eden wt400 vs wtx500

[bearshark]

I need some advice here: on the market for my first real bass rig. Been playing through an ampeg fliptop b15 solid state from the nineties, which I love, but I need some gigging power and one hundred watts isnt cutting it.
I just played through a new wtx500 and really liked the tone. Very clear but could dial in some ampegish growl.
Found a wt400 from the late 90's used on craigslist for 400 obo. Would it sound comparable? Would the single tube pre make a difference?
Any other amp recommendations would be more than welcome, I'm a bit lost.
Really want a 70's svt but who doesnt. Like the lm tube 800 too.

[babebambi]

they both have the Eden signature tone
the WT400 sounds better to me, smoother, fatter, warmer
the difference does not come from the tube thou
I also like the WT400 better because of the more powerful EQ
the WT400 is heavier thou

the LM 2/3 sounds nice and warm, some liken it to the clean SVT tone
the LM 800/tube800 sounds nothing like the SVT

[bighead4G&L]

+1 on the WT-400. It's a great amp! Very warm and "tubey" for a SS head and has plenty of power. If you're an Ampeg fan, you will like it better than the WTX 500.
I had a WT-400 for 11 years. It was the best amp I ever owned and I've been around the block a few times.

[IntrepidCellist]

I love my WT400. Much more comprehensive EQ. It's bigger and heavier than the WTX, but it's loud and sounds very warm and full. The compressor is pretty bad though; you can bypass it by pulling out the "Enhance" knob.

[bearshark]

Thanks a ton for the feedback, I'm new to TB and really to the gear world and its hard to get good info. Really appreciate it.

[Munjibunga]

I have both the WT-300 (the progenitor of the WT-400) and the WTX-500. The WT-300 is the definition of Eden tone, which is achieved with all tone controls at noon and Enhance off. A similar tone can be achieved with the WTX-500, but it requires a little boost in the bass and mids ... just a little. They do not have the same tone stack. I have been very happy with the WTX-500, but if I were looking for the classic Eden tone, I would go with the WT-400, or better yet, find a nice, used WT-550. The additional headroom would be worth it.

[bearshark]

any advice on cab setup to go with? Played the wtx through an eden 2x10 neo set up, sounded great.
I've been playing mostly small venues or small/medium venues where I run through the P.A.
Would the 400 leave me wanting more? The drummer in one project can get carried away, as they often do.

[IntrepidCellist]

I can carry a medium-sized room against guitarists with smaller combos and a drummer with my WT400 and an AudioKinesis Thunderchild. A good solid 2x10, 3x10, or 2x12 would do you just fine for stage volume.

[bearshark]

and now for a very different question:
My main project is a loop based band, where two of us loop many instruments to create lots of texture. No laptops I swear.
One problem I've been having is that when I run the loop station in the effects loop I cannot change the volume of something once its become a loop because the return goes strait to the power amp. It seems as though the effects loop in the wt400 returns before the tone controls, does this mean that I can loop something through the effects loop and then change the volume afterwords?
Sorry if this doesnt make sense to people, I kind of get this stuff but I certainly don't have the vocabulary or knowledge to talk about it.

[bearshark]

also, thanks for the info cellist and mr munjibunga, much appreciated

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by bearshark

any advice on cab setup to go with? Played the wtx through an eden 2x10 neo set up, sounded great.
I've been playing mostly small venues or small/medium venues where I run through the P.A.
Would the 400 leave me wanting more? The drummer in one project can get carried away, as they often do.

For small to medium gigs, I think the WT-400 and the Neo 210 would work fine. I know my Eden amps sound great through a D-210XST.

Also, there is no effects blend control on the WT-400, so if you run your loops through the effects loop, I don't know how you would control the volume.

[smeet]

I've had a WT-400 since 1997, but I haven't used it for a few years. It is now my main amp again, and I'm noticing that it hums acoustically (not through the speaker) loud enough to be a bit annoying when I practice softly at home. I also notice that the fan is not on. Does the fan only go on when needed, or should it be on at all times? Are these two symptoms connected?

Thanks!

[MrLenny1]

My 1997 WT400 has had no issues and has a lot of hours on it.
I also run it with a Eden 2x10 XST.
Great value at $400 used. I paid $800 new in 1997.