Stewart Power Amp Opinions?

I've been using a Stewart PA-1000, which is the model previous to, but nearly identical to, the World 1.2 for many years now, and I think it's great. Good sound for bass or anything else, quiet operation, and very light for the gobs of power that it puts out. I highly recommend this amp, but remember that you need to support the unit from the rear, and keep in mind that this unit can get hot. I've had mine racked right next to other non-heat producing rack components, and it shut down on me only once, and that was outdoors on a really hot day. Aside from that, the unit has worked perfectly for me for many years.

I believe that Bass Northwest sells Stewart amps, and you'd probably get a good price.

 

I've had a Stewart 1.2 for about 4 months now, and I absolutely love it! I got it and an Ashdown preamp from Bassnw.com. I also bought my G & L from them about 2 years ago. They are very good to deal with.

 

Tapp,

I've used a Stewart World 1.2 for about 5 years now and it's been a fantastic amp. I've used it in concert with an Alembic F-1X and it makes a neat, powerful, and smooth sounding rig that fits in a two space rackmount case.

As stated before, Bass Northwest, www.bassnw.com , usually has them in stock. Additionally, you can occasionally find a used one there to save a buck or two.

Best wishes,

Bones

 

Have never played through one, but I got to hear one a few weeks back. A local band has a bass player that is using the 2.1 through a pair of Eden 2X10 cabs. I didn't catch what he was using for a pre-amp, but can you say "Balls"?? Sounded fantastic!

-robert

 

I was using a World 1.2 with a Trace V-Type preamp and an Acme Low B-2 (4 ohms). The power amp frequently overheated until I purchased a small clip on fan for my rack. Maybe I was expecting too much from this setup, but I didn't really care for it too much. I also thought that the 1200 watts at 4 ohms bridged rating was a little "optimistic." Yes, I understand about Acmes being power hungry, but I tried the cab with an Eden WT-400 and felt that it was much "louder" for the amount of power available.
I know a lot of people love these amps, so these are just my two cents.
fc

 

The World 1.2 is a package that's a bit too good to be true. With good airflow (they have no built in fan) and solid line voltage they work great.

When the voltage drops they get hot real fast and start to distort and then cut out for a minute or so, which is a terrible feeling when you are rocking out.

Since they need space to breathe, you might as well use a 2 space amp with a fan. The World 1.6 and 2.1 are much better real-world units (we run a 2.1 in our PA rack, and now my 1.2 is our monitor amp).

The QSC PLX units are the best. Call Lord Valve at NBS Electronics in Denver. He services both, and will share his bench experience.

Aloha,

JOnathan