Mesa/Boogie Walkabout Bass Head

The amp is 300w and is very clean and powerful with lots of headroom. It has active and passive inputs to cater for both camps. It has an effects loop which I connected an Alembic SF-2 for a while but then decided I didn't need to add the complexity to what is a great little amp head.
I use the amp soley for live gigs and sometimes rehearsals.
As with some of the other reviews I've read, the fan is quite noisy and noticeable in quiet environments like home or small venues. I have also found the jack input sockets being plastic have already worked themselves loose so I have to regularly check this before using.

I tried this amp out in comparison with Eden, SWR, Ampeg, Ashdown and Eden heads before deciding which to buy. I use alembic basses exclusively which have fantastic tone controls so I was impressed at the clarity of the Mesa with it's tone controls on flat. I use the head with Mesa boogie cabs 1x15 and 2x10 or a 4x10. All powerhouse cabs and they give me a great punch.
Most of my playing is Jazz/funk and reggae which this amp takes in it's stride. Fortuately I haven't had to have it up at very loud levels so distortion levels have not been reached. But hiss does get noticeable when the volumes start to rise.

I have had the amp for about 6 years now and it has never given me any problems save the shaking loose input jack socket. I don't do lots of gigs with it so it's never been used in anger and regularly enough to develop any problems.

I haven't had to contact customer support or the dealer regarding this amp so I can't really comment.

I've been playing bass live for about 6 years and use alembic basses and Mesa Boogie cabs exclusively which to my ears are a great match.
If anything happened to it, I would get another one if the insurance company paid up in full. Other than that I'd use my backup system as I don't do many bass gigs per year these days.

What I love about it is the ease of getting a great sound with out tweaking loads of knobs and unnecessary pre-sets. Grab a knob and twist and something sonic happens immediately.
I compared with Eden, Ashdown, Ampeg, SWR and EBS. In the end it was down to the SWR and Mesa which won me over due to it's flexibility and powerful tones.

This is a great sounding and very portable tube pre/solid state power bass amplifier. It starts off with two 12ax7 preamp tubes and you can't go wrong with that. Has one input with active/passive switch, bass, mid, treble, gain, master volume, and a 3 band parametric that is very dynamic. Effects loop has true bypass switch to take the loop out of the system altogether when not used. Has rear XLR out with a front mounted DI output control, and 1/4 speaker outputs. My only gripe is the lack of a slave out to isolate the preamp section and feed to a larger, external power amp. But I guess Mesa's thinking is that if you want more juice, you might be inclined to pick up an M-Pulse 600 instead. Mesa has stated that it's not advisable to use the XLR out or effects send for a slave out. But your mileage may vary. Nonetheless, I can say that this head has powered normal club venues and small-stage outdoor shows as well without a hiccup and with plenty of headroom.

I use this with a Tobias Growler/Bartolini system, Spector NS4 with active EMGs, and a G&L Fretless with stock factory passive single coil (circa 1982). What can I say: anything I plug into this amp is sweet sounding. I play a mix of hard rock, funk, slap/pop, country, jazz...the list goes on. What impressed me the most was the ease of getting a great sound. The preamp in this unit is top notch, and getting that "sweet spot" is all but effortless. The parametric, albeit only 3-band, is great. Has great dynamics, clear highs without cutting your head off; good mid tones without sounding narly; and smooth low end. The 12ax7s really help this thing sound warm and my band mates have said that it sits in the mix better than my David Eden or Trace Elliot. And I would agree. Sound is just fantastic. Seems compatible with all genres and styles although I can't speak to it's ability to provide a desirable over-driven sound. That's not for me anyway, so I am good with it. Has great tone at any volume, and no distortion so far, even during outdoor shows. I play this through a GK BLX 410 and Hartke 410 (from 1985-original model with no tweeter) for outdoor shows and have great tone and enough headroom. For smaller gigs I play it through a converted Fender combo with a Fender 15" speaker (Fender head has been replaced by an enlarged rack space for the Walkabout) and an additional 2x10 custom cabinet with Eminence Legend BP102 drivers. Very portable rig but with great tone and plenty of volume. This is by far the best sounding amp I have had in my 30+ years as a musician.

No real comments here. Haven't had it long enough. I do not use a backup during our normal club gigs locally but usually incorporate a backup for large venues or outdoor events. I would do that with any amp I have during a large event. Going on feedback from others, I would say that I have no fears w/r to reliability.

I guess here would be my only ding on Mesa, and it's actually somewhat trivial. I picked up my Walkabout from my local retailer (non Mesa dealer) who bought out inventory from a Mesa dealer going sneakers up. I picked up this head for $750 and it was still brand new. But Mesa would not warranty it at all. Nada. Zilch. Now I understand their concerns to a point. But I am displeased with the fact that they would not warranty it for a lesser period than normal, given it was still brand new. But I got nothing for warranty. Did get a great price though, so I guess you really get what you pay for.

My acquisition of this is unique. I have always been an Eden aficionado and have been playing through a WT500. I bought a new Eden E300T tube amp from my retailer a while back, thinking I would get the same Eden quality and sound, but in an all tube set up. Such was not the case. Nothing but problems with its sound, and quality, having problems with gain AND volume pots, bad tubes, etc. So I gave it back and picked up this Mesa Walkabout as an alternative. Kind of an impulse switch-a-roo but I had never owned a Mesa amp and thought it was a great opportunity. The amp sounds great at any volume and my only issue is its lack of a preamp/slave out. I guess Speakon connectors would also be a nice addition. But there necessity (at 300w output) is debatable. I still love my old David Eden WT500. But I am officially a Mesa convert now.

This amp is generally fitted to the Walkabout 12 combo. Given the weight and frankly awkward load centre of the combo. I have been using it as a head only. The amps features are well described elsewhere, the features are fine for my playing style.
It was bought second hand in the UK.

I use the Amp with either Musicman or Fender basses nothing exotic, these basses are played with a pick.

To my ears, the Amp has a great sound. With a variety of tones, I added a Sadowsky pre amp with my Precision std, but that was to be more consistent with the inputs - my other guitars are active

Ahh. Well this Amp presented an issue after three months of ownership. This was cutting out after 20 or so minutes and cutting back in again a few seconds later.

This has been resolved by a local Amp repairer - but I always carry a spare.

Similar fault in earlier post.

Westside distribution UK agents are always helpful.

I have a Markbass R500 as back up to this (see reliability) I use the walkabout through two GS112's.

Yes I would buy another, but it is just an Amp the Markbass is as good, and in the UK Markbass is far cheaper.

2003 Mesa Walkabout bass amp.
Very powerful and compact amp. In fact it sounds a lot louder than its 300 watts rating.
The bag to carry this amp is a must have and works very well.
My only complaint is with the fan. It is not noisy at all if you are playing a gig with a drummer and a couple of guitars. However if you want to practice at low volume by yourself the noise of the fan is annoying. I understand that the tubes and other electronic components need to be cooled down but a thermostat driven fan would be nice. As you test this amp, pay attention to this factor since it can be easily overlooked in a noisy music store. Other than that this is truly a fantastic amp.

Warm, round, old school, very musical sound. This is not a colorless amp but the color it adds to the sound is fantastic. Many amps that are colorless tend to sound cold and sterile to my ears. The gain allows controlling how much distortion you want to add to your sound. The parametric equalizers are very powerful tools to shape your sound. It took me a little while to understand how to use them but they work well. My bass is a Fender American Jazz 60th anniversary (it comes with 60's style pick-ups) and my cab is a Euphonic Audio Wizzy (a 1 x 12 under 4 ohm). The cab and the amp are very well paired because they both have that old school warmth and round sound. Since they are both under 4 ohms this makes a very efficient and loud combination.

So far so good. I had a noisy fan problem which was fixed at no charge at the factory.

The customer service is incredible. I called them with a noisy fan problem. Since I live near the plant they invited me to come and see them. They gave me an instant diagnostic and invited me to come back a couple days later. They had greatly improved the fan noise issue (you can still hear it, see above but the noise level was diminished by half), and performed all the upgrades. They added an active/passive switch instead of having two inputs and put a true bypass switch at the back among other things. I had also a very positive experience in the Mesa store in Hollywood. The sales person was very informative, let me tried the amp and a couple of cabs at length and was never pushy. People working at Mesa truly care and go out of their way to deliver a top service. Their passion for music, musical instruments AND SERVICE is beyond anything I have experience in the industry. When one considers their products are backed up by a 5 year transferable warranty this is truly noteworthy.

This is a terrific small, light, portable amplifier that let the user get some of that tube warmth without having to lug around a 180 lbs head. It is a well design product with a strong warranty and a great sound.
Mesa is an impressive company which delivers high end, high quality, hand-crafted amps and cabs (I have witnessed this in their assembly shop). It is rare for a company to excel in all departments: in design, manufacturing, communication, advertizing and service.
The service alone and the fact this is American made should really be taken in account when you make your buying decision.

PS: I do not work for the company.

This head, 165 watts at 8 ohms and 300 watts at 4 ohms, is a hybrid with a tube-preamp (2-12AX7's) and a tube-driven MOSFET power section utilizing a taroidal transformer. Front Panel: active and passive inputs lead to an input GAIN control followed by active BASS, passive MID, 3 band active semi-parametric EQUALIZER, and active TREBLE. The active controls are boost/cut while the passive MID is boost only. There is a DI LEVEL control and MASTER volume. Back Panel: DIRECT OUT XLR jack with Ground Lift switch, post pre-amp EFFECTS LOOP, 2 parallel SPEAKER OUTPUT jacks, and a removable power cord. I'm pretty much old-school here; I like simplicity, and, at first, I would just as soon not had the equalizer. However, I've come to really appreciate its versatility. You have to be careful not to overdo it; it's meant, I think, to be used with subtlety. The passive MID boosts a broad band while the EQ can be used to pinpoint frequencies to boost/cut. Some have wished for another band or so in the EQ, but you can always go for the M-Pulse 360 for this with about the same power. One of the best "features" of this amp is its compact size and light weight (13 lbs. I think). I've used it with an SWR Workingman's 1x15T (I put in an Eminence Legend CB15) and an SWR Goliath Jr. III for a couple years and it was perfect for me; I can't say if there's enough power for really big clubs. I now have the 1x15 and an Avatar 410 cab with neodymium speakers. This setup really rocks, but I find myself using only the Avatar. Even with just the 8 ohm Avatar cab, it still seems to put out huge volume. I think the only thing I'd like to have is a tuner out jack, but that's no big deal.

This little box puts out about any sound I've tried to get. I've had it about four years, I guess, and knew of Mesa's rep, but I was amazed when I actually got the thing. I bought this without ever having tried one (I know, that's a stupidly risky move.), but I was NOT disappointed. I use a '75 Fender Precision, maple 'board w/ ground roundwounds, and a new Lakland Skyline 44-02, rosewood w/ rounds, I've purchased recently. They both sound great through this rig. The Lakland is an active bass and the Walkabout loves both. The amp is fan cooled and is a little loudish, but you get used to it. I don't think anyone outide of me even notices. There is absolutely no hiss or anything like that. I used to get a little crackling (tubes?) sound, but I would turn the amp off for a few seconds and it would disapper. I haven't noticed this for a while, though. The gain adds a sweet tube distortion and can give you a nice rasp if you want. I rarely put it past 2 o'clock. Those guys at Mesa know how to hand-build an amp!

I've never had any real problems. I was going to give it a 9 only because of that little crackle, but I'm pretty sure that was tube-related, so I shouldn't blame the amp. I can't afford to buy a backup, and so don't have one. ;)

Called them once about transferring the warranty (I bought it used.) and actually got a live person. He said just keep the original purchaser's receipt and it would be covered like I bought it new! I recall he was polite and helpful if that tells you anything.

I love this amp! If I had to replace it, I might go for the M-Pulse 600 or Big Block 750 because they have more power; I've never really needed more, so the size and weight of this one would make me think pretty hard about that. I've been playing for 30+ years and have owned an Ampeg (B-15, my first amp), two Fenders, a Traynor (tube guitar head I used for bass), and three Peaveys. This is easily the best amp I've every had. It's extremely versatile and a dream to pack. The quality is terrific. It sure isn't cheap, but you get what you pay for. It's hard to find a hand-built amp these days and I would recommend it to everyone playing up to medium-sized gigs.

This is my first Bass Amp - period - I haven't played very long. I've long know the reputation of Mesa, and this amp sounded great in the store . . . . I lucked out and bought at a bargain price @ Guitar Center - It's apparently being replaced by the Walkabout Classic. It has more than enough tone shaping for me. I'm not really anxious to buy effects . . . seems almost a sacraledge! I rate it a 10 . . I just love it!

2004 Spector Euro 4 (no the LX) w/Spector TonePump PreAmp and active EMG P/J pickups. Monster instrument cables, Avatar B115 NEO and Bayou Cables 12 gauge speaker cable 4 foot long.
For a beginner like myself - this is an awesome practice amp! The range of tones that this little amp makes is just awesome . . I'm still learning how this thing works! This was a display unit at GC, and the knobs are a little noisey . . . nothing that warranty work or tuner cleaner can't take care of.

I purchased it from GC, and then discovered it was part of a recall that that Mesa issued. Mesa was very helpful . . but the turnaround time at the non-Mesa repair shop was longer than I wanted. I'll give it a 9 instead of ten for that . . . Since this was a display unit, it appears that some of the knobs are a bit noisey. I might send it in to Mesa this time for service . . . (or maybe I can clean the pots myself!).

Absolutely Wonderful - they are the tops. If other companies work this way - then all those 'consumer reporters' would be out of business! I called up and they sent me my warranty info - which incidently is transferable. When I got amp fixed because of the recall, the local repair facility that I brang it to was a bit slow. I called them - and (amazingly) that facility started to speed up!

This is a my first Mesa purchase. I would definitly buy another one if it were to go missing/stolen . . . I'm going to purchase some insurance for replacement value . . I love this amp! It way more than I need for my skill level - but the price was right and I love the way it sounds. I can't imagine a better deal than this . . .

Features a pre-amp section with 2 12ax7 preamp tubes, powered by 8 mosfets. Has a 3 band parametric EQ, so can dial in your own sound. It has active and passive inputs, 2 speaker outs rated at 4 ohms, effects loop, XLR out w/level out knob on the front, and a ground lift switch. It only has one channel. The only thing that I wish it had is a mute switch. I use this amp in room sizes from a practice room up to medium sized clubs. You will not have a volume issue with this unit. I have never been able to turn it up past 5. It is VERY loud! More than enough power to rock you world!

The sound of this head was incredible the first time I turned it on without ever touching the EQ. It has a very tight, warm, focused sound. I play through a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 1000, which has 4x10, 1x15, and 1 horn. It is a 1000 watt cabinet, so before I bought it I called Mesa Boogie to make sure that the WalkAbout would drive it properly. They said I would have no problems, and they were RIGHT! I have never heard bass tone like this, except maybe from a Mesa Boogie 400+ or my Ampeg SVT Classic. This amp sounds as good as those amps, just a little different. To me it sounds tighter, and the low tones are more focussed. It has the rich tone that you come to excpect from tubes, while it won't break your back carrying it out to your car. It's weighs only 13 pounds. I still love my Ampeg SVT Classic head, but I've been keeping it as a back up since I bought this Mesa Boogie WalkAbout. (I also bought it with the 12" Scout Cabinet which sounds unreal...it is ported and sounds amazing...you could play at a medium sized club with it...I kid you not...it will rattle your brain! I am very impressed with this cabinet. Plus you can 'dock' the head into it and make it a combo amp, or 'undock' it and take it with you to use with your favorite cabinet). I've done some recording with the direct out, and it is very quiet. I have a home studio and since it's only 13 pounds I can carry it home to record, and carry to band practice to use with my other cabinets. I fricken love this amp. My band mates immediately noticed the improvement in my tone(some of that was the purchase of the Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 1000 cabinet, but they commented even before when I was running it through my Ampeg SVT 4x10 with a horn). I play an American made Fender Precision bass and a 5 string Fender Jazz bass. I play somewhat heavy rock....stuff like Tool, A Perfect Circle, Soundgarden, Audioslave, etc... Heavy, but not angry... :) My guess is that this amp can produce tones abundantly sufficient for any style of music. I've been playing guitar for 20 years, and have always been impressed with the Mesa Boogie guitar amplifiers. Now I am sold on their bass amplifiers as well. The WalkAbout further testifies to the great engineering at Mesa Boogie. You really do get what you pay for with Mesa Boogie.

I haven't had it for very long, but so far no problems.

Excellent customer support. I called and had to leave a message, but someone called me right back and answered my questions. Mesa Boogie prides themselves on their customer support. They believe in their products and seem to enjoy supporting their products and working for a company that has the high esteem that comes from producing such high quality equipment.

I've been playing bass guitar for about 15 years. I own a ton of gear. As far a bass guitar gear, I own a Mesa Boogie Walkabout w/ the 12" Scout cabinet, a Mesa Boogie Powerhouse 1000 cabinet that has 4x10s, 1x15, and a horn all in the same enclosure (this sounds amazing with either of my bass heads), an Ampeg SVT Classic head (all tube, 600 watts), and an Ampeg SVT HE 4x10 with horn. The reason I bought this WalkAbout was that I was looking for a change of scenery. This amp is definitely a nice change of scenery. I still love my Ampeg, but this is like being in love with two women at the same time. A bit confusing, but not necessarily a bad thing! You cannot beat the portability of the WalkAbout, and it is arguably the best tone I have ever heard.

I play pretty much straight Texas blues w flatwounds on a G&L SB-2. the amp is short on features ,but for my purposes simple is preferable. I use no effects. the seperate volume control for the direct out is very useful. I mainly play medium to small venues and the purchase of this unit caused me to finally retire my SVT-II w/ 8x10 cab rig. The parametric is great, but one more band would make a world of difference, there are some mid range tones I am just unable to get.

mainly what I am wowed by is the amount of non-musicians who come up to me at gigs ands tell me how great it sounds. they can't believe such power and tone could come from such a tiny unit. the low end punch is unbelievable whether I am using my 2 bag end 15's or my 8x10 ampeg cabinet. I mainly use my bridge pickup and can get a plethora of cool tones with it. however when I go for a precision type tone with the neck pickup, I find it really difficult to get sufficient low end without sacrificing clarity

bought it used for 650.00 and have played it for three months with no problems

I belive there is a three year

playing for 39 years, 27 pro. I love the size and weight (feather light) I hate that I didn't get one ten years ago. wish it had one more band of paraplegic equalizationator

2oo3 Model,I play jazz and some Texas Swing and Blues.Plenty of power, I use a 2/10 EV cabinet, a i2 inch Bag End, also a 2/10 Carvin. All have different sounds, but the Wlakabout can be adjusted to all situations. I have an upright,acoustic, and an Ibanez Musician. Would be nice to have a tuner out. The weight is real nice for what this product delivers

Once again, this amplifier conforms to all situations. The headroom in a very large room is limited, but not bad at all. It ism only 150 Watts at 8 ohms, but I mainly perform in smaller venues.

I did have problems right after it was purchased. Took it to the dealer, where they said that they could fix it. They blew it, so I contacted Mesa Boogie and the extended the warranty to a whopping 5 years. I sent it directly to them and they went over it entirely. Updated the inputs, and tightened the inside borad. Got it back three weeks later. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Five year warranty. Technical support was great

Playing 20 years. I would purchase the same product. I use an Ampeg SVT PRO 3, for more juice when I need it. Also have a SWR Workingman's 15 Combo which I am beginning to like and use more often.

Not very rich in features, but what do you expect? It's only 13lbs!

The sound of the Mesa Walkabout is pretty much what you would expect from a 13lb mosfet bass head. It is an alright head, but lacks a little in the clarity and "punch" departments. I couldn't really get the slap sound that I was looking for. Like the person said below me, the sound was very "Old School", which doesn't go very well with my Peavey Cirrus bass or my playing style. The amp is VERY loud though, especially for being such a tiny little head. The head as a whole is very well built, but I was expecting a lot better. It doesn't sound as good as the Ampeg Pb-250 I played at guitar center few days ago. I might drop this Mesa for the Ampeg Pb250, it seemed to be about the same weight (maybe even a little smaller?).

I dont know, but I hear that they have frequent electronic problems

A pretty good amp, that does all that it says. It's very portable, light, and delivers tons of power! But the sound isn't quite there, I would suggest playing the amp before buying it. If anyone is interested in buying mine, I will probably listing it on Ebay soon. I think I'm gonna pick myself up a Ampeg Pb-250 after that, since they don't go for all that much money on Ebay.