Mesa Walkabout Megathread!

[pfschim]

For that reason, I have always been hesitant to buy Mesa stuff, even though it's very good. However, the Walkabout Scout combos I find extremely overpriced for amps that only do 300w at 4 ohms. And now I see they're still up to treating their customers and dealers like crap. Give me Markbass any day of the week.

JimmyM, I know from your other MB posts that you are having a torrid love affair with your month old MB gear, (10+ posts started re the MB "revolution") BUT that does not mean that MB is the answer for all questions. And when you take a swipe at gear that a large number of your fellow TBer's own and truly appreciate, as much or more than your new found MB love, in a thread DEDICATED to that gear, then you are (possibly) tossing lit matches into flammable material.

62Bass and others have been (reasonably IMO) grousing about EU pricing for Mesa gear for a while now. That seems to be because they really like the gear and would like to be owners. I personally have been using Mesa gear for a number of years, and the Walkabout 12 for close to 2 years (quite a bit longer than your short term love affair with MB). All my experiences with Mesa have been good ones; the gear itself, the dealers, the Mesa artist reps, the support folks (the few times I needed to call for anything) etc etc.

As to whether or not Randall is difficult, who knows or who cares.

Please, by all means, wear your MB shirt with pride, post what you want about MB gear, this is America after all () but remember this is the Mesa Walkabout megathread, not a push MarkBass in every instance thread.

geez

 

[JimmyM]

I can understand you saying that, because nobody ever walked into the Markbass megathread and started trashing their products before, right?

BTW, I didn't trash the Walkabout. Looks like a fine amp. I'm just telling you the facts about its lower wattage and about a previous experience with Mesa CS and Randall Smith's reputation for being difficult to work with. Please learn to distinguish trashing from fact-stating. Merry Christmas and Baba Booey to y'all!

 

[62bass]

JimmyM, I know from your other MB posts tha
62Bass and others have been (reasonably IMO) grousing about EU pricing for Mesa gear for a while now.
geez

Actually, it was Bassman 62, not myself. That's okay-easy enough to mix us up.

 

[emblymouse]

geez

I've had nothing but excellent interactions with 3 different individuals at Mesa since buying a second hand Walkabout head. Everytime, above and beyond my expectations. I think you generally reap what you sew when it comes to your approach in your dealings with others.

 

[pfschim]

However, the Walkabout Scout combos I find extremely overpriced for amps that only do 300w at 4 ohms. And now I see they're still up to treating their customers and dealers like crap. Give me Markbass any day of the week.

hmmm.. when we use the personal pronoun "I" or the starting phrase "I find ... blah blah blah" we are not talking facts, we are talking opinion.

Then, there are many here (most actually if I recall correctly) who have great experiences (not crap) with Mesa CS, my own certainly bears this out. Your personal experience was certainly a "fact" in and of itself, but your broad over generalization ("And now I see they're still up to treating their customers and dealers like crap.") is not a fact in any way, but rather a broadly stated negative opinion.

And then you cap off all these "facts" with "Give me Markbass any day of the week". Factual ?? Other than saying it was 300w into 4 ohms, I think not .. flame bait .. quite possibly.

So .. flame on uncle chuckles

Finally, I personally have never waded into a post that specifically touted a piece of gear and down rapped anyones personal choice of gear. I guess there are those here who do, but generally I think of those folks as less experienced or certainly lacking a degree of interpersonal courtesy and restraint.

Is it possible that you are getting spiffed by Markbass to wander into other gear threads and push MB ?? you certainly seem to do it a lot lately (i.e MB is revolutionary) while pumping or defending the MB gear in threads you start (i.e MB backlash).

oh, and Merry Christmas to you as well

 

[pfschim]

Actually, it was Bassman 62, not myself. That's okay-easy enough to mix us up.

ha, my mistake. I'm mostly just tweaking Jimmy a bit for his unwelcome and newly developed habit of MB hustling .... in a Walkabout thread no less.

all in good fun, no harm intended.

 

[Rhythm5]

Persoanlly, I would love to see Mesa stuff another 200 watts and a mute switch into the Walkabout. I think that would be just enough for me to move the amp from my "really good" list, to my "great" list. Maybe we could generate an online petition and send it to Mesa! Hmmm....

 

[62bass]

ha, my mistake. I'm mostly just tweaking Jimmy a bit for his unwelcome and newly developed habit of MB hustling .... in a Walkabout thread no less.

all in good fun, no harm intended.

I understand and agree with much of what you say.

 

[JimmyM]

I love making new friends on the internet!

Actually, there were three facts I mentioned...the 300w thing, the CS problem we had in 1983, and the difficulties of dealing with people who work at Mesa. Those are, indeed, facts.

The rest is opinion. I think Mesa makes fine products, and I have used them in the past and liked them a lot, especially their guitar amps. If I played guitar more, I'd probably own one. I just found more value for my thing in M******s (name deleted to not look like a shill). Believe me, if I were a paid shill for them, I'd let everyone know about it loudly by directing everyone to my pic on the website under "endorsed artists," because I am a giant ham.

 

[Chef]

The customer service issue you had in 1983? Did I read that right?

The Walkabout head is the biggest dang 300 watts I've ever used.
It's easily on par with a TFB550, Eden Metro, heck, Mesa's own 400+. In the scout chassis maybe not so much, but with a bigger cab, or an extension cab, I certainly don't need more. I have two rigs that are over 1600 watts, so I know what big power is.

I bought my Scout combo for $600 used. Mesa CS-what I've needed-has been exemplary. Same with my decades old 400.

A mute switch would be welcome.

 

[pfschim]

Personally, I would love to see Mesa stuff another 200 watts and a mute switch into the Walkabout. I think that would be just enough for me to move the amp from my "really good" list, to my "great" list. Maybe we could generate an online petition and send it to Mesa! Hmmm....

run it at 2ohms .. the Walkabout puts out 500w @ 2 ohms .. reliably, as many (including myself) have confirmed here.

can't help you with the mute switch though .. sorry

The customer service issue you had in 1983? Did I read that right?

The Walkabout head is the biggest dang 300 watts I've ever used.

enjoy
It's easily on par with a TFB550, Eden Metro, heck, Mesa's own 400+. In the scout chassis maybe not so much, but with a bigger cab, or an extension cab, I certainly don't need more. I have two rigs that are over 1600 watts, so I know what big power is.

I bought my Scout combo for $600 used. Mesa CS-what I've needed-has been exemplary. Same with my decades old 400.

A mute switch would be welcome.

preach it brother ... it certainly is about the biggest (hyper honest) 300w I have ever used.

 

[pfschim]

I love making new friends on the internet!

Actually, there were three facts I mentioned...the 300w thing, the CS problem we had in 1983, and the difficulties of dealing with people who work at Mesa. Those are, indeed, facts.

The rest is opinion. I think Mesa makes fine products, and I have used them in the past and liked them a lot, especially their guitar amps. If I played guitar more, I'd probably own one. I just found more value for my thing in M******s (name deleted to not look like a shill). Believe me, if I were a paid shill for them, I'd let everyone know about it loudly by directing everyone to my pic on the website under "endorsed artists," because I am a giant ham.

JimmyM .. once again, you are confusing facts with individual situations, which, while being true for you, don't make up a "fact" as far as it pertains to the generalizations you are making about Mesa while touting Markbass gear as an alternative ... on a Mesa Walkabout thread no less.

See, here on the Walkabout Megathread, we kind of like the Walkabout see, and don't take kindly to Markbassers talkin' down our gear.

take your MB hustle-age and be gone ! .. out damn spot!

did I say Merry Christmas before ??

Enjoy!

 

[pfschim]

especially their guitar amps. If I played guitar more, I'd probably own one.

ah geez, the ultimate bassist insult to boot .. brother, apparently you just don't know when to quit

 

[JimmyM]

Jeez, try to be nice and what do you get? Nothing but heartaches! That tears it. I'm never coming in here again, even if you beg me.

Seriously.

I mean it now...you just wait.

If that doorbell don't ring, you'll know it's me.

Maybe I'll give you one more chance, but that's it.

 

[pfschim]

Jeez, try to be nice and what do you get? Nothing but heartaches! That tears it. I'm never coming in here again, even if you beg me.

Seriously.

I mean it now...you just wait.

If that doorbell don't ring, you'll know it's me.

Maybe I'll give you one more chance, but that's it.

sniff ... wahhhh .......don't let the door hit you in the (b)a$$ on the way out.

I'll kind of miss the cool avatar though .. ain't we men .. heh (good one), devo'd godfather of soul ... good god y'all, who'd a thunk it.

takeittothebridgenow, takeittothebridgenow

of course if I miss it, all I'll have to do is look for the next heroic, revolutionary Markb**s thread. Shouldn't be long.

more bass playing .. less GASing and gear cronyism!!

did I mention Merry Christmas ??

 

[Bassman62]

hmmm.. when we use the personal pronoun "I" or the starting phrase "I find ... blah blah blah" we are not talking facts, we are talking opinion.

Well I rust that you believe what I have written because I recently cleared out the Guitar folder in my email section or I would have posted the Mesa replies.
To fob and much younger and less experienced person is one thing but trying to con someone who's been a musician since before the Beatles broke big as well as owning a business manufacturing equipment for the msic trade is another.
Mesa would sell far more gear in the UK and Europe if they took proper action instead of insulting potential customers, as I said there is no way that I will pay £1499 GBP $2814 USD for an item that sells for $1399 USD £696 GBP in the US.
My hope is the someone with clout at Mesa read this and takes a sensible view.

 

[BadB]

I said there is no way that I will pay £1499 GBP $2814 USD for an item that sells for $1399 USD £696 GBP in the US.
My hope is the someone with clout at Mesa read this and takes a sensible view.

I wouldn't think it should be more than 900GBP, taking into account international shipping, duty, and European style power supply. I think you're right. Mesa is considered to be pretty costly for us in the states, as it is. For you, they make it cost prohibitive.

 

[Rob Martinez]

I have a Walkabout question:

I currently own an Ampeg B200R with a tube pre amp. Is that the exact same thing as the Walkabout?

The reason I ask is I want an all tube sound, so is the Walkabout the way to go, or will it be essentially the same thing I have with my B200R?

 

[BillyB_from_LZ]

The preamp on the Walkabout has two 12AX7s. If that was the only criteria, one could say "Yes, they're the same".

The EQ section on the Walkabout is a bit different from the norm though. The Bass and Treble sections are active but the Midrange section is passive (and there's a 3 band semi-parametric EQ too).

To my ear, that's where the magic of the Walkabout lies. It's the first amp I've owned that makes me want to turn the midrange up because it sounds so nice that way. It's a very musical amp for lack of a better word.

When I bought my Walkabout, I wasn't really looking for a "tube sound". To be truthful, I was buying a different amp and was offered such a great deal that I bought it strictly for resale. However, once I plugged it in, I became so smitten, I returned the other amp and have subsequently sold off my other amplifiers too (and haven't regretted it).

My suggestion would be to play with them side by side and determine for yourself which one sounds better.

 

[Rob Martinez]

Thanks for the reply, I will check out the Walkabout, it really sounds amazing and would be more than enough for what I do at 300 watts. I would probably use a Mesa 2x10 cab.