Double Bass Walter Woods? Or not...

[Jeff Bonny]

Still waiting for someone to put up an amp that comes closest to Walter Woods magic box..

None of the guys I know with a WW seem to have bothered trying many other amps....

 

[Eric Hochberg]

I had a MI-100 for a number of years. It broke down twice on gigs and I had to send it back for power modules. Of course, Walter took care of me just fine and at the time I think the price was $250 per. I finally sold it as it was underpowered for my needs, and honestly, I usually used an Alembic pre with it, a sound I preferred.

I went to a concert that my old buddy Mark Dresser was doing, and the borrowed Woods Electroacoustic he got went on the fritz before the show began. Luckily, I had my EA Doubler in the car and he used that. It sounded wonderful.

Now, with the increase in service price, AFAIK, and the one choice for service, Walter, I think there are better options. But, if you don't mind the expense and hassle, and have to have that sound, then go for it!

 

[Ric Vice]

I've had my Electroacoustic Stereo (the green light with two independent but bridgeable channels) for twenty years of touring, local gigs, indoors, outdoors, you name it. The only issue I've had was that the indicator lamp went out. Walter immediately sent me a replacement resistor with an image of the PCB marked where to replace. This amp sounds better than any other amp I've tried. With that said, I am now looking to put together a second rig, and looking at other small form factor options like the Mesa D 800+ with a high end preamp like the Felix.

Walter built them to last, I see where your coming from with the Mesa D800+, Felix combo.
That paring will do anything you'd ever want. I'm lucky enough to have a Woods and the Grace Felix
The Grace has a 5 transferable year warranty. Mesa is 5 years and transferable as well.

 

[Upfromthesky]

Can't the "depth" be dialed back in with a good preamp?

There are many routes to great tone - I was just commenting on the WW and it's inherent sound.

 

[Ric Vice]

I had a MI-100 for a number of years. It broke down twice on gigs and I had to send it back for power modules. Of course, Walter took care of me just fine and at the time I think the price was $250 per. I finally sold it as it was underpowered for my needs, and honestly, I usually used an Alembic pre with it, a sound I preferred.

I went to a concert that my old buddy Mark Dresser was doing, and the borrowed Woods Electroacoustic he got went on the fritz before the show began. Luckily, I had my EA Doubler in the car and he used that. It sounded wonderful.

Now, with the increase in service price, AFAIK, and the one choice for service, Walter, I think there are better options. But, if you don't mind the expense and hassle, and have to have that sound, then go for it!

Walter replaced the power module my MI-100-8 for free, when it went down. I had just purchased it. The EA Doubler Mark II has a lot in common tonaly with Walter's MI series amps.

 

[Bassistom]

Walter built them to last, I see where your coming from with the Mesa D800+, Felix combo.
That paring will do anything you'd ever want. I'm lucky enough to have a Woods and the Grace Felix
The Grace has a 5 transferable year warranty. Mesa is 5 years and transferable as well.

Ric,
Thanks for the input. Speaking of inputs, where does the Felix output go in your application? I am trying to ascertain if the D800+ Aux in will handle the Felix output well. If so, DB would be Troll+Realist through Felix to Mesa Aux, EB to D800+ instrument in. Thoughts?

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Walter replaced the power module my MI-100-8 for free, when it went down. I had just purchased it. The EA Doubler Mark II has a lot in common tonaly with Walter's MI series amps.

I bought mine used in the 80's.

 

[shwashwa]

I have two Walter wood amps currently and have had them for many years. they both sound great, but lately they stay home and I bring my quilter bass block to the gigs with a preamp in front. Sounds fantastic

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I never had a WW and, although the appeal was there, I now have no desire to buy one.
The guy is old and many of his amps have been in use for a few decades. They will fail. Then what?
The MarkBass Nano is one to consider. I find it to deliver a more neutral, open tone than my old Clarus and the EQ is very effective. Just last week, a drummer complimented me on the sound I was getting. 'Is that a Walter Woods?', casually noticing the red faceplate.

 

[Foxrock321]

Walter built them to last, I see where your coming from with the Mesa D800+, Felix combo.
That paring will do anything you'd ever want. I'm lucky enough to have a Woods and the Grace Felix
The Grace has a 5 transferable year warranty. Mesa is 5 years and transferable as well.

And Mesa is made in USA, not AsIa.

 

[Foxrock321]

I never had a WW and, although the appeal was there, I now have no desire to buy one.
The guy is old and many of his amps have been in use for a few decades. They will fail. Then what?
The MarkBass Nano is one to consider. I find it to deliver a more neutral, open tone than my old Clarus and the EQ is very effective. Just last week, a drummer complimented me on the sound I was getting. 'Is that a Walter Woods?', casually noticing the red faceplate.

The TC Electronics 800 has a nice red face too, anybody had any experience with a TC?

 

[Bassistom]

I have two Walter wood amps currently and have had them for many years. they both sound great, but lately they stay home and I bring my quilter bass block to the gigs with a preamp in front. Sounds fantastic

Swashwa,
Which transducers, preamp, and speaker(s) are you using with the Quilter BB?

 

[shwashwa]

Swashwa,
Which transducers, preamp, and speaker(s) are you using with the Quilter BB?

well, i have several basses and preamps and speakers! no matter which combination i take lately its the quilter as the amp. all sound good. one bass has a schertler stat b, one a copper realist and one a bass max. several preamps including a broughton studio one, radial pz pre, and even a fishman pro platinum eq. speakers include the upshot, or an ampeg sealed 2x10 or an audiokenesis thunderchild. the hpf on my preamps can make all of the combinations work. for me, the hpf is the key, the quilter just provides great solid tone. i think there's something about the dual stage limiter in the thing thats nice. less knobs to twist actually means i get my tone quicker and focus on playing

 

[damonsmith]

In the last decade, whenever I have been knocked by someone's amplified sound enough that I bothered to ask or look it has always been an Acoustic Image, not a WW.
An AI with the setting right is probably just as good, maybe better.

 

[Ric Vice]

Ric,
Thanks for the input. Speaking of inputs, where does the Felix output go in your application? I am trying to ascertain if the D800+ Aux in will handle the Felix output well. If so, DB would be Troll+Realist through Felix to Mesa Aux, EB to D800+ instrument in. Thoughts?

I’ve only played into a D800+ at J Gravity Strings with my Lakland 55-94. It really impressed me. I generally run the Grace Felix into a powered MAS 1/8. The Felix works great into the effects return of the Walter Woods. Your setup should work fine,
it’s just more complicated than I’m used to.

 

[Ric Vice]

In the last decade, whenever I have been knocked by someone's amplified sound enough that I bothered to ask or look it has always been an Acoustic Image, not a WW.
An AI with the setting right is probably just as good, maybe better.

AI has a stellar customer service reputation. While I’ve seen many Walter Woods amps with players at one time, Acoustic Image has produced an amp worthy of it’s reputation. Frankly the Professional player’s who visit St. Louis usually play through whatever’s avaliable.

 

[damonsmith]

No disrespect to the WW and anyone who really has that kind of bread to lay down for one in 2018. What I would say is that if your sound REALLY needs an extra $1400 thrown at it, lessons with a great teacher are probably a far better investment in 2018.
In other words, they are great amplifiers, but only worth the extra money for very few of us.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

I’ve owned three of Walter’s amps from various eras, the earliest being an “ice cream sandwich” from the ‘70s. Never had a single problem, though the last one had been serviced three times before I had it. This amp was a transitional model with an MI power section and an Electracoustic front end, so bugs in a new design could account for those repairs.

And I didn’t pay $1700 for any of them. All three cost me less than that in total.

 

[Ric Vice]

And I didn’t pay $1700 for any of them. All three cost me less than that in total.

Similar experience here. I bought my Ultra used in 1997 for less than half that amount.

No disrespect to the WW and anyone who really has that kind of bread to lay down for one in 2018. What I would say is that if your sound REALLY needs an extra $1400 thrown at it, lessons with a great teacher are probably a far better investment in 2018.
In other words, they are great amplifiers, but only worth the extra money for very few of us.

It's kind of a mote point anyway. Walter's amps don't include the features that most players want. He ran out
of real estate on the front panel of the Electroacoustics. No room for an onboard DI, Phantom Powered Mic Input. etc. That said the preamp section is stellar. Especially with one of Mike Arnopol's 4x5's. Just my take.

 

[damonsmith]

They used to be cheaper, and when they came out what else was there? One of those nasty Polytones? Those are kind of fun for trying to get a '70s vibe, WW was around before the GK MBs which are not nearly as good, but, a more viable option.

Now there are just more options for a great sound. Even I upgraded!