SWRBabyBlue

[Robal]

The facts around this have been argued to death on this board, so I'm reluctant to throw more wood on the fire, but if you dig a bit you can find a necro thread from early 2000's that banters around the details of the story. I think you will find the most factual account there. Summary, it said Fender made an "investment" in SWR back in early 90's, and in GrooveTubes. Somewhere in that timeframe SWR moved from Steve's garage into a warehouse building that they shared with Groovetubes, in Sylmar, CA (North SF Valley). I think that's where my BB2 was made, it's the address indicated in my Owner's Manual for returns for repairs. There is more history in the thread if you can find it. There is no real detail on what the nature of the investment or arrangement between Fender and SWR was at the early point.

Curious, did you work for SWR, or for Fender?

Fender did not make any investment in SWR back in the early 1990's. If it had, I would know. I was one of the co-founders and co-owners of SWR from its origination in Steve Rabe's garage in Pacoima in 1984, through its incorporation in 1987 and operation as SWR Engineering Inc., until the 1997 sale by Rabe, Edward Randolph, and me of our interests to co-owner Daryl Jamison. Jamison then operated the business and renamed it "SWR Sound Corporation." Rabe also remained on for a time as a paid consultant to SWR Sound Corporation.

During the course of its life, SWR moved to progressively larger facilities: first Rabe's small garage, then a shared space with Aspen Pittman's GrooveTubes in Pacoima (at which time Pittman offered to buy SWR but we declined), then its own larger space in Sylmar (at which time Henry Juszkiewicz at Gibson offered to buy the company but we also declined). Around 1999, Jamison moved SWR Sound Corporation from Sylmar to a larger facility in Sun Valley, previously occupied by Cetec Gauss speakers. Jamison operated the business from there until it was purchased by Fender in 2003.

I haven't read the "necro thread" you reference, but if it has this basic mistake about purported investment in SWR by Fender in the early 1990's, I'd be wary of the rest of its accuracy.

Long-time SWR employee Rick Carlson provided a nice history of SWR in this Bass Magazine article: True Genius: Remembering Steve Rabe And SWR

 

[agedhorse]

Fender did not make any investment in SWR back in the early 1990's. If it had, I would know. I was one of the co-founders and co-owners of SWR from its origination in Steve Rabe's garage in Pacoima in 1984, through its incorporation in 1987 and operation as SWR Engineering Inc., until the 1997 sale by Rabe, Edward Randolph, and me of our interests to co-owner Daryl Jamison. Jamison then operated the business and renamed it "SWR Sound Corporation." Rabe also remained on for a time as a paid consultant to SWR Sound Corporation.

During the course of its life, SWR moved to progressively larger facilities: first Rabe's small garage, then a shared space with Aspen Pittman's GrooveTubes in Sylmar (at which time Pittman offered to buy SWR but we declined), then its own larger space in Sylmar (at which time Henry Juszkiewicz at Gibson offered to buy the company but we also declined). Around 1999, Jamison moved SWR Sound Corporation from Sylmar to a larger facility in Sun Valley, previously occupied by Cetec Gauss speakers. Jamison operated the business from there until it was purchased by Fender in 2003.

I haven't read the "necro thread" you reference, but if it has this basic mistake about purported investment in SWR by Fender in the early 1990's, I'd be wary of the rest of its accuracy.

Interesting, I assume you are Richard?

While I was familiar with SWR pre-Fender, most of my experience is with the Fender era and specifically the class D amps that the introduced at the end as well as revising the products to meet UL/cUL/IEC 60065 safety standards rather than the earlier city (or county?) of LA testing that they previously did.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Fender did not make any investment in SWR back in the early 1990's. If it had, I would know. I was one of the co-founders and co-owners of SWR from its origination in Steve Rabe's garage in Pacoima in 1984, through its incorporation in 1987 and operation as SWR Engineering Inc., until the 1997 sale by Rabe, Edward Randolph, and me of our interests to co-owner Daryl Jamison. Jamison then operated the business and renamed it "SWR Sound Corporation." Rabe also remained on for a time as a paid consultant to SWR Sound Corporation.

During the course of its life, SWR moved to progressively larger facilities: first Rabe's small garage, then a shared space with Aspen Pittman's GrooveTubes in Sylmar (at which time Pittman offered to buy SWR but we declined), then its own larger space in Sylmar (at which time Henry Juszkiewicz at Gibson offered to buy the company but we also declined). Around 1999, Jamison moved SWR Sound Corporation from Sylmar to a larger facility in Sun Valley, previously occupied by Cetec Gauss speakers. Jamison operated the business from there until it was purchased by Fender in 2003.

I haven't read the "necro thread" you reference, but if it has this basic mistake about purported investment in SWR by Fender in the early 1990's, I'd be wary of the rest of its accuracy.

Thank you for the clarification. As I said, the history of SWR has been debated for quite some time on this board and most of the info was from second hand sources, or gleaned from owner's manuals or people who worked for Fender at or around that time. Your input as an original member of the team on SWR is invaluable to setting the record straight. I knew Steve Raab, met him through a mutual friend and he talked me into buying the BB2, arranged a deep discount through Nadine's. What a super nice guy Steve was, and smart, creative, dedicated to making things sound better through addition of tubes. That was 1994, and at that time I know Steve had no connection to Fender, but people on this board debated that point. I lost touch with Steve and the mutual friend about a year later so never heard the aftermath of what happened to the company. It does seem that the BB2 did get reworked with input from Fender not long after that, and the manufacturing moved to Corona. I'm not clear on exactly when and how that happened and since I no longer own the amp I have no skin in the game.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Thank you for the clarification. As I said, the history of SWR has been debated for quite some time on this board and most of the info was from second hand sources, or gleaned from owner's manuals or people who worked for Fender at or around that time. Your input as an original member of the team on SWR is invaluable to setting the record straight. I knew Steve Raab, met him through a mutual friend and he talked me into buying the BB2, arranged a deep discount through Nadine's. What a super nice guy Steve was, and smart, creative, dedicated to making things sound better through addition of tubes. That was 1994, and at that time I know Steve had no connection to Fender, but people on this board debated that point. I lost touch with Steve and the mutual friend about a year later so never heard the aftermath of what happened to the company. It does seem that the BB2 did get reworked with input from Fender not long after that, and the manufacturing moved to Corona. I'm not clear on exactly when and how that happened and since I no longer own the amp I have no skin in the game.

In rereading I just realized I knew Aspen Pittman too, he was another of my friend's friends. I had no idea he owned Groove Tubes.