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Help I need a new amp

iriegnome

iriegnome

Bassstar style
Supporting Member
Nov 23, 2001
11,263
5,574
61
Kenosha, WI 53140
#1
Here is my situation... I need a new amp. I am using currently an SWR Bass 350 through 2 8Ohm cabinets. I play jam music. Average 3-1/2 hour sets with no breaks. We play sometimes heavy. Real heavy and pounding about 115 db. My amp heats up. I have to have at least 800w. If it goes 2Ohm stable even better. However, it has to be road worthy. Travel tour and pounding worthy. We play very hard. 60+ shows a year. Every year. We play a long set, pack up and the gear goes into a trailer and we drive. I need suggestions. I am looking to purchase now. I can't stress how much I absolutely love my SWR Bass tone
 
#8
Does your SWR have a preamp output? If so buy a power amp of your choice and have watts and watts of power. :D

If your amp doesn't have a preamp out, or you don't want to carry the dead weight of the built in power amp, I believe SWR made a rack preamp.
 
#10
iriegnome said:
If I went that route, I would pick up a SWR Grand Prix and then go with a power amp. However, I am not looking for that option at this point, but it is kind of possible
Click to expand...

Just out of curiousity, why not? Professional power amps are designed to be run all night without breaks (used by clubs to run non-stop music at ear deafening volumes). Tone comes mostly from the preamp section (mostly though not entirely), so if you like your tone, adding a power amp would mostly keep your current tone but give you 2,000 watts to play with.

Limiting yourself to an all in one head will make your choices much fewer, and then you're hoping you like the tone.

That said, doesn't SWR make a more powerful head?
 
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#12
... choose your poison ...

... off the top of my head (sure there are probably many more) ...

Aguilar DB751
Carvin BX500, BX1500, & B2000
Eden WT1205, WT800, WT550, & WT405
Epifani UL-902c
Euphonic Audio iAmp 800
Fender 800 Pro & 1200 Pro (Sunn 1200)
Fender TB-1200
Gallien-Krueger 2000RB & 2001RB
Genz Benz GBE 750, GBE 1200, & Shuttle Max 12.0
Hartke LH1000
Mesa M6 & M9
SWR Mo'Bass, 750, 550, & 350
TecAmp Puma 1000 & Bonafide
ThunderFunk TFB-600 & TFB-800

... a number of Peaveys (don't know models) ...

... or a pair of any 4-ohm amp :laugh: ...

...O.K., I'm officially tired ;) ...
 
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#13
Well thanks for the suggestions. SWR, GK are out of business. I would prefer new. TFB-800's sound like a good match, but since I would be buying blind, I just don't know. Really I would be buying blind for any new amp. Oh, I think GB is out of business too.. I would like something that sounds like my SWR.
You know I really hate change BTW.. I don't like a whole lot of stuff that I have to learn how to use either. Like the Mo'Bass or SM900 or 750x..
 
#14
Oh, yes I am a snob. No Peavey. No Behringer. No Discount Chinese import "Just Like..." Amps. No Korg, No Crate, No Kustom, No Gorilla, No Teisco.. Can't use a 50w amp or there abouts of any kind... I know I am difficult since I know more of what I do not want than what I do want.
 
#16
iriegnome said:
Well thanks for the suggestions. SWR, GK are out of business. I would prefer new. TFB-800's sound like a good match, but since I would be buying blind, I just don't know. Really I would be buying blind for any new amp. Oh, I think GB is out of business too.. I would like something that sounds like my SWR.
You know I really hate change BTW.. I don't like a whole lot of stuff that I have to learn how to use either. Like the Mo'Bass or SM900 or 750x..
Click to expand...

G-K is not out of business. http://www.gallien-krueger.com/ alive and very busy in Stockton, CA.
Have looked into Mesa?
 
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#17
I am sorry. I think I confused GK with Genz Benz. Fender bought a whole bunch of bass companies and shelved them. Doesn't St. Louis Music own GK?? I have looked at the Mesa, been a while, can't remember though. Will do much more investigating when I get to a real computer.
 
#18
iriegnome said:
I am sorry. I think I confused GK with Genz Benz. Fender bought a whole bunch of bass companies and shelved them. Doesn't St. Louis Music own GK?? I have looked at the Mesa, been a while, can't remember though. Will do much more investigating when I get to a real computer.
Click to expand...

Nope, G-K is still privately owned and operated by the same engineer that started it in his garage in the late 1960s (Rober A Gallien tb'er rag). Mesa is still privately owned as well IIRC, as is Carvin (all CA based). Aguilar is one more to check out, private owned out of New York. I'm not sure SLM even exists anymore after the sellout to LOUD Tech.

BTW the head engineer from Genz Benz left FMIC after they shelved GB and works for Mesa Engineering now.
 
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