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SWR Baby Blue II

#22
tombowlus said:
Well, I am still trying to have the drivers repaired on my BB, but I have tried the amps from both through the speakers in the BBII, and they sound very similar to me.

Tom.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the quick answers!
Are there any differences in power between the BB I and the BB II or they have the same 120/160 watt? Thank you one more time!
 
#23
Amin said:
Thank you very much for the quick answers!
Are there any differences in power between the BB I and the BB II or they have the same 120/160 watt? Thank you one more time!
Click to expand...

In theory, the II is 160w and I think the BB is rated at 150, but I think it was a numerical rating change more than anything.
 
#24
tombowlus said:
In theory, the II is 160w and I think the BB is rated at 150, but I think it was a numerical rating change more than anything.
Click to expand...

I actually called SWR years ago when they went from the I to the II and was told that that were some changes that upgraded it to the 160 watt rating and also the II will take a 2ohm load. The reason being that the original cab with the Bag Ends was 8 ohms and when they switched to the Celestions it was a 4 ohm cab. The amp had to be modified to take the matching 4 ohm extension cab.
 
#25
Reefer said:
I actually called SWR years ago when they went from the I to the II and was told that that were some changes that upgraded it to the 160 watt rating and also the II will take a 2ohm load. The reason being that the original cab with the Bag Ends was 8 ohms and when they switched to the Celestions it was a 4 ohm cab. The amp had to be modified to take the matching 4 ohm extension cab.
Click to expand...

I had heard that, too, but I also heard some folks claim that the "modifications" were negligible. Any further details? I'd love to know the real scoop.

Tom.
 
#27
So, I've never had the opportunity to hear a Baby Blue II, but from the sound of things, it could be my dream amp. I play a Warwick Thumb, an active fretless p-j Fender, and upright w/Underwood pickup, and I gather that this amp would be able to give me the individual tones I want out of all three. And hey, then I could give my Baggs preamp to my gigging father - currently using a Boss GEB-7..poor guy.

Would you think it an apt comparison to say the Baby Blue II preamp is akin to the Demeter sound, and the speaker cab has an Accugroove quality, what with the 5" mid driver? The sound I imagine is...velvety, like a nice set of studio monitors?

[ Just trying to decide whether it's worth it as an investment to spend 2x-3x the amount that I could pick up a used WM10 for.. I have a chunk of cash coming in, and need a small unit, but want to make an intelligent purchasing decision. I've heard the WM10, so it's a known quantity. I think it would be quite serviceable, but I am a believer in the magic of certain special equipment recipes. Sometimes the engineers just do everything right, and it sounds like the BBII is one of those cases. I also believe in spending the money once, and spending it right, with the long term in mind. I R a college student, after all.. Cheers! ]
 
#28
I rented an original BBI for a while before ordering my own. When I ordered one, the 'II' model had just been introduced and I had to wait a little bit longer to get one but it was worth the wait! I used it about three to four times a week throughout my college years and beyond and the only thing I ever had to do was replace the drivers. After I moved to NY it suddenly stopped working. I suspect it might have been caused by vibration during the move. I can't wait to get it back up and running again! Hooking up an extra cab really brings out the balls in this amp.

For some clips of my Baby Blue II (DI out only), click the 'icompositions' link in my sig and check out the tracks
"The Vine" through "Fun in Harmony"
 
#29
HotRatz said:
Would you think it an apt comparison to say the Baby Blue II preamp is akin to the Demeter sound, and the speaker cab has an Accugroove quality, what with the 5" mid driver? The sound I imagine is...velvety, like a nice set of studio monitors?

[ Just trying to decide whether it's worth it as an investment to spend 2x-3x the amount that I could pick up a used WM10 for.. ]
Click to expand...

Yeah,the sound is pretty accurate - but like Accugroove - NO. All the Accugrooves I've tried are MUCH bigger and handle a lot more power. FWIW, it makes a great small PA as well as a great amp for monitoring your sound and/or small gigs.

There is no comparison between the WM10 and the Baby Blue - kind of like comparing a Crate amp to a GK.

Dan K.
 
#30
HotRatz,
IMO, there's not much comparison between the WM10 and the BBII.
The head is worth the price alone. If the BBII preamp is akin to a Demeter preamp, it's the HBP-1. The tube warms things up a bit but not a whole lot. Depends on the tube of course but with a standard tube, it's still very quick. You could say it's reminiscent of the Avalon U5 in that regard, too.

I haven't played through the two smallest AccuGrooves so I couldn't compare them to the BBII but I can say they don't sound like the Tri112, which I used to own. I can imagine that the Tri208 having nearly the same driver compliment would be pretty close but again, not having heard it and not having heard the neo versions either, I can't really make any direct comparisons. A lot depends on your source material and your room, too. Another thing to note is that the BBII has a round rear port and the AG's have slotted front ports. That can make placement of the BBII a little more critical.

*I guess Dan agrees with me! :)
 
#32
Ok, I hear y'all on the tone incomparability of Workingman's stuff and the Baby Blue. Seems clear that they are from different planets. Groovy.

From what I read over and over, the BBII has a definite usable volume limit due to its small drivers and box size. But it also seems clear that it's cherry-sounding within this limit. I'm curious about this capacity.. Would the BBII keep up volume-wise with a WM12?

I went ahead purchased a used 1st-gen WM12, and after a rehearsal, I see that it's definitely loud enough for my purposes. I could certainly see the value in selling it back to market to put the $$ toward a BBII, though, and just being done forever with the whole small-amp situation, if the loudness is comparable. I find the WM12 pretty usable, but not what I would call sweet-sounding. A bit honky by nature, though it can be dialed out. The BBII would see much more use as upright bass (sans outboard preamp) and recording rig.

BTW, I gather that the BBII is THE one, and the newer 1x10 version doesn't quite have the magic sauce?


PS sorry I'm so long-winded all the time... :)
 
#33
I use mine for small-ish gigs. Piano, guitar, sax, drums, upright...
Is it enough?
A lot of this will not depend on you, but your bandmates.
I love mine with Double Bass.

I dunno fershure, but I believe the current baby blue is the same head, but a 1x10 box will never sound as good as the 2x8+5"mid...
 
#35
HotRatz said:
I gather that the BBII is THE one, and the newer 1x10 version doesn't quite have the magic sauce?
Click to expand...

I own a BB-II and the fiddler in one of my bands owns a Baby BB which I use at rehearsals at his house. No comparison...the amp itself is the same of course but the Baby BB speakers sound much more nasal and harsh. Actually it sounds kinda like a WM12 :hmm: I end up dialing out the upper mids and treble to compensate while I run my BB-II flat.

If the WM12 is loud enough for you, then the BB-II will be also.
 
#38
BBII user here also. Nice tone but not real deep. Great for living room jams, rehearsals, etc...

Also have the EBII. Love the tone of these heads!

Had a WM10 and the BBII will wipe the floor with it.
 
#39
Listening to BT6's clips....sounds pretty nice. Big thick tone, with articulation. It sounds like it'd be a nice match with my Thumb bass, and with the classic P as well.. Is that a direct signal, or mic'd?

Nice tunes too, man...


I think I really want one of these. It does seem like it'd be a worthwhile investment in a lot of ways. I am digging this WM12, no doubt, but the BB seems sooo much better for studio work. I'm not doing that much right now, but I'd like to be prepared when I do start doing more again. I think this would be better than the Ashdown not only in studio tone, but in the flow of the session - the 'more me' thing is slick, I like SWR's mute-able speakers, and the variable DI level out.

I do notice the lack of heat sink. I assume this hasn't been a problem for anybody? At the loudest I'll be using my WM12 (while I have it), it's about 75% open and it gets good and warm. Like, hot, really. It has heat sink blades, though..Different dispersion physics, there. Does the BB head handle its heat under (reasonable) gig conditions well? Oh, and no limiter, eh?

And if the BB will keep up solidly with my WM12 at 75%, I'm sold.
 
#40
Another option to get a similar sound to that 2x8" + 5" cab would be an Acme Low-B1 - 10" + 5" + soft dome tweeter. I've heard a Baby Blue at some jazz gigs and it's a nice sounding cab with far more midrange definition than most. I suspect the sensitivities are similar with the Acme having a bit more bottom.

Of course, that then leaves the question of how to drive it?

SWR Grand Prix sounds similar to the Baby Blue but then you're stuck with rack sized stuff...

Alex
 

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