Walter Woods amp alternatives?

[groooooove]

years ago I a/b compared a walter woods with a markbass F1. the f1 is admittedly a lot less power, but they sounded literally nearly identical. The person with me while this happened is a seasoned respected player who agreed they're as close to identical as you can get.

 

[bwoodman]

I played Walter's amps for many years and have owned more than I remember. I sold my last one several years ago when other light weight amps started become available and Walter has become much older. I figured the used market value of his amps would drop and they would become harder and more expensive to get repaired, so I got out. Since then I have been through just about every amp that has hit the market and have yet to find something that sounded as good as Walter's amps. I'm not gigging as much as I used to so it's hard to justify the cost of another one, but I may have to anyway.

Wow - exact same boat here! I sold my last one several years ago also because I was worried about resale value AND if it had any issues, WW seems to be harder to contact the last few years. He's easily in his late 70s by now, and while I think he's still building - we had this conversation - he said the biz dies with him. I don't know who repairs these besides Walter himself. All WW owners know the drill when you have to contact him for service - leave a message on his voice mail and he'll get back to you someday. When he'd go on vacation for two months - oh well. Have a backup amp just in case. I have owned maybe three of them and I had to have a couple of them serviced for minor issues. One time I ran effects through the input and not the effect loop and that fried something. Another one I bought used and sent it to him for an inspection / to see that it was A-OK.

Now on the topic of alternatives - I too went on a mission to find a new micro head that sounded as good - never found one. I haven't tried ALL of them, but I did try GK, Aguilar, Genz Benz - and currently using a Genzler MG800 and the new Mesa 800. I'm also not gigging as much as I used to, but I'm still tempted to pick up another WW.....but I prolly won't.

 

[Danny C]

I am currently in love with Mesa. 800+ which is my spare cuz I picked up the WD800. Gets any sound out of any bass. They put everything you need as a bassist right in front of you. Amazing amp! But that's me.

 

[Jeff Scott]

There are many amps that will do what the Walter Woods amps do and more. Spend a little time searching on this forum and you will see many options.

I had a few different WW amps, on and off, for over 30 years. I did find an alternative (for my needs) in an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 about seven years ago (before the Subway amps were around).

P.S. despite the low weight, a WW is not a class D amp. Which is really where Walter's genius shows through.

From one of my conversations with Walter, I learned that the Electacoustic series are Class D.

 

[Ric Vice]

A GK MB200 gives a great respectable / comparable tone a WW. Easier to use, too.

IME, the MB200 dosen't sound anything like a Walter Woods Electroacoustic Ultra, with a Double Bass. Granted, the EQ section of the MB is very simple.
Barely touching the controls on the Woods changes the tone all across the spectrum. I guess you could compare it to the old WW MI-100-8's which a lot of
players once had, but even then the EQ section is very different. The closest GK ever got to a Woods was the 200MB or 200RCB amps that haven't been around
for over a decade. Just my opinion.

 

[Ric Vice]

I had a few different WW amps, on and off, for over 30 years. I did find an alternative (for my needs) in an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 about seven years ago (before the Subway amps were around).

From one of my conversations with Walter, I learned that the Electacoustic series are Class D.

As far as I know the MI series amps, were not Class D they just had a SMPS. The Electroacoustic amps are Class D.

 

[Jeff Scott]

As far as I know the MI series amps, were not Class D they just had a SMPS. The Electroacoustic amps are Class D.

Correct. The two MI amps were Class A/B. All his amps used his own SMPS design.

 

[Acoop]

If I was setting up a new rig I'd go for the EA Doubler. ...

 

[Lemon]

years ago I a/b compared a walter woods with a markbass F1. the f1 is admittedly a lot less power, but they sounded literally nearly identical. The person with me while this happened is a seasoned respected player who agreed they're as close to identical as you can get.

Which F1 ?

There where 2 models, one was the F1 450, about 2-1/2 inch high, pretty heavy, it had a conventional PSU and was in the stores around 2003 - 2007.

The other one was the F1 500, about a inch high and very light, with a SMPS,
The newer type black orange Mark Bass Amps.
It was in the stores from probably 2008 and later.

Lemon =)

 

[groooooove]

Which F1 ?

There where 2 models, one was the F1 450, about 2-1/2 inch high, pretty heavy, it had a conventional PSU and was in the stores around 2003 - 2007.

The other one was the F1 500, about a inch high and very light, with a SMPS,
The newer type black orange Mark Bass Amps.
It was in the stores from probably 2008 and later.

Lemon =)

must have been the F1 500. great sounding little amp.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Which F1 ?

There where 2 models, one was the F1 450, about 2-1/2 inch high, pretty heavy, it had a conventional PSU and was in the stores around 2003 - 2007.

The other one was the F1 500, about a inch high and very light, with a SMPS,
The newer type black orange Mark Bass Amps.
It was in the stores from probably 2008 and later.

Lemon =)

must have been the F1 500. great sounding little amp.

There were a couple versions of the F1. The first one had the "classic" 4 band EQ section, the second version had semi-parametric mids. Not only that, but there was a red face version, also (I don't recall which iteration of the F1 on that one). I've never heard of a F1 450. Got pics?

Here is a photo of the 1st Gen, version that I had years ago, being modeled on top of the first LDS cab Don had made for me.

I had a WW Super at the same time but never thought about comparing the two, tonally (they both sounded excellent). The WW Super was my rack system amp.

A couple of gigs shots, one each with those two amps.

This is with the second, larger cab that Don built for me.

 

[groooooove]

There were a couple versions of the F1. The first one had the "classic" 4 band EQ section, the second version had semi-parametric mids. Not only that, but there was a red face version, also (I don't recall which iteration of the F1 on that one). I've never heard of a F1 450. Got pics?

Here is a photo of the 1st Gen, version that I had years ago, being modeled on top of the first LDS cab Don had made for me.

View attachment 3565819

I had a WW Super at the same time but never thought about comparing the two, tonally (they both sounded excellent). The WW Super was my rack system amp.

A couple of gigs shots, one each with those two amps.
View attachment 3565821

View attachment 3565822
This is with the second, larger cab that Don built for me.

we're going back years - but i'm nearly positive i was talking about the same one in your photos.

it would have been the first generation one, i believe. I don't think it had all that much power. sounded really nice though.

 

[Jeff Scott]

 

[Lemon]

There were a couple versions of the F1.

There was one more, the very first one with a conventional PSU thats why I asked and mentioned 450W ...

 

[Ric Vice]

Unfortunately the inherent problem with all the early Markbass Amps was the input impedance. The F1, F500, and Little Mark were all 500 K Ohms
Piezo pickups need at least 1 Meg Ohm. So as Double Bass Amps they lacked one of the essential features for tone quality. I compared a Woods to the F1 the Woods just sounds warmer and fuller, especially in the midrange and bass. More recently the Micromark is a great little DB amplifier the input impedance is 2 Meg ohms. Just my take. Markbass dumped the F 500’s so fast I didn’t even have the chance to buy one and the F1’ were gone soon after.

 

[Low Class]

Unfortunately the inherent problem with all the early Markbass Amps was the input impedance. The F1, F500, and Little Mark were all 500 K Ohms
Piezo pickups need at least 1 Meg Ohm. So as Double Bass Amps they lacked one of the essential features for tone quality. I compared a Woods to the F1 the Woods just sounds warmer and fuller, especially in the midrange and bass. More recently the Micromark is a great little DB amplifier the input impedance is 2 Meg ohms. Just my take. Markbass dumped the F 500’s so fast I didn’t even have the chance to buy one and the F1’ were gone soon after.

I thought the same about the F1 and F500.