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Topic: Little Walter 89 compared to Milkman Amps? |
Dave Stroud
From:
Texas
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Posted 15 Jul 2016 12:44 am |
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A while ago there was feedback on the forum that it was difficult to compare Little Walter to Milkman because one used octals and the other didn't. Apples to oranges. Now they both have models that use 12AX7's and 6L6's. This might be hard to answer because the 89 has only been out about a year. What (if anything) makes them incredibly different from one another? Do they really sound as similar in person as they do on my computer monitors?
For example:
Listen to Wally Moyers on his '89:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En5qGut3pyw
Now, listen to the sound clips of the 40 watt mini:
http://milkmansound.com/collections/amplifiers/products/40w
The recordings are different qualities, but (on my computer monitors) the amp characteristics sound so similar that the two seem nearly indistinguishable! |
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George Seymour
From:
Notown, Vermont, USA
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Posted 15 Jul 2016 8:27 am
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Hey David,
I'm sure you're curious. I just took delivery of the Little Walter 89 amp. I have never played a Milk Man, I've considered the original Milkman high powered tube amp, but never pulled the trigger on one as talked with people that played one they were very similar to a Twin Reverb, I have one of those, a 1973 Vibrosonic, Great sounding amp, I'm here to tell you that you'll have to experience the amps you are curious about yourself and decide.
I have been fortunate enough to have some very high quality custom tube amps for steel guitar, the LW 89 is pure magic to my ears. You need a good idea of what you want for tone and response, the LW 89 is superb, the Milkman are also high quality pedal steel amps, you got to know what you want to hear and you'll have to spend some time trying to try these different amps out...almost as simple as that.
_________________
Old Emmons D-10's & Wrap Resound 65, Standel amps!
Old Gibson Mastertones |
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Brett Lanier
From:
Madison, TN
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Posted 16 Jul 2016 6:25 am
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| Hats off to Wally for lip syncing those steel parts in the video. He nailed every little nuance! |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 16 Jul 2016 10:50 am
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David,
If you can make it down to Austin you can spend some time with a Milkman and see if it suits you. I have played through both and A/B'd them. Feel free to get in touch. You are welcome to come over if you are in town.
Being as I am a dealer of sorts for Milkman I don't feel right voicing an opinion on the forum.
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Bob |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 16 Jul 2016 1:27 pm
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I've owned every Milkman amp at one time or another, but only heard the octal LW, not the 89.
The 89 series, I believe, is a pretty straight Marshall JTM45 design (just what I've heard, not firsthand knowledge).
The Milkman amps are Fender-based (that is where the JTM45 comes from also), but Tim has had years of taking the best pieces of each Fender design (preamp, power, reverb, EQ from Princeton, Bassman, Deluxe, Twin.....) and then tweaking the designs to be something with more magic than the circuit diagram would suggest. As I've said, I've tried them all...I've found that no matter where you set the EQ they sound truly pretty, and it is just a matter of personal taste and what the room demands to nail a great tone.
The tube reverb (does the LW have one?) is lovely, also.
I'm sure that both the 89 and any Milkman all sound wonderful - after all, they both are far from mass-produced printed-circuit stuff. However, there are differences in how the product lines are structured.
With Milkman, you get to choose from many combinations of channels, power, etc., to suit your individual needs- that appealed to me. I ended up with the Half and Half (yes, after 50 years of all-tube amps, Tim came up with an amp that got me to switch). With all-tube preamp and reverb, and Bang & Olufsen 300W Class D power section, at 30 lbs, it is perfect for my steel, dobro and banjo...I sometimes miss my 40W Mini, though...
I'd guess there are price differences also, but I can't speak to that.
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https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 18 Jul 2016 3:56 am
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To amplify Steve's remarks, if you're willing to splash out some extra money, I'm pretty sure you can get custom features. I kinda wish I'd asked for a tremolo in my Half and Half.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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George Seymour
From:
Notown, Vermont, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2016 9:39 am
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Well...I now own a Milkman Half and Half. Great purchase from fellow forum member. First impression, great sounding amp, jury still out regarding onboard reverb. Will use it on gigs this weekend. This is the head version, and I really like the Telonics neo 15's, that's what I always use. I'm fortunate to be playing a lot, and enjoy my guitars and amps, of which I've got experience with quite a few, the LW 89 is a tremendous amp, right up there with best available steel amps on the market, in my opinion as of present.
The Milkman is super light, great asset. Journey continues....
_________________
Old Emmons D-10's & Wrap Resound 65, Standel amps!
Old Gibson Mastertones |
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Chris Grigsby
From:
Boulder, CO
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Posted 19 Nov 2016 3:58 pm '89 vs. 40W Mini
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I've had the pleasure of owning amps from both of these phenomenal builders and hope to own another very soon. I owned the Milkman 40w Mini with 1x12 Telonics speaker previously belonging to Steve Lipsey who commented above and the Little Walter '89 head with the matching 1x15 cab loaded with a Telonics as well.
The 40w Mini was a beautiful sounding amp. The onboard reverb and lightweight 1x12 Telonics made for an extremely compact grab and go amp as well as the perfect powered amp for a studio. It broke up very early which was nice in the sense that you can easily get some pleasing overdrive, but bad if you need a powerful amp with high headroom. There is a bit of a narrow sweet spot in my opinion, but being able to get so many different tones without peeling paint off the wall is a plus in my book!
The Little Walter '89 is equally pleasing to the ear with headroom for days. It was dead silent whereas the Milkman was fairly noisy at idle, even after sending it to Tim to go through. The '89 eq is probably a little less useful than the Milkman, but it offers subtle tone shaping without any ability to make the amp sound 'bad'. Finally, the 1x15 is a very large cabinet, the head is full sized, and you will need an outboard reverb pedal and power supply, so this is not an easy setup to move around. Unfortunately, Phil can only fit the '89/'59 chassis in a 1x15 combo and, honestly, part of the aesthetic appeal of a LW in my opinion is the look of the mini stack.
So which one am I planning to replace? I'm currently saving my pennies for a '59 head and 1x12 cab...this will be a little more portable and allow me to push the tubes a bit more than the '89.
Best,
Chris
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Mullen Discovery S10, Hilton VP, Kemper Profiler Head and Kabinet. |
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