Walter Woods Amps History and Development

[Dynacord]

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.

I can vouch for this. I've worked for decades at the Monterey Jazz Festival as a stage manager and have had a very long list of very well known bass players on the stages I've worked. We'll have specific backline rental requests for various bass amps but the only ones where I recall them bringing their own were Walter Woods. This has remained true (though the festival did not happen this year for obvious reasons).

 

[Bob_Ross]

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.

Perhaps I'm too skeptical, but it doesn't surprise me at all that an article in Bass Player Magazine would completely ignore a product that many of the world's great bass players have used for decades...but that has never paid for advertising in Bass Player Magazine.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Perhaps I'm too skeptical, but it doesn't surprise me at all that an article in Bass Player Magazine would completely ignore a product that many of the world's great bass players have used for decades...but that has never paid for advertising in Bass Player Magazine.

Well, Bass Player is really no longer Bass Player. It's just a rebadged Bass Guitar Magazine from the UK.

 

[Jeff Scott]

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

I have to pull out the various price lists/brochures I have, but mid-90s seems about right, not the '80s.

Perhaps I'm too skeptical, but it doesn't surprise me at all that an article in Bass Player Magazine would completely ignore a product that many of the world's great bass players have used for decades...but that has never paid for advertising in Bass Player Magazine.

Bob nails it on the head; this is so true!

 

[Dynacord]

I have to pull out the various price lists/brochures I have, but mid-90s seems about right, not the '80s.

I got mine mid 90's but certainly* saw them as early as '92. Not sure that they were brand new then or not.

*aging memory caveat but 99% sure.

 

[dpbass66]

I can vouch for this. I've worked for decades at the Monterey Jazz Festival as a stage manager and have had a very long list of very well known bass players on the stages I've worked. We'll have specific backline rental requests for various bass amps but the only ones where I recall them bringing their own were Walter Woods. This has remained true (though the festival did not happen this year for obvious reasons).

My observation is even simpler: I watch a lot of YouTube vids of jazz, funk, and fusion music, and I see WW amps all over the place. To your point, it's not unusual to see a WW laying on top of the house backline gear. Personally, I do this all the time when I play festivals. It almost always invites an ruffled brow from the sound guys, until they hear it..

 

[dpbass66]

I have to pull out the various price lists/brochures I have, but mid-90s seems about right, not the '80s.

Bob nails it on the head; this is so true!

Perhaps I'm too skeptical, but it doesn't surprise me at all that an article in Bass Player Magazine would completely ignore a product that many of the world's great bass players have used for decades...but that has never paid for advertising in Bass Player Magazine.

I think it was Bass Musician mag (to be fair to Bass Player Magazine), but I agree with your observations about BP. I still get it just "because", and I am done with it in less than 20 minutes. It just doesnt seem to have the "teeth" of days of yore....

 

[Jeff Scott]

...it's not unusual to see a WW laying on top of the house backline gear.

Something like this?

 

[dpbass66]

Something like this?

View attachment 4074343

100%... or there is often a house rack/amp.. and I just drop my WW on top of all that stuff and connect to the WW. The only drag with the WW is the 1/4 speaker jacks, so over the years I've purchased a number of Neutrik to 1/4 speaker cables.

 

[steubig]

the drag about this thread is that it makes me want to buy a woods again.

 

[Jeff Scott]

the drag about this thread is that it makes me want to buy a woods again.

I've owned three different ones over the decades, so I say go for it!

 

[steubig]

I've owned three different ones over the decades, so I say go for it!

yeah, i think it would be number 5. first was in the early 80s or so.

 

[dpbass66]

the drag about this thread is that it makes me want to buy a woods again.

Me too. I'll commit some heresy on this thread by saying that in my search for an amp that does the same job as the WW, I find Bergantino class D amps to be very close, if not actually hitting the mark. I've been playing through them for a few years now and I couldn't be happier. I started with the B-amp, which is an 800w tech forward amp that sounds great, but it's way more than I need. Then they came out with the Forte HP, a 1200w version of their Forte amp. I have to say, it is really amazing. In my opinion, it has all the sonic qualities of the WW 1200w blue light I used to own, with more modern features and options. The only reason I sold my WW was concern that Walter was aging and would not be around for service, or even consult. It was never apparent that he was mentoring a replacement. I do miss the WW, but am really happy with my decisions.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The only reason I sold my WW was concern that Walter was aging and would not be around for service, or even consult. It was never apparent that he was mentoring a replacement.

Same, here. Back in the day there were no real alternatives to what Walter was doing. Nowadays, we have several choices, really.

 

[Dynacord]

My observation is even simpler: I watch a lot of YouTube vids of jazz, funk, and fusion music, and I see WW amps all over the place. To your point, it's not unusual to see a WW laying on top of the house backline gear.

I'm sure it's many of the same players.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I'm sure it's many of the same players.

Walter had a very long list of owners/users of his amp. Many luminary names on that list.

 

[Ric Vice]

I’ve owned three different Walter Woods amplifiers, I still have my early Electroacoustic Ultra. Before the pandemic, I had considered selling it and I’ll probably

list it after all this is over. I love Walter’s amplifiers, but some one else should benefit from this incredible amplifier. Unfortunately, as far as anyone knows, there are no

plans for anyone to take over for Walter, once he retires. In a sense, Walter’s amplifiers are exquisite artifacts, from a different technology and a different time. As

newer, less complex designs have evolved, the number of qualified technicians who could likely repair one of Walter’s amps is smaller. It’s still a phenomenal sounding

amplifier, especially for Double Bass.

 

[emjazz]

I would buy one in a second if I knew they'd be able to be repaired after Walter is gone. I recently saw that even Steve Swallow is using a GK at home these days. Walter didn't setup his business to continue after him from what I can tell. A real shame. Still one of my very favorite amps.

 

[dpbass66]

A real shame. Still one of my very favorite amps.

100% !!!!!!

 

[Dynacord]

I would buy one in a second if I knew they'd be able to be repaired after Walter is gone. I recently saw that even Steve Swallow is using a GK at home these days. Walter didn't setup his business to continue after him from what I can tell. A real shame. Still one of my very favorite amps.

It's a far from perfect solution but there are some people who work on them and appear to know what they're doing - but location is a big factor. I know of Hubert Liégeois in Paris and Audio Repair Berlin in, yes, Berlin. How many others there might be I don't know (finding any good amp repair person for even mainstream stuff is harder all the time). Thankfully I've not had need for repair on my Walter (knock on - Woods).