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Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout 12 vs 15

#21
hope this isn't too much a thread hijack, but this seems to be the place to ask.

like many of you, i'm downsizing. and as soon as my 400+ and powerhouse 1x15 and 2x10 sell, i'm gonna grab a scout combo and cab.

but i've always loved the combo of both 15's and 10's, and as it happens, have a couple of 10" neodynium boogie speakers laying around as well as able-handed friends who build cabs.

what do you guys think about removing a 15, grabbing some ply & a jigsaw, and dropping two 10's into one of the cabs?

or am i completely out of my mind? can it even be done?

or would i end up with nothing more than a fancy bedside endtable with a boogie logo on it?
 
#22
RickenBoogie said:
The answer is, both. Your tone will improve instantly, (my Opinion), but going from 410's to 1 12 will be a cut in percieved volume. I'd suggest you get the Walkabout head, and a 2x12 cab. Then, you'd be ahead of the game on both counts. Good luck.
Click to expand...

!!!
but if i go to 1 15? not a big difference? i use my amp on gigs in a volume 6/10...
maybe the detachable amp works good with my 4x10 (and a sell my hartke head).... (an change cab wiring to 4 ohm)
many posibilities!

another problem is bring one big amp to Brazil, i go to USA on my vacation trip in october and this is a my "gift" from there... :p

tks for response! ;)
 
#23
gentry said:
hope this isn't too much a thread hijack, but this seems to be the place to ask.

like many of you, i'm downsizing. and as soon as my 400+ and powerhouse 1x15 and 2x10 sell, i'm gonna grab a scout combo and cab.

but i've always loved the combo of both 15's and 10's, and as it happens, have a couple of 10" neodynium boogie speakers laying around as well as able-handed friends who build cabs.

what do you guys think about removing a 15, grabbing some ply & a jigsaw, and dropping two 10's into one of the cabs?

or am i completely out of my mind? can it even be done?

or would i end up with nothing more than a fancy bedside endtable with a boogie logo on it?
Click to expand...

Fancy end table. That Scout cabinet is designed for the speaker that's inside it and does the best it can with it--unless I'm misunderstanding your plan, which I think is to hack a Scout cab and drop in two neo 10s. Better to just design and build a 2x10 cab for your 10s.
 
#24
I totally think that the 112 scout is perfect.
It is plenty loud and few things in life can be held with just 1 hand.
I think it is perfectly sized, it's small enough to be nicely portable, and has a great tone.
The 15" is less portable to me, it is heavier and bulkier and loses it's charm as a combo because of it.
The 15" seems to handle the B string a tad better IMHO, not to say the 12" handles it poorly.. it seems more "solid".. to me though the 12" handles everything perfectly enough.
I use the 112 combo with a 112 scout radiator... you just HAVE to hear it to believe it.
 
#25
I was fortunate enough to try out both the 12 and 15 side by side. I decided on the 15; I felt it sounded a little more full and round, which worked well for the music I was performing at the time. I felt the 15 sounded more like what a bass amp should sound like.
However, on several occasions it would just stop working for no apparent reason. I was left standing on stage looking like a fool. I live very close to Mesa, and was able to take it in and have the guys working there take a look at it. They found nothing wrong. Problem happened a couple more times before I got rid of it on CL.
Bottom line: I liked the tone I got through the 15 better than the 12, but I did not find it to be reliable. Did I get the lemon? Probably.
 
#26
i was over at Crabby's yesterday and i played my Fury fretless through his WA 12 and i can honestly say that this was the nicest sounding bass tone ever. amazing amplifier if not a little pricey. damn near perfection in my opinion. it had so much bass that i can't imagine anyone needing more (15)
 
#27
I've owned both, and love 'em both. The 15 IS a "dragabout" as it is much bulkier and more to lug, but in contrast to the 12 (which is loud for a 12 but still a 12) can provide quite a bit more volume. If I was choosing 1 rig, I'd get the 15. I'd rather have the 12 and a 12 or 15 ext, however.
 
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#28
The real beauty of the Walkabout Scout is that the head can be so easily removed from the cab and used with other cabinets if desired. My WA sounds amazing with the Scout cab but when paired with my 2 Mesa 115 cabs, its game over!
 
#30
The 12" is 50 lbs. The 15" only weighs 56 lbs. I'd complain about the 15" size too as a combo, but it's so light I think it's fine and I can one-hand it well enough.

I own the 12" Scout and a 15" Radiator cab. To me the 15" is just more of everything, and yes it can easily have too much low end as can the Walkabout on its own or even with the 12". Only amp I've ever often cut the lows, no matter the cab.

I did have some gigs & rehearsals at which I was pushing the 12" too hard but still wanted the Scout sound and portability, so for me the 15" is great.
 
#31
i had a chance to play the walkabout 12 alongside the jeff berlin markbass 15 combo. it was a slaughter; no comparison - walkabout smoked it! i was really surprised because the berlin model has quite a following as well. i have decided that this is the amp for me- period.
 
#34
The Walkabout Scout comes standard with a 4 ohm speaker, but M/B will ship an 8 ohm if requested. That will allow you to run an external 8 ohm cab and end up with the same 4 ohm load.

On the other hand, no one has reported problems with running two 4 ohm speaker (2 ohm load) with this amp.

I have the 15, and it's still lighter than the Ampeg B100R I used to gig with. I love the tone, love the cream-vinyl look, and my AV 57 P loves it too.
 
#37
Guys -- I scored this custom wine lizard covered WA15 and 15 extension on CL. Will I be happy? Its overkill for my needs, but it just looks so cool.

Front.jpg

P1010002.jpg
 
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#39
I love and have owned them both. The main reason I love the 15 is that at 4 Ohms it can actually eat and spew all 300 watts and handle most gigs all by its' lonesome, whereas the 12 really doesn't benefit from being 4 Ohms IMO-it can handle 300 watts without damage, but stops getting louder before full head output. The 15 is dragabout-65 lbs and IMO significantly heavier and way bulkier than the 12. If you get the 12, I'd advise the optional 8 Ohm internal cab, whereas I'd go with 4 Ohms for the 15 for sure. The 15 cab be boomy, but a little low end cut on the eq and it is heavenly. IME comparing both at 4 Ohms, the 15 is very much louder and lower.
 

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