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Double Bass Walter Woods Amp MI 100-8

A

Ayeleeex

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Mar 6, 2015
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#1
Hey guys! I recently bought an amplifier head from someone in my area for ten dollars and got it repaired for an additional twenty and later discovered it was Walter Woods' handcrafted double bass amp.

I don't play or even own a double bass and would love to get it into the hands of someone who does and would enjoy it. Is there any place I can look to see how much they are going for so I can sell it? Is anyone interested?

Thank you in advance for any and all responses.
 
#3
This is said amp
 

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#6
Ayeleeex said:
Hey guys! I recently bought an amplifier head from someone in my area for ten dollars and got it repaired for an additional twenty and later discovered it was Walter Woods' handcrafted double bass amp.

I don't play or even own a double bass and would love to get it into the hands of someone who does and would enjoy it. Is there any place I can look to see how much they are going for so I can sell it? Is anyone interested?

Thank you in advance for any and all responses.
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I owned this exact amplifier, and although it's a very nice amplifier, I think I'd pass on buying one used now. Just my opinion, but there are pre amps and amps available that can be more easily serviced. The MI-100's cost $600.00 new in 1980.


Ric
 
#8
robgrow said:
With all due respect, I think the amp would have to be in like-new condition to bring this much. The market for for WW amps is down now, especially for the older amps, and there are less buyers out there IMO.
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+1 Walter's amps are wonderful, but looking at the condition of this particular amp, it's just not something that I'd invest in. Even if the amp were in NOS condition, getting it repaired requires sending it to Walter. His bench fee for servicing an amp is $600.00, provided
he has the parts which are getting harder and harder to source.

Ric
 
#9
Didn't you guys notice that the OP has only $30 invested in it? He just wants to sell it.

To the OP: it's also a sweet electric bass amp, just not super powerful by today's standards. Although rated 100 watts at 8 ohms, most WW amps put out more than that, unlike mass produced amps where the ratings sometimes are wishful thinking. Years ago Guitar Player magazine bench tested that amp model and found it actually put out 150 watts at 8 ohms and 200 watts at 4 ohms. Most mfrs would sell such an amp as a 200 watter!

If you can make use of a lightweight head (even if just as a backup), I'd keep it and enjoy it.
 
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#11
I agree with Brian that the OP should consider keeping this amp.

Ric Vice is right about one of the reasons why the older amps no longer fetch the premium prices they once did. Walter is no longer supporting the older amps. Parts are drying up, and there aren't many people who know how to work on them. Although the older WW amps were once revered by many players, they are now increasingly regarded as just old amps that are hard to get serviced (if at all).

There's no doubt they can be sweet amps for low volume, which is why they were once the holy grail, and the choice of many top DB players.
 
#12
Ayeleeex said:
Hey guys! I recently bought an amplifier head from someone in my area for ten dollars and got it repaired for an additional twenty and later discovered it was Walter Woods' handcrafted double bass amp.

I don't play or even own a double bass and would love to get it into the hands of someone who does and would enjoy it. Is there any place I can look to see how much they are going for so I can sell it? Is anyone interested?

Thank you in advance for any and all responses.
Click to expand...

Alex,
Back to your original question, you could sell it and make a decent profit, but Woods MI-100's were used buy the likes of Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. So before you dump it, I'd try playing a guitar through it to see what you think.
"At the end of the day" I'd say @$400.00-500.00 would be the most your be able to sell if for, if you can sell it at all.Walter's amps just aren't bring the prices used, that they once did. You were very lucky that your amp tech could repair it. Walter does not provide a schematics for any of his amplifiers, with the exception of the MI-100-8.

Ric
 
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#13
Ric Vice said:
Alex,
Back to your original question, you could sell it and make a decent profit, but Woods MI-100's were used buy the likes of Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. So before you dump it, I'd try playing a guitar through it to see what you think.
"At the end of the day" I'd say @$400.00-500.00 would be the most your be able to sell if for, if you can sell it at all.Walter's amps just aren't bring the prices used, that they once did. You were very lucky that your amp tech could repair it. Walter does not provide a schematics for any of his amplifiers, with the exception of the MI-100-8.

Ric
Click to expand...
+1 MI-100's can be terrific guitar amps. Prices on the old amps are indeed way down as is the demand.
 
#14
Ayeleeex said:
So at the end of the day, with its given condition, I'm looking at most 500-800?
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I'd say so, yes. I think I got $700 for the last one I had, which was about a decade ago. You scored a sweet amp for $30. Don't look that gift horse in the mouth. There should be a schematic folded up inside the chassis in case it requires future service. Component availability I can't speak to.

But I would disagree that these amps are somehow underpowered. Back in my slab days I ran this model WW into a pair of Bag End enclosures loaded with EVM 15s and never lacked power or volume. The trick, from what Mr. Woods explained to me, is cranking the master volume close to 100% and using the input gain to regulate the volume of the amp.
 
#15
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
But I would disagree that these amps are somehow underpowered. Back in my slab days I ran this model WW into a pair of Bag End enclosures loaded with EVM 15s and never lacked power or volume. The trick, from what Mr. Woods explained to me, is cranking the master volume close to 100% and using the input gain to regulate the volume of the amp.
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+1 Walter's amplifiers are rated into an 8 ohm load, while most amps are now rated into a 4 ohm load. I also used a Woods MI-100-8, with pair of Bag End 15M's with JBL E140's and never lacked for power. I will say that my MI-400-8 will run with the big boys, like an SVT.

Ric
 
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#16
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
But I would disagree that these amps are somehow underpowered. Back in my slab days I ran this model WW into a pair of Bag End enclosures loaded with EVM 15s and never lacked power or volume. The trick, from what Mr. Woods explained to me, is cranking the master volume close to 100% and using the input gain to regulate the volume of the amp.
Click to expand...

This is about speaker sensitivity, which unfortunately isn't always well understood or appreciated. The sensitivity of 2 Bag End cabs w/ EVM 15's is well over 100 dB SPL (1 watt @ 1 meter), which is pretty high. Many speaker cabs today have sensitivity ratings much lower than this however. To get a comparable volume level, it takes 10 times as much power to drive a speaker cabinet with a 10dB lower sensitivity rating, so the 100-watt amp with the Bag End cabs is more like a 10-watt amp with the lower sensitivity speaker. Today many amps have power ratings of 300 to 500 watts and higher, so the importance of speaker sensitivity has become less of a consideration to many of us.

You are right of course, the nominal setting of the master volume control is full on for maximum headroom and lowest distortion.
 
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#17
Hey all,

for anyone interested- I just bought this exact amplifier and it is on the way to me. I've always wanted to see what the fuzz is about with those amps, I know at least one man I'd trust enough to repair the amp if issues occur, so I thought let's go.

I have to say I'm excited. The amp looks like it has a whole lot of history on its back... I'm planning on calling Walter to track down who was the first owner and if it ever got serviced by Walter.

best
sidecar
 
#18
MrSidecar said:
Hey all,

for anyone interested- I just bought this exact amplifier and it is on the way to me. I've always wanted to see what the fuzz is about with those amps, I know at least one man I'd trust enough to repair the amp if issues occur, so I thought let's go.

I have to say I'm excited. The amp looks like it has a whole lot of history on its back... I'm planning on calling Walter to track down who was the first owner and if it ever got serviced by Walter.

best
sidecar
Click to expand...

Congratulations. I hope you like the amp. You will be able to tell if your amp has been serviced by Walter (it probably has) by removing the top cover. Walter wrote the service dates on the chassis.

The audio circuitry of the MI 100-8 is pretty conventional technology of the period with all discrete components and should be within the realm of a really good, very experienced audio technician. A problem with the switch-mode power supply can potentially be tricky however. Sourcing parts is also a potential problem.

A good example of one these amps in good order can really be a wonderful thing.
Good luck and hope you enjoy.
 

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