Walter Woods

54 Replies

Walter WoodsM-100, M-300, M-800
Type: amp head
Power rating: M-100: 120W@8 Ohms, 200W@4 Ohms
M-300: 300W@8 Ohms, 450W@4 Ohms
M-800: 800W@8 Ohms
Features: dual channel (buffered, high impedance inputs), parametric EQ, XLR DI output
Size: 9 x 31 x 22 cm
Weight: 3kg

Walter Wood’s makes his really legendary handmade amps in different versions with one, two or four channels. When they first came out in the early 1970’s, they were the first amps designed for the double bass. For many bassists, the Walter Woods’ amp is still the reference amp. They are available as special order directly from Walter Woods only.

Walter Woods, Tel. 760 772-7952, Palm Desert CA, USA
(no website)

Two vintageWalter Woods amps (1970ies):

Some more informations about the history and the models of Walter Woods’ workshop are available at the website of Hubert Ligeois, french double bassist and electrical engineer.

54 thoughts on “Walter Woods”

  1. Tom Buckman

    I searched Walter Woods just for fun and found your site. The picts. you have up and history take me back to 1972. I met Walter while I was playing bass at a backyard party in Orange County CA and he was playing saxophone. He brought in a hideous-looking chassis with parts sticking out everywhere and asked if I would play thru it, it was his frst prototype from the bench!
    It sounded smooth and phat. The rest is history.
    I owned a few of his amps in the 80s and sold my last one in 95, when I quit playing until starting again in 99 and have not been able to afford to get another one, yet.
    I have visited and kept in touch with him over all these years and always am impressed with him and his amps. He lives near Palm Springs CA.
    I would not hesitate to get his Ultra when possible since I’m starting to play upright and I’d be happy to promote him for the rest of my career.
    I live in the SF bay area.

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    1. joe feld

      I have a 100-8 that Walter himself just “UPGRADED” for me with all new power components; and he gave me a one year warranty, so you know it is pristine. As I am not playing as much as I used to(you can relate to that), would you be interested in purchasing it>(joejoecools@hotmail.com) Thanks

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      1. Jim A.

        Hi Joe;yeah,I may be interested if you still have it.I am an acoustic bassist exclusively and I own an m100 of late 80’s or early 90’s vintage and still sounds great!I’d really like to upgrade too,but he still is quite expensive,but quality though.
        A pic would be nice too.
        Thanks,
        Jim.

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  3. Nathan Waddell

    The Walter Woods MI 200 – 8 is a wonderful amplifier for double bass. With 225 watts per channel (350 at 4 ohms)it has plenty of power. Its input is a good match for most pickups. The tone controls are well thought out although the sound is excellent with only minimal adjustments required, depending on performing environment. Since the early nineties it has been absolutely reliable.

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  8. Kris

    we bought our son a walter woods amp a few years ago. Walter was so nice. The amp, incredible, a young musicians dream come true. The amp was recently stolen out of our son’s car, along with his double bass. Whoever you are thief, you suck bigtime.

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  10. Casey

    I’ve been playing for over 40 years. And one of the only times I left my equipment in my van (never a guitar) someone tried to help them self to it. The police happened to be passing by and stopped them Get the homeowners insurance in the future only about $25.00 a year. It’s a shame about your son’s equipment.

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  11. Harris

    I’ve had the WW Ultra Hi Gain amp for about 5 years now. I’ve never had a single problem with it. I carry the amp, all my cables, pedals, extra strings, etc. in a DJ record bag. With my 2 1×12 Jim Bergantino cabs, my rig totally humps, and the whole thing easily fits in the trunk of a honda civic. Plus I can load in in one shot too. I run the Woods basically flat and use a Sans Amp bass DI to fatten it up just a bit. I give the amp a 10 out of 10 absolutely. Best money I ever spent on equipment, plus the whole buying experience was extremely pleasant. I got my name on the list and Walter called me up a few weeks later. I overnighted the $$$ and he overnighted me the amp. Cool guy. Great amp!

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  12. Kevin

    Walter Woods has the Ultra High Power Bass Amp – blue light amp in stock and ready for shipping. They come with rack ears and the price is less than some of the last few that sold on EBay. So why buy used when you can get new for almost the same price. Just a thought. Give him a call 760-772-7952

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  15. jennifer

    hi jeff! we keep trying to send to your jeffdu1 email address but it comes back undeliverable. pls send us and email and we have some comments and photos and prices for your 2nd clevinger opus

    best regards,
    jennifer

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  16. Nathan Waddell

    Recently played the Woods through an older Euphonic Audio 1X10 and it was great. The usual box is a 2X10 Bag End, no tweeter. The Bag End is a great box for double bass or bass guitar. It handles a low B with no problem, even on high volume gigs, but its a bit much to carry these days. Next stop: EA Wizzy 12.

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  17. GEORGE ANDERSON

    I have one of the very first walter woods amp from the early 70’s.
    I bought it via walter woods himself, who informed me about one for sale in LA. I have a two hundred + year old bass and the woods amp just sounds great with it.I have had live sound guys say to me
    “I’m running you flat on the board” and that they never do that.
    I do have a very fine bass, but i know the walter woods has so much to do with those comments.I love these amps.. THEY ARE GREAT for upright bass! and so is the man who makes them.
    Thanks Walter…. you got it right…you really got it right!
    George Anderson

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  19. Paul Kogut

    Tim at Schroeder Guitar Repair in Chicago made me a set of rack ears for a newer amp. He can whip up a pair if you’re out of luck w/ Walter.
    Contact
    Schroeder Guitar Repair
    1455 W Hubbard Street
    Chicago IL 60642
    312.226.9668

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  23. Phil

    I have a M-225 Walter woods amp that I would like to sell. Two channel 1-Standard and 2 ch. set up for Acc Bass. Sent amp into Walter and he replaced all the Caps. The amp is in great shape. Email me for pictures and info if anyone is interested before I put it on ebay.
    Phil

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  24. Nathan Waddell

    Bag End has a nice little 1X15 cab. It is 8ohm but efficient enough that you may not notice a difference power wise, compared to a less efficient box. They also make one with a co-axial horn that sounds especially smooth with both string bass and electric.

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  26. David Shelton

    I have had one of WW amps since 1976 when I lived in LA and went to the valley to pick it up from Walter. I would never sell this amp head
    and I play it thru a 15″ Gauss speaker when I use it. I have a couple of rigs, but being able to put an amp head in a briefcase makes life a lot easier. The only maintenance it ever needed was done by Walter himself. Always a gentleman.

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  27. Tom Buckman

    David S., did your Gauss speaker box happen to have been built by Gary Raymond? I had two of his 15″ cabs and used singly, stacked or split on either side of the drums, they sounded wonderful everytime. He was from the Redondo/Hermosa area and ran a sound company back then.

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  28. Don Marshall

    OK, Walter. I’m about to really blow it for you. Here goes: Walter was a couple years ahead of me at the U. of Redlands (’62-’66). Fortunately he graduated on time, thus allowing me the first alto chair. What a great jazz guy! But his classical work is equally exquisite. I’ve not met many musicians as talented as Walt—improvisation skills = amazing. But he’s totally unassuming about all that. I don’t think he knows how good he really is. I purchased an early “red head” model for my high school studio band along with a custom speaker made by a friend of Walt’s. The pros judging jazz festivals we entered loved looking at the little thing—most had never seen one. Walt, I’m going to hunt you down. Time for some war stories. I’m in Palm Desert several times a year. My daughter lives there!

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  29. Greg

    I have a Walter Woods MI-100 that I purchased in the late 1980’s. Only used it for about three years while playing bass in a small piano trio. Its been in my basement ever since. It is in excellent condition aside for some dust it almost looks new. If anyone’s interested email me at ghall321 at aol. For double bass there is no better amplifier.

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  30. Hughkirkpatrick

    First time I saw a WW amp was in a recording session in 1980. I asked the bass player “how many watts”. I laughed when he told me. How could you get that much power out of something the size of a kid’s lunchbox? He had the last laugh watching me lug my 50 lb bass head out to the car….

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  31. Fred

    Walter Woods fans….
    I am looking for a WW Slave amp…can anybody help me to locate one of these ?
    Thnx till sofar…

    Fred Severin.

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  32. fred severin

    Hello Walter Woods fans…
    Can anyone help me to locate a Walter Woods Slave power amp ?
    Thnx till sofar

    Fred Severin

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  33. Wolfgang Ohndorf

    Hello, I need a new 4 Chanel Walter woods with high Power and 1 Mic Input. I hope he can build one for me. The one I got from David Friesen 15 years ago was stolen on a gig last Friday. An upgrade would make me happy and forgot my loss (I hope).

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    1. Don

      Hi, I see your post was from almost 10 months ago but just curious if you ever found a WW MI-100. I do have one for sale.
      Regards
      Don

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  35. winhink

    I’m glad I found this list. I’ve used an M-100 for 40-something years and only had 2 problems and sent it to Walter for repairs. He always promptly fixed and returned it so I could keep working. Now I’m mostly doing gratis jobs and using it with a EA Wizzy 10 inch speaker (4 ohms). It has worked fine except recently I made the mistake of turning on the unit with the vol. turned up. I heard a loud pop then it just “motor boats.” The pilot light is out. I replaced the fuse but the old one wasn’t blown. My Question: Is Walter still living and is he still fixing his product or has he turned over the repair business to someone else? I am in Boston area now and would like to find a local guy who could repair it. All recomendations considered. Thanks in advance for any responses or help.

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  36. John Clark

    Walter is still very much alive and living in Palm Desert, CA. I just talked to him. His phone # si 760-772-7952.

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    1. James Beaumont

      I have tried his number several times but can’t reach him. Could you possibly tell me how much my 200w with the red light is worth?

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  38. John Clark

    Hi James, If your amp was assembled after 1994 or so, it has the same circuitry as the contemporary ones. Of course, I would offer you $100 + shipping for it right now, but I’m guessing you might want a little more! Walter won’t tell you how much to ask, merely how much he’s asking for new ones. One of the magic words that gets people’s attention on eBay is”Vintage”. But I don’t think that applies here. I wound start by asking at least $1000. for this amp and see what response you get. You can always accept lower offers, but that amp is a rare gem. Don’t give it away!

    John

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  40. Jorge

    I have two amplifiers model MI 100 -B , the two are damaged and can not find the one who repair ‘m in Mexico City would like to get the diagrams or in the latter case are sold as hope someone can help

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  41. John M Clark

    Contact Walter Woods at 760-772-7952. The last address I have for him is 78395 Sterling Lane, Palm Desert, CA 92211

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    1. Haewon

      We have Walter Woods amp head but need a repair…I tried to contact Walter Woods at 760-772-7952 for several times but could not reach him.
      I live in Korea and need to really repair my amp head. Is there any other way to contact him? Or is there any other location that I could contact for the repair? I contacted several local places but all gave up….!!!

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  42. John M Clark

    Sorry, the 760-772-7952 is the last phone number I have for him. Reached him there last year. Maybe just keep trying. He’s a pretty much “off the grid” kind of guy.

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  43. tom brenner

    I have a Walter Woods Mini amp single channel 50 watt from the 70’s i would like to sell. Call Tom at 760-550-2054

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  44. Lincoln Apeland

    General Questions:

    I first became aware of Walter’s amps back in the early 80s. I was on Boston, and they were they Holy Grail for bass players. I didn’t own one, but my good friend had one I think he bought new from Walter in about ’84 or ’85.

    Now many years later, I’m playing upright almost exclusively, and even though I have an Acoustic Image and a Polytone, I want the percussive punch of a WW.

    So, at this point, after all the different models the have come out, which is the best one. I know it might not be that simple of an answer, but I’m still asking. It’s for upright mostly, although I might play some electric through it. Do the old ones really have an elusive sound that the Ultras don’t have? Are they all the same? Was the sweep really an improvement? What ab out the boost switches on the bass and/or treble knobs?

    And I’m really curious about the distortion in the pre-amp of the early amps. I remember hearing even back in the 80s that what made these amps sound the way they did was a big of distortion in certain frequencies which brought out certain frequencies? Was the just BS? Or was it true, and it got “fixed” later?

    Ok so any info could be helpful, and if anyone has one for sale, let me know, please.

    Thanks,

    Lincoln

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