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Bag End vs SWR ? (and Mesa )
- Thread starter mb94952
- Start date
NickBassCentral
Commercial User
They're still very much in business, and one of our top selling brands! Of course, like everything else supply has slowed down a bit.
Freaked me out when I saw that message and I almost fired off a message to my artist rep to find out what was going on. Then I saw the @NickBassCentral message and stopped madly pounding out my e-mail to John Vitale. Don't think I broke anything on my keyboard...
The SWR Golights are some of the best cabinets that have ever been made. You’d be making a grave mistake in getting rid of those.
You know, I just can't say enough about my DNA Gear. It's sound is just amazingly clean, clear, and LOUD. My DNS-210 handles 700-watts rms and has a max SPL of 134db. My DNS-410 handles 1400-watts and max SPL is 137db. The amazing thing though is the clarity. If you play bass chords you can very easily pick out all three notes of the chord. I do know there have been some parts delays. When I ordered my DNA-800 in 2020 the factory didn't have any complete amps ready. David had enough parts on-hand though to make an amp for me and a couple of other endorsers. So I got a personally built by David Nordschow amp!
I originally bought my DNS-410 in April of 2015 expecting to never need to buy another cab. It can handle any venue. I get told to turn down at outdoor Music Festivals if I have the master of my Eden WT500/800 turned up as high as 10:30. So I typically run it up to 10:15 at those big festivals. And that means, I never need to haul an 810 cab up on stage! And although it still weighs 79-lbs, that's a far less than the weight of an 810.
But the problem I ran into was rolling it into small venues like brew pubs. As soon as I started rolling in my 410 the owner's eyes would get real big they'd insist I use their little 112 combo backline. So I bought an Eden EX-112 cab for small venues and liked the sound so much I bought a second one for medium-size venues. I used those two Eden EX-112 cabs for medium-sized venues for about a year because they sound good and the two of them together weigh 60-lbs. (30-lbs. each).
Then in 2019 when I got accepted into the DNA Endorsing Artist Group, I bought the DNS-210 to use for both small and medium venues. The DNS-210 has the same sonic characteristics as my DNS-410 so it sounds better than and is lighter than hauling around two 112's.
I brought my DNS-410 as a backup to the first gig which was more than a medium size but not quite really a large-size venue. I stacked my 210 on top of my 410 and could very quickly unplug the 210 and plug the 410 in if I needed to. In fact though it was more than enough for the venue. The only problem I had with it on that shallow stage was moving it far enough away from me to stop it from killing my ears. sounded great on the dance floor and on the periphery of the club, but it was way too close to me ears. Anyhow, there was no need to use the 410 and now I use the DNS-210 for all my indoor venues
DNA's 210 and 410 cabs are certainly lighter than the Eden cabs David designed before he sold and left Eden. But they're not really what I would call lightweight until you take into account the venues they can be used for. I use my DNA-800 amp with my DNS-210 in ALL my indoor venues - small through large. That means I don't need to haul around my DNS-410 for most of my gigs. My DNS-210 weighs in at 51-lbs, which is almost 30-lbs lighter than my 410. Yes you can buy lighter 210's but you'll probably need to use two of them at large indoor venues, which means...you're hauling around more cab weight than you need to be hauling around.
And my DNS-410 is more than loud enough for outdoor Music Festivals. So I'll use my DNS-210 in places that normally require a 410 cab and I'll use my DNS-410 where you would normally want an 810. When you look at it like that, yeah, they're lightweight for what they can do.
Street price on the DNS-210 runs from about $849 to $969. Street price on the DNS-410 runs from about $1049 to $1149.
Here's what that stack looked like when I just used the DNS-210 on top and my DNS-410 became a very expensive amp stand.
I originally bought my DNS-410 in April of 2015 expecting to never need to buy another cab. It can handle any venue. I get told to turn down at outdoor Music Festivals if I have the master of my Eden WT500/800 turned up as high as 10:30. So I typically run it up to 10:15 at those big festivals. And that means, I never need to haul an 810 cab up on stage! And although it still weighs 79-lbs, that's a far less than the weight of an 810.
But the problem I ran into was rolling it into small venues like brew pubs. As soon as I started rolling in my 410 the owner's eyes would get real big they'd insist I use their little 112 combo backline. So I bought an Eden EX-112 cab for small venues and liked the sound so much I bought a second one for medium-size venues. I used those two Eden EX-112 cabs for medium-sized venues for about a year because they sound good and the two of them together weigh 60-lbs. (30-lbs. each).
Then in 2019 when I got accepted into the DNA Endorsing Artist Group, I bought the DNS-210 to use for both small and medium venues. The DNS-210 has the same sonic characteristics as my DNS-410 so it sounds better than and is lighter than hauling around two 112's.
I brought my DNS-410 as a backup to the first gig which was more than a medium size but not quite really a large-size venue. I stacked my 210 on top of my 410 and could very quickly unplug the 210 and plug the 410 in if I needed to. In fact though it was more than enough for the venue. The only problem I had with it on that shallow stage was moving it far enough away from me to stop it from killing my ears. sounded great on the dance floor and on the periphery of the club, but it was way too close to me ears. Anyhow, there was no need to use the 410 and now I use the DNS-210 for all my indoor venues
DNA's 210 and 410 cabs are certainly lighter than the Eden cabs David designed before he sold and left Eden. But they're not really what I would call lightweight until you take into account the venues they can be used for. I use my DNA-800 amp with my DNS-210 in ALL my indoor venues - small through large. That means I don't need to haul around my DNS-410 for most of my gigs. My DNS-210 weighs in at 51-lbs, which is almost 30-lbs lighter than my 410. Yes you can buy lighter 210's but you'll probably need to use two of them at large indoor venues, which means...you're hauling around more cab weight than you need to be hauling around.
And my DNS-410 is more than loud enough for outdoor Music Festivals. So I'll use my DNS-210 in places that normally require a 410 cab and I'll use my DNS-410 where you would normally want an 810. When you look at it like that, yeah, they're lightweight for what they can do.
Street price on the DNS-210 runs from about $849 to $969. Street price on the DNS-410 runs from about $1049 to $1149.
Here's what that stack looked like when I just used the DNS-210 on top and my DNS-410 became a very expensive amp stand.
I agree !!! I love them ! Like I said, I was entertaining the idea of Bag End. If I was to purge my SWR gear and take a lump sum to Guitar Center Used, it would be my non- Golight cabs like the WM or Henry 8x8.
I was saying earlier that I'm on hold for now since I'm playing my M6 through my Peavey TVX 210, and I'm just fine. I have my Golights to take to live shows.
Thanks also @Rip Van Dan . It sounds like you really love the DNA cabs. Honestly, I've never heard much about them, but if they are the 3rd evolution of SWR, then that says a lot, too. I don't know the history between Steve Rabe and Dave W, or when they worked together other than SWR. I know Dave went on to start Eden, right ? Then DNA ? You'd think how much more is there to add to the design of a 410 cab that he didn't "get right" the first / second time. You know what I mean.
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Thanks, Chris. I was just circling back around to clarify all of that. And, yes, I meant D, not R, on my post.
NickBassCentral
Commercial User
Hahaha. I'm glad I was able to save your keyboard!Freaked me out when I saw that message and I almost fired off a message to my artist rep to find out what was going on. Then I saw the @NickBassCentral message and stopped madly pounding out my e-mail to John Vitale. Don't think I broke anything on my keyboard...
Trade secret.
Track down an Epifani 310ul. mk1.
750w at 48lbs.
Easy schlep surpringly.
Cheap as chips. Best cabs Ive found all round and I've looked lots.
SWR were a great name but their cabs werent that great. Their early amps were though, admittedly. imv.
So, SM amp and Epi cab is the dogs, imv with good tone AND depth of sound.
Thanks I'll keep that tip in my back pocket, but for now I've decided to stay with my current rig because it's just easier. Who knows what I'll think tomorrow...
