orion_thefallen Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Hi there Guys I need some info , in our country there is not a huge variety of amps available , (not a lot of cash either) Anyways I might get a loan at the bank and I need to choose between amps My first option is the SWR working man2004 with a 4X10 cab Or secondly is the Warwick amp 250 watt head with 4X10 Or lastly Trace Elliot AH 300 with cab either a 15" or a 2x10 No I need to choose quickly seeing that we have outdoor gig's ) (festival) gigs coming up (it needs to be loud enough so I can hear myself all over) and I need it by then and yeah my old amp broke a second time. We play a rock style, some of the people say we have a modern Metallica sound ? errr? Anyways according to the music store SWR is more for Jazz versus Warick for Rock ? Please give me your Ideas on this one. Much appreciated. Thank You There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 I've never played a Warwick or a Trace, so I can't help you there. I have an SWR. It's just dandy for rock. There's a whole bunch of rock players who use SWR. Then there's Pernax, our friend from Scandinavia, who's playin' some hard stuff thru a mighty SWR stack... As for playing outdoors, I'm a little concerned that a 250W solid state head ain't gonna cut it for ya' -- especially if you need to be heard "all over." Anyway can you get up to maybe 400W or so within your budget? I'd also lean towards a 4x10 in terms of cab choice. However, if you know there will be good PA sound at these festival gigs (both in terms of FOH and monitors), you will be able to get by with a less powerful rig. Now, I haven't played an outdoor gig in ages, so take my words with a healthy dose of caution and see what other folks have to say! Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion_thefallen Posted April 9, 2003 Author Share Posted April 9, 2003 Well they said there will be a really "big" PA 10 Kilo Watt or something ,but I have no idea what it will be like on stage. Its our very first festival gig heehee anyways the Warwick amps is slighty cheaper and 300 watts. So it seems like the better choice, that is if warwick amps is any good.. Hmm choices.. There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 I would definitely give the nod to the SWR rig... I have an SWR Workingman's 4x10 as part of my stack. I can't say enough good about it. I mosly use just it and my 540 watt GK1001RB for almost all my gigs... http://www.boomspeed.com/herne/fridge.jpg Keep in mind that amp power means less than you think, when it comes to tone and volume. There are many amps with lower power output ratings that sound better and louder than other amps with higher power output ratings. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion_thefallen Posted April 9, 2003 Author Share Posted April 9, 2003 Nice fridge - have any beers in there I am also tilting towards the SWR wm2004 with the 4x10T cab.. I just cant make up my mind! There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 I'd recommend the SWR WM4x10, with the knowledge that you can always trade up the head for something in the 400 to 600 watt range, later, and that SWR cab won't even flinch! If you had a GK dealer in your neck of the woods, I'd be recommending that you buy the SWR WM4x10 and try to hook a good deal on a GK700RB or a GK1001RB. The GK stuff probably has the best 'headroom and power for the money', of any brand of head. My GK head sounds monsterous through my WM4x10 cab. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion_thefallen Posted April 9, 2003 Author Share Posted April 9, 2003 Yip the SWR cab is probably the best choice , the Warwick Pro Fet 3 head looks pretty cool.Its 300 watts and has a mosfet amp. No GK dealers around here I checked their site errr. Can anyone give me a review on a Warwick head ? There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rumpelstiltskin. Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 i think i'm the only person around here who has actually played warwick amps. i love warwick amps. i do not like at all SWR amps, but that doesn't mean that anyone else can't love them. i don't really have much opinion on trace, except that i've enjoyed their tone, but never much their price. if i had the money, i'd probably buy warwick the next time i'm buying stuff. i loved the tone of the quadVI i played through their 4x10. even their little 1x15 combo sounded great. i got every tone i tried to get from their amps. they are very versatile, very clean, very transparent, yet not sterile or toneless. i love warwick amps. i wouldn't say that SWR is for jazz only, or that warwick is better for rock. but i would say that 300W or warwick should be enough for stage volume on an outdoor gig, especially with a PA. i can't make decisions for you on what your sound should be, but i think 300W should be enough power, and i liked the warwick's ability to achieve many different sounds. i don't think trace or SWR can match that versatility, especially since the warwick has a good sound on its own, too. robb. because i like people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pernax Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Did someone mention the magic 3-letter word !?! Like Sweet Willie said, SWR's sound is suitable for many forms of music. It's somewhat of a general misconception that if you play rock, or *gulp* metal, you must look for stuff with the swirly logo of Ampeg. Luckily that is not the case, I can get a suitable sound for almost any type of music from my trusted SWR gear. From all the options mentioned by you and the other helpfull people of the forum, I'd say you can't really go wrong with any of them. I have personal experience from a few Trace Elliot amps, and they were quite ok - nothing overly fancy, but nothing to complain about either. I've only read good things about Warwick, and Edendude's suggestion - GK - is also a rocksolid option. Altough one thing with GK that might cause some problems is the quality of their DI-out. That might or might not be a problem for you depending from the way the set up at the outdoor gig is done. A separate DI-box would take care of that problem in any case. So the best advice anyone can give you is to try as many options as possible, and see (and hear) what suits your taste and needs best. Use the suggestions given here as a guideline in helping you with the Quest For The Holy Amplifier. Happy hunting, and do let us know how things turned out. -Pernax, whose favorite color is blue... no... yelloooooooooooooow.... (up to 200 characters) You may use UBBCode in your signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion_thefallen Posted April 9, 2003 Author Share Posted April 9, 2003 Thanks for all the tips , The way I see it now is both is 20x better than my Trace combo with only one 15" driver...eish ..that broke twice... Here's to hoping the bank approves my loan and I'll be jamming away on a nice Warwick/Swr combo by the weekend. There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ii-V7-i love Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 I've used swr rigs for the past 14 years and only recently added an ampeg preamp to my rig. The main characteristic of difference i find between the two is the low end. my swr rig bottom end is "warm butter" smooth while my ampeg pre/crownK1 rig has a kick around 250-300hz that focuses the low end at lower volumes. of course my swr amp is also 15years older than my preamp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 One more voice from the peanut gallery: I have an SWR SM-500 pushing two Mesa cabs (2x10 and 1x15). I use it for hardcore/metal and brit-pop stuff. Always sounds great. Plenty of clean power. And it likes most every bass I'be played through it. I've also used Warwick stuff. It's fine, too. Nice big metal knobs on those. I did notice, however, that the input jack was kinda shakey (they're plastic), and one of my buddies had this thing break on him. Not fun at a gig. IMO, as long as you're loud enough to be heard and know how to use the available EQ, the amp brand doesn't matter all that much. I've heard people sound terrible on great "name" gear and sound amazing on crappy-looking gear. I think it's got more to do with the player, their knowledge and their abilities than it does the brand name. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Originally posted by Pernax: So the best advice anyone can give you is to try as many options as possible, and see (and hear) what suits your taste and needs best. Use the suggestions given here as a guideline in helping you with the Quest For The Holy Amplifier. Happy hunting, and do let us know how things turned out. Good advice here. If you can, try playing the amps and cabs you're considering to see how you like the sound. At the very least, you may want to try the Warwick head with the SWR cab before you buy -- or at least make sure there's a reasonable buy-and-return policy or try-out period. Originally posted by Pernax: -Pernax, whose favorite color is blue... no... yelloooooooooooooow....That's funny. Great line, great movie. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Originally posted by robb.: i think i'm the only person around here who has actually played warwick amps. i love warwick amps. ...if i had the money, i'd probably buy warwick the next time i'm buying stuff. i loved the tone of the quadVI i played through their 4x10. even their little 1x15 combo sounded great. i got every tone i tried to get from their amps. they are very versatile, very clean, very transparent, yet not sterile or toneless. i love warwick amps. robb., Thanks for the Warwick review. Much appreciated, since I've been curious, but never see the amps and cabs in shops. Also, I think scootdog runs his Ashdown preamp into a Crown power amp into a Warwick 411 cab -- so you are not alone on the board! Peace. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Just remembered - I've played through two Warwick rigs: A Protube IX into 4x10" & 15" stack and a Profet IV into a 15". I wasn't very impressed by their cabs - my 2x Low-B2 rig completely blew away the 1x15" in every respect and the 4x10" & 1x15" was lacking in depth IMO. They reminded me of Trace cabs but a bit less efficient and with less midrange punch/hotness. On the other hand, the heads seem great. Very solidly built, loads of tone-shaping, enough power (though is enough ever enough?), and a nice thick tone that seems to lie somewhere between TE and Ampeg. Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 Yeah, I guess that's one thing that you'll always find a majority of bassists will agree upon, and that's the fact that SWR cabs, both top of the line units and the Workingman's cabs, will give you lots of 'punch' and 'depth' every time. I feel the same way about Warwick cabs as I do GK cabs... They just sound way too 'carboard boxy' to me, once you are used to the way Eden and SWR cabs sound. And this even though I really like the GK heads. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted April 9, 2003 Share Posted April 9, 2003 <----- This lovely Maiden (the right one) uses a SWR Stereo 800 Power Amp, SWR Grand Prix Preamp, and 2 SWR Triad I 3-way speaker systems. Lovely set-up, I'd say, though I favor Peaveys myself. sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion_thefallen Posted April 14, 2003 Author Share Posted April 14, 2003 Hi all , Just to let you all know what happened here. the bank gave me the run around for two weeks basically they said no unless I apply as a small business that will take another two weeks sigh, so that said I said thanks for nothing and left. I then went to a music shop and applied to buy the SWR amp on account ,everything checked out and they said they will let me know today , after I phone them a couple of times they said sorry we need security. So I settled for second best something my budget actually allows for and I took the Laney RGB500 combo , at least its 300 watts has a EQ and allows for a extra speaker connection. So that's my very sad story, if anyone ever used this laney amp before let me know what you all think about it, It sound pretty decent. There is only two kinds of music , good music and bad music ....oooh and drugs is bad mmmmkay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted April 14, 2003 Share Posted April 14, 2003 Our lead guitarist plays a Strat through a Laney 2x12 combo. He loves his rig with a passion. I hope the Laney bass combo pleases you as much. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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