I drove to Houston (130 miles), picked up another friend who plays bass, then to Beaumont (100 miles) where we both tried out the Walkabout Scout 1x15, then I drove him back to Houston and came back home. I knew I had a good sounding amp, but it wasn't until a month later when I played an outdoor gig with it that I knew what tonal magic lurked inside that box. It spoiled me for anything else. I now wish I had bought the head only: if you've been following our story so far, you are aware that the 63 lb 1x15 version has a little strap handle in the middle of the cabinet. This makes it very difficult to horse into the back of my Matrix. The solution was to pull the head out and pair it with two 8 ohm Genz-Benz speakers, as noted above.
But this amp is the voice of God playing a Precision (what else would He play?). It's worth the expense, worth the weight, well worth the Gibson Les Paul I sold to finance it. There are players for whom it won't be a good fit, and there has been plenty of discussion about that. But for me, the long and winding journey to the home of the tone dragon is now over. I just wish I could find a guitar amp that sounds as good with my 335. My point is simple: try one and you'll want one.
I'm not pointing at anyone, specifically here, but:
"my how times have changed."
When I was coming up, I would have killed for something that worked as well as the Walkabout 15, and "weighed only 60lbs."
Sure, there are lighter, more easily managed combos.
They don't sound as good.
"my how times have changed."
When I was coming up, I would have killed for something that worked as well as the Walkabout 15, and "weighed only 60lbs."
Sure, there are lighter, more easily managed combos.
They don't sound as good.
Amen, brother!
The older you are, the more appreciation you can have for something like the WA.
To compare and contrast:
Waaaaaay back in the day, I had a Peavey Combo 300 I used a lot.
Same 300 watts, same 115 layout.
That ole dog weighed 100lbs if it weighed an ounce, and while it was loud, it sure didn't sound aaaaaaanywhere near as good as the Walkabout.
Waaaaaay back in the day, I had a Peavey Combo 300 I used a lot.
Same 300 watts, same 115 layout.
That ole dog weighed 100lbs if it weighed an ounce, and while it was loud, it sure didn't sound aaaaaaanywhere near as good as the Walkabout.
Does anyone know when they added the FX loop bypass switch? I forgot to look at mine last night to see if it had it or not.
It does have a switch for the active/passive input as opposed to two separate inputs, but I'm thinking it was added and didn't originally come with it. The front panel still says "Active" above the top input, and "Passive" at the other...where the switch is now located.
The amp was originally purchased in 2008 if that helps, but I have no idea if it was made in 08' For all I know it sat around for 5 years...before it was purchased.
Oh...and does anybody use the hand truck attachment thingy that Mesa makes for the 1X12? Does it work well?
It does have a switch for the active/passive input as opposed to two separate inputs, but I'm thinking it was added and didn't originally come with it. The front panel still says "Active" above the top input, and "Passive" at the other...where the switch is now located.
The amp was originally purchased in 2008 if that helps, but I have no idea if it was made in 08' For all I know it sat around for 5 years...before it was purchased.
Oh...and does anybody use the hand truck attachment thingy that Mesa makes for the 1X12? Does it work well?
On the odd occasion where I didn't quite get my stage volume right and felt the need to adjust it mid gig I've simply adjusted the master volume and eyeballed the opposite adjustment on the DI level pot. I always checked with someone I knew with good ears in the crowd and have never heard the bass sound was off. I always shoot for what Chef does and get it right during sound check but as a last resort you still do have one other option.
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