Webb amp

Bill Lowe · From: Connecticut

Did anybody compare the new Webb with the older orig. design? I would like to hear opinions from guys who have tried both. Also any opinions on the mods being offered for the older amps.

Thanks Bill
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Morton Kellas · From: Chazy, NY, USA 1

I tried the new model and preferred the old. This may be because I played the old model for so many years. I sent mine new model back and Tom found a old style chasis in his shop and had his tech install the Sarno mods, recovered the cabinet and installed a new E-130 4-Ohm JBL in it. I played it about an hour. It sounds like the original with a bit more warmth. I don't play out any more and it is sitting in my music room. I am using a small tube amp just in my home. I am not saying the new style is not good because i'm sure it is. I'm just from the old school, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I if anyone wants it, give me a shout, I could use the extra space in my room.

Mike Sigler · From: Give Em A Try !

i have played both old & new, and Tom has made some killer additions to the amp!
I have a new one thats being played on the road alot and it is a real but kicker.... Tone To The Bone..

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

Morton, sent you an email...JW

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

I have 2 late 70's Webbs, and extensively tested the new Webb against both of those for Tom Bradshaw (we're pals). ALL the Webbs are great.

To me, the main point of difference was the speaker. In the end, my ancient JBL K-130 @ 8 ohms pleased my ears just slightly more than the neodymium speakers.

But the new Webb, with the speaker chamber and ports, can yield very useful tonal differences, so I feel it's an improvement. And I was able to twiddle knobs and get the stock new Webb sounding almost identical to my old fave Webb.

The power and punch the new Webb has is unbelievable.

The biggest difference you can make in tone with the new Webb is having an open or closed back. I initially favored the open back sound, but after hours of playing, came to like both sounds very well. They're just different, but both useful.

Tom is shipping me a new Webb so any Southern California players wanting to try one can just contact me and we'll set something up so you can try one yourself, through your rig.
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George McLellan · From: Duluth, MN USA

I'm expecting delivery on the 23rd of my new Webb and looking forward to it. I've heard them but never played through one. I've never heard one yet that didn't sound great no matter who the steeler was that was playning through it.

Geo

John Roche · From: England

I'm looking for one here in the UK..

Tom Bradshaw · From: Walnut Creek, California, USA

Bill: The new Webb amp DOES sound the same as the previously manufactured Webbs. To achieve that sound, all that is necessary is to take off the back port cover. I didn't change the circuitry in the new amp design. However, if you don't remove that port cover and play the amp as now supplied, you will discover that it DOESN'T sound the same, unless you conclude as most others have, that the Webb's classic sound has an added emphasis to it. Besides the benefit of focusing its sound directionally, the highs and lows are increased by the presence of the ported speaker baffle with its port tubes.

The Webb that Morton Kellas returned was one of the first built and didn't have the port tubes, nor did I supply that amp with covers for the two upper front ports. I did encourage Morton to experiment with the amp by covering certain ports and uncovering others, as well as playing through it in different environments. I felt that Morton was a bit eager to return the amp rather than take the time to experiment with it. Still, I respected his decision to return it (as I do for anything purchased from me that doesn't completely satisfy the purchaser). He then pressed me to get him one of the earlier models, which I was able to do.

It was after Morton return his amp that one Jerome Vogel, an expert in speaker design who was intrigued by my speaker chamber idea, contacted me. It developed that I was able to get an amp to him at his Nebraska home for evaluation. Jerome did some extensive experimentation, as well as measuring of the amp’s chamber. He calculated the speaker response for the size of the chamber. He even did computer modeling of the speaker and chamber. He ended up concluding that the amp’s tone would be enhanced by the use of port tubes of specific dimensions for the two lower-front portholes. He even built one to reveal how the tone would be enhanced. Upon the return of the amp, a local audio technician and musician tested Jerome's work and praised the results with enthusiasm that I felt was exaggerated. However, I searched the Internet and found speaker tubes that matched Jerome's recommendations. I then had another local steel player (Billy Wilson, a Forum member) provide his input. [Billy and I have an understanding that he is to be brutally frank with me on any of my crazy ideas.] Billy "blessed" the results (but still views me as a bit daft). Thereafter I supplied the amp with its current configuration: back and upper two ports closed off, bottom front ports supplied with port tubes (but alterable if desired). The very first purchaser echoed the approval by those who told me to run with the port tubes. I quickly sent new port covers and tubes to everyone who had previously purchased one of the chambered amps. I just wish Morton had had the newer version of the amp. He might have found it more to his liking. Everyone else has.

I hope I've explained this adequately. But Bill, I think you should have me fire off one of these puppies for you to try out for yourself. As the saying goes, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". ...Tom

Ken Fox · From: Nashville GA USA

I concur with Tom on the amps as well. After seeing many new and older Webbs I have concluded that there were just a few changes in some electroytic cap values over the years, not a tonal change at all.

The reverb drive of the older amps was a transistor in Class A mode and used the large reverb tank. The new amps use a push pull transistor circuit and take the small tank (8BB2A1B). The tank has a low impedance input of 150 ohms. The older amps do not like the low Z input of that tank at all! Best to use the long tank with the old amps as it is a higher input impedance.

Tom is using Sarno's recommended changes on the new amp. A very nice upgrade.

Morton Kellas · From: Chazy, NY, USA 1

I guess tone is the the ears of the beholder. I found the old Webb to sound a bit different to me. Tom, as I recall another musician heard the same thing I did and returned two amps to you around the same time as I did. In all fairness, I did not try the newer amps with the tubes. I can tell you that Webb quality is top shelf as is Tom to deal with. I wish him the very best.

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

John Roche · From: England

Ken , what do they cost new?

Tom Bradshaw · From: Walnut Creek, California, USA

I would like to clarify a couple of things.

Yes, the older Webb amps surely have a tad bit of difference in the tone. Any amp that has a different speaker will end up with a tone change. The older amps used JBL's (which are no longer made). Some of those JBL's were even different models and also had provided a slightly different tone in those earlier models.

When I bought the Webb Company I didn't know that JBL had stopped making amp speakers (shows you how dumb I was about amp building). Interestingly, the 15" speaker that Jim Webb had selected to replace the JBL's was not an advertised model, but was made by Eminence. I located a part number on the speaker. Eminence told me it was a bass speaker. I was going to use that speaker (since I had (and still have) about 2 dozen of them in the inventory). I decided to A/B a Webb using a Kappalite speaker that Eminence sent me to try out, against that bass speaker Jim Webb had purchased, as well as a new JBL E-130 (Jim still had 10 of those). Again, I used Billy Wilson to do the A/B'ing. Billy and I both concluded that each speaker was a little different in sound. But, had we not played through them side-by-side, we agreed that we would not have been able to identify which brand was which or which was better (although we did tend to lean more toward the JBL when listening and knowing which brand we were hearing). Had it not been for the fact that the Kappalite removed about 14 pounds of weight from the amp, I would have gone with the replacement Eminence that Jim Webb had selected. Billy and I were both impressed with the amp's sound with all the speakers used for the test.

So, that's my take on the difference in the tone of an old Webb as compared to a new Webb or any other Webb. A new Webb is likely going to have a slightly different tone if different speakers are used with it. With the speaker chamber's various configurations, it will result in many nuances to the amp's tone. ...Tom

Mike Baldwin · From: Watsonville, Ca. USA

I bought a head only from Tom when he first took over.I don't know if it was the new stuff or last of the old stuff. I can tell you I have various open & closed back cabinets loaded with 10", 12" & 15" Celestions, JBL, Black Widows & Jensens and the 6-14 is versatile enough to work with each and every one of them. All you need to do is "Dial them in"

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

If anyone is contemplating purchasing a new Webb amp I can tell you this. You would be buying a hand-built, hi specification amp that is made to order. Build quality is tremendous, and the EQ sections are designed so that you can dial in virtually any tone you want to. It really is worth while trying out one if you can, and spending a little while going through the various permutations of tone that can be obtained.

They are not cheap amps, and never can be given the relatively small numbers that are being produced.

On top of this, Tom Bradshaw has to be the straightest person that you could ever wish to deal with. (No - I am not on commission! Laughing

)
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Larry Scott · From: Virginia, USA

Mike Sigler · From: Give Em A Try !

I am getting ready to cut a new album with the Masters Four ..... I have been gigging with them on and off..
And they are blowed away with the tone....
They do not want me direct to the recording board, they want the NEW Webb sound !
Thats saying something for a touring gospel group !
....Mike Whoa!

smike · From: oakland, ca

the main difference between the old and new webb amps is the highly customizable speaker enclosure.

webb amps continue to be like range rovers... seriously overbuilt, but an awesome experience.

i currently play in a band with a guy who rents high-end amps and equipment to bands that come through the san francisco bay area (think: stones, bonnie raitt, miles davis (back when), etc.).

i've played through everything he's got, and still prefer my webb amps.

bruce

Larry Scott · From: Virginia, USA

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

I had the good fortune to use one of the new Webb's for a couple of weeks. Five gigs in very different enviornments. The amp just sounds beautiful. The boys anf girls in the band loved it too. Sounds great atlow volumes and kicks hard at the wild and crazy shows too!!!!

George McLellan · From: Duluth, MN USA

I'm expecting my Webb to arrive sometime tomorrow but I won't have time to try it until I get to Waterloo, Iowa. Would some of you that have the new Webb amps mind sending me your favorite settings?

Thank you,
Geo

George Redmon · From: Muskegon & Detroit Michigan.

Now i don't know much about electronics, but i do know what i like to hear. I guess i'm just one of the few who like my old Webb the way it is. I wouldn't think about doing a mod or changing anything. I did for the fun of it, order a Kappa Lite from Parts Express and put it in my webb. Only word to describe the sound is "Yuck". I read so much about speakers being "voiced" for steel guitar. This one certainly is not. I think i lost sight of the fact that the Kappa Lite is not an instrument speaker, it is a PA speaker for a PA Cab. Now i suppose you could use any speaker for any purpose. But I sure don't like this one for guitar or steel. I was under the mistaken impression that the Evans amp co put the kappa lite in their amps as well, so i called them. Boy it didn't take them long to set me straight. They said they do use a Neo made by eminence, but it was made especially for them. If i were to put a Neo PA speaker in a guitar or steel guitar amp, i think i would put the B&C Neo in it. I tried this B&C speaker out, and talk about a difference over the Kappa Lite, like night and day. And the B&C Neo comes in a 4 ohm version as well. Here's a link. This B&C sells for around $200. It to is not a JBL or Black Widow, but IMHO a far sight better then the Kappa. Now, before you get the knives and guns out..this is just my personal observation, not meant as anything but...thanks..now start tossing the knives... Winking

http://www.bcspeakers.com/index.php?sez=1&categoria=2&id_descrizione=44&prodotto=52

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

I would not know what the Kappalite Neo speaker sounds like. I have never seen one let alone play through one. There are a number of Forumites who are impressed with the tone, and indeed have compared it to the old JBL E130.

I have put a Peavey B/W 1502 in my Webb, which was shipped to me on my instruction without a speaker to keep down shipping costs. The 1502 is, to all intents and purposes, a bass speaker. The 1501 B/W was originally voiced as the 15" speaker in their range for lead and pedal steel, but again there are those who prefer the sound of the 1502 to the 1501.

It's what we all hear as individuals and whatever rings our musical bells. New Webb or old Webb - it's still a fantastic amp, and I believe that Jim Webb was a genius to put together a product some 30 years ago that stands the test of time. Tom Bradshaw has merely picked up the baton, polished it somewhat and passed it on to us. If he hadn't have done so then this amp would have completely ceased production. That would have been sad.

The Webb amp can be EQ'd to provide any tonal combination, regardless of what speaker is inside. The B&C speaker referred to in George Redmon's post looks good and has a good frequency range. It's another option, and it would be good to hear from anyone else who has tried this brand and model of speaker to get their opinions too.
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Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,

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