Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Re: I hate SWR.
Ah yes, but Bi-amping is so, soo sweet!
Ah yes, but Bi-amping is so, soo sweet!
I hate SWR.
- Thread starter The Golden Boy
- Start date
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
I believe Biamping to be the most efficient way to run a rig. For me, I'm more about the tone I'm getting out of the rig, rather than the outright "loudness." My opinion is that I love full range coming out of 15s. That's what sounds best to me- where a BiAmp head will seperate your lows to the 15s and mids and highs to the 10s, you're not going to get the same color to the sound. Most shows I've done have been with PA support so the cab is really there for the band's "monitor" regardless of the size of the cab. I'm not a fan of the clickety/popping/slappy sound or the mid heavy sound that needs bottom end reinforcement-
I believe Biamping to be the most efficient way to run a rig. For me, I'm more about the tone I'm getting out of the rig, rather than the outright "loudness." My opinion is that I love full range coming out of 15s. That's what sounds best to me- where a BiAmp head will seperate your lows to the 15s and mids and highs to the 10s, you're not going to get the same color to the sound. Most shows I've done have been with PA support so the cab is really there for the band's "monitor" regardless of the size of the cab. I'm not a fan of the clickety/popping/slappy sound or the mid heavy sound that needs bottom end reinforcement-
Snake Aces
Singlecut Slut
Re: I hate SWR.
Right now I'm not even biamping because all I have is the Hartke 2x15 cab. I was biamping a while back though and it was so much better. I got even DEEPER, richer sounding lows, my mids had just the right amount of punch and I keep the treble down on my bass so I didn't get too much of the clickety/poppy but rather a smooth, well sustained (almost bell ringing) set of high pitches...
I just need to be able to afford another biampable GK cab...
Don't get me wrong, for hip-hop, (old school) funk, reggae, dub and a few other styles; there is not much better than JUST 15" speaker(s). However, when you are talkin about my 1001RB, I'm always getting good, warm bottom end. Anything above and beyond was just icing on the cake. To me versatility is the name of the game.
Right now I'm not even biamping because all I have is the Hartke 2x15 cab. I was biamping a while back though and it was so much better. I got even DEEPER, richer sounding lows, my mids had just the right amount of punch and I keep the treble down on my bass so I didn't get too much of the clickety/poppy but rather a smooth, well sustained (almost bell ringing) set of high pitches...
I just need to be able to afford another biampable GK cab...
Don't get me wrong, for hip-hop, (old school) funk, reggae, dub and a few other styles; there is not much better than JUST 15" speaker(s). However, when you are talkin about my 1001RB, I'm always getting good, warm bottom end. Anything above and beyond was just icing on the cake. To me versatility is the name of the game.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: I hate SWR.
Sorry to hear that, TGB. What's funny is that my two SWR's saved my butt this past week when my Mesa 50:50 failed (fuse blown & no spares). I used my California & Strawberry blonde in stereo with my GT8. I just switched off the tweeters, ran an XLR out from th DI's to the board, cranked them up and cranked. I used them for about 10 hours over a weekend festival to play everything from acoustic jazz to nu-metal with lots of power and great tone. It sounded so good and I had so much control, I might just run the same rig for smaller shows indefinately.
Sorry to hear that, TGB. What's funny is that my two SWR's saved my butt this past week when my Mesa 50:50 failed (fuse blown & no spares). I used my California & Strawberry blonde in stereo with my GT8. I just switched off the tweeters, ran an XLR out from th DI's to the board, cranked them up and cranked. I used them for about 10 hours over a weekend festival to play everything from acoustic jazz to nu-metal with lots of power and great tone. It sounded so good and I had so much control, I might just run the same rig for smaller shows indefinately.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
My wife must've thought I'm nutty the way I just kept blankly staring at my amp's guts last night. I had to get the cap value and I was looking at the thing trying to figure out if I was going to attempt to repair it, and if I was how I was going to go about doing it.
I'll make a fugly mess out of wiring up a guitar or something like that, but I've never liked doing work on boards...
My wife must've thought I'm nutty the way I just kept blankly staring at my amp's guts last night. I had to get the cap value and I was looking at the thing trying to figure out if I was going to attempt to repair it, and if I was how I was going to go about doing it.
I'll make a fugly mess out of wiring up a guitar or something like that, but I've never liked doing work on boards...
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
Several months later...
Since this thread started...
I had plans to add another fan, either forcing air into or pulling air out of the amp chassis- bought the screws and rubber washers and acquired a DC fan. The fan I acquired was the wrong voltage, and then in the process of looking for another fan, it was brought to my attention that the fan power supply may not be able to handle another fan- that it was probably only engineered to be able to handle what it was designed for.
Otherwise...
I've played a few shows with it, after getting the cap on the left side of the heat sink repaired. One of those shows (perhaps the first one), the amp blew again- on the very last note of the very last song. How's that for awesome timing? That was at the end of a 1.5- 2 hour set.
The bigger test was to use the amp on three consecutive 3+ hour shows, outdoors, in the heat and humidity of summer. First- the outdoor show takes more power- as sound has a habit of dissipating more outside... Second, I took the cover off, as Rich_S didn't exactly suggest (as I didn't want to perforate the cover). And thirdly, instead of running the amp bridged, I was going to run it through one side of the "stereo." I really wanted to see if i could run it hard, and figure out where it's limit was. The Seymour head was there for backup for when the SWR blew. The first 2 afternoons it ran fine- just as described- a little louder than usual, maybe a touch more bottom end, through one channel and with the cover off. It handled everything wonderfully, the handles and even the heat sink were at no more than what I would consider 'normal operating temperature.' The last day of the event I really wanted to blow the amp, so I ran it bridged. The Seymour head was plugged in and on top of my rack- just a-rarin' to go. I ran the amp about as hard as I've run it, but the amp didn't go into thermal.
Since then, I've played a couple other shows and several rehearsals in bridged mode and with the cover off- but I realize it's not safe, and during transit, it's entirely possible (and actually PROBABLE) that the power cord will damage some amp components within the rack.
The other day my brother in law asked for some help cleaning out his storage shed. So in the process of that, I found a top cover, similar in dimension to the amp- it didn't go to anything and he said I could have it... Awesome. When I got home, I charged up the drill, marked off a 1" grid pattern over the entire top of the cover, marked screw holes from the amp cover and drilled a few hundred holes in the cover. Directly above and to the immediate left, right and chassis side of the heat sinks, I doubled the amount of holes- to allow as much heat dissipation as possible. The cover doesn't entirely cover the amp- but the 1-2" or so it doesn't cover is underneath the tuner.
Yesterday I ran it around 4 hours while I was learning songs for an audition. You could feel the heat being expelled out the side, you could feel heat above the heat sink, and you could feel the air being drawn in all along the top. I think that's a good thing.
Several months later...
Since this thread started...
I had plans to add another fan, either forcing air into or pulling air out of the amp chassis- bought the screws and rubber washers and acquired a DC fan. The fan I acquired was the wrong voltage, and then in the process of looking for another fan, it was brought to my attention that the fan power supply may not be able to handle another fan- that it was probably only engineered to be able to handle what it was designed for.
Otherwise...
I've played a few shows with it, after getting the cap on the left side of the heat sink repaired. One of those shows (perhaps the first one), the amp blew again- on the very last note of the very last song. How's that for awesome timing? That was at the end of a 1.5- 2 hour set.
The bigger test was to use the amp on three consecutive 3+ hour shows, outdoors, in the heat and humidity of summer. First- the outdoor show takes more power- as sound has a habit of dissipating more outside... Second, I took the cover off, as Rich_S didn't exactly suggest (as I didn't want to perforate the cover). And thirdly, instead of running the amp bridged, I was going to run it through one side of the "stereo." I really wanted to see if i could run it hard, and figure out where it's limit was. The Seymour head was there for backup for when the SWR blew. The first 2 afternoons it ran fine- just as described- a little louder than usual, maybe a touch more bottom end, through one channel and with the cover off. It handled everything wonderfully, the handles and even the heat sink were at no more than what I would consider 'normal operating temperature.' The last day of the event I really wanted to blow the amp, so I ran it bridged. The Seymour head was plugged in and on top of my rack- just a-rarin' to go. I ran the amp about as hard as I've run it, but the amp didn't go into thermal.
Since then, I've played a couple other shows and several rehearsals in bridged mode and with the cover off- but I realize it's not safe, and during transit, it's entirely possible (and actually PROBABLE) that the power cord will damage some amp components within the rack.
The other day my brother in law asked for some help cleaning out his storage shed. So in the process of that, I found a top cover, similar in dimension to the amp- it didn't go to anything and he said I could have it... Awesome. When I got home, I charged up the drill, marked off a 1" grid pattern over the entire top of the cover, marked screw holes from the amp cover and drilled a few hundred holes in the cover. Directly above and to the immediate left, right and chassis side of the heat sinks, I doubled the amount of holes- to allow as much heat dissipation as possible. The cover doesn't entirely cover the amp- but the 1-2" or so it doesn't cover is underneath the tuner.
Yesterday I ran it around 4 hours while I was learning songs for an audition. You could feel the heat being expelled out the side, you could feel heat above the heat sink, and you could feel the air being drawn in all along the top. I think that's a good thing.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
Of course, 90% of you are thinking...
"dude, why not just sell this dud, wash your hands of it and get a new amp?"
A couple of things...
I don't have the money, even if I sold the amp, I probably wouldn't have enough to get what I want. And I don't want to settle for something I don't want.
If I did have the money, in addition to the money if I sold the amp to get what I wanted, family wise, there's better places that money should be spent.
The SM-900 is a great sounding amp. A really great sounding amp. Whatever I'd get would have to sound as good or better. Having an amp that sounds this good really spoils you. It's just that reliability thing. My Seymour heads sound great, they sounded AWESOME for their time, but now... they're physically old- 20+ years of sitting on cabinets rumbling at 40hz... They were also designed above their time, but not quite to what things sound like now. In other words- they have a HUGE, round bottom end compared to other amps from the 80s. But now it's average.
And finally...
Although I have really nice ideas of what I'd like my next head to be- I really don't know exactly what I want. Yeah, I want 600+w SS, big, clear, clean, round low end, great head room, light weight, rack mountable, reliable, and a blue LED power indicator. (everone knows blue LEDs make more rock)
Mesa's M-Pulse 600 and Big Block look cool. The EA iAmp. The Eden WT 800 or even 1500 and there's others. I haven't completely ruled out a pre/power setup either.
In the meantime...
Another thing my brother in law sent with me after helping him on Sunday... a little project.
One of these:
It's going to need some work to make it operational, as well as 16 tubes (12 6L6 and 4 12ax7).
As cool of an amp as this is- I don't know if it's really THE answer I'm looking for- but it's something I need to re-evaluate.
Of course, 90% of you are thinking...
"dude, why not just sell this dud, wash your hands of it and get a new amp?"
A couple of things...
I don't have the money, even if I sold the amp, I probably wouldn't have enough to get what I want. And I don't want to settle for something I don't want.
If I did have the money, in addition to the money if I sold the amp to get what I wanted, family wise, there's better places that money should be spent.
The SM-900 is a great sounding amp. A really great sounding amp. Whatever I'd get would have to sound as good or better. Having an amp that sounds this good really spoils you. It's just that reliability thing. My Seymour heads sound great, they sounded AWESOME for their time, but now... they're physically old- 20+ years of sitting on cabinets rumbling at 40hz... They were also designed above their time, but not quite to what things sound like now. In other words- they have a HUGE, round bottom end compared to other amps from the 80s. But now it's average.
And finally...
Although I have really nice ideas of what I'd like my next head to be- I really don't know exactly what I want. Yeah, I want 600+w SS, big, clear, clean, round low end, great head room, light weight, rack mountable, reliable, and a blue LED power indicator. (everone knows blue LEDs make more rock)
Mesa's M-Pulse 600 and Big Block look cool. The EA iAmp. The Eden WT 800 or even 1500 and there's others. I haven't completely ruled out a pre/power setup either.
In the meantime...
Another thing my brother in law sent with me after helping him on Sunday... a little project.
One of these:
It's going to need some work to make it operational, as well as 16 tubes (12 6L6 and 4 12ax7).
As cool of an amp as this is- I don't know if it's really THE answer I'm looking for- but it's something I need to re-evaluate.
Dr.Mavashi
neonderthalotonalogist
Re: I hate SWR.
That's too bad man, I love the bass tone of SWR my favorite Metal bass tone ...
That's too bad man, I love the bass tone of SWR my favorite Metal bass tone ...
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
I had one on loan at the beginning of the year- it sounds awesome, but in a different kind of way. There's a fuzziness to it that I was unable to dial out of it. Maybe different preamp tubes would help, but I think I'd need to really work it out a little harder.
I had one on loan at the beginning of the year- it sounds awesome, but in a different kind of way. There's a fuzziness to it that I was unable to dial out of it. Maybe different preamp tubes would help, but I think I'd need to really work it out a little harder.
Pink Unicorn Horsey
Megä Pöny Rÿdr
Re: I hate SWR.
You still doin' the Stones gig, Dave?
You still doin' the Stones gig, Dave?
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: I hate SWR.
Funny how it look like an Eden on the inside!!
Bugger man...kill it
Funny how it look like an Eden on the inside!!
Bugger man...kill it
Tom M
New member
Re: I hate SWR.
Any of the hybrid Mesa bass amps will do what you want just fine. I've been playing the Walkabout, the 300w (600@2ohm), 13 pound little brother of the M-Pulse 600, for almost 3 years now, and I love it. Mesa's bass amps are really top-notch, and at this point, I won't play anything else. Versatile, well-built, well thought out amps that also happen to put out amazing tone. As an added bonus, they're all stable down to 2 ohms, which helps me pull out an extra 300 watts from my little head.
I'm not saying you should ditch the SWR, but if you do, head to your nearest Mesa dealer.
Any of the hybrid Mesa bass amps will do what you want just fine. I've been playing the Walkabout, the 300w (600@2ohm), 13 pound little brother of the M-Pulse 600, for almost 3 years now, and I love it. Mesa's bass amps are really top-notch, and at this point, I won't play anything else. Versatile, well-built, well thought out amps that also happen to put out amazing tone. As an added bonus, they're all stable down to 2 ohms, which helps me pull out an extra 300 watts from my little head.
I'm not saying you should ditch the SWR, but if you do, head to your nearest Mesa dealer.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
Yeah, we just had a show on Friday. It was a blast. I was just pissed that we didn't get to play longer.
Yeah, we just had a show on Friday. It was a blast. I was just pissed that we didn't get to play longer.
The Golden Boy
Fleecy Sweaterologist
Re: I hate SWR.
That's been the lingering thought since I first played the MPulse 600.
I think, at the time, I really "needed" the "stereo" thing because of having 2 cabs that needed to be run at different volume levels. Now, not so much.
Any of the hybrid Mesa bass amps will do what you want just fine. I've been playing the Walkabout, the 300w (600@2ohm), 13 pound little brother of the M-Pulse 600, for almost 3 years now, and I love it. Mesa's bass amps are really top-notch, and at this point, I won't play anything else. Versatile, well-built, well thought out amps that also happen to put out amazing tone. As an added bonus, they're all stable down to 2 ohms, which helps me pull out an extra 300 watts from my little head.
I'm not saying you should ditch the SWR, but if you do, head to your nearest Mesa dealer.
That's been the lingering thought since I first played the MPulse 600.
I think, at the time, I really "needed" the "stereo" thing because of having 2 cabs that needed to be run at different volume levels. Now, not so much.
