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Double Bass Walter Woods

#21
Ric Vice said:
Tim,
I'm sending you a P.M..
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That's perfect, Ric has probably a whole lot more valuable to say than me.

My bits and pieces of things read and heard: Problem with the Electracoustic series is not so much obsolescence of parts, but rather lack of circuit documentation/schematics. Walters policies were pretty secretive around his later designs. There are folks who can repair them anyways, but they are few and far in between. (I do know one I would trust).

But, IMHO, 16 years is nowhere near an issue with WW amps. Even though the older MI100-8 amps like mine are a different beast altogether, I have one from 1979 and it works like a charm. It had one bad solder joint last year, but that was an easy fix.

As far as value is concerned, I couldn't begin to guess. All I have heard is that recently, arguably due to the vast competition of mass-produced mini amps with loads of power and no weight, but equally due to Walter getting older and reportedly not as readily available for service as he used to be, the prices began to drop. I have always considered them to be "reasonably premium-priced", meaning "deserved expensive due to sheer and utter excellence". Remember, Walter Woods always was a one-man company, with one guy designing and hand-building any and every single amp, without using ANY prefabricated OEM modules. At the same time being cutting-edge technology for the time. That sure comes at a cost.

Best
Sidecar
 
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#22
About the pilot light thing- I reread your posts and you said someplace that this amp had been advertised as a blue light model. Well- looking at the picture it either is not the amp in the pic or the advertising is wrong, since the pilot light most certainly is not blue. The blue light is the "Ultra" model with 800W/8ohms and 1200/4 ohms.

I am not necessarily assuming that there is anything fishy with it- could potentially be that the original power amp had been upgraded by Walter, or the seller just used a generic picture because his camera doesn't work. But, as these amps have something elusive over them, I learned that they do attract scams. Once I was on the way to purchase an MI100-8 from spain, when I suddenly noticed several weirdities (dude had put it on sale here on TB with an account that had wrong credentials and got deleted almost directly after I began negotiating with him, then rejected paypal and even was so "smart" to send me his passport copy with a name that neither matched his email nor his name used on TB). I afterwards found out he just had used generic pics from the web. Luckily I hadn't forked over the cash yet.

Now, I am in no way insinuating that your particular deal is dangerous. But the pilot light thing is an issue I would like to have resolved if I were you.

Best
Sidecar
 
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#23
MrSidecar said:
About the pilot light thing- I reread your posts and you said someplace that this amp had been advertised as a blue light model. Well- looking at the picture it either is not the amp in the pic or the advertising is wrong, since the pilot light most certainly is not blue. The blue light is the "Ultra" model with 800W/8ohms and 1200/4 ohms.

I am not necessarily assuming that there is anything fishy with it- could potentially be that the original power amp had been upgraded by Walter, or the seller just used a generic picture because his camera doesn't work. But, as these amps have something elusive over them, I learned that they do attract scams. Once I was on the way to purchase an MI100-8 from spain, when I suddenly noticed several weirdities (dude had put it on sale here on TB with an account that had wrong credentials and got deleted almost directly after I began negotiating with him, then rejected paypal and even was so "smart" to send me his passport copy with a name that neither matched his email nor his name used on TB). I afterwards found out he just had used generic pics from the web. Luckily I hadn't forked over the cash yet.

Now, I am in no way insinuating that your particular deal is dangerous. But the pilot light thing is an issue I would like to have resolved if I were you.

Best
Sidecar
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Thanks for the message.

Yes I messaged them last night and I thought the same thing either pic from online or a mistake in advertising. The seller is reputable as far as I know it's not advertised online but is a small shop which has a good rep in uk. I contacted them and they said they would look into it I think they either don't know much about woods amps and were scammed or the pic isn't of the item.

So now waiting for a response :)

I've also been chatting to Bob on here about his green light but unsure it would have enough power. Probably would be fine but would like to be sure I have LOADS of headroom.

kind regards

Tim
 
#25
As usual with any online discussion of Walter Woods and his amplifiers, there's a mix of information and misinformation here.

The Electracoustic amp series were introduced in the middle 1990's, and parts are still readily available. A competent tech should be able handle most repair issues. I would not be so interested in the age of a Walter Woods amp as I would its condition. A three year old WW amp that's been mistreated could be a very unhappy ownership experience, while a 20 or 30 year old (or older) WW amp in perfect condition can be a real joy to own. These are hand-made amplifiers that are built to a very high standard and can last indefinitely if taken care of properly. They are certainly not for everyone however. We all have different ideas of what sounds good, and if you're nervous about parts and service and all the other questions that seem to surround these amps, you probably should look elsewhere IMO. WW amps are probably not for you. But if you enjoy owning a hand-crafted work of audio art (at least they are to me), then a Walter Woods amp may be a good fit for you. These are some of the best sounding amps I've ever heard in my 40+ years of playing BG and DB.

Last but not least, when I was starting out, 100 watts was a very powerful amp. Now many people have got caught up in the high power thing and think they have to have as much power as possible. I have a green-light WW Electracoustic amp, which is rated at 300 watts @ 8 ohms and 450 watts @ 4 ohms. Even when I have played very loud shows, this amp has always had more than enough power. I can't imagine needing more power than my green light model provides. YMMV.

In the interest of full disclosure, my WW Electracoustic amp is for sale here in the TB classifieds because I am basically retired now and want to pass my amp on to someone else to enjoy.
 
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#26
bassfacer22 said:
just throwing it out there..

I paid Walter something $2740 for a blue-light WalterWoods amp (mono) a couple of years ago..

It has changed even crappy $250 sounding speakers to make them sound like $1000 speakers.. because when you E.Q. with the Walter, it just those frequencies that you really need..
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Thanks for that !!! I had been thinking maybe it wasn't the right time as had quite a few big financial things hit me and also worried about ever needing a repair. Comments like this make me loose all rational thinking and think I have to have one of these amazing Amps to plug into !!!!!!

Maybe I should go new as at those prices it seems much more sensible ! The prices people are trying to sell these for second hand is crazy considering the new higher spec units
 
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#27
Well I should also warn you that your quality pickups on your quality instrument will be the ultimate final word, not necessarily the amp..

If your instrument sounds good and is actually resonating properly etc.. And then you have a bad speaker and amp.. It may be possible to fix it with a Walterwoods amp..

But if you have a bad instrument and pickups that accent the terrible overtones of a bad instrument, you can only E.Q. Out so much and you will be losing a lot of tone even with the godlike Walterwoods

For example I had a fender deluxe jazz V electric bass for $1800 and it sounded like garbage.. But I could use the Walterwoods to eq out the mids and push more bass on it, but in the end, the instrument still sounded like garbage and wasn't the tone I was looking for..

So make sure you have the instrument that sounds good first before you purchase a $2700 amp

The Walterwoods will then accent the awesome instrument you have with clarity..


But I will say when I use the Walter woods on all kinds of speakers it certainly pushed the bass out more than other amps.. You do have a pretty ridiculous good amount of knobs to change E.Q. On the Walter.. Hope that helps a little more..
 
#28
bassfacer22 said:
Well I should also warn you that your quality pickups on your quality instrument will be the ultimate final word, not necessarily the amp..

If your instrument sounds good and is actually resonating properly etc.. And then you have a bad speaker and amp.. It may be possible to fix it with a Walterwoods amp..

But if you have a bad instrument and pickups that accent the terrible overtones of a bad instrument, you can only E.Q. Out so much and you will be losing a lot of tone even with the godlike Walterwoods

For example I had a fender deluxe jazz V electric bass for $1800 and it sounded like garbage.. But I could use the Walterwoods to eq out the mids and push more bass on it, but in the end, the instrument still sounded like garbage and wasn't the tone I was looking for..

So make sure you have the instrument that sounds good first before you purchase a $2700 amp

The Walterwoods will then accent the awesome instrument you have with clarity..


But I will say when I use the Walter woods on all kinds of speakers it certainly pushed the bass out more than other amps.. You do have a pretty ridiculous good amount of knobs to change E.Q. On the Walter.. Hope that helps a little more..
Click to expand...

I finally bought a great bass this year :) I am lucky to have a Martin Penning bass who is a first class luthier in the UK. He won an ISB award with Nick loyd. Great instrument and great depth and I'm using with a ehrlund with pre amp. If needed I am happy to get another pickup and blend though another pre too. Thank for your message :)
 
#29
Basstimg said:
Maybe I should go new as at those prices it seems much more sensible ! The prices people are trying to sell these for second hand is crazy considering the new higher spec units
Click to expand...

Basstimg,
Before you commit that kind of investment, I'd urge you to find someone locally with an Electroacoustic amp and work with it for a while. Then you'll know wheather you want to commit to the purchase, provided Walter is even still building them. If the Ehrlund EAP and Pre Amp work well with with your current bass and amp, the sound will only be ritcher and more detailed with a Woods Electroacoustic.


Ric
 
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#30
Ric Vice said:
Basstimg,
Before you commit that kind of investment, I'd urge you to find someone locally with an Electroacoustic amp and work with it for a while. Then you'll know wheather you want to commit to the purchase, provided Walter is even still building them. If the Ehrlund EAP and Pre Amp work well with with your current bass and amp, the sound will only be ritcher and more detailed with a Woods Electroacoustic.


Ric
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Unfortunately I live in Cornwall in the uk and there is certainly none around here !!!! I have been thinking maybe I should just go for a mark bass head and Berg cab might be a lot safer and easier. Any thoughts ?
 
#31
Basstimg said:
Unfortunately I live in Cornwall in the uk and there is certainly none around here !!!! I have been thinking maybe I should just go for a mark bass head and Berg cab might be a lot safer and easier. Any thoughts ?
Click to expand...

Basstimg,
For me Markbass wouldn't be my first choice. I've played through the Big Bang, Little Mark III, and F1. I prefer other amps. Bergantino cabinets are spectacular.

Ric
 
#33
Greg Lukasik said:
Basstig,

any news 'bout the Walter Woods Amp? Is it your now?
Click to expand...

Hi Greg

No in the end I gave up on getting a woods the lack of schematics and Filed parts combined with Walter often charging large amounts to repair anything if you can get hold of him which is doubtful with men being in the uk.

So I ended up getting a grave Felix pre and jule m700 amp. They arrived yesterday so now just waiting for my 2 X MAS26 and I'm ready to roll :)
 
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#34
Basstimg said:
Hi Greg

No in the end I gave up on getting a woods the lack of schematics and Filed parts combined with Walter often charging large amounts to repair anything if you can get hold of him which is doubtful with men being in the uk.

So I ended up getting a grave Felix pre and jule m700 amp. They arrived yesterday so now just waiting for my 2 X MAS26 and I'm ready to roll :)
Click to expand...


Interesting..

Well post up some video audio of your sound..

I don't know those grave Felix and Jule amp. I'd like to hear them.


I can show you how the Walter sounds if you want through an Epifani 4x10 cab.. Supposedly the Epifani cab can handle 1000watts /600 RMS

The Walterwoods was supposed to be 800-1000watts but I don't know how to even check..

I don't want to put it to the test and blow my speaker..
 
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#35
bassfacer22 said:
Interesting..

Well post up some video audio of your sound..

I don't know about the Grace Felix and Jule amp. I'd like to hear them.


I can show you how the Walter sounds if you want through an Epifani 4x10 cab.. Supposedly the Epifani cab can handle 1000watts /600 RMS

The Walterwoods was supposed to be 800-1000watts but I don't know how to even check..

I don't want to put it to the test and blow my speaker..
Click to expand...

Actually, you have one of the newest Walter Woods Electroacoustic Ultra's, so it produces 800-1,200 watts RMS. Walter's amps are very conservatively rated so, it's wise to be cautious.

You're the last person I've heard on Talkbass that actually purchased a Walter Woods amp. To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't built that many of them of late. You'll want to relish that.

Ric
 
#37
Basstimg said:
Hi Greg

No in the end I gave up on getting a woods the lack of schematics and Filed parts combined with Walter often charging large amounts to repair anything if you can get hold of him which is doubtful with men being in the uk.

So I ended up getting a grave Felix pre and jule m700 amp. They arrived yesterday so now just waiting for my 2 X MAS26 and I'm ready to roll :)
Click to expand...

Hi Basstimg,

after reading your questions&doubts and also other meanings and discussions, I couldn't sleep without give it a try.
I found an used amber-light WW and ordered it (I'm in southern Germany). After a while I realized (with some heartbeat), it IS the one YOU was talking about, same serial, from renowned dealer in UK, even at a better Price (which didn't make me feel better in this case).

The amp is 15 years old, has a few signs of wear, a small defect has happened while shipping, but the sound is just incredible. I've heard other people playing it, I knew it's a great amp, but never tried it by myself. Even the Glockenklang (old BassArt and the new BlueSky), which I like and appreciate, sounds different to me, after playing the WalterWoods.
Always in-your-face and very honest (play it clear - there is no mercy!), little less bottom and punch at first sight, but if you play a while with the EQ, all you may need IS there. All this at 7 pounds.

I am still not sure about the condition and reliability (it seems to have been repaired), but I will keep it. In the last 25 years I have played many amps, but this one is definitely among the best.

Anyway, I'm sure your Felix/Jule couple plays in the Champions League, enjoy it!

all the best, Greg
 
#38
Greg Lukasik said:
Hi Basstimg,

after reading your questions&doubts and also other meanings and discussions, I couldn't sleep without give it a try.
I found an used amber-light WW and ordered it (I'm in southern Germany). After a while I realized (with some heartbeat), it IS the one YOU was talking about, same serial, from renowned dealer in UK, even at a better Price (which didn't make me feel better in this case).

The amp is 15 years old, has a few signs of wear, a small defect has happened while shipping, but the sound is just incredible. I've heard other people playing it, I knew it's a great amp, but never tried it by myself. Even the Glockenklang (old BassArt and the new BlueSky), which I like and appreciate, sounds different to me, after playing the WalterWoods.
Always in-your-face and very honest (play it clear - there is no mercy!), little less bottom and punch at first sight, but if you play a while with the EQ, all you may need IS there. All this at 7 pounds.

I am still not sure about the condition and reliability (it seems to have been repaired), but I will keep it. In the last 25 years I have played many amps, but this one is definitely among the best.

Anyway, I'm sure your Felix/Jule couple plays in the Champions League, enjoy it!

all the best, Greg
Click to expand...

Hi Greg

Glad you got the amp and like it. Sorry to hear it was damaged in transport. I don't suppose it's that strange it was the one I talked about as there aren't many around in Europe. Sounds like your happy and that's great enjoy it :)

Even though I did get a considerable reduction on the price after further negotiations I personally felt it was too much of a risk and decided to go for a grace design Felix, m700 combination which a couple of people thought was a better option for me. It was more expensive but i couldn't get past the potential of an amp which I could get repaired. It is certainly the right decision in my own case and I know a couple of WW owners who now use my set up and leave the woods at home. But it's horses for courses as they say in uk and I'm So glad it's working for you enjoy it :)

Tim
 
#39
Greg Lukasik said:
Hi Basstimg,


The amp is 15 years old, has a few signs of wear, a small defect has happened while shipping, but the sound is just incredible. I've heard other people playing it, I knew it's a great amp, but never tried it by myself. Even the Glockenklang (old BassArt and the new BlueSky), which I like and appreciate, sounds different to me, after playing the WalterWoods. Always in-your-face and very honest (play it clear - there is no mercy!), little less bottom and punch at first sight, but if you play a while with the EQ, all you may need IS there. All this at 7 pounds.

I am still not sure about the condition and reliability (it seems to have been repaired), but I will keep it. In the last 25 years I have played many amps, but this one is definitely among the best.

Greg
Click to expand...

Well, there's no denying that a Walter Woods Electroacoustic is a great amp. Unfortunately, there are some obstacles you have to hurdle to get it serviced, if and when that even becomes necessary.
If you want to know when the last repair was made, carefully remove the four phillips screws and washers from the top and gently slide the black cover forward (there's a little lip along the back side
of the cover.) Walter notates repair dates across the top chassis' aluminum frame.

Ric
 
#40
Hello Ric,

thank you for the advice. There is no notice on the frame.
I was a little concerned because of the lower price, I thought something's wrong with it. After a while, I just cant stop playing it. It sounds great on Acoustic BG (I don't play upright), even better with my vintage Fender basses and other electrics.
Some minor repairs (scratching pots, changing sockets) are no problem, the preamp side is pretty clear. It's all about the switching supply and the power section. But for now I don't think about the future and hope it will work forever (Walter will be proud on me).

thanks guys
all the best

I have to practice ;)
 

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