Mesa Boogie Walkabout Part 5!!!

[Chef]

400/+:
I have two 400+, and one 400....but, it's been years since I had one. Probably not best for me to address that.

There's surely someone here who has had both closer together in time.

 

[lomo]

Along the lines of a more powerful Walkabout, how does the Mesa 400+ compare to the Walkabout tone wise?

I've never had a chance to try the 400+. I know it'd be a lot heavier and you'd have to deal with power tubes but would the tone be similar?

Some will say no other head can "do" the WA sound. IME (and for the type of tone I dig from the WA, barely overdriven with low mids bumped and highs slightly cut) the clean channel of the BB750 will do it, but that head weighs over 30 lbs, a full rack in depth and is loaded with other features I do not need. The Titan is essentially Siamese twin 750s (although I have not heard it) and would probably do the same. Both are pricey as well. YMMV.

 

[Chef]

The 750 ain't got the jammin' eq though.
Also: I seriously doubt it would work for double bass.

Just sayin'.

 

[rodl2005]

The Magna Cart works great for me w/ the Scout 12.
Amazon.com: Magna Cart Personal Hand Truck: Sports & Outdoors

Dan

I've that same fold up hand cart too. Comes with me everywhere & Yes it works well for multiple uses.
I only use my larger D handle type trolley/cart.... for the PA bins or for big heavy loads.
The WA even in it's combo form, or in it's cool headcase, doesn't come into that category
Welcome Leon, wow! Never played a 15" - I'd never played thru 10"s until about 10yrs ago so 32 or so yrs into my gigging career
I, too, use the WA into some AE cabs. Love it!
Apart from the WA scout cab, the nicest I've ever heard it was thru the Berg NV215............

That I've HAD to offload Damn back! Drat, drat & double drat!

 

[lomo]

The 750 ain't got the jammin' eq though.
Also: I seriously doubt it would work for double bass.

Just sayin'.

Don't know (jack) about double bass, but I concur that a big part of the WA appeal is it's eq, as well as the superb way the tubes respond to changes in gain. It's a masterful execution, but only a 300 watt execution.

 

[sunbeast]

Along the lines of a more powerful Walkabout, how does the Mesa 400+ compare to the Walkabout tone wise?

I've never had a chance to try the 400+. I know it'd be a lot heavier and you'd have to deal with power tubes but would the tone be similar?

Having owned both, I can say that they are not that similar flat but can be dialed to sound reasonably close. As tubey as the Walkabout sounds, it just doesn't have the seemingly endless headroom/depth feeling of an earthquake behind the notes that a 400+ has though. The EQs are also not that similar- a Baxandall circuit and graphic EQ on the 400+ (where "flat" is mids on 10 and bass and treble on 2) vs. the Walkabout semi-parametrics and weird "passive mid" control w/ more straightforward bass and treble. That said, they are the two amps I've been happiest with tonewise overall in all the amps I've ever owned. I had to tweak the 400+ quite a bit more to get to the "perfect" tone for me (though alot of that was just getting it closer to a "flat" tone profile to begin with) and prefered that tone overall to my Walkabout tone, though I always imagine that a Walkabout with a 900 watt power section would probably be able to hit nearly the same sweet spot with minimal tweaking required (minus the grindier/more overdriven tones of the 400+, which don't really sound the same as an overdriven Walkabout)...

All and all, the perceived headroom is the biggest thing I miss from my 400+. I certainly don't miss the weight/size/cost/lack of adjustable bias/etcetera! As many have said time and time again- a more powerful Walkabout that actually nailed the same tones would pretty much be "the amp" for me!

 

[BassyBill]

Time for a new thread:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/mesa-boogie-walkabout-part-6-a-812562/