Webb 614 amp

joe long · Post by **joe long** » 22 Mar 2003 2:46 pm

I'm thinking about purchasing one of these amps and would like to have a little feedback from current owners. The amp is pricy and is it worth it? I'm satisifed with my current amps but like a lot of other players I'm also looking. I would appreciate some feedback.

Byron Walcher · Post by **Byron Walcher** » 22 Mar 2003 9:44 pm

I have two Webbs, they are great, not too heavy, killer sound,very powerful, totally worth the money in my opinion.

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Lashley Legrande D10 8x7,Emmons Legrande 8x7, Sierra Lap-Top, Webb Amps

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 22 Mar 2003 11:47 pm

I use a 614-E with an extension. Monster amp. I put removable casters on mine and just roll em around anywhere I wanna go. Well
worth the money. Extremely reliable also. High quality parts only. Extremely wide frequency response and clarity. They use them on the Opry.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 23 Mar 2003 8:26 am

Mine is 25 years old - I bought it new at the factory in 1978. It's seen some hard use - lots of 1-nighters. It sounds just great.

After 15 years, I blew out the original 4 ohm JBL. Odd thing was that it happened on my last song of my last gig with a band I had played with for a long time. Sort of a swan song. I think the amp is a bit overpowered for those JBLs, especially if you play low notes real loud. Nearly everyone I know who bought one back in the '70s blew out the speaker at least once. Mine lasted much longer than most, because I wasn't playing C6th.

The reverb tank is the most fragile part of the amp. Mine busted twice. Again, I'll stress that I worked this amp really hard for a long time. It's not hard to drop a new tank into it, and they're not expensive either. The reverb circuit is the best spring reverb I've ever heard for steel. They put a lot of care into the EQ of that circuit.

These days I baby my Webb. It sits in my music room most of the time. I think I did 3 gigs with it last year. It still sounds great, though. It held up well through many years of abuse. It's earned a retirement!

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Bruce Derr · Post by **Bruce Derr** » 23 Mar 2003 11:33 am

I also have an old late '70s Webb that I bought new. I worked it hard through hundreds of gigs for about 7 years and it was very reliable. A friend of mine blew the speaker playing a loud lick on the low E string of his Tele at an outdoor gig. I had always worried about so much power into only one speaker, so I replaced the original 4-ohm speaker with an 8-ohm (D-130) to reduce the power a bit. I used it this way for years and it was always loud enough.

It wasn't until I stopped playing full time that I had a major problem with the amp. When it was 9 or 10 years old, the power amp failed, and took the speaker with it. This happened one night when I first turned the power on, before I played a single note. It required a major rebuild.

About 10 years later the reverb driver transistor failed. This was a minor repair. (The little heat sink broke off, probably when the amp fell flat on its face on a paved street one night! This allowed the transistor to overheat and eventually fail.)

I haven't had any trouble since then, although I don't use it very much these days. The only other problem that comes to mind is the knobs. If my amp is any indication, the numbered skirts tend to break. I've been meaning to contact Webb to try and get replacements for three or four broken knobs on my amp. But don't get me wrong; the amp is very solid and rugged... without being too heavy.

All in all, I believe it is a reliable amp. Most amps will need occasional repairs when gigging constantly over a period of years.

Although the amp has no parametric EQ, it has lots of tone settings and is very versatile.

One thing I'd like to see in the Webb (and any direct-coupled amplifier) is the addition of a circuit that protects the speaker from DC should the power amp fail. A Webb typically contains a very expensive speaker and circuits of this type are not complicated or costly.

Bill Simmons · Post by **Bill Simmons** » 23 Mar 2003 4:04 pm

I've had a Webb since '79 and it is the finest single cabinet steel amp in my opinion. Clear, sweet and full. Check around for as many settings as possible so you can experiment with settings that would suit your hear. Well worth the $$!
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'79 Zum; Webb Amp