SWR FOR UPRIGHT????

Greg O · #1 06-09-2008, 04:55 PM

hey guys,
i need a new head for my upright...my hartke isn't giving me good enough power and it's just plain worn out. I played through a workingpro 400 at one of my recent auditions and loved it. I have a real nice aguilar cab so i'm not worried about how that'll sound, i was just wondering if anyone had a similar setup of swr with and upright and if so tell me what you think.
peace,
greg o

p.s.
i have a k&k bass max pickup if that helps anyone

Gearhead43 · #2 06-09-2008, 06:01 PM

I play my upright through an older SWR Bass 350, into 2 Avatar 2-10neos. I think the SWR heads have a pretty clean, full-range, fairly transparent sound *for a bass guitar head*. I tried bypassing the SWR preamp by going in through the effects return and I didn't hear any difference in tone. There may be a slight "mid-scooped" voicing, but not much to my ears.

I use a Fishman Pro Platinum pre into the head with the head's EQ set flat. (keep the "Aural Enhancer" off) I get a nice natural sound with my Underwood. Keep in mind that I play mostly Rockabilly, Blues and Country though - where a warm fat bottom is more important (to me) than a completely "transparent" sound. I like a bit of coloration, in the low end.

YMMV, IMHO, OU812, 8675309, etc.

I like a warm fat bottom.

robgrow · #3 06-09-2008, 08:32 PM

I saw Christian McBride using an SWR Workingman's 4004 in January (rented locally no doubt), and it sounded fine. Lots of double bass players over the years have used SWR amps. If you like the Workingpro 400, I'd say go for it.

Bruhman · #4 06-09-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robgrow

I saw Christian McBride using an SWR Workingman's 4004 in January (rented locally no doubt), and it sounded fine. Lots of double bass players over the years have used SWR amps. If you like the Workingpro 400, I'd say go for it.

Hi, Robgrow. I've actually worked for Christian, and I can tell you first hand that if he used an SWR, it was because there was nothing else available. He HATES, I mean, HATES SWR's for acoustic bass.

Gearhead43 · #5 06-09-2008, 09:47 PM

Stanley Clarke likes 'em.

bribass · #6 06-09-2008, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruhman

Hi, Robgrow. I've actually worked for Christian, and I can tell you first hand that if he used an SWR, it was because there was nothing else available. He HATES, I mean, HATES SWR's for acoustic bass.

I'm not a big fan of SWR for DB either.

There are much better options out there for DB amplification.

Acoustic Image, Euphonic Audio, Walter Woods; all great from personal experience.
NOT fond of GK.

I hear good things about Phil Jones, Genz-Benz Shuttle, Mark Bass.

On the lower end stuff I really like Yorkville/ Traynor combos..

BG

Marc Piane · #7 06-10-2008, 05:16 AM

I used a SWR WM12 for years. OK for the price. Good for doubling. A bit colored but I can see the appeal you are talking about.

If I had to choose between SWR and GK I'd take GK every time.

GK is the best easily available amp IMO. Whenever I have to list a backline request it is a GK with Hartke 4x10. Every sound company seems to have that. I definitely prefer AI but that is never on the list of choices.

Evan_S._Brown · #8 06-10-2008, 05:33 AM

i've seen stanley clarke use swr redhead 210 combo for double bass.

sounded great...

MLysh · #9 06-10-2008, 07:10 AM

I used an SWR original Baby Blue combo (2X8) as my main upright amp for years and was very happy with the sound. When AI came on the scene, I switched to the Contra combo. The Contra has its pluses and minuses, but is much lighter than the BB.

robgrow · #10 06-10-2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruhman

Hi, Robgrow. I've actually worked for Christian, and I can tell you first hand that if he used an SWR, it was because there was nothing else available. He HATES, I mean, HATES SWR's for acoustic bass.

I was surprised to see him using that amp, but I figured it was rented locally for that show. Perhaps nothing else was available from the backline rental company they used. Nevertheless, Christian sounded great, and I assume he would with just about any amp.

Believe me, I am not endorsing SWR amps for DB here. On the contrary, since I think there are much better amps available. However if something works for someone else (like the original poster here), I think that's great (so why not use it).

Ric Vice · #11 06-10-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLysh

I used an SWR original Baby Blue combo (2X8) as my main upright amp for years and was very happy with the sound. When AI came on the scene, I switched to the Contra combo. The Contra has its pluses and minuses, but is much lighter than the BB.

Same amplifier, totally different experience. I loved the 2X8 cabinet. Good for Double Bass with nice midrange definition. The head was another story entirely. It was designed to be a Double Bass Amp, but if you look carefully at the bass players involved in testing.( "We would like to sincerely thank all the musicians and engineers that helped us with this project and especially Neil Stubenhaus, Phil Chen, Keith Jones, Jimmy Haslip, Michael Rhodes, Phil Lesh.") the prototypes there wasn't a upright player in the group.
The Aural Enhancer doesn't IMHO work very well with a Acoustic Bass.It tends to emphasize the wrong things. I sold the amp and bought one of the few 2x8 extension cabinets SWR built. It worked great with a Walter Woods MI-100-8. It was my go to amplifier for a couple of years. Maybe I was just so spoiled by the sound of the Woods that once I connected it to the speaker cabinet it was all I needed to hear. I actually pulled the head out and stuck the Woods into the amp slot until the extension cabinet came.

Jaromir · #12 06-10-2008, 05:49 PM

In my experience, my old SWR Electric Blue head gives me the best (clear, transparent and kind of 3D sounding) DB tone.
I'm comparing to GK (my second favorite), Markbass and AI.
Also, in difficult rooms the Electric Blue was always the winner, for some reason the least prone to feedback, very natural voicing (if there is any).
With other pickups than Realist (and perhaps the Full Circle) you may need the impedance matching preamp though.
Just my experience...

Gearhead43 · #13 06-11-2008, 12:10 AM

I still think SWR amps are a lot less "voiced" than most bass guitar amps out there I have heard. They have a sparkly clean hi-fi type of sound that I think works well with DB, for some players, with some basses, with some pickups.

Of course, I have become a bit of an SWR fan, so I may be sort of biased.

JayR · #14 06-11-2008, 12:27 AM

I have a SWR Workingman 15" that I've been using for years for all my electric work, and I've used it on several occasions to amp my upright and I've been pretty happy with the results. Obviously the amp wasn't designed for that specific usage, but it certainly does the job. Frankly I'm saddened that they discontinued the Workingman line. That amp has a special place in my heart.

MLysh · #15 06-11-2008, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric Vice

Same amplifier, totally different experience. I loved the 2X8 cabinet. Good for Double Bass with nice midrange definition. The head was another story entirely. It was designed to be a Double Bass Amp, but if you look carefully at the bass players involved in testing.( "We would like to sincerely thank all the musicians and engineers that helped us with this project and especially Neil Stubenhaus, Phil Chen, Keith Jones, Jimmy Haslip, Michael Rhodes, Phil Lesh.") the prototypes there wasn't a upright player in the group.
The Aural Enhancer doesn't IMHO work very well with a Acoustic Bass.It tends to emphasize the wrong things. I sold the amp and bought one of the few 2x8 extension cabinets SWR built. It worked great with a Walter Woods MI-100-8. It was my go to amplifier for a couple of years. Maybe I was just so spoiled by the sound of the Woods that once I connected it to the speaker cabinet it was all I needed to hear. I actually pulled the head out and stuck the Woods into the amp slot until the extension cabinet came.

Never used the Aural Enhancer while playing upright with the amp. Also, I was using a Fishman pre which mixed the piezo with a small mic, so that helped.

At the time, it was the affordable alternative to the WW + cab combination, and I thought it sounded much, much better than the GK combo that everyone else I knew was using. Plus, it was killer for the smaller venue electric bass gigs I was doing.

Jason Hollar · #16 06-11-2008, 08:52 AM

I still use my SWR Bass 350 Chrome face.

For quiet gigs, I can plug my Full Circle or Barbera right in.

I leave it set nearly flat and tune for the room -- especially the Enhance knob.

For louder shows I use a Boss Bass EQ as a preamp to compete w/drums.

I also have two 2x10 and one 4x10 Goliath cab. Usually one 2x10 does the trick for most gigs.

Someday I'll step up to a nice EA or AI rig...but for now, my SWR stuff is paid for and still working great. (knock on wood!)

Ike Harris · #17 06-11-2008, 10:13 AM

I like to use a SWR rig for doubling on the road. The older pre-Fenders I think sound better- warmer. I have an old SM-400 and a Big Foot 2-12 cab at home that I just run flat and sounds great. Usually on the newer rigs I have to turn up the bottom and the highs go down - don't fool with the sliders. Last concert, the theater guy had gotten a Big Ben 18"er that he found on ebay, and added it to the 410's. I was in acoustic heaven. The amplified Standard never sounded so big and full.

Ike

Stumpy · #18 06-11-2008, 10:21 AM

Try the WT550 or the new WTX260 from Eden. I switched from SWR to Eden because of the tone.

Marc Piane · #19 06-11-2008, 10:56 AM

I've used most stuff at some point. Either owned or as backline. SWR, Hartke, GK, Eden, Ampeg, Fender, etc. Nothing compares IMO to AI. If you have the bread it kills. It is designed for DB. Period. You can definitely make those others work but the AI is the most plug and play amp I've found for LOUD. Works great for doubling too. I've got a hit tonight with a jazz group on DB and tomorrow night with a jam and thing on EB. I'll use the AI for both.

It sounds great for soft too but I think finding an amp for softer volumes is easy.

joel kelsey · #20 06-11-2008, 11:35 AM

I had the 350 watt head for a while before it got stolen. i liked it at the time, but listening to those recordings now, I am not so sure why I liked it. It is a good amp for "cutting through the mix". However, now i've come to the conclusion that technique and a strong acoustic sound is what "cuts through" not the amp. I think SWR is good for the electric, not so much the upright. I don't care for any of there stuff anymore (I really hate there speakers). But, if you found something that works for you, I say go with it.