SWR WM 15 question

Anthem Midnight · #1 09-29-2010, 02:46 PM

Hey guys,

Haven't posted in a while!

Here is my situation - I have a couple hundred bucks to improve my rig. I am looking to get better tone and projection than what I currently have.

I have an SWR Workingman's 15 combo, 160 watts. Here are my 2 questions, looking for everyone's weigh-in!

- Adding a 2x10 extension cabinet would increase the wattage from 160 to 200 total watts - do you think there would really be a difference in volume/articulation of sound?

- Or do you think the money would be best spent investing in a higher end compressor pedal (EBS, Keeley?) to improve the sound quality?

What would you do? FYI I play a 60's re-issueFender P bass stock. I play with a 3 piece (drums, bass, guitar), and it's rock/jazz/reggae fusion stuff.

Thanks guys! Rock on

dmusic148 · #2 09-29-2010, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthem Midnight

- Adding a 2x10 extension cabinet would increase the wattage from 160 to 200 total watts - do you think there would really be a difference in volume/articulation of sound?

Yes; this is by far the best thing to do. The difference will be night and day.

Anthem Midnight · #3 09-29-2010, 04:25 PM

Hey Thanks for the response; do you have any experience with this amp? I read on another forum that 40 watts won't make a noticeable difference, but a pair of 10's added to a 15 would add a noticeable change in sound projection, right?

RickenBoogie · #4 09-29-2010, 05:07 PM

The increased wattage is moot, but the added speakers will be quite noticeable. I'd get the matching 15 to go with it, 2 15's are awesome.

David1234 · #5 09-29-2010, 05:14 PM

Exactly. The extra watts do hardly anything. The extra efficiency in turning electrical power into sound power is significant.

Mind you, some cabs pair better than others. If you can't get a cab that's very similar to the one in the combo, go for one with similar tuning and porting - say, both rear ported - if possible, or try a few different options out (at highish volumes) before settling on one, because a mismatch can undermine some of the efficiency gain.

Jim Carr · #6 09-29-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthem Midnight

...I have an SWR Workingman's 15 combo, 160 watts...

- Adding a 2x10 extension cabinet would increase the wattage from 160 to 200 total watts - do you think there would really be a difference in volume/articulation of sound?

- Or do you think the money [$200] would be best spent investing in a higher end compressor pedal (EBS, Keeley?) to improve the sound quality?...

I had an SWR 15.

I have bad news: adding 210, even one that EQs well with your 15 will not help much.

More bad news: a compressor is a waste of money at this point. What you need is a modular rig.

So, yes, get a 210, but not a cheapo, a good one. Use it as the starting point for a new rig. As soon as you can after getting the 210, get a head. Then get a another cab—there are lots of options at that point.

To start, I'd get an 8 ohm 210 that can handle at least 350 watts rms. I'm thinking GK, Mesa, Epifani, Beriantino, Avatar, etc. Buy used. Did I mention buy used?

Check TB classified and reviews.

Or just save up about $750, sell the WM 15 for $250, and get the real deal all at once, say a good used 410 and 500+ watt head—used.

Anthem Midnight · #7 09-29-2010, 05:31 PM

Thank you all! And Especially to Dr. Jim!

Yeah this combo is a piece of S***. Hate to say it. I owned a super redhead w/ a son of bertha and it PUMPED, but i cashed it all out a while ago for other projects...really should have kept it around since now I'm mainly playing bass again.

Everyone in the forum is talking about how awesome the new GK MB series, and they SMOKE for their weight. I might have to do some major investing.

Son of Bovril · #8 09-30-2010, 03:14 AM

I had a WM15 but blew the speaker eventually from asking too much from it... If you plan on keeping it, the extension cab will make a huge difference, I'd suggest another 15 that is the same but a 210 is not bad either...

You can actually get some wonderful tone from this rig but it requires having spent many hours with it to fully understand how to tweak it, and even then it was unfortunately quite under powered for my needs. I still use the head separately sometimes for smaller practice sessions. It would have really benefitted from having two mid range adjusters instead of just one sweepable one IMO

That Aural Enhancer is niffty but unless you want to lose significant volume don't ever use it past 12 o'clock

David1234 · #9 09-30-2010, 03:28 AM

Even though I'm something on an SWR fan boy, I've never thought much of the efficiency of the WM speakers. Among my SWR amps I still use a Bassic Black. 160 watts is a lot if the speaker is efficient, but if the speaker's "a bit pedestrian" it's just not enough for anything louder than churches/medium jazz gigs/rehearsals.