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Rig options

K

klejst

Oct 5, 2010
6,647
3,676
#1
Been looking at used gear pages for the past couple weeks and have been doing a lot of research on a new rig. I found a shiny grill SWR Henry The 8x8 cab in good condition for $300, these always intrigued my interest as who would of thought eight inch speakers could apparently according to reviews deliver such a punch of mid's and highs but also many claim can handle very decent lows too. I have used a Mesa 6x10 which weighed over 134lbs and a few 8x10I know they weigh about 100 lbs or so but with tilt back and wheels many claim it's easy to move around and also it's smaller stature is easy to load in and out room wise. I am curious what owners or users on here think of the cab and also if that is a good price?

One amp I have been looking at is a SWR SM-400s SS/Tube pre-amp hybrid which is a road case. I just want to make sure the wattage is safe for say the Henry which I believe handles like 430w and the SM-400 gives out up to 500 depending on ohms. Other amps I have considered is 300w G-K Backline 600, Ampeg B1RE, Acoustic b300 and a 350w Fender Rumble. Some of those other then the Backline have limited tone controls.

Other cabs I have looked at was a older Peavey 2x15 which I believe has Black Widows however I know it's a back breaker and the 15's generally are not as tight as 10's or 8's. Also a older ported edition of a Trace Elliot 1048h 4x10. I've used Trace stuff before and it was very clear and crisp.

I'm not able to physically try this stuff out however it's from legit sellers. To me the Henry and the SWR SM-400 seems like a great match but open to opinions and suggestions. I have about $500 to spend on Amp and cab and looking to get best bang for my bucks.
 
#3
If it were me, I'd look hard at the rumble and the Trace Elliot cab. I have not seen much of the SWR SM-400s out there (never seen one in person), which makes me wonder about it. SWR stuff was/is huge in this area, but not that one for some reason. I have seen a lot of the GK backlines and the Ampeg B1REs in the shop, so that would make me nervous. The henry, not into 8s. The Peavey 2x15 (with the BWs) isn't that bad of a cab- just big. The Acoustic? Never met one I liked.
** these are just my thoughts & opinions**
 
#4
klejst said:
Been looking at used gear pages for the past couple weeks and have been doing a lot of research on a new rig. I found a shiny grill SWR Henry The 8x8 cab in good condition for $300, these always intrigued my interest as who would of thought eight inch speakers could apparently according to reviews deliver such a punch of mid's and highs but also many claim can handle very decent lows too.
Click to expand...

You should read this thread!

"For all intensive purposes..."

;)
 
#6
tfer said:
You should read this thread!

"For all intensive purposes..."

;)
Click to expand...

About 10% of us are dyslexic. Many of us don't even know it. Many are very intelligent. A lot of musicians are dyslexic. A lot of the examples in the "intensive purposes" thread point to some of the 37 symptoms of dyslexia. I prefer my severe dyslexia over severe ignorance. It has not held me back.

Maybe you should read this:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
"For all intensive purposes..."

;)
 
#7
klejst said:
One amp I have been looking at is a SWR SM-400s SS/Tube pre-amp hybrid which is a road case. I just want to make sure the wattage is safe for say the Henry which I believe handles like 430w and the SM-400 gives out up to 500 depending on ohms. Other amps I have considered is 300w G-K Backline 600, Ampeg B1RE, Acoustic b300 and a 350w Fender Rumble. Some of those other then the Backline have limited tone controls.

Other cabs I have looked at was a older Peavey 2x15 which I believe has Black Widows however I know it's a back breaker and the 15's generally are not as tight as 10's or 8's. Also a older ported edition of a Trace Elliot 1048h 4x10. I've used Trace stuff before and it was very clear and crisp.

I'm not able to physically try this stuff out however it's from legit sellers. To me the Henry and the SWR SM-400 seems like a great match but open to opinions and suggestions. I have about $500 to spend on Amp and cab and looking to get best bang for my bucks.
Click to expand...

Of the options you've listed so far I would go with the Trace Elliot 4x10 and the SWR amp. If you've got the vehicle and back for the 8x8, I imagine it would work well with the SWR amp.
 
#9
I've owned 2 Henry 8x8 cabs and while they sound nice, they aren't terribly efficient.

It's a 4-ohm cab, and my 8-ohm 1x15 was noticeably louder with the same amp settings.

The SWR amps sound good, but scoop too much midrange for my tastes. If you can find a used GK RB-Series amp, they get abnormally loud for their wattage, are relatively inexpensive, and tough as nails.
 
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#10
wmhill said:
If it were me, I'd look hard at the rumble and the Trace Elliot cab. I have not seen much of the SWR SM-400s out there (never seen one in person), which makes me wonder about it. SWR stuff was/is huge in this area, but not that one for some reason. I have seen a lot of the GK backlines and the Ampeg B1REs in the shop, so that would make me nervous. The henry, not into 8s. The Peavey 2x15 (with the BWs) isn't that bad of a cab- just big. The Acoustic? Never met one I liked.
** these are just my thoughts & opinions**
Click to expand...

The problem with the SM-400 is it was designed to amp extremely low frequencies in the mistaken notion it would improve its usefulness for the (then) new 5-string basses. The problem is that virtually no speakers handle frequencies as low as that amp is capable of reproducing. So the SM-400 tends to run hot and have a muddy bottom end. It's can also be a little fiddly to dial in the tone you want because it's voiced differently than most amps out there.

A high-pass filter inserted in the signal chain cures the excessive lows problem very nicely however.
 
#11
I'd noticed on the reviews I read the Henry 8x8 received positive reviews and praise however without actually trying it in person it's hard for me to know if it's what I would like for sure. A guy in another band we shared a practice space with years ago had a older BW model Peavey 2x15 and the thing sounded massive and of course being Peavey nothing short of a nuclear bomb being dropped on it could break it. It was a big cab and weight so too. The Trace Elliot 1048h may seem like the best fit for me. It is the non-green rat fur red stripe model, but rather the ported in the front middle of the speakers and has the black tolex. I know a lot of people praise the older Trace stuff and I actually had a Trace combo before and it sounded massive and was very crisp in tone as I could hear every note played. They're some weight to them as well but again with casters it would make it a little more bearable. All cabs mentioned are less then $300 and are in good to great condition. I read too that the SM-400 do have heat problems and I backed out on previous mentioned amps looking for something else.
 
#12
The Henry 8x8 is one of the best "near field" cabinets ever, IMHO.
Loud, clear, fast.
If you almost always have FOH the soundman will love the 8x8 because of their short throw capabilities, (less lows/boom out front for them to have to deal with.)

But, if your looking for a cabinet that can project and be used as a stand-alone to carry most reasonable sized rooms I'd suggest the Trace 4x10.
 
#13
A lot of love for the Trace 4x10. My only worry is the 8x8 could not handle on it's own without PA support or FOH? Like I said without support I saw the Peavey 2x15 and 4x10 get very loud and had a presence in a mix/live band environment.
 
#14
klejst said:
Been looking at used gear pages for the past couple weeks and have been doing a lot of research on a new rig. I found a shiny grill SWR Henry The 8x8 cab in good condition for $300, these always intrigued my interest as who would of thought eight inch speakers could apparently according to reviews deliver such a punch of mid's and highs but also many claim can handle very decent lows too. I have used a Mesa 6x10 which weighed over 134lbs and a few 8x10I know they weigh about 100 lbs or so but with tilt back and wheels many claim it's easy to move around and also it's smaller stature is easy to load in and out room wise. I am curious what owners or users on here think of the cab and also if that is a good price?

One amp I have been looking at is a SWR SM-400s SS/Tube pre-amp hybrid which is a road case. I just want to make sure the wattage is safe for say the Henry which I believe handles like 430w and the SM-400 gives out up to 500 depending on ohms. Other amps I have considered is 300w G-K Backline 600, Ampeg B1RE, Acoustic b300 and a 350w Fender Rumble. Some of those other then the Backline have limited tone controls.

Other cabs I have looked at was a older Peavey 2x15 which I believe has Black Widows however I know it's a back breaker and the 15's generally are not as tight as 10's or 8's. Also a older ported edition of a Trace Elliot 1048h 4x10. I've used Trace stuff before and it was very clear and crisp.

I'm not able to physically try this stuff out however it's from legit sellers. To me the Henry and the SWR SM-400 seems like a great match but open to opinions and suggestions. I have about $500 to spend on Amp and cab and looking to get best bang for my bucks.
Click to expand...
ive seen a few bands come through with the SWR 8x8 over the years. They do have their own sound and it's pretty nice depending on what kind of tone you're going for. I had a bad experience with the SWR 6x1o i owned which was the same size. For me it was too short to roll easily(if youre closer to 5 feet tall it may not be an issue. Also aside from the nice grill the cab is covered in rat fur. Warwick made 4x8 cabs with celestions also. I'm a fan of eminence bp102 speakers personally. They are inexpensive and give me what I want for my rock band. Deeper lows than ampegs factory speakers. Celestion also now makes 10s that are voiced more like the 8s. Nolly from peripherys Cabs have them.
 
#15
Thanks for the replies and insights. I believe I have it narrowed down to the Trace Elliot, the Peavey 2x15 interested me however I know although often praised it would weigh a ton and also be big and bulky. I did run across a used Ampeg AVT410 HEN cab which from what I found and read is the same as a Ampeg SVT410 HE but can handle 100 more watts. And this cab is in good shape too and about $50 cheaper so now I'm a bit torn between the Trace and this new Ampeg...hate when that happens. Like I mentioned before I am looking for the best bang of the mentioned cabs for my money. Something that can for the most part hold it's own with or without PA support in a rock band type setting but also sound good and have a bit of versatility breathing room.
 

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