SWR

Parent brand: 

product types: 

  • cabinets
  • preamps
  • solid state amplifiers
  • tube amplifiers

Information: 

Steve W. Rabe founded SWR Engineering Inc.  in 1983. His aim was to make a bass amp with a full range and hi-fi, clean sound. SWR's first “hybrid” full-range bass amplifier, the PB-200 (later to become the SM-400), appeared in 1984. The first five units were made in a garage. The PB-200 had a warm but highly accurate tube preamp, a stereo solid-state power amp and a low-noise, integrated circuit-driven tone section. It was used for the famous “We Are The World” session, at which a direct-input signal was taken from the amp (as opposed to using a direct box), a then unheard-of bass recording concept. In 1986, SWR released the Goliath, a 4 x 10" full-range speaker cabinet with a built-in horn tweeter, a first for bass cabinets.  In 1997 Rabe sold the company and it was sold again in 2003 to Fender Musical Instruments Corp. Fender discontinued the SWR brand in 2013.

Location

8860 E. Chapparal Road Suite #100
85250-2610 Scottsdale , AZ
United States
Arizona US