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Amp suggestions for SWR goliath III

Racermech

Racermech

Apr 10, 2007
214
85
www.yliapu.typepad.com
#1
This is my first post after cruisin the forums for a few weeks. I have lately been playing around with expanding my current bass rig. I am finding that I am hitting a wall as far as volume and punch go, and am looking to remedy that. Here is my current setup...

Carvin XB75 (koa)/Fender Jazz with emg's
Effects (Boss TU-2, Maxon RCP660 Tube Compressor, Boss GEB-7, Fulltone Bassdrive, EBS Octabass, Sansamp programmable DI)
SWR Super Redhead
SWR Goliath III (4ohm)

Most of the time I just use the redhead and I am fairly happy with my tone. The last few gigs I have done have been larger, and I have used the goliath III as an extension cab. I have found that quality kinda stinks using both and have not been very happy going this route.

My thought is to get a head for the goliath III and make up a bi-amp system. I am looking for suggestions as to how to get the best tone out of my cab and which head to buy. Budget isn't necessarily an issue as long as I am getting something good. I have always tried to get good equipment. Been looking at SWR 750x, Mesa Big Block 750, Mesa V12, Mesa M-Pulse, Ampeg SVT. Various others as well.

For everyone's knowledge too, I play more rock type music, but search for good lows with that. Artists I try to pattern after are Les Claypool, Justin Chancellor, and Tim Commerford. Looking for strong rock bass, some overdrive, and a good low end.

What are people's thoughts on a head to buy?
 
#2
I love my G-K 700RB-II through my eight ohm Goliath III for rock. Check out the 1001RB-II, which at four ohms will be pushing the cab's rating of 700 watts. (At least mine is 700 watts.) You will get serious volume with that much power through such an efficient cab.
 
#3
I like ampeg heads with SWR cabs. The mesa is great too. But you're probably not digging the sound of the redhead with extension because you're just not giving each speaker enough power. You could look into running the line out on the combo to a slave power amp to drive the 4x10. There are even power amps that would fit in that rackspace in the combo, like the little stewart.

6 SWR 10s should make a nice rig if you get them powered up right. Also, make sure the speakers are in phase with one another. If not, you'll actually cancel low frequencies by hooking up the second cab. You can test this by shorting a 9v battery across the speaker cable and see if the cones move in or out ...
 
#11
I've used SWR 2X12, 2X10 and 4X8 cabs with my SVT and they all sound good. This is an 80s all tube SVT btw that I'll likely be selling due to the fact that I'm tired of lugging an 80 pound weight around, but if you have the muscle for it the combination is great. (I've used the same head with non SWR 1X15, 2X15, 8X10 and 4X10 cabs and it still sounded great btw, I think there's a trend here, maybe I should just get a roadie?). This is not a "for sale" post btw, don't PM me on the amp!

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#12
I have tottaly dug the stuff from SWR that I have played. The Super Redhead has really been perfect for most applications that I play in. Time and time again I have gotten positive comments on my sound and tone from people listening.

The more I do research, the more I am leaning towards a 750x from SWR. Going to work the speakers pretty hard, but I think it will make it sing pretty dang well. Plus with the OD and Subwave, its looking pretty cool.

Any response? Any total haters of the 750x? If I had the money I would just ebay the goliath, and make a doom rig consisting of a Mesa v12, 4x10 and 1x15...but yea...maybe someday.
 
#13
I used a 70's blueline SVT with a swr goliath 8x10 once and i didnt really dig the sound, it seemed to me there was something missing, i dont know if the head couldnt push the speakers or what because it sounded weak and not punchy at all, i used the same head through an ampeg and it sounded great, im not saying ampeg>swr, i just personally am not feeling swr from my expierience
 
#15
mattmanbass said:
I used a 70's blueline SVT with a swr goliath 8x10 once and i didnt really dig the sound, it seemed to me there was something missing, i dont know if the head couldnt push the speakers or what because it sounded weak and not punchy at all, i used the same head through an ampeg and it sounded great, im not saying ampeg>swr, i just personally am not feeling swr from my expierience
Click to expand...

I play a Megoliath SWR 8X10 with a Grand-prix preamp and a crown microtech 1200 poweramp, and nothing is missing. Focused, punchy, warm, and deep. Maybee you were underpowering the beast, it seems to really like power.
 
#16
Tim1 said:
Has anyone noticed that more people seem to be saying positive things about SWR again? The tide of public opinion is a fickle thing (excuse the mixed metaphor).
Click to expand...

Yes sir.
That gear reproduced my sound since about 1987. I still have my SWR BBII. As I said before I don't see how the Fender buyout suddenly makes your "vintage" SWR gear shite. A poster stated that there are plenty of working musicians tearing it up on SWR gear in the heartlands.
We don't have to like all gear. I have my preferences. That doesn't make other gear bad.
Also user error and not reading the owner's manual contribute to bassist's misunderstandings of SWR gear. I think more so then other gear. Two recurring ones are ignoring ohms and refusing to walk behind the cab to turn the tweeter down. The the complaint is, "it's underpowered" when they plug an SVT 8x10 into one side of an SM-400 and it produces 160 watts or "it's brittle, sterile and thin" with the tweeter half way up. Oh well.
There's a lot of great gear out there. Let's play it!
 
#17
I just got the Goliath III 8 ohms to match up with my GK 1001RB head. The 1001RB makes the Goliath flab out. I tried the 1001RB through two other cabs (an SWR Son of Bertha 1x15 and a GK 4x10) with much less distorted effect, although i did get a little bit of distortion through both with the same settings on the bass and 1001RB.
Any suggestions on the proper settings for the 1001RB to avoid this?
 

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