Swart Amps

[Ob Com]

Does anyone have any experience with the larger Swart amps (Atomic Space Tone or Antares)?

I normally use a Henriksen 10.

But I have had the little Swart 6v6 SE for years but hadn’t played it for such a long time- I grabbed it the other day and was very impressed by how touch sensitive and expressive it was- it really felt like I was playing the amp as much as the guitar, as the old saying goes, and it was a magical feeling and addictive.

but the 6V6 only has an 8inch speaker and very little bass and at 5 watts not much clean headroom with humbuckers.

i wondered whether anyone has the 12 inch speaker Swarts mentioned above which also have circa 20 Watts

if so what is your experience?

thank you

[ruger9]

I have a Swart AST Master. I love it. I don't think the master volume works very well, I never use it. But love the amp otherwise. The Master is a bigger combo than the standard AST, so it has a bigger sound with more low end. The regular AST is great too... the real reason I bought the Master was the top-mounted controls. I can't get on with the rear-mounted controls of the standard AST. I switch guitars alot at home, and I need controls easily accessible that I can see at a glance.

FWIW, when I play my humbucker guitars I do go into the LO input; they are pretty hot into the HI input.

[timsmcm]

Some of the finest amps made. Beautiful clean tones. Thick harmonically rich breakup when pushed.

[Ob Com]

Some of the finest amps made. Beautiful clean tones. Thick harmonically rich breakup when pushed.

thank you

was there a Swart amp in particular you had in mind please?

[timsmcm]

Swart AST Pro Combo Amp, Dark Tweed | Humbucker Music
Wonderful amp. Works at home or on stage.

[timsmcm]

Also easy to tote. Guitar in one hand amp in the other.

[BreckerFan]

When I went to buy my tweed deluxe reissue I tried a used AST Pro the store had while they were finalizing some trade details and man. I almost changed my mind and got the swart. Some days I wish I had, not because I don't like the deluxe, but that amp was perfect.

[timsmcm]

I feel that that amp could be the best small combo if your looking for big cleans and light to medium gain in a grab and go piece. Amp sounds much bigger than you would think.

[Ob Com]

Thank you both for your views.

the AST sounds like the way to go, as I already love my little 6v6SE but want more headroom and bass, and funnily enough a 57 tweed deluxe RI was also the other amp I was considering, as I prefer 50’s tones to b/f.

[ruger9]

Thank you both for your views.

the AST sounds like the way to go, as I already love my little 6v6SE but want more headroom and bass, and funnily enough a 57 tweed deluxe RI was also the other amp I was considering, as I prefer 50’s tones to b/f.

Well, if it matters, the Swart is 100% handwired. Also has reverb and tremolo onboard. Tonally, I feel like the 57RI has more top and bottom, whereas the Swart has more mids. Putting a Greenback in the 57RI would help with that, if it's even something you would consider (some people don't tinker with gear, it's either good out of the gate, or it's not).

[BreckerFan]

There were definitely some differences in tone, probably the difference in bass output between them being the biggest, but to me they both live in the same world, but the swart had the added benefits of reverb and tremolo. The swart is certainly way closer to a tweed deluxe than to a deluxe reverb for example. I was comparing them in a guitar center tho, so I couldn't extensively compare how they drive, was just playing clean.

I have too many amps right now, but if a space opens up I will fill it with an AST haha

[ruger9]

There were definitely some differences in tone, probably the difference in bass output between them being the biggest, but to me they both live in the same world, but the swart had the added benefits of reverb and tremolo. The swart is certainly way closer to a tweed deluxe than to a deluxe reverb for example. I was comparing them in a guitar center tho, so I couldn't extensively compare how they drive, was just playing clean.

I have too many amps right now, but if a space opens up I will fill it with an AST haha

That's accurate. The AST is basically a 5E3 with tighter bass (overwhelming low end is a common complaint with the 5E3 circuit), and reverb/tremolo. And it comes with a greenback (Mojo BV25) instead of a Jensen... the greenback is more mids-focused. If you put a 5Y3 rectifier and a 12AY7 in V1 in the Swart, it'll be closer to a 5E3 (the Swart comes with an AX7 in V1 and a 5AR4 rectifier for more headroom).

Someone at Gear Page traced the Swart circuit, and compared to the 5E3. Here are the high points:



Schematically, the AST is the bright channel of a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe with a LOT of bass filtering in the preamp (and a higher-gain 12AX7 replacing the 12AY7 in the Fender). It was designed to be played primarily overdriven where the low end fills in with distortion.

Everything you read about a 5E3 farting out when overdriven is fixed in the Swart.

Now... this "fixing" is really centered towards blues and rock players, who are turning the amps up loud to get more breakup; a jazz player may not see the "problems" of the overwhelming low end in the 5E3 because that's not how they use it. I've read umpteen owners say the 5E3 has a wonderful clean tone, and at home volumes. Turning these amps up is where they start to show their "issues." Many builders have made "upgraded" 5E3 amps, the primary upgrade being reducing low end to keep it from farting out when you turn it up, and also increasing headroom.