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Is SWR gone?
- Thread starter 456string
- Start date
Been covered here many times, the nails are in the coffin. Unless someone buys the name from Fender, it's history.
It's kind of sad to see them go that way but between Mesa, Ampeg, Markbass and a handfull of others, there's not much room. Even Trace-Eliott who were major players at one time have pretty much fallen out of sight.
You might try Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center in Maryland
They had a new Headlite in the store 2 weeks ago.
Perhaps more SWR in one of the warehouses.
They had a new Headlite in the store 2 weeks ago.
Perhaps more SWR in one of the warehouses.
Sad to see SWR gone.
Steve Rabe is such a genious. I have one of the few jazz bass pres from him (Ravenlabs) . Love it.
Steve Rabe is such a genious. I have one of the few jazz bass pres from him (Ravenlabs) . Love it.
Actually.....You'll find that in most cases, as soon as the FOUNDER leaves....it's history. The original ideas leave and things change rapidly. There are, however, exceptions...... 
Guess I have to go eBay...
Guys, we should start a petition!
What's next? Fender buys Ampeg and shut it down?
Loud bought SLM......in 2005.......
Instead of Fender using SWR to make their amps better they Fenderized SWR and made them crap.
If they were smart they would have done what Mackie did when they bought EAW. If you hear a set of Mackie speakers before the purchase and compare it to a set a couple of years after you'll hear a huge improvement in the Mackie, yet EAW still smokes.
When Rabe left SWR most of the people stayed and the changes were minimal, other than a few new amps. When Fender bought them out the whole environment changed and most of the staff left. Quality control went out the door and competition did the rest. (I was friends with Mo West and got some of the inside story.) Fender pretty much has no vision and are content making the same thing over and over.
I think MarkBass pretty much took over where SWR left off.
A petition won't change anything. It comes down to is the division making money. it wasn't so Fender shut it down and signatures on a piece of paper won't change it.
And yes, St Louis owns Ampeg. (for got about loud.)
If they were smart they would have done what Mackie did when they bought EAW. If you hear a set of Mackie speakers before the purchase and compare it to a set a couple of years after you'll hear a huge improvement in the Mackie, yet EAW still smokes.
When Rabe left SWR most of the people stayed and the changes were minimal, other than a few new amps. When Fender bought them out the whole environment changed and most of the staff left. Quality control went out the door and competition did the rest. (I was friends with Mo West and got some of the inside story.) Fender pretty much has no vision and are content making the same thing over and over.
I think MarkBass pretty much took over where SWR left off.
A petition won't change anything. It comes down to is the division making money. it wasn't so Fender shut it down and signatures on a piece of paper won't change it.
And yes, St Louis owns Ampeg. (for got about loud.)
Similar thing happens in the industrial instrumentation & controls world.
Innovators eventually sell out to one of the BIG COMPANIES and if the product remains, the after-the-sale service goes away.
There's an older Henry here that will most likely not get sold because it sounds great and there are no more made.
Innovators eventually sell out to one of the BIG COMPANIES and if the product remains, the after-the-sale service goes away.
There's an older Henry here that will most likely not get sold because it sounds great and there are no more made.
I'm pretty sure we can add Genz Benz to the list of great bass amplification companies killed off by Fender alongside SWR. I'm curious as to why a company would acquire a viable brand with a killer RnD dept, and a real knack for giving players what they want just to put on the shelf....tax write-offs?
Fender gave SWR a good 10 year try and even reissued the Redhead and lured Marcus Miller back from EBS to promote a line of stuff. But it fell out of favor in the mid 2000's and never fully recovered.
The vituperative animosity towards FMIC from people who don't know history used to be amusing, but has gotten annoying. Steve Rabe left SWR well before FMIC bought them, and the company was going down in innovation and market share already. FMIC kept them going much longer than was reasonable financially.
Eden already had CS issues and inability to provide products to dealers well before US Music bought them; Genz-Benz was purchased by Kaman years before FMIC acquired Kaman; Ampeg's been at least four companies, and has had long periods of disrepute under several; Sunn went under; Ernie Ball bought Music Man's patents at a bankruptcy sale. Companies change, deal with it.
John
- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
