SWR VS GALLIEN KRUEGER HELP PLEASE!!

[rayj1013]

yo bass buds I hope all is well. i need some help and opinions. Im looking to buy either a swr or gk rig and head but I dont know who has the better quality at the 2nd tier level. I dont have the funds to get a goliath 3 or 4 or neo series, so I'm lookin at the swr workingman's and the gk blx or glx series. so here's my questions:

which has the best sound for R&B, gospel and neo soul?
is the goliath 2 better than the latest workingman's series?
should i mix n match a swr rig with a gk head or vice versa?
should i trade in my eden nemeis 250 watt combo amp for a gk 4x10 blx?

thanks in advance!!

 

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Tone is subjective, But I will tell you that a GK backline cab is not the answer to many questions.

 

[baddarryl]

I run a Workingpro 400 through an older Goliath II 4x10 and it is great for what you mention. Not quite dirty enough for hard rock, but nothing a good pedal won't cure. Excellent amps for the money. The Bass Intensifier makes it sound like I am running a full stack.

I also have a GK MB115 that is a great value in its own right, and easier to carry around than that cab, but I like the SWR tone better.

 

[jungleheat]

I would go with SWR over GK. And Goliath IIIs can be had used for about $300-500 and you would probably never need another cab in your life unless you started playing HUGE venues (2-5k capacity or bigger).

 

[B-string]

I prefer G-K but stay away from the BLX or GLX cabs.

 

[Jaco who?]

Used 700 RBII with either a Goliath or an old GK RBH cab. Heavy, but that's the price you pay for something cheap and fairly bulletproof, the GLX and BLX cabs are NOT............

 

[AdamR]

I had a workingmans 410 cab and loved it. I hated the SWR head. I now have a GK rig fwiw.

 

[SteveHeissner]

I love GK and currently have the NEOs. They've been kicking ass trouble free for about 6 years now. However, prior to that I had some GK Backline cabinets and they were crap.

 

[iplay5strings]

A goliath II is better than a new working man's cab the biggest reason being the tweeter difference (working man's use piezo, Goliath uses Foster). Definitely play an SWR head before buying it. SWR, like most amp makers, have a built in tone stack in the preamp that you can do nothing about (unless you do the aural enhance bypass mod like I did). If you like it cool, but most people notice that SWR amps sound quieter than most other amps of the same wattage because they have such a hard scoop in the low mids. The black line in this picture represents how SWR amps are voiced without touching a single knob and the yellow dotted line represents what happens if you do the aural enhance bypass mod. Just something to think about.

 

[baddarryl]

A goliath II is better than a new working man's cab the biggest reason being the tweeter difference (working man's use piezo, Goliath uses Foster). Definitely play an SWR head before buying it. SWR, like most amp makers, have a built in tone stack in the preamp that you can do nothing about (unless you do the aural enhance bypass mod like I did). If you like it cool, but most people notice that SWR amps sound quieter than most other amps of the same wattage because they have such a hard scoop in the low mids. The black line in this picture represents how SWR amps are voiced without touching a single knob and the yellow dotted line represents what happens if you do the aural enhance bypass mod. Just something to think about.

Do you have a link or anything for that mod? I have to push my WorkingPro 400 a little harder than I did an Ashdown Mag 300T for that reason to get the same volume through my Goliath II.

 

[iplay5strings]

Do you have a link or anything for that mod? I have to push my WorkingPro 400 a little harder than I did an Ashdown Mag 300T for that reason to get the same volume through my Goliath II.

I have before and after pictures. I will see if I can find a write up, but it is very simple.

This is the stock passive tone stack. Notice the 2 red and 1 blue component.

This is after the mod. Notice how the blue component is gone and the red one has been moved and taken it's place? That's all you have to do.

 

[Thumpinshelton]

I recently went from a SWR 750x head and goliath 410 cab to a GK MB210 combo and ordered a neo 410 GK cab to use as an extension for the larger gigs. I did this change for weight, portability, and to be honest the SWR sound just wasnt cutting it for me. I also play gospel, funk, and jazz and the SWR just didn't have the low end that I was wanting and when I really cranked it it was just too brittle to my ears. I used my GK this past Sunday morning and it was smooth and I received a lot of compliments on the sound, but you have to find what works for you and gives you the sound you desire. I would suggest trying out as many amps as you can.

 

[iplay5strings]

I recently went from a SWR 750x head and goliath 410 cab to a GK MB210 combo and ordered a neo 410 GK cab to use as an extension for the larger gigs. I did this change for weight, portability, and to be honest the SWR sound just wasnt cutting it for me. I also play gospel, funk, and jazz and the SWR just didn't have the low end that I was wanting and when I really cranked it it was just too brittle to my ears.

Ya, I hear you. I used to rock an SM900 with 2 GIII cabs and would still get lost in the mix, in proportionally sized venues of course. Sure, the sizzle and clank were there, but my low notes just disappeared. It really started to piss me off when I'd show up to an average sized gig with the SM900 and single GIII and hear other guys KILLIN it with 112 rigs. It blew my mind! That was when I started doing some reading and discovered that SWR's aural enhance was not just the knob on the amps, but the actual voicing of the amp itself. It's basically like running your bass knob completely off and your treble knob wide open lol.

 

[mcascone]

Interesting. I have the SWR workingman 15 and it sounds nice and loud by itself, but it does get lost in the mix when any kind of excitement happens. I have been feeling the need for a bigger head and a 4x10 cab recently.

 

[iplay5strings]

Interesting. I have the SWR workingman 15 and it sounds nice and loud by itself, but it does get lost in the mix when any kind of excitement happens. I have been feeling the need for a bigger head and a 4x10 cab recently.

Well for reference, my 2 GIII setup would get lost b4 I did the preamp mod and when I played a certain venue that had guitar players on either side of me blaring through their 412 rigs. That is a lot of guitar for any decent bass rig to keep up with, but the SWR didn't even make a decent effort. After the mod, the GIII cabs still lacked a bit of "OOMF' in the low-end, but they definitely did a better job keeping up with the guitards.

 

[Kmonk]

I used GK for several years and liked them. I went back to Ampeg because I wanted more of a tube vintage sound. Never really cared for SWR tone.

 

[mcascone]

Well for reference, my 2 GIII setup would get lost b4 I did the preamp mod and when I played a certain venue that had guitar players on either side of me blaring through their 412 rigs. That is a lot of guitar for any decent bass rig to keep up with, but the SWR didn't even make a decent effort. After the mod, the GIII cabs still lacked a bit of "OOMF' in the low-end, but they definitely did a better job keeping up with the guitards.

What mod are you referring to?

 

[iplay5strings]

What mod are you referring to?

The aural enhance bypass mod. It removes the built in tone shape of the SWR preamp so you get all ur mids back.

 

[chadds]

Buy used pro level gear.

 

[dougjwray]

Interesting about the aural enhance effect. That might explain why I could never get a decent sound out of my SWR head, no matter what I did. It was always too sterile. No 'nads.
I always recommend GK over SWR.