Swart STR Tweed

[gitapik]

Wow!

Just played through one at Ludlow Street Guitars:

http://swartamps.com/swart_space_tone_reverb-tweed.htm

The ad talks so much about the breakup...and it's really fine. I figured it was a given and it is...so I concentrated on the clean tones. Awesome.

This is a great all around amp. I was playing rock/blues/funk/country/and jazz and they all came through with flying colors. Kudos to Swart. I've been looking for a lighter weight rig and this one's fantastic. Price isn't so bad, either, considering it's handbuilt and has such a wonderful sound.

Can't say enough. Beautiful amp.

 

[Boubou]

Nice! Did you compare with the ST 6V6se????

 

[DOGMA Dunn]

I seen a few on the online but never in person. Seems to be a worthy amp from the youtube stuff.

 

[gitapik]

Nice! Did you compare with the ST 6V6se????

I compared it to the Space Tone Atomic Jr. Wanted to hear two with reverb.

They're both excellent. For the size (actually...just as an amp, basically), I was really impressed with the Atomic Jr. A very big sound for such a small package.

The Tweed, as you'd probably expect from a larger speaker, has a bigger, more wide open sound. But, for me, the defining difference is that "hot" and "clean" mode switch on the Tweed. The "hot" is the sound you'd expect from the Swart. Great breakup. Darker. The "clean" adds that extra dimension which is so nice. It's very crisp...something that's especially nice with the single coil pups. I was on a Strat and the sound was so well defined, yet it had a warmth to it. It moved me...

 

[SpiderWeb]

I compared it to the Space Tone Atomic Jr. Wanted to hear two with reverb.

They're both excellent. For the size (actually...just as an amp, basically), I was really impressed with the Atomic Jr. A very big sound for such a small package.

The Tweed, as you'd probably expect from a larger speaker, has a bigger, more wide open sound. But, for me, the defining difference is that "hot" and "clean" mode switch on the Tweed. The "hot" is the sound you'd expect from the Swart. Great breakup. Darker. The "clean" adds that extra dimension which is so nice. It's very crisp...something that's especially nice with the single coil pups. I was on a Strat and the sound was so well defined, yet it had a warmth to it. It moved me...

Gita,
I'm still so torn between the Swart and the Mesa. I was ready to pull the trigger, now you got me thinking again! The Swart must have sounded good to earn such praise from you...

 

[gitapik]

Gita,
I'm still so torn between the Swart and the Mesa. I was ready to pull the trigger, now you got me thinking again! The Swart must have sounded good to earn such praise from you...

Well...to make your decision even more difficult, Mr. Web, consider that I want BOTH amps! I immediately went home and plugged into my Mark IIB and had to laugh. It's such a great amp. If I'd plugged into it for the first time at that shop, yesterday, I'd have been gushing about it just like I am the Swart, now.

I'm not the world's expert...lots of people know amps better than me. But I've got a pretty good ear. Here's my take:

Swart:
1) Lighter, lighter, lighter (did I say "lighter"?) than the Boogie. If you gig and/or jam out, that's a biggie.

2) The reverb's fantastic...from very subtle to cathedral.

3) It breaks up earlier than a Boogie because it's only 5 watts. More important: it's got a great breakup sound. Deep. It's plenty loud, but not earsplitting. You can dime it and play a good size bar or mid size club. Put it through a PA and you're set anywhere. Keep in mind, though, that you won't be getting that breakup at bedroom volumes. You can get a pedal for that. Plenty of great ones.

4) It has a lot more headroom than I'd think a 5 watt amp would have. I was really impressed at how clean it got. Big selling point in my world.

5) Big sound.

6) The controls are much, much simpler than the Boogie. They keep it that way on purpose, as you can see in their website. Plug and play. It's a very special amp.

Boogie:
1) Dual channel (actually...the V has more). Most importantly: excellent dual channel. I like to have the option of going from very clean to dirty in the same tune. That's the only drawback to single channel amps, for me. A quality dimed amp (like the Swart line) that's controlled by the guitar volume/tone knobs is a real treat. It's one of the defining characteristics of a great amp in rock, blues, and country. You can really clean up the tone nicely by turning the guitar volume down and playing with less attack. But a clean channel that stays clean when the guitar's full out and played hard is beautiful. Crisp.

2) Just as one of the great things about the Swart is it's simplicity, one of the great things about the Boogie is it's complexity. I can't possibly say enough about the 5 band eq on this amp. The pull pots, too. Lots of people hate that about Boogies, saying it's hard to dial in a great sound. I love it. The tone shaping possibilities are endless. I can go from a mid heavy overdriven solo into a scooped funk rhythm with the tap of the eq and lead pedals. Or use the eq as a boost. If you can embrace that aspect, it's a tremendous plus.

3) The clean tone on the Boogie is so good that you can put any pedal in front of it and it'll sound great. The lead tones sail. Big ol' tube overdriven sound.

4) The reverb's not as good as the Swart...but really nice for subtle stuff and surf music. There are some wonderful pedals out there for the really lush stuff. I just ordered the Neunaber WET pedal.

5) I've been going from typing to playing throughout this reply...I love playing through this amp. It's great.

I was blown away by the Tweed, yesterday. What a beautiful amp! Looks, sound, and quality. It's simplicity is a strength and the tones are fantastic. Lots (l-o-t-s) of depth. I'd love to have one and am trying to figure out a way to get it without selling my Boogie. Two different animals. My techie advised me to never sell my amp. Get a new one: sure. But do everything you can to hold onto something that speaks to you.

 

[tele salivas]

awesome contrast/comparison, gitapik. Playing through a Swart the first time reminded me of the time I first tried out my favorite amp, an Ampeg V4. Not in sound quality, but it made me go "whoa!" the same way. That one was stolen from me, bad day. I've had lots of amps since then, but your tech is right about something that speaks to you. Its a rare bird, the one you always compare the rest to.

 

[SpiderWeb]

Well...to make your decision even more difficult, Mr. Web, consider that I want BOTH amps! I immediately went home and plugged into my Mark IIB and had to laugh. It's such a great amp. If I'd plugged into it for the first time at that shop, yesterday, I'd have been gushing about it just like I am the Swart, now.

Gita - Thanks for such a compare and contrast review...I think that you made my decision a bit easier...get one now...maybe get the other down the road...thanks!

 

[Jared Purdy]

Gita,
I'm still so torn between the Swart and the Mesa. I was ready to pull the trigger, now you got me thinking again! The Swart must have sounded good to earn such praise from you...

You'll save 30lbs in weight with the swart over the Mesa. And if you want a little more volume,a nd a little more air, check out the AST Master MkII 112 combo with the Celestion G12H30 Heritage in it. Sweet! I have one. I seldom take it out of Master mode. Love the breakup.

 

[gitapik]

Funny thing with the Swart line is that, besides the great sound and response, they're so nice to just look at. Like the Apple line of products. Quality stuff that just looks so cool. Impressive craftsmanship.

 

[gitapik]

You'll save 30lbs in weight with the swart over the Mesa. And if you want a little more volume,a nd a little more air, check out the AST Master MkII 112 combo with the Celestion G12H30 Heritage in it. Sweet! I have one. I seldom take it out of Master mode. Love the breakup.

I was hoping they'd have one of those, but they were sold out. But I'm glad I checked out the Tweed. Popped my eyes wide open.

 

[Jared Purdy]

Funny thing with the Swart line is that, besides the great sound and response, they're so nice to just look at. Like the Apple line of products. Quality stuff that just looks so cool. Impressive craftsmanship.

I agree, I love the look of the two tone tweed on my AST Master, and the 1950's style TV cabinet. Michael and Co. do a fabulous job.