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SWR VS GALLIEN KRUEGER HELP PLEASE!!

#21
I've had very good results running G-K heads into SWR cabs - specifically, the 700rb-II into Goliath series cabs... Oddly, I don't care for G-K cabs except their RBH series, nor do I care for SWR heads...


- georgestrings
 
#22
dougjwray said:
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.
Click to expand...

A lot of people don't realize that the SWR's "aural enhancer" is actually a passive tone stack pre-built into the preamp, not just a knob on the amp. All the knob does is light up the other half of the tube and then cut even more mids once it's turned past 2 o'clock. 1363351677967.jpg
The black tone shape is the voicing of the preamp without turning a single knob. The dotted line is what happens if you do the mod.
 
#23
having owned at the same time, SWR head, GK head and adamr's workingman's cab(i took it off his hands) and a genz 112 here is what i found.
the workingman's 410 on the swr head was a thin clank machine. no headroom and couldnt carry a gig in a bigger room. i put a 400rb on the workingman's cab and it sounded much better, had good balls could carry a room the swr head could not.

the SWR head on the genz cab sounded decent
the 400rb on the genz cab sounded better

anyway had two full rigs, and decided to get rid of one, i got rid of the SWR head and the workingman's cab and kept the GK 400rb and the genz cab.

i recently just got a hartke ha2000 and a 210xl cab as a backup and that combo is less clanky and sounds better than the SWR and workingman's 410. it does not quite have the SPL though. (half the cab)
 
#25
By the way, in terms of GK vs SWR - I have both. I like them both. I have a Bass 350 -> Golliath SR 610 and a GK 700RB -> 410RBH. I play the SWR rig out more, mostly because the 610 is easier to move, but they both sound great maybe with an edge to the GK rig. But no complaints with either. I have also had other GK and SWR stuff in the past, both are great companies with great products, excellent sounding and very reliable. IN THE PRO RANGE.
 
#26
I don't understand all these people that have problems with SWR heads. I love mine and can get a lot of different sounds out of it. If you change basses or change cabs, it will be a totally different experience.

I'm never wanting for volume with this thing (even through a single 15 or 2x10), and you guys DO know there's a parametric mid knob on most of the SWRs, right? Or an even more elaborate EQ section on the SM series. I find them to be pretty responsive to tweaking if you know what you're doing and have a cab setup that is going to complement what you are trying to achieve rather than work against it.
 
#27
jungleheat said:
you guys DO know there's a parametric mid knob on most of the SWRs, right? Or an even more elaborate EQ section on the SM series.
Click to expand...
First off, the "Q" on the mid knob is nowhere near wide enough to completely overcome that dip in the preamp. Second, yes the true power in SWR heads (especially the SM's) is in using it's EQ section. Most of the people complaining about SWR heads like the "set flat and forget it" approach which, for the most part, leaves SWR's sounding very thin. Another issue is that having to boost a lot of mids/lows to compensate for what is cut out at the input stage (thanks to that passive tone stack) will eat up your headroom REALLY quick thus leaving SWR's seeming "quieter" to other equally rated heads that keep the mids from the beginning.
 
#28
For the price id recomend looking at the ampeg 410HE. It'll hold up better than both of those cabs but the downside is you'll need a head that has some power. No 200w at 8 ohms deal. You need around 400-500w at 8 ohms to get it sounding great.

GK has had a lot of quality control issues lately and I had a top of the swr line Goliath sr (6x10) and it was nothing by trouble (blown horns & cone creasing) so I doubt the working man series is any better.
 
#29
For a "head" just get a sans amp and a power amp. Even if you buy a rack case it's cheaper than a lot of heads. I use my swr 750x as the power amp for my sans amp rbi and yeah I prefer the tone of my $300 dollar pre over the pre on my $1300 head but all the bass geeks come to the show and are like "man that swr amp sounds awesome" I don't have the heart to tell them half the time that what they are really hearing is the sans amp.
 
#30
Nephilymbass said:
For the price id recomend looking at the ampeg 410HE. It'll hold up better than both of those cabs but the downside is you'll need a head that has some power. No 200w at 8 ohms deal. You need around 400-500w at 8 ohms to get it sounding great.

GK has had a lot of quality control issues lately and I had a top of the swr line Goliath sr (6x10) and it was nothing by trouble (blown horns & cone creasing) so I doubt the working man series is any better.
Click to expand...

Really you have some stats or just your opinion? G-K moved ALL production back to California on 01/01/2012.
 
#31
I like to use a Gk head with the SWR Goliath head. I love the Goliath cab be cause of the tight response of the bass. It's very clean. But I love Gk heads because of the deep tones I can get from it. So mixed is the way to go for me. And if you are budgeting, I suggest the backline 600. And a Goliath cab. Any of them are pretty good
 
#32
carvinbassplyr said:
First off, the "Q" on the mid knob is nowhere near wide enough to completely overcome that dip in the preamp. Second, yes the true power in SWR heads (especially the SM's) is in using it's EQ section. Most of the people complaining about SWR heads like the "set flat and forget it" approach which, for the most part, leaves SWR's sounding very thin. Another issue is that having to boost a lot of mids/lows to compensate for what is cut out at the input stage (thanks to that passive tone stack) will eat up your headroom REALLY quick thus leaving SWR's seeming "quieter" to other equally rated heads that keep the mids from the beginning.
Click to expand...

Is that what you find with your SM 900? Have you ever tried a different PreAmp straight into the FX return? I tried a Sansamp pedal that way with my SM 900 and always missed the ultra lows that the SWR preamp had (thus sucking a lot of the head room).
 
#34
Big Benner said:
Is that what you find with your SM 900? Have you ever tried a different PreAmp straight into the FX return? I tried a Sansamp pedal that way with my SM 900 and always missed the ultra lows that the SWR preamp had (thus sucking a lot of the head room).
Click to expand...

That was my experience with the SM900 before I did the mod. Once the mod was done I had tone and volume for days!
 
#35
georgestrings said:
I've had very good results running G-K heads into SWR cabs - specifically, the 700rb-II into Goliath series cabs... Oddly, I don't care for G-K cabs except their RBH series, nor do I care for SWR heads...


- georgestrings
Click to expand...

I have a similar setup and experience. I have an 80's GK 800RB head and an 90's SWR Goliath Jr. SWR cabs sounded the best to me, so I got that 2x10+tweeter Golliath Jr. ( I would rather have a 4x10, but it wouldn't fit into my little sedan.). I bought the GK because it sounded better to me than the SWR heads. I also use a Hartke 15" to fill out the bottom, but the Golliath Jr is emphasized more.
 
#36
Nephilymbass said:
For a "head" just get a sans amp and a power amp. Even if you buy a rack case it's cheaper than a lot of heads. I use my swr 750x as the power amp for my sans amp rbi and yeah I prefer the tone of my $300 dollar pre over the pre on my $1300 head but all the bass geeks come to the show and are like "man that swr amp sounds awesome" I don't have the heart to tell them half the time that what they are really hearing is the sans amp.
Click to expand...

Whatever works for you, but I personally don't care for the Sansamp sound...


- georgestrings
 
#37
Nephilymbass said:
GK has had a lot of quality control issues lately and I had a top of the swr line Goliath sr (6x10) and it was nothing by trouble (blown horns & cone creasing) so I doubt the working man series is any better.
Click to expand...

Probably a case of either previous abuse or operator error - I've never even heard of anyone blowing up a Goliath Sr before your post... and FWIW, G-K isn't typically known for having QC issues - where are you getting that from???


- georgestrings
 
#38
There are specs and then there's how it actually sounds. Look at the "classic" Fender design. Honestly, it kind of sucks, but tons of people love it. If you know what you are doing, you should be able to get just about any sound you need out of most SWRs (unless you are looking for something very specific), and with plenty of volume. 9 times out of 10, you will run out of cab before you run out of volume anyway.
 
#40
jungleheat said:
If you know what you are doing, you should be able to get just about any sound you need out of most SWRs (unless you are looking for something very specific), and with plenty of volume. 9 times out of 10, you will run out of cab before you run out of volume anyway.
Click to expand...

I must be "looking for something very specific", by your definition, then - because I have never played an SWR amp that I've liked... Yet, I've been able to get what I've wanted out of Mesa, Genz-Benz, G-K, Aguilar, Markbass, Eden, Peavey, Ampeg, etc...


- georgestrings
 

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