Hello EM,
I also play a Bass VI and I love it through my Walkabout Scout (more on that amp below).
The Buster is a curiosity and def a transition piece. At the time that amp was released they had only dipped their toe in the water with having something that wasn't entirely tube (M2000) so there was still largely an expectation to keep cranking out tube amps. I was an early adopter of the Buster as I was looking for an all tube combo amp so I wouldn't have to lug my Strategy/RR rig into smaller venues. But the realities of an 85 lb combo amp far outweighed the benefits of smaller gear. At the time I was primarily playing Alembic and the pairing wasn't ideal. The Buster just didn't have the oomph to put the bass deep in the mix. It sounded somewhat better w/ a Fender but soon I found myself toting my 1x15 to pair with it. Still a lot of amp for some of these smaller rooms. It didn't take long before The Buster became a home recording amp (where it excels during reamping!).
I was also an early adopter of the Walkabout. What a stellar amp! I started using it with both my RR cabs and I became addicted to the parametric EQ. All my bandmates raved about my tone and I finally had a smaller rig that could cut through any band in any room. I used it to power a backline Mesa 8x10 once and it was godly! So then they announced the Scout combo cab and I was curious but skeptical about the 1x10 and this passive radiator. Still I jumped in and ordered one with a custom color and grill and again...it missed the mark. At low volumes it was gorgeous. That Walkabout tone was deep and full but once a drummer started hitting the tone got lost and it turning up the volume or re-EQing didn't cut it. I ended up using it for acoustic gigs and since it was so easy to remove the head from the cab, the Walkabout still got lots of use. By this time I had scored a Diesel 2x10 so I truly had the portable rig I had been yearning for. I remember seeing Ben Kenney's multi-Scout rig w/ Incubus and thinking that maybe if I too had 4 of them, it would cut it.
The Buster still sits in my studio and gets used for reamping or when I run my Rics or Alembics in stereo. The Walkabout Scout has become a parlor amp; it lives in my family room for those moments when I want to practice outside of my studio. When I play my Bass VI I'm mostly playing chords in the middle register in a latin-jazz type vibe and when I do dip down to the E string to add bass notes to my chords, the Scout makes it sound like there's 2 instruments playing. When I start gigging that stuff, the Scout will absolutely be my amp.
Again, I was an early adopter of the D800 (very low serial #) and Subway Series and for me, yes it was next level. Modern and vintage tones were achievable w/ minimal knob twiddling. I have used it w/ either the 1x12 or the 1x15 and either is sufficient for just about any gig but both cabs together is fantastic. I mostly play a Modulus Q5 w/ an 18v preamp that puts out tons of tone and this amp handles it with ease. It handles the low B (in my case, low Bb) perfectly. I've been tempted to upgrade to the new Walkabout but I truly feel I have enough bass gear to last a life time. My students still marvel at my "Mesa Museum".
Yes, I miss the sonic bloodbath of the Strategy 400 & RR cabs but ever since I left my 11-piece Pink Floyd tribute band that had a truck and roadies to pack it up and schlepp it for me, it stays parked in the studio. It sounds fantastic when I run my Fractal AX8 through it. Absolutely the best of both worlds.
Hope all this helped!
Very helpful!
Funny about the Mesa Museum- I told Mike a couple weeks ago someone will be able to open a Mesa museum when I'm gone. When I hit a certain # of amps I decided to lower the count and some of my favorite amps sold. I won't do that again and with insane prices for gear over the holidays I kicked open the floodgates with both feet in the air. The COVID run up came full circle and I can't turn down a roadster in great condition for $800 (it was one of the amps I sold).
Sonic bloodbath appeals to me. I will eventually add the 6x10 and 8x10 but have the 2x10, 4x10, Jr, 1516, 1x15, 2x15, PH1000- all diesel, RR for the full size ones. One of these days I'll have to get practical and add some subway cabs.
11 piece Floyd band? The "full band" was always in my top 5 bands. Not that the Roger Floyd is bad, it's great in fact, but my favorite period started when Sid hit the skids at Saucerful and the bandmates had to dig deep to compose in a vacuum.
More remains one of the best road trip albums ever made. The movie period into Ummagumma, with an emphasis on Zabriskee Point songs and all the material that didn't end up on the soundtrack always moves me. Sid was special and while the songs don't sound particularly musically challenging, the chords he used were from his head I believe, not a music theory book. And I still like to throw Atom Heart on because it got no airplay. By meddle it was pure perfection and then Roger set the controls for the heart of a new sob.
I love that stuff too in a different way. Both the Wall and Pros and Cons were must see shows and Hitchhiking was the only quadraphonic show I've ever seen. Pros and cons was theater like, massive and jaw dropping. But I think I'm rambling. It wasn't till NIN "lights in the sky tour" at Redrocks decades later that I can say someone matched that technical expertise that leaves you with the sense that you just experienced one of the best live shows ever produced.
You've convinced me I need to grab a Walkabout/Scout but I'm still drawn to the bloodbath and would jump for a decent priced D-180 or strategy while I can be patient on the newer and transitional gear.
Much appreciated,
Matt
