• 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 free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Walter Woods repair

#4
thanks for the phone number
I left a message on Walter's answering machine
The amp has been 100% okay for 8 years
the power goes on, the green light works
I get no sound, I smell a burn.
I believe it is best to have Walter repair it than a regular amp repair
store.
 
#5
Ron B said:
thanks for the phone number
I left a message on Walter's answering machine
The amp has been 100% okay for 8 years
the power goes on, the green light works
I get no sound, I smell a burn.
I believe it is best to have Walter repair it than a regular amp repair
store.
Click to expand...

Walter is the exclusive holder of all the schematics for his own amplifiers. After all, he designed them. Now, I'm relatively confident that a really savvy amplifier technician could figure whatever problem a particular amplifier has, however trying to repair an amp with out the circuit design probably isn't something that a competent technician will attempt, and Walter, justifiably, isn't providing "handouts". He also has a back stock of repair parts for all but one of his designs. Components change frequently and he may be the only person who has the part your amp needs. You made a good choice. Be Patient

Ric
 
#6
Walter called me right back, he will repair my amp for $550.
a new one is $2350.He is going on vacation this week.
he is not accepting repairs until Sept 1.So I have 2 months
to decide what to do,I have a Gallien Krueger MB150 and a friends
Acoustic Image Clarus, I can use.
Thinking of buying Clarus or Euphonics Audio Doubler head.
 
#7
Walter said to call him Sept 1 2009 and he will then repair my
2001 M1 200-8 300 watt 8 ohm for $550.
I paid around $1100.- 1200 in 2001.
I was wondering what the value of it is in 2009 if I decide to sell it.
after repair.
Walter said his amps start at $2350. now.
thanks for any info
 
#8
Ron B said:
Walter said to call him Sept 1 2009 and he will then repair my
2001 M1 200-8 300 watt 8 ohm for $550.
I paid around $1100.- 1200 in 2001.
I was wondering what the value of it is in 2009 if I decide to sell it.
after repair.
Walter said his amps start at $2350. now.
thanks for any info
Click to expand...

Would it be worth your while to have a local amp guru do a "CSI" on it for ~$60? You've got to have somebody fairly competent and trustworthy in the greater Chicago area. Doesn't appear as if your WW is under any type of warranty so what could it hurt? The problem may be glaringly evident and a relatively inexpensive fix.

$500 sounds like a lot for a repair, even if it is WW. Has he pinpointed the problem already or this an all-inclusive flat fee? Oh yeah, don't forget shipping / insurance both ways.

Riis
 
#9
Walter has not pinpointed the problem.
the Green light goes on.
the fuse did not blow.
there is just no sound.
there was a burn smell.
Walter said it just burned out.
If it was newer it might still have a warranty.
it's a 2001 I bought new.
I'm not sure I will fix it.
Yes I will check around Chicago for repair.
thank for your info
 
#11
This is just one of the many reasons why I quit using my Walter Woods as much as I like the sound of it.

I have sent my brand new Woods back for repairs twice, spent $500 on it and had 3 months of downtime on it since 2005. I quit using it around 2007.

I have sent my bought used Focus 2RIII back to AI twice since I've had it. Only paid shipping one way and had it back in my hands in less than a week.

I don't care how great it sounds or what voodoo anybody thinks it has that isn't worth it to me.

If I wanted to spend that much time with my backup stuff it wouldn't be my backup stuff.
 
#12
Ron B said:
Walter called me right back, he will repair my amp for $550.
a new one is $2350.He is going on vacation this week.
he is not accepting repairs until Sept 1.So I have 2 months
to decide what to do,I have a Gallien Krueger MB150 and a friends
Acoustic Image Clarus, I can use.
Thinking of buying Clarus or Euphonics Audio Doubler head.
Click to expand...

Thats sounds just silly, $550, you have to wait two months before sending it in and then wait for it to be repaired.

There is a reason why I have never owned one of these...:rollno:
 
#13
Uncletoad said:
This is just one of the many reasons why I quit using my Walter Woods as much as I like the sound of it.

I have sent my brand new Woods back for repairs twice, spent $500 on it and had 3 months of downtime on it since 2005. I quit using it around 2007.

I have sent my bought used Focus 2RIII back to AI twice since I've had it. Only paid shipping one way and had it back in my hands in less than a week.

I don't care how great it sounds or what voodoo anybody thinks it has that isn't worth it to me.

If I wanted to spend that much time with my backup stuff it wouldn't be my backup stuff.
Click to expand...

Uncletoad
thanks for your input
I am not sure I will send it back to Walter Woods for $550
to repair an 8 year old amp.What if he retires in near future
and it breaks down again.
I just bought a used 2004 Acoustic Image Clarus 1 for $350.
that can be repaired for free even if the 5 year warrany is up.
I also have a 8 year old Gallien Krueger MB150 for backup.
So far the Acoustic Image Clarus sounds as good as the Walter Woods.
 
#18
Sadly, I hear and feel for you and have been down that road before. Makes me hesitant to get on board with the new transistor amps due to parts being obsolete/hard to get or SMT modules that get replaced when x,y,or z is the problem.

At least with my old boat anchor Fender, I can service it myself and not need to rely on one person for advice.

By the way... I do take much pride in the way I service amps for other people and myself. I like seeing these old gals performing even when their engineers are retired/dead and people have forgotten their designs.
 
#19
Ron B said:
fdeck
do you mean it would be difficult for anyone but Walter Woods
to repair his amps.
Click to expand...

Yes, for two reasons. First, switchmode circuitry is too new-fangled for many experienced techs to have a good grasp of, and too complicated to simply follow a circuit from one end to the other. And given the trend towards "disposable" electronics, I am not sure where a tech would gain this expertise any more.

Case in point, I was given a Stewart power amp to repair, and after a wholesale replacement of the power transistors didn't magically fix it, I had to throw up my hands. This was with the schematic. Between this amp, and a DSP effects box on another occasion, I have given up my claim that I can fix anything.

The other reason is that since WW was a pioneer in this area (at least in the audio world), there is a good chance that his designs are rather idiosyncratic.

I would consider it highly probable that the preamp can be extracted and used on its own. This is based on an educated guess that the preamp is not the portion that burned out, but it might not be receiving power if the power supply is frapped. If the amp were sitting on my bench, I would figure out which wires provide power to the preamp, and I would attempt to power it up with a couple of 9-V batteries.

One option is to take a very careful look inside the unit, for any sign of burning or smoke. Of course this is dangerous because of high voltages inside the case. But if it were me, I would go in there with a bright flashlight and magnifying glass, looking for any sign of (typically) white smoke deposits, obvious heat damage of components, or discoloration of printed circuit board materials. This doesn't make the amp repairable by mere mortals, but might at least tell you where the problem is located.
 
#20
bassmodder said:
Sadly, I hear and feel for you and have been down that road before. Makes me hesitant to get on board with the new transistor amps due to parts being obsolete/hard to get or SMT modules that get replaced when x,y,or z is the problem.

At least with my old boat anchor Fender, I can service it myself and not need to rely on one person for advice.

By the way... I do take much pride in the way I service amps for other people and myself. I like seeing these old gals performing even when their engineers are retired/dead and people have forgotten their designs.
Click to expand...

For me, SMT isn't the problem, because I've done SMT rework, and the parts in bass gear tend to be relatively large, e.g., 1206 and SOIC packages. The problem for me is simply not knowing how to diagnose switchmode gear in the first place.

On the other hand, I have decided that the benefits for non-experts outweigh the inconvenience to the handful of players who can do DIY repairs. An amp weighing 2.5 pounds completely changes the ballgame in terms of shipping it back to the maker for repair. When the power switch on my EA Micro broke, Gary convinced me that fixing it myself simply wasn't worth the bother. In this and many other ways, he earned himself a loyal customer.

So, I am now of the philosophy of buying the newfangled gear, but only from makers who really take care of their customers. And I've always got the GK as a backup.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back