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BGRA: SWR Mo'Bass
| Manufacturer |
SWR |
Model |
Mo'Bass |
| Reviewer |
Dennis Sanders |
Email |
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| Experience |
8 |
Item owned |
1-2 years |
| Review Date |
2005-02-04 |
Price paid |
$1100.00 |
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Dimensions | 19" W x 5" H x 14" D (3 rack spaces) |
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Weight | 29 lbs. |
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Power | Mono-900w@4Ohms/600@2Ohms stereo |
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Other | Includes analog effects-Overdrive, octive, synth, chorus, and side chain eq |
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More than a few players have had a negative experience with this amp, I am not one of them. This amp fits me like a glove, almost like SWR had me in mind during the design process. First of all the "twiddley" knobs are stable. The reason that there is some wiggle is because the shafts on the pots are long, this is due to the front panel design. THE AMP IS SOLID! I would'nt rely on it if it was'nt, and I am a busy player. Some say that the amp overheats and shuts down to easily, maybe you are running the amp at minimum impedence and are pushing the power amp to it's limits. Most amps will break down eventually when you push it really hard all of the time. The eq section on the amp is standard SWR stuff, the clean sound of the amp is warm, punchy, and transparent no matter how many double stops or chords you throw at it. The preamp can carry it's own weight, and the eq section is just as powerful as the other SWR preamps in the line, I went from a 750X to the Mo'. The difference that is obvious to me is the limiter/leveler, the Mo's is much sweeter than the limiter on the 750X. I guess you could say that it gently supresses the peaks, and it sound very pleasant. The Effects....ahh they are good! I stoped using three popular pedals when I picked up the Mo'. The overdrive does maintain the fundamental of my tone, meaning no loss of BOOTY! The subwave (octave) does track down to low D on the B string of my Lakland. It also has a tone control that reveals the pure sound of the wave effect as you turn it up, when it is fully in the boost position you are hearing the pure waveform of the octave (can you say MutronIII, Bootsy could dig it). The synth, this is where the effects really shine. It is very versatile, though it may take some time to dial it in to your prefrence. I have it set for slap funk ala the aforementioned funkmiester. How do you get the synth's sawtooth waveform to disipate enough to slap you say? Well you turn the overdive level control up to taste, and turn the drive level all the way off. This disengages the synth's sawtooth wavefrom....and then you have funky thumb valhalla. The side chain eq is just that, an eq that is tuned to freqencies that will benefit the effects. I use it to add character to the overdive and synth. Now the chorus, this one really shines. It is the sweetest, deepest, most intoxicating chorus I have used. The amp also has a few other great features like dual mode (which allows you to have a dirty signal, and a clean signal with seperate volume controls for each). The functions in bridge mode, or in stereo. There are two master volume controls, when in dual mode left functions for the dirty signal, and right for the clean. NOTE: WHEN YOU ARE IN BRIDGE MODE TURN UP BOTH MASTER VOLUME CONTROLS EQUALLY! This may be why some reviewers were getting an anemic tone from the amp. There are also two effects loops with seperate blend controls, think about the possibilities. Yes, in bridge mode you can run two seperate units each with a blend control. You want to run a compressor, and a sonic maximizer with seperate blend levels...no problem the Mo' can accomodate. Finally the thing that really benefits me is that I have the capability of sending an uneffected pre-eq XLR, and a post-eq including effects XLR to the front of house. This means the soundperson can blend my effects and clean signal to taste, maintaining the low end no matter what I am doing on stage. So there you have it, my dissertation of good tone... I mean my review of the Mo'Bass. It may not be everyone's cup o' tea, but it is mine and then some. By the way it has more than enough power than I have ever needed indoors, or out. It is warm like a tube amp should be, and has the clarity of a solid state amp. I hope you can tell that I like it.
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| construction |
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| clarity |
| (100%) |
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| versatility |
| (95%) |
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| volume |
| (98%) |
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| service |
| (90%) |
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| value |
| (95%) |
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| overall |
| (95%) |
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