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SWR Workingman's 12

Cacklingjackyl

Cacklingjackyl

Nov 6, 2003
457
3
Hernando, Mississippi
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#1
Looking at buying this combo for practice and gigging. My band plays mostly bars and casinos (lower volume gigs). Don't play large venues at all and don't expect to play them anytime soon. If we did, I'm sure I could get miked off or DI into the PA.

We play rock, blues, jam type music.

Anybody have experience gigging with one of these? Was it loud enough? You think I'll be sorry if I rely solely on the SWR?

Thanks for the help/advice.
 
#2
i used to have the wm 15 it was a really nice amp, and it was fine for band practice, but i found it was really lacking when i gigged it,i ended up getting a swr workingmans4004 head and wm 410 cab. wich was plenty. if i were you and was set on a combo, id probably look into the acoucstic b200 combo.its inexpensive, sounds great, and is plenty loud at 200 watts.
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#3
I had one of these and played in churches. It worked but you really can do better. They aren't very loud and did not sound exceptional. I don't know how much you were going to pay for the SWR but if you didn't need it to be a combo I'd advise getting a better amp head like a GK Backline 600 and a separate cab.
 
#6
I'm considering a more shrunken rig, but if I get a combo, I'll probably want it to be strong enough to also run an extension cab. Some of the Nemesis combos have some good wattage and I'm also looking at a Genz Benz this week. I had one of the Ampeg BA-112's a while back (hope that's the right model) and the thing was nothing more than a schmancy practice amp - and I mean practicing alone without the band.
 
#7
My ultra-portable setup is a Genz-Benz ML200 head with an Epifani UL110 cabinet (20 lbs. in each hand). I am reinforcing it through the PA using the XLR out on the head (and I don't think this rig could carry the day if I did not). However - the sound is killer; very full and punchy. This is one of the few areas in which I have no desire to upgrade my current equipment.
 
#8
JonathanD said:
Unless your drummer is a very light player and your guitarist always behaves you would need PA support all the time. There are many option for you, but I don't think this one is viable.
Click to expand...

I disagree.

The WM12 is a great little unit. As long as the guitarist doesn't blast, the WM12 is plenty of amp. In the OP, it said 'lower volume gigs'. Jonathan does have a point in that, if your guitarist likes to crank his amp-look for more power.

I like the SWR WM12 because it's fairly light, fairly loud, has a DI on the front, and gets a nice tone. I used mine to play rock gigs, big bands shows, and theater shows. For the loudest gigs, there has been PA support. I set the amp for stage volume/my monitor, send a DI, and play.
 
#14
I don't know your budget, but the tiny Markbass CD121P is perfect for your gigs and is only 32 lbs. I use one and just played an outdoor Halloween party for 300 people Friday nite and only needed 60% volume. Our guest guitarist was blown away.

In small clubs, put it on a chair or stool to get the highs off the floor, and put it in a corner to increase the efficiency, and you will be totally surprised at what you can do. I have had 2 bass players come up after gigs and look for the bass stack. They were floored when I showed them the little cube in the corner making all that bottom.

I love being able to carry all my stuff for a gig in one load, in my hands.

For larger gigs, we hook to the PA system anyway, so I have never needed anything larger.
 
#15
i have one, i have used it for jazz trio gigs many times, tone is very good. for electric
bass, i use an aguilar 1x12 as an extension cab, kicking it up to approx 160 watts,
its actually a punchy rig. if you do not play loud gigs this is fine. turn the bass knob up
to approx 8. the tweeter is a little harsh, but can be turned off.

i replaced the speaker after it blew about 9 years ago with
a carvin for 70 bucks

this is my practice setup. i can load in one trip, bass on my shoulder, combo in
one hand, aggy in the other. keeps me in good shape!

it has never let me down. gigged with it many times as well.

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#16
I've got one as well. I "cheat" though - I have a powered extension cab, and I have a 1x15 cab with a passive crossover to use with it. It's a really nice little amp. The only reason I'm not using it right now, is because one of my foster kids got "creative" with his use of a pencil and my speaker...so I'll be getting a new one when the funds permit. I'm not gigging right now, so I'm really not in a rush anyhow.
 
#17
The newest SWR is the WorkingPro 12, which superseded the Workingman 12. What has been said about the WM12 is probably true, but these are different things entirely.

They have two main upgrades:

The first is that they're now 200w instead of 160w. This makes them about perfect for most situations.

The second is the addition of a feature called the Bass Intensifier. This basically turns the amp from a technicians amp for rooms the size of a wardrobe to a 200w thundering powerhouse. It has in my opinion done away with the notion that "SWR-has-no-tackle/whatever you want to call it".

I've owned one for about 15 months now and the only problem I've ever had is being too loud. Obviously they can't keep up with a full size rig (they're a 200w combo :-), but if you have a PA with good subs this thing will shake the house down for you just fine. And it is good for small to medium venues as a standalone as well.

If you steer clear of these thinking they're a Workingman's, you'll have missed out. They're leaps and bounds ahead of that.

And on top of it all, they still have the SWR sound. Only with grunt this time :p :bassist:

...and for what it's worth, they're currently sitting at #5 on the Musician's Friend best selling list, just behind the Little Mark II.

Worth checking out (and buying....:p)

Have fun!
 

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