Mesa/Boogie Walkabout 112 Combo

Could use a standby switch or mute switch.
A second input channel would also be useful.
The controls are on top and easy to see.

There is a DI bypass switch buried in the rear of the speaker cabinet that you can't see as well as crossover controls for the tweeter. These are buried but you don't have to change these very often so I agree with the location.

Fender Jazz Deluxe V with active noiseless pickups. I play mostly Jazz, R&B, and Gospel

Perfect sound for any of these styles. The EQ is very well designed.
The amp produces great low end for its size.

And, it makes an awesome guitar amp as well so if you play both, you only need one amp. Very few people seem to know this but with it's 12" speaker, it does a great job on guitar.

I have actually owned two of these. The first one is black standard tolex and never gave me a second of trouble.

The second one was custom ordered with cream tolex and had problems right out of the box. I made loud popping sounds and the speaker sounded bad when you slapped the bass on the E string.

I sent it back to Mesa Boogie. They "cleaned out" the preamp but I really don't know what that means. The amplifier seemed alright after (no popping) but the speaker was not very good. I suggested sending it to their local repair facility and doing a live demonstration comparing my two amps. They agreed and the repair facility, Davidson Electronics, had several of their technicians listen in. All agreed that the speaker was bad. Now the amp sounds fabulous.

It took about 6 weeks for the amp to be repaired at Mesa's factory.

It took another 3 weeks at Davidson Electronics to get it fixed. Some fo that time was spent waiting for the speaker to arrive.

The people I spoke with were helpful and friendly and I would like to give them a better rating but it took too long and I had to get too involved. The speaker problem should have been caught at the factory when they fixed the preamp.

Playing guitar 35 years, bass for 8 years. I owned an Ampeg B4R with a 4-10 SVT cabinet. Great amp but too huge for me. Sold it after I discovered the Walkabout.

If you are a tube amp fan and like warmth, light weight, and plenty of low end, this amp can deliver. Nothing else out there like it.

Made in 2005. Playing mostly classic rock, blues, etc. Two channels (active/passive), no channel switching, FX Loop. Used right now for practice, but I anticipate using it on gigs. More than enough power (300W at 4 ohms) for most situations. Very light and portable, excellent build quality. Parametric EQ really opens some cool tonal possibilities, great tube tone from the preamp.

I have 27 basses, from Alembics to a basic PBass. It suits what I do very well. Extremely quiet, much quieter than the Ampeg BA-115 it's replacing. Haven't used it on a gig yet, so I can't say how versatile it is, but my guess is it will be extremely versatile. I plan on getting a Walkabout 15" cab and making it my small rig.

Can't say as I've only had it a few days.

I've been playing about 30 years. I have Alembic preamps, QSC poweramps, Ampeg amps, etc., as well as the basses from several manufacturers (Alembic, Pedulla, Lakland, Gibson, Fender, Musicman, Martin, etc.). I love the fact that it's light and just sounds awesome, and it's four ohm (I can take one of my Ampeg cabs and use it with the Walkabout head). I've compared it with EA stuff (which is awesome as well) but I really like the tube tone of this thing. I wish it had RCA jacks so I could plug in an iPod for practice, but that's a minor niggle. Overall this is a great unit, well built, with great features at a great weight. I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces.

Mine was made in 2006. It is a very versatile amp. Though I play mainly with an old school flatwound dub sound, I am sure this would be fabulous with ANY bass for ANY sound!! The features are available on their site, so no need for me to be too detailed. It has a great EQ section; bass, mid, treble AND a 3 band parametric for precise control. I use it mainly in my studio, but I have played out with it and it is PLENTY LOUD!!
It is only 50 pounds!!!!! I can't believe how light and easy to move it is. And NO compromise in construction or sound!! UNBELIEVABLE!!

I use an Epiphone Allen Woody bass with flatwounds. Combined with the Boogie I get a PHAT sound that works for dub, old school R & B, hip hop, jazz, 60's garage; in short, for any type of music that I like. I belive that amp can cover all sounds. (Yes, even the treble to 11 thumb popping snappy look-at-me-wank-off sound)
The clean channel is plenty loud and the distortion is a VERY NICE tube driven overdrive.

I believe Mesa Boogie products are amoung the most reliable at any price. PERIOD. I also own a Boogie Lone Star Special guitar amp that is all tube and has never performed less than perfectly.

Some of the best support I have ever received. They answer the phone, or even better when they can't, they call back quickly and thus they pick up the $$$$!! They know their product, and seem to be players themselves. 5 year warranty.

I have played for 20 years or so. This is my only bass and amp.
I would buy again definitely!!
I compared it to everything out there. No contest. IMHO
It sounds GREAT, weighs a feather, and is built like a tank in
the USA-- how cool is that??

I have owned this amp a few years.
Great flexiblity sound. Absolutely huge bottom end.
Tubes, Great EQ (3band parametric). Very loud.
Small, med. weight- 16"/50lb.
effects loop, DI(XLR, post amp), spkr out.
It has enough features for a small amp. You don't need more.

I wish the DI was preamp only or preamp + EQ. You can't turn up the master vol. without affecting what the soundman is getting.

Huge, powerful. Extremely versatile. I play all styles. It is really great for everything. Tubes are cool. I have played Jazz, Country, Rock, R&B, Funk, etc. All styles, both upright and electric. THis amp does it all, and everybody comments on "my" great sound. I blame the gear.

Here is the part YOU NEED TO READ:

My amp is clean, well cared for, and I have 2 of them. THey are not mishandled, and I know what I am doing/ talking about. THey both have the following problem, so I know it is not just my amps, but a MEsa Boogie issue.

If there is anything funny about the AC power the amp is receiving, it makes NO SOUND AT ALL. The little red power light turns on, but you won't hear a thing. I have had this happen with low and high voltages on gigs- including 5-star hotel gig, not just dive bar gigs. Ihave had this problem on big fancy stage gigs with Furman Power Conditioning and Line/Voltage Regulation. And you can bet the farm that if you are doing a "generator gig" you'll need to bring a backup amp.
Here's the kicker-- on every one of these gigs, everybody else's gear is working perfectly.

It's not worth it. Buy something else. It will happen to you if you play out in different places.

Customer support is great, except that they have never acknowleged this voltage issue. I can get screws, tubes, wires- they even replaced an input jack for free.

But they don't acknowlege this voltage issue, and I believe there is no way to "fix" it without a minor redesign or selecting different innards.

20 years pro. All styles. Upright and electric.
If it would make sound when the going gets tough, I'd recommend this amp to everybody. I did for a while, actually. Not anymore. Don't do it. No sound from a "perfectly funcitoning" amp is a bad thing.

I chose this amp based on its size, weight, power, and sound quality+versatility.

The only things I would change are the voltage issue (see reliability) and make the DIoutput a preamp out, not a post amp out.

I bought my walkabout 112 off EBay about six months ago. I am amazed with the sound every time I play it. The amp is such a powerhouse in a small box. The amp has a tube preamp and solid state amp. I bought the side mounted handle (with wheels) for it, and it is very portable. Will sit in the passenger seat of a standard size car.

The sound of this amp is awsome. I use a custom built clone Precision Bass. The amp has tons of low end with down firing passive radiator. You can feel the low end of the amp everywhere is a small club. If you play on a carpeted stage, you may want to set it on a piece of plywood to give the bottom of the amp room to get the best sound of the bottom cabinet speaker. The amp has enough EQ settings to satisfy everyone. You can easlily get a good slightly distortion sound by playing with the gain, volume and EQ and still keep the amp volume at a reasonable level. I'm a senior citizen musician and I don't ever play anywhere that this amp couldn't handle. 300 Watts is plenty.

The thing is built like a tank and with Mesa Boogies customer service I don't feel I have anything to worry about.

I contacted customer support when I stripped a couple of machine screws on the head of the amp when I changed tubes. I was able to talk to an engineer for 39 minutes and he gave me a lot of info on the history of the Walkabout. He also sent me a bag of machine screws at no charge. One nice thing, you talk to real people without having to go through the endless automated phone menus.

I've had a mid 60's 50 watt Fender Bassman, A Peavey Combo 300 and a Ampeg before buying this amp. The Mesa Boogie Walkabout is by far the best bass amp I've ever owned. It's pretty light at around 45 lbs and it's small size is a big plus for me. It has all the power I require and has good customer support behind it. I've a very pleased owner.

Bought mine in May 2005. Have toured with it from coast to coast, and it worked great in both small and medium-sized venues. It's small and light enough to check it as luggage on the plane, which is amazing, given the unbelievable tone and bottom end of this amp. Has all the features I could want, and the eq options give exceptional tone flexibility. I especially like the tube gain knob. I play in both a classic rock cover band (smallish bars) and a very loud experimental insturmental prog band, and I get all the tone versatility I need. I think I could use an extension cab for the prog band though (which I just ordered from Mesa - the 1x15 Scout cab).

I use a 1966 Fender P and a Rickenbacker 2003, and it suits both basses wonderfully. Incredible tone, nice tube growl when the preamp gain knob. Amazing tonal variety. Seems to be suited to a wide variety of styles (though I mostly play rock).

Mesa Boogie amps are known for reliability, and mine seems to be no exception.

I had to send mine to the factory for an upgrade (under warranty), and Mesa paid for UPS shipping both ways and I had it back within 10 days. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a few years and took my old Mesa Boogie Bass 400 directly to the factory (in nearby Petaluma) for repair a couple times, and they were always easy to work with, fair, and fast.

This is the most awesome company I have ever dealt with. Customer support deserves an 11. Great five year warranty on these amps, too.

I've been playing for about 20 years, and have owned a variety of amps. I played a Mesa Boogie Bass 400 with a matching 2x15 Roadready cab for about 10 years (which seemed like it weighed 1000 pounds), and traded that beast in for the Walkabout combo. Even though I loved that monster, I have no regrets. Amazing bass amp. I would absolutely buy one again if stolen. Not cheap, but worth every penny. Everybody who hears this thing is blown away. Excellent amp, excellent company.

bought in 2004.

Sounds incredible especially for the size, however, I will NEVER buy another Mesa product again. see below

After paying over $1300 for it, it died after 12 months, so 0 for reliability.

Mesa customer support is basically just sh*t. First off, the authorized service center didnt have a clue what was wrong. It took them 3 weeks to even look at it and then they were stumped. Going on 5 weeks, Mesa decided that they werent going to pay the service center because they felt it was taking them too long to fix (the amp is still under warranty). So, my amp is now at a service center that refuses to put any more work into it and Mesa wont help me out with this. Mesas customer service on the phone was crap. Mesas suggestion is to get the amp back and send it directly to them. Keep in mind, I would be the one that has to pay to send thier defective junk back. Id be looking at well over $100 for shipping alone. On top of this, the turnaround time would be about 3 weeks so its going to be over 2 months I was without the amp. As I type this, the issue is still unresolved. I'll be putting the amp up for sale the minute I get it back.
Like I said, sounded great but just pray you never have problems with it.

Good product, as long as its working. Company itself is crap. My suggestion, NEVER buy anything remotely associated with Mesa. I NEVER will again.

2004 WalkAbout Scout 1x12 so, this is my second review of the same product but considering the eventful year i've had, my mesa and the boys down @ mesa boogie deserve it. I don't think i have ever wanted any features this amp didn't already have. Oh yeah, it weighs 37 lbs. that feature stands out.

J BASS FENDER 2001 passive USA, 5 String J BASS FENDER DELUXE '99 USA, LISLE Upright Bass. The tone I get is the best I've ever worked with.

After of a year of 3-7 gigs a week. Sometimes pulling 31 out of 33 days. This baby has stood up rather well. It has about 190 gigs and hundreds of hours of practice and studio time under it's belt. The 12" Eminence went out about two months ago. And, the handle came apart about 8 months ago. I would have been pissed but the darn thing sounds so good........I just wanted to get it back to 100% ASAP. Oh, and i also changed out the preamp tubes about 4 months ago (that's expected). Now, for reliability I gave it a 9, despite the problems. Why? because it just sounds so darn good. And, because that baby has gone into some big gigs and come out with illin' mad hot blazin' flava. It has held it's own with Marshall halfstacks and all kinds of loud ass drummers. It has spent most of it's time set at about LOUD.

Mesa-Boogie sent me a new handle free of charge w/in 5 days. They also sent a new 12" speaker within 5 days. I had requested an 8 ohm speaker as opposed to the 4 ohm it came with just to facilitate an extension cab. They flubbed and sent me another 4 ohm. But, they let me use that speaker until .....they sent me an 8 ohm cabinet within the next 4 days. I could not believe it. NEVER>>>>>>NEVER>>>>>>have I worked with a group of people so committed to meeting their customer's needs. I am getting the extension cab soon.

Now, I have a student who purchased one of these in the 15". I walked into one of his gigs about a week ago and was amazed at how it filled up the room. No line out to the mixer. Last week a friend sat in at my thursday night gig (outdoors). I could not believe the hugeness of the sound the little box created. I have tried a lot of great rigs. Many were 8 times the size of the Scout 12". None sound as good and none fit in the front seat of my two door saturn coupe. For the first time ever, I can make one trip from my car to the stage with all my gear. Thank you MESA.

Made in 2004. Most of you know the details on the specs. An all-tube pre amp provides the tone. Tubes drive the MOSFET power block so this unit acts like anything 'Tube' you wanna compare it too. It could use a headphone jack but that's a minor detail... 3-Band Semi Parametric EQ and 15db of cut or boost from 30Hz to 12K Hz from that EQ give you plenty of Bootie if you play in the pocket. It's my opiion that a Preamp of some sort would give you more slap-a-bility but I don't slap all that often. And this thing is light for how booty-litious tone-boner it gets... With a preamp you could do anything with it.

This thing sounds phenominal. The passive sub gives a tremendous bottom clarity. At home on the carpeted floor I put a 3/4" piece of plywood under the sub. You don't need this on a stage. I play a US Masters Fretless 5, a Tacoma Acoustic and a Casady Signature 4 string (sounds the best) through this unit - all very different tone machines - they all sound great. I've heard that these things hum but I've had it for almost a year and have not expereinced that even once. Okay, here's the BONUS part - I play Acoustic Guitar through this amp everytime I can. An Aura Preamp and a Baggs I-Beam pickup and your not going to believe what your listening to... My guitars are a Takamine AN-10, Taylor XXX-MC (the family Heirloom) and an Avalon D201c, all with Baggs pickups.

This unit looks like it could take it. Not had a problem so far but I don't gig that much anymore.

I dunno - no need so far but I hear that Mesa Engineering gets behind there stuff, like your family...

I've been playing for 39 years (yep since early teens). I looked forever before choosing this amp.I don't play out very often but it carries like a guitar amp - very light for the solid tone you get. Like I said - I use it for both acoustic bass, guitar and electric bass. If stolen I'd buy another one right after mortgaging the house.

Basic stuff but the passive/active switch and parametric EQ are very effective. Very easy to get fabulous tone. The XLR out is useful.

It is portable!! Yeah, baby ... no more Chiropractor stuff after the gig. Loud enough even for a modest hall.

expensive critter ... but I have no regrets.

Bass is my second instrument, guitar my first. I play jazz standards (guitar)in a quartet and bass and drums in other situations. Had a studio rehearsal with this amp last week and my bass player had near perfect tone with out so much as tweaking the treble knob. Amazing sound quality, very present sound. The whole band was floored ... an amazing difference.

It has a bit of hiss, electrical stuff but not overwhelming.

Don't know but it's hand built and has a great warranty

Took a long time to get one ... 4 months ... they do things slow at Meas/Boogie but they seem to do things well

I'm a semi-pro musician and a bit of an old geezer...playing receptions , weddings , parties ... that sort of thing ... my gear does not have to be loud but it has to be killer tone ...this amp is like that. I would replace it for sure