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SWR Sighting

B

Buzz

Feb 3, 2004
303
1
Metro Detroit
#1
I was surprised to see Timmothy B. Schmidt using an SWR Goliath III, Son of Bertha, and Goliath Jr. III during last nights Eagles Farewell 1 show on NBC. It looked like he was using several 750x heads too. I was also looking for his signature Carvin bass but he used an old Fender Jazz all night. I think during the Hell Freezes Over show he was using Trace gear.

Great show, although I would have like to have seen Don Felder with them. Joe Walsh was in rare form!

Buzz
 
#2
Could have just been backline supplied for the show, who knows. SWR could have just given him the gear for the show or tour, who knows. Either way, very little if anything of the stage amplification or its tonal characteristics is heard by the crowd anyway, its all DI'd through the PA.

The bass, that's his for sure . . .
 
#3
Buzz said:
I was surprised to see Timmothy B. Schmidt using an SWR Goliath III, Son of Bertha, and Goliath Jr. III...Buzz
Click to expand...

y'know for all the grief SWR gets on this forum, their stuff sounds pretty good. I know I'll catch hell for saying it, but I have a few of the items mentioned and when put together, it has a very large sound, maybe not for everyone, but it's loud, clean and professional sounding. I don't see any one manufacturer clearly dominating sales or in every headliners rig, so clearly SWR and all the other equipment makers have enough market to stay in business. I've had the 750x, G3 and sob for about 3 years and, aside from looking like a short refrigerator, it has always produced a great big sound and more headroom than I need. I don't play it much anymore, just because it's a lot of stuff and kinda heavy, but it does sound good, IMHO.

Ok, end of rant.

No worries though, Buzz, I understand what you mean with your post. TBS can afford anything he wants, why SWR? Especially when he was seen with TE stuff earlier (more real solid gear). Maybe it was provided by/for the show?

I didn't see the show... :rolleyes:

edit: I read your profile, so maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut (sic).
 
#4
Tim used to use Trace amps, he probably switched over when Gibson bought them out. Just a guess.

And yes, SWR stuff sounds very good with certain basses (just don't plug a modulus Q5 into one ... it hurts)
 
#5
Blueszilla said:
y'know for all the grief SWR gets on this forum, their stuff sounds pretty good.
Click to expand...

I agree. While I have never played through SWR I heard Brian Auger once and the bass player had all SWR gear (I think the mo bass head) and a jazz style bass. His tone was awesome!!!
 
#6
edit: I read your profile, so maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut (sic).[/QUOTE]

No problem. I didn't mean I was surprised in a bad way. Believe me, I've given the SWR kids plenty o' cash from 93 till 2003. I still wouldn't mind having a Henry Jr. 4x8 and Baby Blue head. I do love my Raven Labs PHA-1 too.

B.
 
#7
I'm personally not a fan of SWR's big amps and cabs - they're perfectly fine, just not my cup of tea for MY sound, but I absolutely LOVE my SWR Baby Blue II combo amp with two 8" and a 5" tweet. That thing is incredible.

When I do super-quiet corporate things, my soundman RAVES about how great the DI feed is through that thing.
 
#9
Blueszilla said:
y'know for all the grief SWR gets on this forum, their stuff sounds pretty good. I know I'll catch hell for saying it, but I have a few of the items mentioned and when put together, it has a very large sound, maybe not for everyone, but it's loud, clean and professional sounding.
Click to expand...

Why does SWR get criticized? And is it really any more than other brands?
 
#10
I know what you mean. I bought a super redhead in 97 and still have it. i think it still sounds pretty good (the casters suck!) and it was the reason I bought SWR again. Not a real big selection out here in the desert, so I went with what I knew to be decent. I have some other stuff now, but all in all, I haven't sold them cause the other stuff is all that much better, just a bit lighter and easier to move.
 
#11
cgworkman said:
Why does SWR get criticized? And is it really any more than other brands?
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Perhaps not, but it gets the 'good but sterile' or 'hi-fi' treatment. Maybe I'm just being over sensitive. :crying:

No one said it was low-end gear, quite the contrary.

I've seen the threads about all the troubles people have had and how their customer service is bad. Everyone has different experiences so I'm not disputing what happened to others, but I gigged pretty regularly with a band (3 or 4x a week) for over two years, power trio, roots rock & blues, and the rig never had one issue.

when the redhead was introduced, it had a lot of folks in the bass biz stumbling over one another to get one and imitate it. It spawned a whole legion of competitors and resulted, this many years later, in the vast array of choices we enjoy today. SWR enjoyed much success and maybe it's their corporate image as a major player that cause some to disparage them, in favor of smaller, newer designers. Maybe they're right to a degree (with the sale of the company and all), but IMO the gear still sounds pretty damn good.

Why am I writing all this? I've never taken a stand on something so ridiculous. Please forgive the demented ravings of an incompetent old bass player.
 
#15
pickles said:
And yes, SWR stuff sounds very good with certain basses (just don't plug a modulus Q5 into one ... it hurts)
Click to expand...

I think every bass player has his own sound. I play my Q4 through SWR stuff. I played a p-bass for years through an old Fender rig and it never fit right with the kind of music I play (jamband music - Phish, DMB Dead etc). The modulus / SWR combo (with Eden cabs) gives me the exact sound I LOVE...The fender set up sounded like mud. I remember reading on here that one person's "mud" is another person's "fat" while one person "sterile" is an other person's "crisp and clean" or something like that... :)
 
#16
Best on-stage bass sound I can remember hearing was Marcus Miller at the '96 Montreux Jazz festival - SWR Super Redhead & Son of Bertha. Can't remember him ever being criticized for sounding thin or sterile... :rollno:

The Super Redhead is still a great combo - with a Big Ben 18" mountains may be moved. Just wait a while - it'll be back in fashion, pre Fender, naturally :hiding:
 
#17
I don't really think of SWR being criticized much/anymore than any other brand. The hifi/clean but sterile comments-i didn't take as a bad thing. E.g. i think right about every brand has an associated tone that to some is a slam e.g. Ampeg-has a bit more boomy/bottomy sound in general-to some that means "uh oh-stay away" and some it means "must have".

I think part of the reason why i've never played SWR is because the only places that had SWR in stock were places like Guitar Center where [starts G.C. bash] if one part of the equation let's say amp, was setup nicely, the other part [bass] was setup terribly so it was hard to get an accurate idea.

FWIW, i've got a WorkingMan's 12 coming from BassNW [should be here any day now] that i'm stoked about-needed a combo that could do electric and upright well while not breaking the bank [cough cough EA cough cough] or my back [my current rig].

Eventually, i would like to try an SWR rig consisting of their 4X10 + the 1X18 or their 12 cabs to see how they sound with my SansAmps [RBI & RPM]. The catch? Well, for me, the only time i have the space/need/desire to lug around a huge amp is when i can drive myself and for the next 4 years-i need portability over power due to being a music major in Chicago. I will severely miss my 130+ pound amp, but i know it's for the best that i stick to less than 50 pounds in the amp department.

That's all
 
#18
I love SWR in a band setting. I think it sits really nicely and it can cut heaps. Solo sort of thing, mixed feelings. I CAN get a fairly round sound out of one, it's not warm, but it's not sterile either..

I hired just a WM 4004 to use with my WM 210 + 15 (I think i've gotten some really good WM cabs here, they smoke alot of others out there) one night when we were playing LOUD outside (cops got called from a house a few streets over.. theres not many streets out that way and they're all far apart) and I got compliments from a couple musicians in the crowd, and above all, people who don't know what a bass is. They said I was the easiest to hear (That could be a bad thing :p) and that I sounded clean, but not harsh. In little bass breaks or fills, you could hear me easily, cutting through two guitars, drums and vox.

I was happy with the sound.
 
#20
huskies90 said:
I think every bass player has his own sound. I play my Q4 through SWR stuff. I played a p-bass for years through an old Fender rig and it never fit right with the kind of music I play (jamband music - Phish, DMB Dead etc). The modulus / SWR combo (with Eden cabs) gives me the exact sound I LOVE...The fender set up sounded like mud. I remember reading on here that one person's "mud" is another person's "fat" while one person "sterile" is an other person's "crisp and clean" or something like that... :)
Click to expand...

I knew somebody would take exception to that comment :D Everybody has different ears ... though I think the Eden speakers are saving you. :ninja:
 

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