Walter Woods Amps History and Development

[srbbass]

1990 WW MI 400-8 2 Channel "Manual" and 1990 Pricelist/Catalog

I've been talking with dylanjohnson who is archiving WW docs so I thought I would post my contribution here as well. My 1990 MI 400-8 2 Channel "Manual" complete with my spare fuse still taped to it LoL

 

[Oldtimer]

For those who may be interested, I just had a 32 minute phone call with Walter! We just chatted about all things Walter Woods. He is doing great and will turn 80 in August of this year. He is still making amps and is still in Palm Desert at the same address since 1992! I have 2 of his amps. A 1982 M-100-8 and a ultra high power Electracoustic from 2001.

 

[brianrost]

Hmm, no MI-200 or stereo options in 1990? I notice the instructions say to put the master at 10 (full CW?) and adjust the preamp gain. I've read that for Electracoustics, that's not recommended (but it is what I do). I do miss the different EQ curves on my old MI-200, I think ch2 did sound better for DB than the Electracoustic EQ.

 

[Ric Vice]

Hmm, no MI-200 or stereo options in 1990? I notice the instructions say to put the master at 10 (full CW?) and adjust the preamp gain. I've read that for Electracoustics, that's not recommended (but it is what I do). I do miss the different EQ curves on my old MI-200, I think ch2 did sound better for DB than the Electracoustic EQ.

It well may be that’s an older “brochure.” I bought my MI-400-8 in 1991. It was delivered in 1992. Walter was in transition to the newer version of the MI series. So there were only 3 models.The MI-100, 400, and 800. They are entirely analog amps class A/B but the SMPS. They sound and behave like a tube amplifier.

 

[NightDonkey]

For those who may be interested, I just had a 32 minute phone call with Walter! We just chatted about all things Walter Woods. He is doing great and will turn 80 in August of this year. He is still making amps and is still in Palm Desert at the same address since 1992! I have 2 of his amps. A 1982 M-100-8 and a ultra high power Electracoustic from 2001.

Hi-I would really like to get in touch with Walter. You spoke to him recently. 2020? Thank you in advance. Mike Furlong

 

[Velobass]

Spoke with him in December on a few occasions.

 

[Oldtimer]

Hi-I would really like to get in touch with Walter. You spoke to him recently. 2020? Thank you in advance. Mike Furlong

Yes, January 8th, I believe. Call him. Even if you can't leave a message, he'll have your number and will call back. It may take a couple of weeks.

 

[NightDonkey]

Yes, January 8th, I believe. Call him. Even if you can't leave a message, he'll have your number and will call back. It may take a couple of weeks.

Thank you again!

 

[dpbass66]

Has anyone read the recent Bass Guitar Mag history/review of class-d amps? Perhaps I dont truly understand the technology, but my understanding is that Walter's amps were among the first commercially available class-d amps for bass. I was perturbed when the article suggested the first class-d amps came on the market in the 80's, well after bass players (and others) were using WW amps.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Has anyone read the recent Bass Guitar Mag history/review of class-d amps? Perhaps I dont truly understand the technology, but my understanding is that Walter's amps were among the first commercially available class-d amps for bass. I was perturbed when the article suggested the first class-d amps came on the market in the 80's, well after bass players (and others) were using WW amps.

I thought he used a switching power supply and a linear amp? Well ahead of its time, but not Class D as we know it today.

 

[dpbass66]

I thought he used a switching power supply and a linear amp? Well ahead of its time, but not Class D as we know it today.

Isn't "switching power supply" the technology "of" class d amplification? Even so, to publish an entire history of this technology and not mention WW seems a bit odd to me.

 

[agedhorse]

No, Walter was the first, or one of the first to use an SMPS in a bass amp. An SMPS is a part of the entire amplifier(the power supply) but a class AB or class D amp is the topology of the power amp itself.

They are different, the SMPS can be used to provide power for either a class D amp or a class AB amp.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

No, Walter was the first, or one of the first to use an SMPS in a bass amp. An SMPS is a part of the entire amplifier(the power supply) but a class AB or class D amp is the topology of the power amp itself.

They are different, the SMPS can be used to provide power for either a class D amp or a class AB amp.

There are a lot of differing stories out there on the inter webs. And in the absence of an official source, they flourish, maybe that's by design.

 

[agedhorse]

There are a lot of differing stories out there on the inter webs. And in the absence of an official source, they flourish, maybe that's by design.

To clarify, Walter used an SMPS combined with a class AB (linear) power amp in all models i am familiar with, though I do understand that there may have been one class d model much later on.

(the edit to my original post got lost, now I can't edit it)

 

[Jeff Scott]

Walter used a SMPS for all his amp models, which were class AB up until the Electracoustic series which are Class D.

Hope this helps.

 

[agedhorse]

Walter used a SMPS for all his amp models, which were class AB up until the Electracoustic series which are Class D.

Hope this helps.

This matches what I recall.

 

[shwashwa]

So was the electro acoustic series not among the first class D amplifiers available to the market then? And deserved of a mention in the article? I believe that model came out in the late 80s or early 90s if I'm not mistaken. I got mine mid-90s

 

[agedhorse]

So was the electro acoustic series not among the first class D amplifiers available to the market then? And deserved of a mention in the article? I believe that model came out in the late 80s or early 90s if I'm not mistaken. I got mine mid-90s

Good question.

 

[Dynacord]

So was the electro acoustic series not among the first class D amplifiers available to the market then? And deserved of a mention in the article? I believe that model came out in the late 80s or early 90s if I'm not mistaken. I got mine mid-90s

Sounds right. I also got my elecrtoacoustic mid 90's but believe they were probably already available in the late 80's. Does seem an oversight to not mention Walter Woods in the article (I've not read it) even as a precursor to the concept of micro amps generally - even if not pure class D.

 

[dpbass66]

So was the electro acoustic series not among the first class D amplifiers available to the market then? And deserved of a mention in the article? I believe that model came out in the late 80s or early 90s if I'm not mistaken. I got mine mid-90s

Me too.. mid-90's... Also, his amps are deserved of recognition because IMHO their sonic characteristics are outstanding. One may contend this is subjective, and it ultimately IS, however you cant argue with the fact that many of the world's great bass players have an Electroacoustic in their arsenal and use it regularly.