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{{short description|Company}}
{{Articleissues|article=y}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{POV|date=December 2007}}
{{Citations missing|date=December 2007}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2007}}
{{coatrack|date=December 2007}}
{{Notability|Companies|date=November 2020}}
{{Third-party|date=November 2020}}
{{No footnotes|date=November 2020}}
}}
{{Infobox Company
{{Infobox Company
| name = SWR Sound Corporation
| name = SWR Sound Corporation
| logo = [[Image:SWR_Sound_logo.png|160px]]
| logo = SWR Sound logo.png
| logo_size = 160px
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| genre = Musical equipqment
| genre = Musical equipment
| foundation = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]]
| foundation = [[Sylmar, California]] (1983)
| products = [[bass guitar]] [[instrument amplifier|amplifiers]]<br>[[preamp]]s<br>[[speaker cabinets]]<br>[[acoustic guitar amplifier]]s
| founder = Steve W. Rabe
| founder = [[Steve W. Rabe]]
| location_city = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]]
| location_city = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]]
| location_country = [[United States|U.S.]]
| location_country = [[United States|U.S.]]
| homepage = http://www.swrsound.com/
| homepage = http://www.swramps.com/
}}
}}


'''SWR Sound Corporation''' is a specialist manufacturer of [[bass guitar]] [[instrument amplifier|amplifiers]], [[preamp]]s, speaker cabinets, and [[acoustic guitar]] amplifiers.
'''SWR Sound Corporation''' was a specialist manufacturer of [[bass guitar]] [[instrument amplifier|amplifiers]], [[preamp]]s, [[speaker cabinets]], and [[acoustic guitar amplifier]]s.


== History ==
== History ==
The company was founded as '''SWR Engineering, Inc.''' by its namesake, Steve W. Rabe. Rabe was well-known for his engineering work at [[Acoustic Control Corporation]]. After extensive research with top [[Los Angeles]] studio bassists, SWR found immediate success upon the release of its first commercial product in 1984, the '''PB-200''' hybrid tube/solid-state bass guitar amplifier. The first 5 units were manufactured by hand in a garage in the [[San Fernando Valley]]. This model soon became the '''SM-400''', one of SWR's most revered early products. It wasn't long before SWR felt it needed a speaker cabinet as good as its amps. 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.
The company was founded as SWR Engineering, Inc. by its namesake, Steve W. Rabe. Rabe was known for his engineering work at [[Acoustic Control Corporation]]. After extensive research with top [[Los Angeles]] studio bassists, SWR released its first commercial product in 1984, the PB-200 [[hybrid guitar amplifier|hybrid]] tube/solid-state bass guitar amplifier. The first 5 units were manufactured by hand in a garage in the [[San Fernando Valley]]. This model soon became the SM-400. SWR then pursued development of a speaker cabinet to accompany its amps. 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.


The company's name was changed to '''SWR Sound Corporation''' on [[1 December]] 1997 as part of a restructuring plan. Rabe sold the company to accountant and former self-confessed cocaine abuser Daryl Paul Jamison and soon created a new company, [[Raven Labs]]. SWR was based in [[Sylmar, California]] until January 1999, when it moved to the former [[Cetec Gauss]] speaker factory in nearby [[Sun Valley, California]]. On [[2 June]] 2003, Jamison sold SWR to [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation]] for a rumored $8 million, after a previous year of lagging SWR sales and dwindling market share. Jamison reportedly tried to sell to Fender a year earlier for a larger sum, but this failed to materialize.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
The company's name was changed to SWR Sound Corporation on 1 December 1997 as part of a restructuring plan. Rabe sold the company to accountant Daryl Paul Jamison and soon created a new company, [[Raven Labs]]. SWR was based in [[Sylmar, California]] until January 1999, when it moved to the former [[Cetec Gauss]] speaker factory in nearby [[Sun Valley, California]].


SWR is now a brand in Fender's portfolio rather than an independent company and its products are now manufactured at Fender's facilities in [[Corona, California]] and [[Ensenada, Baja California]]. Fender is headquartered in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]].
SWR is now a brand in Fender's portfolio rather than an independent company. Its products were manufactured at Fender's facilities in [[Corona, California]] and [[Ensenada, Baja California]]. Fender is headquartered in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]].


FMIC ceased all SWR production in early 2013.
Only a handful of the 50+ employees at Jamison's SWR factory in Sun Valley now work for FMIC – pulling only salesman Tony Motta, technician Mario Rebollero, and bassist/product development manager Bryan Beller for key positions at the time of acquisition. Paul G. Herman, SWR's long-time Vice President/General Manager and former Guitar Center executive – and Charlie Sweeny, SWR's Director of Marketing and Advertising – weren't included in the move to Fender.


== Products ==
Currently, Motta works for Fender Corporate in Arizona and handles the key Guitar Center account. Rebollero runs MR Electronics, a production supplier, and remains connected to Steve Rabe through his Raven Labs.
⚫
The Workingman's Series of amplifiers was redesigned and upgraded to the WorkingPro Series - amplifier heads and [[speaker cabinets]] in 2005, and amplifier/speaker combos in 2006.


⚫
At the January 2007 [[NAMM Show]], SWR introduced the SM-1500 head, which combined the hybrid tube/solid-state platform with some Fender-era innovations, including a tube-driven compressor. At 1500 watts (in bridged mode at 4 ohms), the SM-1500 was the most powerful toroidal-based amplifier on the market.
------
{{unbalanced}}
{{Like-resume|date=December 2007}}
[This breathless, self-absorbed copyblock - complete with run-on sentences - was written by Bryan Beller about himself. - Wikipedia Editor]


⚫
The July NAMM Summer Session featured the new Natural Blonde combo. Built on the platform of the Acoustic Series California Blonde, the Natural Blonde is a 2-channel 2X8" combo designed especially for acoustic bassists. ''Bass Player'' magazine gave it a very favorable review and Editor's Award in the August, 2007 issue.
Bryan Beller, Jamison's former product development lead and an eventual vice president, has since left FMIC as he was not happy about a likely move to the Fender/SWR headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona and the lack of musical opportunities as a working bassist compared to his hometown of [[Los Angeles]]: for six months he flew or drove to Scottsdale three days a week while the other two days he telecommuted from home in LA, and then agreed upon working in Scottsdale for one week a month and the rest of the time working out of his home office via e-mail, fax, and cell phone. However, the combination of musical opportunities that came up such as playing with guitarist [[Steve Vai]] in Holland with the [[Metropol Orchestra]][http://www.bryanbeller.com/music/vaimetrapol.htm] ("a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity"), his role as bassist in The [[Mike Keneally]] Band which was being severally strained by his travel schedule ("I really couldn't do this gig (SWR/Fender) and be a musician at the same time") along with the death of close friend [[Wes Wehmiller]] ([[Duran Duran ]], [[Warren Cuccurullo]], [[Missing Persons]], [[I, Claudius]]) which reminded him that his musical opportunities could not exist along with his "day job" and that music was still his main priority in life.[http://www.bryanbeller.com/literature/lifeofbryan/bryan44c.htm] Beller left SWR/FMIC in in April of 2005, and in early 2006 left LA to Nashville, Tennessee to continue to work as a freelance bassist, with [[Mike Keneally]] via flights to San Deigo or LA, as a Contributing Editor to [[Bass Player]] magazine[http://www.bassplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=22&storycode=18691], a clinician for [[Taylor Guitars]][http://www.taylorguitars.com/artists/clinicians/keneally.asp], and is currently touring as a member of [[Steve Vai]]'s band [["String Theory"]]. [http://www.vai.com]
------------------


⚫
==External links==
Sweeny still works in advertising and marketing in Southern California – though is currently not directly involved with the pro audio/music products industry.
⚫
* [http://www.swramps.com/ SWR Sound website]


{{Fender}}
Herman is rumored to have retired.


FMIC was very careful with its "absorption" of SWR, spending a great deal of time learning how to correctly build amplifiers worthy of the SWR brand. Most of the R&D and manufacturing resources allocated to SWR (which includes several employees remaining from the "old SWR") spent the first two-plus years learning how to build distinctly "SWR sound" amps and ensuring they would pass the more stringent safety standards of FMIC.

Recent product activity includes:

⚫
The popular Workingman's Series of amplifiers was redesigned and upgraded to the WorkingPro Series - heads and cabs in 2005, and combos in 2006.

⚫
At the 2007 Winter NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show, SWR introduced the SM-1500 head, which combined the hybrid tube/solid-state platform with some FMIC-era innovations, including a tube-driven compressor. At 1500 watts (in bridged mode at 4 ohms), the SM-1500 is the most powerful toroidal-based amplifier on the market today.

⚫
The July NAMM Show featured the new Natural Blonde combo. Built on the platform of the Acoustic Series California Blonde, the Natural Blonde is a 2-channel 2X8" combo designed especially for acoustic bassists. ''Bass Player'' magazine gave it a very favorable review and Editor's Award in the August, 2007 issue.

⚫
==External links==
⚫
* [http://www.swrsound.com/ SWR Sound website]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Swr Sound Corporation}}
[[Category:Guitar amplifier manufacturers]]
[[Category:Guitar amplifier manufacturers]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in California]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1983]]
[[Category:Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States]]

Latest revision as of 11:50, 20 April 2024

SWR Sound Corporation
Company typePrivate
GenreMusical equipment
FoundedSylmar, California (1983)
FounderSteve W. Rabe
Headquarters
Scottsdale, Arizona
,
U.S.
Productsbass guitar amplifiers
preamps
speaker cabinets
acoustic guitar amplifiers
Websitehttp://www.swramps.com/

SWR Sound Corporation was a specialist manufacturer of bass guitar amplifiers, preamps, speaker cabinets, and acoustic guitar amplifiers.

History[edit]

The company was founded as SWR Engineering, Inc. by its namesake, Steve W. Rabe. Rabe was known for his engineering work at Acoustic Control Corporation. After extensive research with top Los Angeles studio bassists, SWR released its first commercial product in 1984, the PB-200 hybrid tube/solid-state bass guitar amplifier. The first 5 units were manufactured by hand in a garage in the San Fernando Valley. This model soon became the SM-400. SWR then pursued development of a speaker cabinet to accompany its amps. 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.

The company's name was changed to SWR Sound Corporation on 1 December 1997 as part of a restructuring plan. Rabe sold the company to accountant Daryl Paul Jamison and soon created a new company, Raven Labs. SWR was based in Sylmar, California until January 1999, when it moved to the former Cetec Gauss speaker factory in nearby Sun Valley, California.

SWR is now a brand in Fender's portfolio rather than an independent company. Its products were manufactured at Fender's facilities in Corona, California and Ensenada, Baja California. Fender is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.

FMIC ceased all SWR production in early 2013.

Products[edit]

The Workingman's Series of amplifiers was redesigned and upgraded to the WorkingPro Series - amplifier heads and speaker cabinets in 2005, and amplifier/speaker combos in 2006.

At the January 2007 NAMM Show, SWR introduced the SM-1500 head, which combined the hybrid tube/solid-state platform with some Fender-era innovations, including a tube-driven compressor. At 1500 watts (in bridged mode at 4 ohms), the SM-1500 was the most powerful toroidal-based amplifier on the market.

The July NAMM Summer Session featured the new Natural Blonde combo. Built on the platform of the Acoustic Series California Blonde, the Natural Blonde is a 2-channel 2X8" combo designed especially for acoustic bassists. Bass Player magazine gave it a very favorable review and Editor's Award in the August, 2007 issue.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SWR_Sound_Corporation&oldid=1219879259"