the first micro head

[dDaddybass]

I was curious, what company manufactured the first micro bass head?

[pudgychef]

I am guessing Acoustic Image, Euphonic Audio or an upright focused company - seems like they were early to the class D party....

[silky smoove]

Walter Woods was doing really lightweight stuff a long time ago, but I don't know if it would be considered micro by today's standards.

[elgecko]

Walter Woods...even if they're not considered "micro" by today's standards, they were surely the predecessor of todays micros.

If we're talking micro combos, I believe Polytone takes that crown.

[dDaddybass]

I should have said Class D.

[BassmanPaul]

First one I remember was a kit by the Sinclair company. I never built one myself but I did read reports that the completed kit was pretty good.

[DWBass]

I nominate the GK MB150 series heads. Not quite micro but definitely small and lightweight.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

I should have said Class D.

Not a bass amp, but IIRC, the first Class D amp that I had heard was the one used in the Infinity Servo Static 1.

[Calaverasgrande]

first SMPS/Class amps I was aware of were the Stewart halfrack power amps that put out 50w side or 100w bridged. They later came out with the one rack space 300w or something and the world series. As far as actual bass heads?

[Thornton Davis]

The first one I remember was made by a Swedish company during the late 1970's, it was 300 watts RMS. The company was called Balder Amps.

TD

[chadds]

Hmmm

[dDaddybass]

How about we narrow thiings down a bit:
For bass guitar applications
mass produced
less than 10 lbs.

GO!

[lbwdog]

Yamaha had a micro, lightweight head several years before the current crop. Not sure of the specs or technology.

[Low Class]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

I was curious, what company manufactured the first micro bass head?

Walter Woods mid 1970's. No one else is even close.

[laughing house]

Here we have the Univox UB250 bass amplifier. These were first sold in 1969, They are 18 watts RMS @ 4 ohms. What did I win?

[1n3]

So... the first mass-produced class-D amp under 10lbs for bass guitar?

I don't know... hope to find out. But since they often don't get the credit they deserve, I'll mention that Peavey was probably the first MI company doing class D. While it doesn't meet the above criteria, the DECA 528 amp was 500w/12lbs in 1988.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by lbwdog

Yamaha had a micro, lightweight head several years before the current crop. Not sure of the specs or technology.

Would that be the BBT-500H ?? .. it is a 11 pound, modeling ... one of the earlier class D's I think ... there are a few around here

[lbwdog]

Originally Posted by tjh

Would that be the BBT-500H ?? .. it is a 11 pound, modeling ... one of the earlier class D's I think ... there are a few around here

Yeah, I think that's it. My local music store had one, and the owner (who's a bass player also) was telling me how good it was. I was in good health, and ok with my 800RB at the time, so didn't feel compelled to investigate further. I see that several have come before it, but it was the first one I was exposed to.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by dDaddybass

How about we narrow thiings down a bit:
For bass guitar applications
mass produced
less than 10 lbs.

GO!

Hmm, let's not start changing the rules after the gate has been opened.

How about adding: built after 2005, for example?

[Jim Nazium]

Sorry if this is derailing the thread, but what was Walter Woods doing differently in the 70s that made his amps so much smaller & lighter than other contemporary gear?