Swr sm400 questions

[Jrussblues]

Just put a reserve on a used sm400 and a an svt 410 hlf classic. I have to wait to pick it up as guitar center has to hold used merch for 30 days.

Ive googled the crap out of the Internet looking for sm400 related problems and can't find much of anything other than leave an empty rack space above for cooling. Can anyone share their experience here?

Also, can someone explain (in a way I can understand) how the eq works. Yes, I tested it and set everything flat except bass and treble and it still sounded amazing, I just don't want to start fiddling with knobs ignorantly.

[Jim C]

I've had one sice the mid 80's.
No issues ever and does run hot as a pistol so the extra space above is good.
This amp will reporduce frequencies much lower than others. Be carefull with the low end especially with some active basses. Search this forum, lots of conflicting ideas. The aural exciter can make huge (and sometimes bad) changes.

[Alex1984]

Sweet and smooth sounding amp, inherently scooped, especially if you turn on the aural enhancer. I like having the gain high on mine. It can actually amplify subsonic content, so you'd do well to suppress it.

It's very different from my Ampeg amps, but it's still an amazing amp and has kept its place in my stable.

[will33]

Search up how to use midsweeps if you don't already, tons of good eq on that amp. Yeah, deep sub lows too. Some speakers may have a problem handling that at high power. The hlf probably be ok with it though. I always turned my lowest sweep down to 30hz and cut it. Some guys had to dump the bass knob to get a handle on those lows, then use the sweep to add bass back in up where the cab could handle it, like 60-80 hz. Yeah, mine sounded best with the input gain high too. The aural enhancer just adds gain up till close to 12:00 on the dial so turning it up some will get it louder without sucking tone. Above noon it starts to scoop out your mids.

[Rickenbrother]

I've had a SWR SM400 since '90. It has seen countless gigs and rehearsals. I've never had an issue with it.
I agree with all that Alex1894 and Jim C have described about it.

[wave rider]

Bunch of folks like this modification:
SWR Aural Enhancer Bypass

=wr=

[Jrussblues]

Thanks for the help so far guys, any other 400 users out there?

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Jrussblues

Just put a reserve on a used sm400 and a an svt 410 hlf classic. I have to wait to pick it up as guitar center has to hold used merch for 30 days.

GC had the amp and cabinet available for sale and you have to wait 30 days before they will release it to you?

That sounds like a bunch of BS, to me. They only have to hold an item you SOLD to them to check if it is stolen merch. If they put it up for sale and you bought the item then you CAN WALK OUT THE STORE WITH IT THE MOMENT YOU PAID FOR IT.

I used to do camera sales and we, too, had to hold a used item we bought for 30 days before we could make it available for sale; once out on the floor a buyer could take it home with them, no waiting period. I think you have just been duped by a sales drone.

[Jrussblues]

I know it's a requirement in east baton rouge parish...not sure about elsewhere. If they find out it's stolen then the owner gets thier gear back and I get my money back. My dad used to be a cop here and I remember him telling me about it a while back. I kinda appreciate the rule. That's also the reason I didn't pay in full yet. Just 25% to hold it and get it off of the salesfloor.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by Jrussblues

I know it's a requirement in east baton rouge parish...not sure about elsewhere. If they find out it's stolen then the owner gets thier gear back and I get my money back. My dad used to be a cop here and I remember him telling me about it a while back. I kinda appreciate the rule. That's also the reason I didn't pay in full yet. Just 25% to hold it and get it off of the salesfloor.

That is the reason that we could not place a recently purchased item on the sales floor for 30 days, to check it's history. Once it has been made available for sale, it's fair game. I would think that your GC does the same as my local GCs, they do the 30 day wait before putting it out to the public while it is checked for possible theft. If your GC does as you say, then it seems to me that the buying public is just giving GC an interest free loan for 30 days (the deposit you gave them to hold the items for 30 days).

[Jrussblues]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

That is the reason that we could not place a recently purchased item on the sales floor for 30 days, to check it's history. Once it has been made available for sale, it's fair game. I would think that your GC does the same as my local GCs, they do the 30 day wait before putting it out to the public while it is checked for possible theft. If your GC does as you say, then it seems to me that the buying public is just giving GC an interest free loan for 30 days (the deposit you gave them to hold the items for 30 days).

True, and I thought it was kinda dumb on their part to put it out early, but the printed tickets had available for pickup on dates on them and the sales person let me know up front. Since they didnt treat it like a btw situation i didnt make a fuss. I already have a decent enough rig so the waiting doesnt bother me. And since I'm getting the exact head and cab i wanted on the cheap I'm not worried about the interest loss on $125.

[Jeff Scott]

Enjoy the amp when it is finally released to you; the SM400 was probably SWR's most popular amp, for good reason, I suspect.

[chadds]

Enjoy it!
The chassis is a heat sink. It wicks away heat. It will feel warm.
Everything flat, aural enhancer beneath 11:00.
Pre til it flashes back off a hair, Master to taste.
Use good cable. Bridge with banana to your cab. Otherwise you give it 220 watts. Bridge switch on back. See if owners manual on SWR site.
Please come back to us with questions when you have her.
Enjoy it can be amazing.

[pickles]

Great amps in the right context, sound much much better bridged than stereo.

[hawk92]

Just got the sm-400 plenty of power I had the studio 220 before that loved the sound but it was always breaking up saw a used 400 and figured I try it. There is a lot of eq to deal with I also have active emg's got some good info reading up on this site and others.
Using a frown setting on the eq with the enhancer at 11 oclock and the bass and treble controls at 12 seems like the high's need a little more to get thru when playing with the band (2 guitars and drums classic rock and blues) any tips on settings would be appreciated. Thanks

[Jrussblues]

When I test drove it, I set everything flat and the aural at 12. Sounded great to me. The mid scoops dont start gearing up till past noon. I used my on board eq to shape the tone a little more.

[blindrabbit]

I loved my SM-400 when I had it, used it for lots of gigs. I only unloaded it when I left the band I was with and needed to start downsizing.

Never had a problem with it, or any other SWR gear for that matter - I suspect this is why you aren't finding anything on your Google searches. SWR gear, especially pre-Fender, was just plain rock solid.

Settings-wise, I used to do the same thing as suggested above, run the gain up until the light is just flickering. I never ran the Aural Enhancer that high, always below noon.

Enjoy the amp! Now you just need to keep your eyes out for a Goliath II 4x10.

[Alex1984]

Yeah, +1 on the bridging. Bridging really wakes her up, give the 250Hz a healthy boost if you need.

[will33]

Some swr's run notoriously hot, alledgedly part of the design of some, but my SM400S never had a heat issue. I kept it in a headcase I built for it with cutouts that lined up with the amps vents. Keeping an empty space above it in a rack should be no issue. It draws air in from the top and exhausts it out the side. The SM400 is one of SWR's best bass amps they ever made IMO.

[will33]

Their baked in voicing is a deep cut in the lowmids.....if you want more beef/balls from it....instead of adding volume or bass boost, set a sweep to 250hz and boost it up, at least half way up or a little more....presto, instant balls.