Does anyone have any info on comparisons with these? Regardless of configurations, let's hear about it!
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Pre-Fender SWR cabs vs. Post buyout cabs
- Thread starter lynnchpin
- Start date
Pretty much the same thing. The changes in most of the stuff happened around or shortly after the change from SWR Engineering to SWR Sound Company, years before the Fender buyout.
I've got an old Henry the 8x8(SWR Engineering, Celestion speakers) that I like better than the new ones I've played(Eminence speakers).
I've got a pre-Fender Big Ben(SWR Sound Company, Eminence speaker) that I do not like as much as the older ones(Bag End speaker).
I like the Goliath II's better than the I's or III's. Haven't played the new ones yet.
I've got an old Henry the 8x8(SWR Engineering, Celestion speakers) that I like better than the new ones I've played(Eminence speakers).
I've got a pre-Fender Big Ben(SWR Sound Company, Eminence speaker) that I do not like as much as the older ones(Bag End speaker).
I like the Goliath II's better than the I's or III's. Haven't played the new ones yet.
GIIs were all wood. GIIIs have some "wish it was wood" in there. Inspection of the two revealed some faux wood in my IIIs. Some builders prefer it as the baffle board. The IIIs front port was a boon for boom for me over the IIs. The III Jr.s sounded poor compared to the II Jrs. They did have higher power handling.
I agree that the changes happened earlier.
It's funny and ironic that we say pre CBS for Fender and pre Fender for SWR.
Esthetically I'd go for GIIIs with the dark grill. The GIIs have a sound however slight and the GIIIs were more neutral. My GII Jr. with Edens sounded like an Eden. My GII Jr.s with PASs were more neutral. I had four at one time with two SM-400s.
While we are at it. I tried a chrome faced Henry and it was not great. Not the Henry I've heard others play and rave about. Goliath Sr.s have much less low end than GIIIs or Henrys. They were designed to be loud and cut instead of having a wide frequency response. With a P-Bass it wouldn't matter.
If you're out shopping for combos grab an old Bassic Black combo and or a BBII. Can't go wrong. The Bassic can cover a lot of medium gigs.
I agree that the changes happened earlier.
It's funny and ironic that we say pre CBS for Fender and pre Fender for SWR.
Esthetically I'd go for GIIIs with the dark grill. The GIIs have a sound however slight and the GIIIs were more neutral. My GII Jr. with Edens sounded like an Eden. My GII Jr.s with PASs were more neutral. I had four at one time with two SM-400s.
While we are at it. I tried a chrome faced Henry and it was not great. Not the Henry I've heard others play and rave about. Goliath Sr.s have much less low end than GIIIs or Henrys. They were designed to be loud and cut instead of having a wide frequency response. With a P-Bass it wouldn't matter.
If you're out shopping for combos grab an old Bassic Black combo and or a BBII. Can't go wrong. The Bassic can cover a lot of medium gigs.
It's funny and ironic that we say pre CBS for Fender and pre Fender for SWR.
Yeah...it sucks how all good things must come to an end. Thanks for sharing your experience with the subject matter
if you play through an early Fender era 8-ohm Goliath III Jr. with an Eden WT400, everything flat using a Fender J-bass with (passive) CS '60's pups - keep a fire extinguisher handy. A word to the wise.
On the other hand, my grey-grill GIII, original speakers, gigged constantly for about 2 years, indoors and out, usually with either the Eden or an SVT II - is still going strong.
So do I think there's a difference? As far as my own personal experience - yes.
On the other hand, my grey-grill GIII, original speakers, gigged constantly for about 2 years, indoors and out, usually with either the Eden or an SVT II - is still going strong.
So do I think there's a difference? As far as my own personal experience - yes.
I LOVE pre fender gear,, i own a bass 350,(chrome) that i run at 2ohms which Swr says is fine, and its loud,, i run a RARE Bigfoot II, which was their pro series version of the workingmans 2x12, it is a 4ohm cab with tweeter, featuring Bag End woofs,, 500 RMS,, got mine for $250, its badass,, i put it on top of an ampeg bxt115 because its the only Good 115 i could find at 4ohms at a good price. If Swr made the big ben 1x18 in 8ohms i would be in heaven,, the newer stuff is good too, but i wouldnt trade my old Swr stuff in for anything,, my old man runs a red face basic 350 hes had for years on top of 2 eden cabs, and its been played hard 2 times a week since he bought it used in 1997. Pre fender SWR is AMAZING gear, and i have found my bass 350 on ebay for $230, its not as common as the newer stuff cause , well its old, but if you can find old SWR gear, at a decent price you wont be dissapointed
Agree with you there. I played a gig with my MarkBass into the Bigfoot 2x12 last weekend and preferred it to a recent Goliath 3 410.
