Eden Traveller users?

I owned a WT-300C Traveler for 2-3 years; it was a nice amp. It isn't that neutral-sounding in comparison with some amps, but is better than many. I played it through a pair of tens and got a decent sound from it. I think the iAMP is a better choice for URB, I have no experience with Mesa Boogie.

 

I did enjoy my Eden with electric bass.

The iAMP 750 page doesn't have specs yet, but I stole this image just minutes ago:


I had been told that it would be like the 350 but with the addition of the onboard tuner.

The specs for the new 112 is up on EA and will soon be added to my site. I did have the opportunity to play a 5 string Sadowsky through an iAMP 350 driving the new 112 at NAMM Nashville, and it was a very solid sounding combination. The EA site's comment seems consistent with what I heard during that brief audition:

This Kevlar 12" driver is very smooth with a nice presence bump at 1KHz which conforms to our house curve. The CxL112 should sound fuller since it only drops 1.5dB from 100Hz to 50Hz where the VL208 drops 3dB.

It calls to me, and if I didn't already own a VL-208 (almost the same size and weight, discontinued) I'd probably snag one for myself. It will be very difficult for me to resist an iAMP 750 when it comes out (but honey, I just bought it to show prospective buyers!!)

 

I love my Traveller thanks to Chuck Moses at the FDP)... it's a great amp for electric (I use it with an Ashdown 2x10), and sounds very nice with my doublebass (ply). Lightweight, powerful. I wish I could disable the onboard compressor, though. I might send it in and get the upgrade (400 watts, compressor defeat), but I haven't felt the need to do it yet.

-a

 

The current bass rig I use in my electric blues band for smaller gigs is Azola BugBass into an Eden WT-300 with a Carvin tiltback 2x10 cab. I made a pair of brackets from 1" wide galvanized metal that keeps the amp on top of the cab when it's angled back.

The comment I've had from bandmates is "the rig sounds more like an upright than an upright." The Eden is round with solid punch, focused but not bright. This is the fourth rig I've tried for this setting, and the first one that's worked out. Previously, I used GK 400RB, GK 200MB, and an Ampeg B-1 combo.

If I had a concern about the Eden, it's that it isn't nearly as clear sounding as most other amps I've used. But that works out well in this case, because the BugBass is fairly bright and buzzy on the G string in the upper range.

Do you other WT-300 users also find the amp is less clear than others? I have an SWR SM-400S for larger gigs that's quite the opposite...a littler clearer than I'd like.

-Dan Berkowitz

 

Hi Dan -

I used my WT300 with one of the newer Carvin 2x10 cabs (and was similarly pleased with the tone) and also with an Eden 212xlt cabinet. In both cases the sound was clear, I didn't have any problems with it, and usually ran the tone controls straight up, virtually no EQ, with electric bass, did a little EQ with URB. Have you changed out the 12AX7/7025?

 

Bob,

I also use minimal EQ with the WT-300, even with the BugBass...usually just a little bit of 800k or so.

With the master at 10 o'clock and the input to where the light flashes occasionally, the amp is quiet but not that loud. Turning the master to 11 o'clock brings a large volume increase, but also a lot of hiss (horn only on 1/4). I think the amp peaks out by 12 o'clock with a bit more hiss. I don't know what would happen past that point.

The sound is a little murky, maybe what some people call "really warm." There's also a little "sizzle" on the harmonics that hangs on as long as there's some signal to the amp from the bass, especially with electric bass.

I've had the amp to the factory once for a checkup, and a few things were tweaked (cost about $130). That reduced the hum from earlier designs (mine's a '93).

Anyhow, the amp does great at gigs, but the sound isn't so satisfying at home when I practice. Maybe I'll have the factory check it again. Oh, and I've swapped out a few tubes with no difference in sound at all (these tubes made my SWR sound much different, though).

-Dan

 

I had a WT 400 ran into a SWR 410. I found that with the upright it seemed to have eq stuck in the smiley face position no matter how I tried to dial it out. My electrics also sounded very un-natural. Maybe I had a bad one but I really disliked this amp.

 

After Bob's note, I went back and plugged my American Standard upright with Underwood pickup directly into the WT-300...no preamp. Sounded very nice...clear, full, good volume without feedback. Yeah!

I think some instruments actually need to have a bit of bass cut to get clarity into the sound. Man, did it sound good through my son's P-bass with flats...just a little bass rolled off and a touch of enhance.

BTW, I talked this morning with Dave Grout, head tech at Eden. He said that the amp should have an input impedence suitable for piezo pickups...that was part of their design criteria.

-Dan

 

Being new to the world of URB I am using my electric rig . To my inexperienced URB ears it sounds pretty good. It's an Eden Highwayman WT-500; an Eden 410XTL cab; an Aguilar DB924 preamp and a Bob Gollihur BassMax.

I can see though where the Eden rig would somewhat color the tone. After all it colors the tone of the electrics and the URB is way more sensitive to coloration.

If I were starting from scratch I would certainly look at non- Eden solutions as alternatives but right now it works great.

 

Dave,

Have you tried a comparison with and without preamp into your amp? My Azola BugBass (with K&K BassMax) does fine without a preamp into my Eden head.

-Dan

 

My setup - Plywood Bass fitted with K&K RB special pickup system into a Eden WT400 into a Stewart 1.2 which drives a Wayne Jones 2x10 cab. I chose the Eden bcause it was the most versatile preamp for URB and EB. I play in a R&R/Soul/Blues/Country/Rockabilly outfit and I get a sound that satisfy my needs. I tried out a few different combinations but when they plugged the Eden in, that was it!

 

Hey amcrory,

Is this something you can have done with the older type 300 watts unit? Mine is a '94 or '95, I like the sound, but a bit more power might be nice. I run it through 1 or 2 Eden 210T cabinets. What would upgrading it to 400 watts cost?

 

Tornadobass - Yes I have experimented with and without the preamp. The Bass Max is certainly usable without the preamp and sounds fine. However with the preamp I get a headroom boost (just like with an electric) and the feedback is more controlled.
I'm not ready to take my rookie URB skills to a gig yet but when I do I strongly suspect that on small venue stages (where I have no choice but position the URB close to the amp) the preamp will really make a difference then.

 

About the upgrade of WT-300 to WT-400 specs...I asked Eden about this recently and learned the price was $300. More than I wanted to put into the amp. I had the low noise upgrade done to my WT-300, though, along with a general checkup. The mods included a tube shield plate, a low-noise harness, a few caps, a new shutdown thermostat, and the fan was reversed to blow out of its mounting slots instead of drawing air in.

DaveB, thanks for the insights on the BassMax with your URB and preamp. Did you mean that the preamp compresses the sound a little, or maybe rolls off the low bass?

-Dan

 

Tornadobass - The preamp doesn't really compress the sound and the bass definitely is not rolled off. In fact the pre-amp effect seems to be that I get a deeper low end response at higher volume before the feedback sets in.

 

I just purchased an Eden Time Traveler 1-10 combo with the Eden CXM 1-12 cab. I tried several amp and cab combinations at Bass Central before I decided on the Eden ( Gard can verify that, as he had to follow me around the store with my Azola in tow). I am very happy with the sound of my Azola thru the Eden. Very smooth sounding with the BUG. Sounds great with my Jazz bass also. I'm glad I went with Eden.

 

I use a wt400 into a 210xlt or 410xlt depending on the size of the room. I A/B the BG and DB and switch instruments midset. I roll off the bottom on the DB pre amp and match line levels at the head.
The traveller will do anything I ask but run the EQ a little flat and let the tech take it. At my last gig (750 seater) I shelved the bottom and sacrificed my stage sound of which competes with
a hard hitting drummer,B3 and leslie,piano, and a guitarist that is so loud he sounds like two.
This allowed the tech to sweeten my sound out front where it counts.
I'm very pleased with my eden rig and have nothing but accolades about the tone, warmth, and color of my sound from other players, techs and the audience.
Before buying eden I compared side by side swr redhead, gk400, ampeg svt 3, mesa, hartke, etc.
The only one that came close to the traveller was the svt 3. The only thing I don't like about the eden is it didn't do well in the studio and I ended up going straight into a tubetech.
Try the same side by side test if you can and maybe try renting one for a gig. Get someone else to pluck while you get 20 or 30 feet away and listen
That nice tubie eden sound is what every one is looking for isn't it? Other than that walter woods
would be nice wouldn't it?