• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Walter Woods? Or not...

ScotJam,

Usually combo amps without speaker outputs have a 4 ohm speaker and that's as low an impedance as the amp can drive. To use an extension cab would require replacing the internal speaker.

Combos with 8 ohm speakers usually support 8 ohm extension cabs to get a 4 ohm load and maximum wattage out of the amp.

I played an AER combo a long time ago (20 years or more) and it sounded excellent for double bass.

Yeah, that would make sense if it is 4 ohms. I notice the AERs have a sub out, which could be useful. I wonder if anyone has made a powered version of a full range cab like the Greenboy 15 or 12, seems like full range powered cabs would be be a good way to go with the likes of a Line 6 Helix or Pod Go, or any good pre. Phil Jones used to make some little powered cabs, maybe the market is not there for them yet, or are there some I don’t know about?
 
......many years ago. It had a fantastic set of tone shaping controls, two full channels, it was pretty heavy though. Over 40 lbs......

40lbs???? Ha!

Not so many years ago, I played an Ampeg SVT - THAT was heavy; but what a glorious wall of thunder it produced!

Back to the original WW commentary: If I had one and it met my power needs, I'd take it on the gig, but I'd likely bring a newer small Acoustic Image as a backup. For daily drivers when $$$ is on the line, they seem to be getting pushed into the same category as a nice old B15 fliptop- great at home or in the studio, but not so great dragging around out in the trenches for $50 bar gigs....
 
40lbs???? Ha!

Not so many years ago, I played an Ampeg SVT - THAT was heavy; but what a glorious wall of thunder it produced!

Back to the original WW commentary: If I had one and it met my power needs, I'd take it on the gig, but I'd likely bring a newer small Acoustic Image as a backup. For daily drivers when $$$ is on the line, they seem to be getting pushed into the same category as a nice old B15 fliptop- great at home or in the studio, but not so great dragging around out in the trenches for $50 bar gigs....

I’ve owned two different Walter Woods amps one was a MI-400-8 (400 watt) the other is a early Electroacoustic Ultra (600 watts)
They could drive any cabinet I hooked them up to. The Electroacoustic weighs 7.5 lbs. Dragging it around to $50.00 bar gigs
or less, was something I did do, but it wasn’t very cost effective. :) I moved on to other gear for many reasons, but tone quality and
power output weren’t among them. :) Just my take.
 
I still take my M100-8 on the occasional smaller gig but have a backup on hand just in case. It is 40 years old but still has the tone and flexibility I appreciate the most of the amps I've used. As long as it functions I will keep it around for certain applications.
 
At the risk of repeating myself, about 20 years ago I owned three of Walter’s amps — a ‘78 Ice Cream Sandwich I bought from a pawn shop that wasn’t good for much, an ‘86 MI-100-8 that I used for two or three years, and a ‘98 transitional model that had an MI-100-8 power circuit and an Electracoustic preamp. For most of that period my cabinets were Bag End cubes loaded with EVM and EVB 15s. Absolutely murderous club rig for those of us with bad backs.
 
Funny, just the other day I was thinking of this as my "poor man's Walter Woods". (Also kind of hard to justify getting a combo amp when I have a rig this small yet potent.)

acme-quilter - 1.jpeg


I had found the Quilter BB800 to be a bit "sterile" for DB sometimes but it has been growing on me over the years. I will never be one of those guys to claim something sounds just like a tube amp; I will just say it captures some liveliness in my BGs that many other solid state amps lose. It's reliable & essentially weightless but slams those watts like a lead sled.

I had been struggling with my 4/4 5-string. Sometimes you just have to try a bunch of stuff and roll with what responds the best. This amp & cab won out over various other pairings. (Still have to buffer & HPF with the fDeck HPF-Pre for best results. That's been the case with pretty much every bass / string / pickup / amp / cab I've tried thus far.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: james condino
The Low B1 has a long standing reputation as a Double Bass cabinet. It’s simple, portable, and loud enough for smaller venues.
The only competition Andy had when he built those cabinets were the EA VL 108’s which sounded amazing at low volume,
but did not project as well. Just my take of course. I moved to MAS 1/8’s but they are more expensive. Just my take.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jefenator
Just used the B1 with my old MI-100-8 and new RedEye on a gig yesterday. This rig really does do the job for me. It puts out more volume than I would have thought with great tone. The age of this gear is a little concerning but for now I'm using it for pretty much everything. I might use a different amp for louder gigs but that's the only thing different. What's old is new.
 
'LOVE ACME cabs! I've had probably 25 different cabs in the last decade and every time, I eventually go back to my well used ACMEs. I have a pair of B1s and a B2. Not the latest hipster trend or the lightest, just a glorious deep bottom end like I never get from other cabs. Sure, I blow one of the drivers every couple of years when I get too excited and rowdy, but so what....'get another form Andy and I'm back in business. Some folks will complain about them not projecting far out into the room, but if I'm honest, it is for me, not the rest of the room. As long as I have good timing and a great attitude, nobody in the audience notices me vs. the attractive woman leading the songs....
 
Just used the B1 with my old MI-100-8 and new RedEye on a gig yesterday. This rig really does do the job for me. It puts out more volume than I would have thought with great tone. The age of this gear is a little concerning but for now I'm using it for pretty much everything. I might use a different amp for louder gigs but that's the only thing different. What's old is new.

Just make sure you clean the pots and jacks on the Woods with DeOxit once a year and you're good to go. That's the first thing Walter would do if you sent the amp back to him ( provided you can even reach him).
 
It looks to,be in good shape, I have the same amplifier. One just has to be aware that as of this moment, no one on Talkbass has heard
from Walter in quite some time. Their is a shop in Berlin that appears to be able to repair his amps provided they can source the components
to do so. Just my take. Mine has been excellent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: notabene
Just make sure you clean the pots and jacks on the Woods with DeOxit once a year and you're good to go. That's the first thing Walter would do if you sent the amp back to him ( provided you can even reach him).
I cleaned things a little while ago. I don't think I'd send it to Germany if something went wrong. I'd probably retire it, reluctantly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ric Vice

Latest posts