Actually that is common practice. In tech acquisitions it is, anyway: The acquiring company wants either to buy the talent and/or IP, and/or block competitors (especially if the most dangerous competitor is the company they acquire). Happens all the time.
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Pre Fender SWR's
- Thread starter Eric Swaim
- Start date
Actually that is common practice. In tech acquisitions it is, anyway: The acquiring company wants either to buy the talent and/or IP, and/or block competitors (especially if the most dangerous competitor is the company they acquire). Happens all the time.
Maybe then. But in that case, I've heard SWR was not in good health so Fender acquired them back in 2003.
But I do maintain there are no differences between pre and post Fender era. I've owned both.
But I do maintain there are no differences between pre and post Fender era. I've owned both.
They did to ovation, they close ovation usa and then sold it to another company after closing
Pre-Fender SWR is all I have used since the first time I heard a Redhead. I now have a Bass 350, Goliath 2x10, 4x10 and a Strawberry Blonde. I gig ALL the time, never have a bit of trouble and get compliments often on my tone and sound. Guys all around me have bought every Berg, Markbass, Ag and you name it fad rig of the day...I just keep showing up and getting called with my old reliable. Not knocking new rigs, but if it ain't broke...
As far as I know Pre-Fender cabs used PAS or Celestion drivers and Foster horns. Post-Fender cabs used Custom SWR drivers and tweeters.
The only reason I don't still gig my Triad cabinet is its weight. I went to a combo with light weight neo-magnet speakers for gigs. Instead, the Triad is a permanent resident in my band's rehearsal space, still going strong after (mumble) years.
I'm not shure the pre-Fender GIII was loaded with PAS speakers. I think it was Eminence.
I have owned both the GII and the GIII. The first one equiped with PAS the second with Eminence and I've never noticed much diference. I think only the position of the port makes it sound diferent. BUT quality wise, the Eminence lasted MUCH longer than the PAS. After a while speakers inside my GII started to fall appart by them selves. This never happened with my GIII.
Many claim the PAS were better sounding and so on, but that is not my opinion at all! To me the Eminience were a huge improvement. Not really sound wise but quality wise!
^^^
My Goliath Jr. IIIs (and I had a few starting in about 1998) always had the PAS drivers in them. They were the gray looking speakers.
My Goliath Jr. IIIs (and I had a few starting in about 1998) always had the PAS drivers in them. They were the gray looking speakers.
One of my bands jams at Berkeley. They have bass amps which vary wildly in quality in the practice rooms. The SWR Redhead is my favorite, followed by the Black Beauty. The Fender Rumble amps are pretty decent too, though the pre-Fender SWR stuff kills it in terms of tone and clarity. The Line 6 Low Down is all the way on the bottom of the list below plugging direct into the PA, committing seppuku on my bass, or just skipping rehearsal altogether. If I hadn't spent big bucks on my rig (GK MB500 and 2 neo 12s, which I'm pretty happy with) I would probably have a Redhead...
I rate the speakers nuch higher than their amps. Nothing wrong with the amps, but the speakers were almost bulletproof and matched well with a variety of amps. And pre Fender cabs definitely did not all have pas speakers, I am pretty sure they made the switch from pas early in the G3 stage. I could never hear any difference though.
If you check SWR site on all the gear they made from beginning to end you will find the Goliath III is a pre-Fender cab. I believe they started it in 1996 or 1997
Invalid Link Removed
GOLIATH III
Speaker Complement: (4) 10" P.A.S Drivers, (1) Foster Horn
P.A.S. 10" SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS
Free Air Resonance: 47 Hz Individual Impedance: 8 Ohms (each) Power Rating: 175 Watts RMS (each)
Goliath™ Series IV
Speaker Complement: (4) Custom Designed 10" SWR Drivers, (1) Custom Designed Tweeter
I have owned SWR amps and speaker cabinets from both eras:
SM-900 (pre)
Grand prix preamp (pre)
SM-500 (post)
Baby Baby Blue (post)
Goliath III Jr (one pre, one post)
IME, the Fender era SWR products were built to the same or better quality standards as the originals.
Btw, there are actually 3 eras of SWR:
Steve Rabe era
Daryl Jamison era (chrome faceplates and grills)
Fender era
SM-900 (pre)
Grand prix preamp (pre)
SM-500 (post)
Baby Baby Blue (post)
Goliath III Jr (one pre, one post)
IME, the Fender era SWR products were built to the same or better quality standards as the originals.
Btw, there are actually 3 eras of SWR:
Steve Rabe era
Daryl Jamison era (chrome faceplates and grills)
Fender era
The major change that happened is that Fender moved the production from So Cal to Mexico. I believe they also outsourced a lot of the drivers to their own manufacturing instead of using third-party (PAS and Celestion) drivers like SWR did as their own company. Did the quality suffer? I don't think it really did as much as people want to claim. "Pre-Fender," is really just some weiner-measuring system. I've had pre-and post Fender SWR equipment, and it's all been high quality and remains functional and usable today.
Buying SWR gave Fender instant bass amp cred, after years as a minor player. Please note that even with the demise of the SWR brand, Fender's own bass amp products have grown in overall respectability. Coincidence? Prolly not.
