machinehead Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I'm considering buying one of these heads and I'm looking for some advice from users. Would they match the volume of my LMII? I don't feel I could live with less volume than the LMII. Any known reliability issues? I'll be using it through my Barefaced Midget, Compact and both for bigger rooms. What is a reasonable price for a well looked after used walkabout? Any other advice and opinions on these amps is most welcome. Thanks. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I'm currently using a M-pulse 360 ( I'd love a Walkabout) and it's definitely underrated in terms of numbers : I had a LMIII for a while, and they both have plenty of power. The cab is an important part of the equation, though, my Schroeder is a very sensitive cab and sounds very loud with every amp I've used. I'd ask Alex his opinion, I'm sure he'll be very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Big walkabout lover here. How loud is your band? I'm back to the WA after spells with the TC RH450 and the Streamliner 900, and don't feel I'm lacking volume or headroom in comparison, even when I'm using a single 8ohm 2x10. That said, none of my bands are ear-earsplittingly loud. We're sensible. No reliabiluty issues - the earlier red-faced models apparently had problems with the effects jack, but it's an easy fix. Generally, they're Mesa, so the build quality is excellent. After finding the class-D heads anaemic, it's a relief to come back to the WA which is a great balance of weight and tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vango14 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Selling one here... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/183484-mesa-walkabout-amp-head-2x10-powerhouse-cab/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 I've had a Walkabout for about 4 years. No issues as of yet. I have never struggled for headroom running through the Scout 15 and I would guess it would be similar story if I was using the Barefaced Compact. One of the parts of the amp I like the most is that the 'all knobs set to 12 o'clock' delivers such a good tone that I generally don't use the EQ much. The only quirks/issues I can identify: The post everything DI and the way the DI level is altered by any changes in the master volume. It could probably do with a mute/standby switch No speakon outputs The fan is generally loud, but its not really a bedroom level amp anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etienne Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I picked up a used silverface Walkabout in excellent condition on here very recently, and can testify to the positive comments above- it's a fantastic sounding head, and puts out a lot of volume through the right cab, even with an 8ohm load. I own a pair of early-build Barefaced Compacts, and it can keep up with my band pretty easily using just one of them! It wipes the floor with the Shuttle 6.0 I used to own a while back for volume and weight of tone... The fan on mine is very quiet, even when I'm playing at very low volume in my living room. I paid £550 for mine including shipping, and consider that to be an absolute bargain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 [quote name='Etienne' timestamp='1344296290' post='1762551'] I picked up a used silverface Walkabout in excellent condition on here very recently, and can testify to the positive comments above- it's a fantastic sounding head, and puts out a lot of volume through the right cab, even with an 8ohm load. I own a pair of early-build Barefaced Compacts, and it can keep up with my band pretty easily using just one of them! It wipes the floor with the Shuttle 6.0 I used to own a while back for volume and weight of tone... The fan on mine is very quiet, even when I'm playing at very low volume in my living room. I paid £550 for mine including shipping, and consider that to be an absolute bargain... [/quote] The fan thing is weird. I've read a number of comments over on TB from people who are bothered by the fan, and quite a few people have swapped them for quieter PC fans. I've had two Walkabouts, and the fans on both have been barely audible - and I play a lot of 'pin drop' venues, so if they were loud, I'd notice. I wonder if Etienne & I have just been lucky..? Also, I did a couple of gigs over the weekend - one with an acoustic-ish trio where the bass is the main rhythm instrument, and another rock'n'roll gig with a decent PA. For both gigs I was using a single Berg 2x10. With the para EQ rolled all the way down to 30Hz, and backed off the maximum (-15db) With those rumbly lows shelved out, neither the amp nor the cab had to work particularly hard. It was a joy.. such a tight, punchy, fat sound. Walkabout. A beautiful head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1344325858' post='1762686']With the para EQ rolled all the way down to 30Hz, and backed off the maximum (-15db) With those rumbly lows shelved out, neither the amp nor the cab had to work particularly hard. It was a joy.. such a tight, punchy, fat sound. Walkabout. A beautiful head. [/quote] +1 I use mine mostly for double bass (walkabout 12 combo) and the flexibility of that para eq section is great. For rock gigs I pair the amp with 2 Aggie GS112's and am never left wanting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Yep, I've found the -15db at 30Hz on my M-Pulse a useful setting. It's about all I use the para for on mine, though - the basic Bass Mid Treble are enough to get a great sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I've recently been using mine either through a Barefaced Midget T or a Epifani UL212 depending on the venue size. Haven't had any issues with lack of power yet. My fan is very noisy, i'm waiting for a PC noiseless replacement. I love the tone of the WA, even though it has two 12AX7 it can do a very clean and transparent sound with power to spare. It has been getting more use than my shuttle 9.0 since i got it. I have a topic over here somewere showing how to do the DI mod, i've found that it is very usefull and handy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funky8884 Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) Used my Black Face Walkabout 15 Scout on 5 Gigs and my guitarists love the sound, One guitarist uses a Mesa F 50 2 x 12 combo , 5 piece drum kit , and other guitarist uses Fender 4 x 10 and its plenty loud enough. I have all knobs at 12 O'Clock except Pre Amp is 1 ish and I play with Low para to offset rumble. They have a great pre amp and a very inspiring sound to me. BUY ONE !!!!!!!!! you will not regret it Edited August 11, 2012 by funky8884 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted August 7, 2012 Author Share Posted August 7, 2012 Thanks very much for the replies everyone. All very helpful indeed. I've just realised that the poster above (selling a walkabout) is the very same person I'm thinking of buying from. It's a small world. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Deal done. I've bought the amp in the post above. While I think my Markbass LMII is slightly louder outright, the Mesa has a deeper, thicker sound. I find it hard to describe sound, but I do know that I like what I heard in rehearsal from the Mesa. Now I'm looking forward to gigging it. Thanks to all who took the trouble to post on this thread. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted August 14, 2012 Author Share Posted August 14, 2012 Yes, the fan in mine is quite noisy. Not noisy enough to be heard on even a quiet gig but loud enough to be annoying at home. It's not bad enough to make me think about changing it though. It just means it's getting plenty of cooling air, which is a good thing. It really is a gorgeous sounding amp though. Just the deep and rich tones I love but with a bit of middy bite too. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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