1x15 combos with PUNCH... does it apply to the SWR Workingman?
 

Hi!

I've been looking around for a more portable rig then my good old SVT and, well, I now know that what I'm looking for in terms of sound is a great balance between loudness, low end and punch. To me, 1x15 and punch didn't fit together until I tried an Hartke A100 combo, with I really liked (but I still wonder if the metallic high end would end up getting on my nerves in my band's mix). I tried a bunch of other amps and found out that Eden's EC15 combo also has that punchy sound I like, but might sound warmer then the Hartke.

I've always (and I might be wrong) associated the sound of an Eden amp to the sound of an SWR (sort of in the same range). Now, I've seen some Workingman combos around in used ads (CL and all). Are they as punchy as the other amps I mention here? Any other amps I should check out within the sub 500$ budget?

GK=punch! Having owned and gigged just about everything they make I think their 15s happen to have more punch than the 12" and 10" cabs.

I've played the SWR WMs 15 quite a bit, and I wouldn't describe it as punchy, or particularly loud. Got buried instantly when trying to play with the band (at relatively low volume), and couldn't seem to punch up enough mids to hang in there even though it could be punchy on its' own.

Having played just about every 15" combo out there while trying to find a practice rig, here are my picks:

Peavey Max II 115 - surprisingly loud, excellent low end, decent tone around $264 on sale
GK MB115 - very punchy! very light. Some early models had troubles.
Ibanez Prometheus 115 - very loud, punchy mids, nice tones, very hi-fi


I didn't like these, or I liked them but couldn't justify the cost:
Hartke Kickback (?) 115 - not very loud, sterile, felt cheap.
SWR WM 15 - not loud enough for small gigs, lost in mix instantly.
Ampeg BA115 - loved the tone! but nowhere near the required volume. Too many QA issues lately. Did I mention I LOVED the tone?
TCE BG250 - excellent clean tone in general, but sounded weird when set up for a smooth, clear, punch with a touch of hair on it (my tone preference)
PV Tour TNT - excellent tones, very loud, extendable; stories of QA issues on new Chinese models; expensive for 1x15
Markbass 2x10 combo - yeah, it ain't a 115 but dayum this thing sounds sweet. Wish I could afford one. :(

YMMV

I have the GK MB115 and just love it. I am thinking about getting a second one and biamping them

Acoustic B200 is unbeatable combo. Specially the new one. All other amps are way there in the back of it...

Clarification: the Acoustic B200 is a great combo for the money. Plenty of "better" combo amps to choose from, but all will cost quite a bit more. Good "punch" doesn't neccessarily have to be from a 1x15 either. Could be a 2x10 as well. Ideally, you want the combo to be capable of adding an ext cab in parallel, to get a big increase in output AND punch. An older one that comes to mind is the SWR Redhead.

I had an Acoustic B200 for a week or so. Personally, I did not like the sound (boxy). I swapped it for the GK MB115. It was just a tad more (on sale), sounds much better to my ear, decent "punch", and weighs 1/2 the Acoustic. Note: neither one is going to give you the massive sound of a full stack.

Why would you want to take two perfectly good full range combos and have one run highs and the other lows ?

GK = Punch

Markbass Jeff Berlin, maybe?

I personally dig the tone of the SWR WM cab... dark and round but not overwhelmingly muddy. I wouldnt get it in a combo though. Need something meaner to push it than an entry-level SWR head.

Ampeg B100R is the bomb and blows everything in that price range out of the water tontally IMO. One of the best tones (it can do the spongey light OD thing) I've ever had and the speaker really delivers.

Check out Carvin.

I play through a WM 115 combo at my church - it's fine for worship services as it just serves as a monitor and the settings don't get changed. Sounds fine to me, piezo tweeter hisses a bit on full range, but I wouldn't call it portable. I mainly don't like it because there is no level adjustment for the DI or pre/post preamp switch.

My personal rig is in my sig (800rb through a SWR Henry the 8x8). I wouldn't call it portable either (the cab anyway) but it'll punch your lights out. :bassist:

Raz

Are any of the tweeters on a 15" combo useful?

I just got a GK MB115 (the new one) and it sounds really good. But. Tweeter Hssssssssss. . .ssss. . s. s. . s.

I had a Workingman's 2x12 cab back in the day and used it quite a lot when gigging. I thought it sounded very good, until the day that I plugged into a "real" SWR Pro Series cab (non-workingman's). It was as if someone removed a quilt from over the cab. I could hear everything so clearly - just night and day difference. I sold that Workingman's cab, but I still have the other SWR Pro Series cab.

I've noticed that many horns will hiss depending on whether the bass used is active or passive. My actives tend to make it hiss more, probably because its getting a hotter signal across the range. Not sure about your GK but most cabs will let you dial in or out the tweeter.

My rick is passive - but the Rick 'buckers are quite hot for passive.

the GK has an on-off switch, but not a sweepable knob.

hey, if you are an Ampeg guy to begin with (referencing your SVT comment), why not try the Ampeg PF500/115HE rig. It's not explicitly a combo, but with its fliptop design its pretty much the same idea (actually a bit more flexible than a straight up combo rig). It delivers very nice Ampeg tone, the 15 delivers plenty of punch, the tweeter is nice (and totally defeatable if you like) and the PF series is a very affordable option which should be very close to your stated budget goal of $500.

good luck.

The hiss can be partially tamed with the treble control, but not without losing the benefits of the tweeter. Many have commented on this issue. I tried really hard to get used to it. Some do get used to it or find the tweeter useful as is. I found that the good qualities of the amp, sans tweeter, warranted replacement of the tweeter.

I have a GK MB115 and will someday want to add to it. How do you go about biamping? Is biamping the same thing as daisy chaining?