So, moral of the story: For those who want that Blues Jr or Supro small-wattage thing, but actually want the quality you may think you're getting from those (but aren't), and don't want to have to take your new brand-name amp to someone like Lyle to make up for its deficiencies so it'll last as long as an amp should, save up your pennies, buy one of these, and give your money to an amp builder who deserves it because he respects you as a customer and musician. (Or you can find a used Suhr Corso like I did.) Thanks for profiling this amp. I hadn't heard of Swart before, but I'm glad I have now.
I don't think a Supro or Blues Jr with an Amp Tech's attention is going to match a Swart. Its more than a few component swaps. It all depends on what you want.
@@PsionicAudio I'm hoping a Corso comes across your desk (and your channel) some day, just to see your take on it and how it compares with its Suhr big brothers. That said, I'm not holding my breath because 1) there aren't a lot of them out there, and 2) it's a Suhr, so I imagine it's less likely to make an appearance.
I’ve used a Pro for 16 years now and my Junior for 11. Just love Swarts. I had one of these and want as much of a fan, but I’d like to do one with a Blue speaker.
I feel like the people who complain about the amp criticisms probably dropped a lot of money on something they discovered will likely fail soon, or they’re just baby fan boys who don’t know any better Personally, if I’m researching and shopping for something expensive that I plan to use and keep for a long time, I want an expert steering me away from money pits and recommending the best options. This channel does that honestly and I truly appreciate being steered away from the mass produced junk with a fancy logo!
What a nice example of what a single ended amp can be. I would consider this to be an heirloom quality amp that will be coveted by guitar players and enthusiasts 50yrs from now.
I've had a Swart AST Master II for years as my primary amp. Absolutely love it. Glad to see the level of quality comes through in your walks trough. Get what you pay for.
A+ --- way to go Swart. I've wanted one these amps for ever and it's starting to feel like something I'm just gonna have to do before I die, or get too old to enjoy it.
You know what? I appreciate your vids. Screw the haters. You live and breathe audio, esp amps. Your opinions have been developed over years and years, and working with thousands of amps at the highest level. I say you can be as "snobby" as you want, you are one of the few who actually have earned it. But really, I have never thought you're trying to be a snob. It's not pretentious if you're not pretending. You simply know what you're talking about, and I personally don't care if you are emphatic about negatives. It's important to have highly knowledgeable critics such as yourself. Especially in this day and age where it seems like the majority of UA-cam reviews are essentially advertisements, and glowing examples of confirmation bias. I'm only getting my first combo amp on Tuesday. I'm just a home jammer, having taken back up the guitar after a 20-year absence during the pandemic. I got a Pro Jr. IV SE because they're on sale, and at 350 brand new it seems like a win. The speculation is the "Fender special" speaker is probably just the last Jensen relabeled. Other than that and the black clothes, it's supposed to be identical. Kind of like a Pro Jr. 3.5. In the future upgrading to a P10R would purportedly make it functionally the same amp as the regular PJr IV. But I'm not sure it's even going to be necessary. But what I will do is keep watching your videos, so I can keep learning. And when I am ready to step up to a real deal amp, I will be so much better off for you having shared your knowledge. And, again, thank you for not being just another glorified commercial on UA-cam!
I love how you "talk through" the amp as you go. I learn a lot, especially what NOT to do in various situations. While I have skills and tools to work on an amp safely, I lack sufficient knowledge in most situations. The little bits and pieces you share that are useful stick with me and help me know how to think about and troubleshoot. I think your opinions are unfiltered and from years of experience. I don't think you crap on amps, just calling balls and strikes like you see them. Please keep it up.
Man the whole people doggin you on your amp advice kills me. Your advice saved me from buying a Morgan instead of a Magnatone. I now own two Magnatones. Your advice is very appreciated. Screw the haters
I have been waiting for you to work on a Swart! I have had my Atomic Space Tone (head), Swart's 18-20w amp, for about fifteen years now, and it is my number one amp. Other amps have come and gone, but the Swart remains. I am glad to hear your report on the excellence of the build, and that it matches the excellence of the tone.
Very nice Amp, with clean wiring, and a beautiful esthetic. "De-popping" the switch was smart, and I hope Mr Swart chooses to include that modification in his Amps, thus making an excellent Amp even better. It was a interesting video, and fun to see a well-designed Amp. Generous of you to not charge the owner full price for the repair. I hope good things come your way. 👍
@@sixslinger9951 its actually not that pricey at all when you look at what American made, hand wired (p2p) tube amps cost. While you find PCB board amps for less, you don't see this kind of quality materials and craftsmanship at the price. Look at what hand wired boutique amps cost (Morgan, Carr, Dr z, Friedman, Mesa, Tone King, Two Rock, etc...) and you'll see that Swart is actually one of the cheaper options in that category. Hell, smaller Fender hand wired amps (Princeton's, Custom Deluxe, Deluxe reverb are $2400-3000+)
@@sixslinger9951 a 1965 Deluxe Reverb MSRP'd for $239.50. In 2022, that's equivalent to $2,284. Every single vintage Fender surviving today started with a musician making a value proposition decision identical to what all the Swart owners face today. Luckily there's people who understand value and the impact that an amp has on a player's tone.
What a good honest review of the amp, it just shows you don't have shell out big money on vintage amps and I'm a seventy year old player who has played through old ones and now play through a small Soldano combo that been utterly reliable and extremely well built even though it has a PCB.which some amp snobs would turn their nose at. Keep up the good work Lyle.
What a great review and autopsy of that amp! Swart is not exactly an obscure brand among boutique makers, but man do they offer some superior value at the price for a hand wired and US made amp with premium parts. The little brother to this amp in the video, the “Atomic Space Tone Jr” (AST-JR) is an 8” monster and is about as good as it gets for a Champ style amp (with tube reverb) you can play around with at house volume.
Finally a Swart crosses your bench! I had an older AST I blew up (my fault, but you have to remove the chassis on those to change the speaker) that I eventually sent back to Swart for service. Really inexpensive repair bill plus Michael Swart was a doll to deal with. Eventually traded it on a Swart Antares that’s more my cup of tea. No speaker swap needed. Love that amp. I was a little apprehensive about this video in case you didn’t like it - kinda like bringing the new girlfriend over to meet the parents… 🙂
As a guy who would like to learn to build things like amps...(ok ok, I know I probably ought to stick to tying flies) I really appreciate this channel. You give a very clear picture of what good work looks like and what it doesn't look like.
I have owned several Swarts, and currently have a Space tone Jr head, that I play thru a 2x10 cab with Celestion Golds. It is the best rig I have ever owned in 40+ years of playing guitar. It has enough juice to be heard over a decently loud drummer. And I have called Swart amps a couple times and Michael Swart personally answered the phone. These amps are highly recommended.
Swart! Really excited to see you digging around one of Michael’s creations… I have an Atomic Space Tone Reverb amp that has been idle for a year or so, but will never leave my collection.
So I was literally just turning this video on very passively while about to do dishes and turned my head away then shot my head back around when you said "change tubes while the amp was still on". What an entirely new next level of idiocy
Nice! I have seen these amps around, but never heard one. They look very well made, and this one sounds great. I hope that owner learns his lesson and stops trying to kill his amp!
Thanks. It was great to see a job well done. PS I experimented with a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Junior once upon a time and used it with a 2 X 12 cab fitted with really efficient Lorentz speakers. There were 6 of us on stage playing to about 200 people on New Years Eve and I kept being told to turn it down! 5 watts can really rock. I was playing clean rhythm guitar (strat)! ✌️❤️🙏🇦🇺
What a beautiful little amp. Lyle you don't crap on amps. I feel your honest from a tech and players point of view. You have been a tech for a long time and a player for longer so I value your opinions on amps.
I really like the design of this amp. I like the way it's an incremental (or evolutionary?) variation on a tweed era amp, but improved. The way the chassis is bolted in, for example. It's a simple improvement that makes the amp more durable and doesn't make it harder to work on. I would wager the screws on the front panel that secure the baffle are also machine screws engaging with metal inserts. And so on. Just excellent.
I really appreciate and respect what you do Lyle. I do not agree that you trash amps. Reality is hard for lots of people, especially when they try to justify a purchase they might have made. Simple fact is, many amps today are garbage, cheaply made to be disposable and everyone just keeps accepting it as the new norm for the industry. In reality, it should be a wake up call for manufacturers.
I'm not gonna lie, when I first saw this brand a few years ago I assumed they'd be like many other "boutique" amps with less-than-stellar build quality and components considering the price. I'm pleasantly surprised with the looks of this one! Great video
My swart ast (big brother to this amp) has been my main gigging amp (Buddy Miller seems to like them too!) - thing is going thousands of gigs now no issues
Had one for a while. Great reverb. Looked inside, well built. Only quibble was previous owner had used an EL34 in it. The dropping resistors on the cap can were discolored. I would have upped the wattage in those locations as they were 2w (I think). Mine was real early tuxedo case one.
Was thinking about buying a Swart. Tried a few and they sounded great. But I was most impressed with the look. They do the "functional black box" several levels better. The only other brand that I can think of that tries to do this is Carr. How many tweed cabs does the world need?
I have the same Audio Taper CTS on the Volume pot on a guitar...what do you recommend to allow a smoother response than the CTS? I'm surprised there are people (even here) who criticize...you are so methodical and thorough...not to mention experienced...such great videos Sir, thanks.
The “vintage taper” pots made by CTS for Mojotone and RS Guitarworks don’t have the issue. Neither do the Emersons. But all three have been hard to get this past two years. Alpha 3/8” bushing 24mms don’t have the issue but they are hard to solder to the case and they are only available in solid shaft.
I just bought the smaller brother of this amp, the Atomic Jr. 1 x 8 combo, and it's just as fine, especially run as a head through a 1 x 12 cab. It's put together differently, has one less 12AX7 gain stage (nothing the right boost pedal can't make up), and no standby switch. The controls are on the back of the amp, and access to the tubes is much easier, making a tube swapping dream (cold swapping that is, just go refill the coffee cup and enjoy the sounds of silence for a moment). Top quality sound and build with surprising versatility at a great price. Glad to see it passed the audition, as that was the model that inspired my purchase, going smaller after consulting my aching back.
3:00 I wonder if the PT is the same as he uses in his bigger amps. Maybe buying in a larger quantity brings down the price enough that it makes sense to use the same one?
@Psionic Audio would you recommend this amp for a beginner? I will be looking to purchase a new amp for my Grandson on his birthday. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Well, while it’s a hell of a lot nicer than what most of us start out with, it really depends on your grandson’s musical tastes. If he loves metal or modern heavily effected sounds, he’ll hate this amp. It would be “boring” for many beginners. And a fairly expensive gamble. Ask him what guitar styles he loves and wants to sound like, then let me know. Maybe I could help you find the right amp that would give him more immediate gratification and help him stay interested in playing.
@@PsionicAudio It would also be important to consider the grandson's home environment, his temperament, and whether he needs to stick to a low-power amp, or one with master volume, in order to not create discord with family, neighbors, or roommates...
Not as such. Closest I have is this three parter on Fender reissues: Fender Reissue Amps Part One | The Pros | The Cons | How They're Made ua-cam.com/video/88ZEGLPCIIg/v-deo.html
That Swart is a very visually pleasing amp! What a looker!! I’m guessing the reverb is solid state driven? I didn’t see a transformer or a driver/recovery tube anywhere. It sounds good either way. What’s funny about boutique amp manufacturers not using pot star washers is that they usually come with the dang pots they use(CTS specifically). Is someone saving them to use as currency in a Fallout type world or what?
We all wish that products we buy will last forever but reality dictates something far different. I have never gone out of my way to destroy anything Ive acquired,I have relied on the honesty of others to give thought and opinion. If you are constantly receiving problems and you are aware of issues AND remedies spread as much knowledge as you see fit. I don't you come off as being any more resentful to sub standard product or work as any of us should be,you just have the intelligence and experience to take a stance
Speaking of “the tubes may have been damaged” it’d be interesting to see you restore an old Mullard or GE tube tester, or maybe review a couple of the newer tube tester products out there.
I have owned and refurbished a bunch of vintage tube testers ---- many Hickok as well as a few Triplett, Heathkit, and B&K testers ---- but I've never seen a Mullard tube tester here in the States. I don't think I've ever seen a GE tube tester either. Bear in mind that the majority of the vintage tube testers don't test output tubes at anywhere near the voltage/current that they would be run at in an amplifier, and so they are mostly good for testing large groups of the same type of tube just to weed out the ones that have obvious shorts or are gassy or perhaps have interelement leakage. But, ultimately you don't quite know how they'll perform until you put them into the actual amplifier and drive them harder. As for the modern testers I don't have any experience with Maxi-checkers or the Orange tube tester or any of those, so I really can't advise you further...
@@goodun2974 the valve wizard seems to have made something using someone else’s code and an arduino, seems like it does actually test at full voltage, just in very short bursts.
I used a 3.3M from the switch center to the ground lug of the adjacent input jack. That way the grid never loses a reference to ground and hence loses its bias at the moment of switching. This resistor will be in parallel with any existing resistor to ground ahead of it when in either switch position, so you want a high value that doesn’t change the sound of the existing two positions. 3.3M-10M range is typical for this.
The Gremlin is well built but has some strange MOSFET HT regulation on various nodes in the power supply which like to fail. Great sounding amps, though.
Re: Getting a Lower Noise Floor on Single-Ended Amps: Isn't that achieved by adding a filtering stage that has the sometimes unwanted effect of darkening the amp's tone? Or is there another way?
Good layout and grounding techniques are important for lowering the noise floor, especially for lowering hum in single-ended amps, because they do not have inherent phase cancellation of hum in the output stage as a push-pull amp would. Hiss is probably less of an issue because most small single- ended amps don't have an enormous amount of gain. Of course, anytime you add an extra gain stage or two, especially for reverb or tremolo, you are more likely to add some noise.
@@goodun2974 Interesting info. Guess it depends on the single-ended amp maker, whether to take the time to do good layout and grounding, or just add a filter to kill the hiss. I've not tried a Swart, but consistently read that some/many who have describe the amps as "dark", "better for single coils," and the like.
@@upload2352 , power supply filtering is unlikely to have much effect on "hiss". Buzz ("buzzzzzzz") and hum ("hummmmmm") are indeed affected by filter capacitor values (among other things), but layout and grounding are also extremely important, and if the layout and grounding are badly done, no amount of additional filter capacitors, nor increases in capacitance, are going to remove all that noise. "Hiss" can come from not only noisy tubes, but also noisy resistors, conductive circuit boards, layout, lack of shielding for signal-carrying wires as well as lack of shields on the tubes.... but usually the biggest and most likely cause of "hiss" and white-noise "shoosh" is noisy tubes, followed by high-gain circuits, or lossy designs that throw away a lot of gain but which still add noise to the signal (tone controls tend to sacrifice a lot of gain in favor of frequency response shaplng and so the signal to noise ration is reduced). It is also worth noting that layout can greatly affect the possibility of the amplifier oscillating; and if the circuit is close to or on the verge of oscillation it will often add hissy high frequency noise without necessarily "squealing" audibly.
@@goodun2974 Art meets science of amp building. Thanks for the helpful info. I've been nervous about single-ended amps due to noise or excessive filtering concerns.
Just one minor thing to carp about; the chassis doesn't appear to be marked with the value of the correct B+ fuse (did a P-touch label fall off?), and I don't care for where the fuseholder is located right next to the tubes: this could lead to premature fuse failure from excess heat, and scorched fingers if you don't let the amp cool for a minute or two before trying to change the fuse. Or perhaps that's two things I'm carping about.... Otherwise it looks quite nicely built.
If I had put that in the review people would say I was inventing things to criticize. ;) Maybe the fuse values are listed in the owner’s manual. I’m just glad it has a B+ fuse. They’ll only burn their fingers once.
@@PsionicAudio , who takes a guitar amp owner's manual with them to the gig ? 🤔 (Actually, it's probably online, since so few products include an actual paper manual anymore; or the manual Is the size of a postage stamp until you unfold it and then you need a magnifying glass to read it. If the amplifier in question is one of these new miracle products that has 100 different tonal settings, you darn well better have a way to access the owner's manual when you're setting up at the gig! I also wonder if men have a better track record of actually reading owner's manuals then they do at asking for directions when their significant other thinks they're lost...).
@@PsionicAudio , this also begs the question ---- since fuseholders are usually rated for AC volts and current, how high should the AC voltage rating on the fuseholder be if it's gonna be used for DC B+ of 400 to 500 volts?
Single-ended means that there is only one output tube that drives the output transformer and speaker. This means that the tube is ---- and must be ---- biased to run in class A mode, where the single tube passes both halves (both + and - polarity) of the audio-signal waveform; it also means that the tube is used in a less efficient manner, draws a high level of current at idle (even when it is not actually passing a music signal) and generates less audio power than it's theoretical maximum capability. On the plus side, a single-ended amp can be overdriven at relatively modest volume levels, and so they're often favored for recording as well as playing guitar at home. Plus, they can be relatively inexpensive to construct because you only need one output tube, one socket for that tube and a smaller, less expensive output transformer. By comparison, a push-pull amplifier has a pair of output tubes (sometimes a quartet), and one tube handles the positive half of the audio waveform, followed by the other tube handling the negative half of the waveform.. Each tube is only conducting audio for a little more than 50% of the time (with some overlap between them, depending on how the bias is set; like two runners handing a baton back-and-forth to each other as they run side-by-side), and so the tubes don't run quite as hot, don't draw as much current, and the circuit is more efficient and generates more clean power. As an example, a single Class A mode EL84 can put out 3 or 4 watts, a single 6V6 about 4 to 5 watts, but a pair of EL84'S in push-pull can put out 12 to 15 watts, and a pair of push-pull 6V6's perhaps 18 to 20 watts. I hope this answers your question!
@@chrisfit , I really dislike it when some people refer to output tube(s) as a "power tube" , or tubes plural, as it causes confusion. As a tech, when I hear "power", I think of the *power supply* first and foremost; and so, I am careful to differentiate "rectifier tube" from "output tube", and "power supply" from "audio output power".
@@chrisfit , by the way, some solid-state amps are run in class B mode with NO overlap between the two halves of a push pull output stage, but it is rarely done with tubes (except for tube-type radio transmitters) because it tends to have high odd-order distortion at the crossover point as one output tube hands off to the other, although some McIntosh amps are purportedly Class B and use extremely high quality specially designed transformers. Audiophiles like Class A solid state amps and decry anything else, but I've got a Class B NAIM amp that sounds very good. Nowadays you see high efficiency Class D amps with switching supplies used for bass guitar, pro audio and some home audio, but most techs don't want to try and fix them if/when they break (switching supplies are murderous on cheap capacitors).
Ya know, so many amplifier manufacturers, from boutique to mega-corporate, are building 1950's style amps with upward facing, rear-mounted control panels ---- and silkscreening the control panel in the same manner, as if the amp would be in front of the player on stage, instead of behind him or her. Why should players have to look at the knobs and controls upside down, in 2022?
Man I'll tell you, if I dropped off an amp, I'd kiss the ground for a Tech who cares this much, pride in work, PERIOD. Kick butt video.
So, moral of the story: For those who want that Blues Jr or Supro small-wattage thing, but actually want the quality you may think you're getting from those (but aren't), and don't want to have to take your new brand-name amp to someone like Lyle to make up for its deficiencies so it'll last as long as an amp should, save up your pennies, buy one of these, and give your money to an amp builder who deserves it because he respects you as a customer and musician. (Or you can find a used Suhr Corso like I did.)
Thanks for profiling this amp. I hadn't heard of Swart before, but I'm glad I have now.
I haven’t tried the Corso but John is a great designer. His Hombre is a great little tone generator.
I don't think a Supro or Blues Jr with an Amp Tech's attention is going to match a Swart. Its more than a few component swaps. It all depends on what you want.
@@ronj9448 I agree with you, actually. That run-on sentence in my comment wasn't the clearest thing I've ever written. :)
@@PsionicAudio I'm hoping a Corso comes across your desk (and your channel) some day, just to see your take on it and how it compares with its Suhr big brothers. That said, I'm not holding my breath because 1) there aren't a lot of them out there, and 2) it's a Suhr, so I imagine it's less likely to make an appearance.
@@pwlebrun4573 Ha. Good luck in your search!
I don't think you crap on amps at all. In fact I think you give a very honest and educated opinion.
Much appreciated content!
I have had a Swart for many many years and I have never seen tweed done as well (period). Love its sound even more!
Damn Swart must be good in almost 2 years of subscribing that's the first time Lyle sounded like it was xmas morning😉
I just bought one for that reason !! lol it’s wonderful as advertised !!
Been playing a SWART space tone for 20+ years and I love it.
I’ve used a Pro for 16 years now and my Junior for 11. Just love Swarts. I had one of these and want as much of a fan, but I’d like to do one with a Blue speaker.
I feel like the people who complain about the amp criticisms probably dropped a lot of money on something they discovered will likely fail soon, or they’re just baby fan boys who don’t know any better
Personally, if I’m researching and shopping for something expensive that I plan to use and keep for a long time, I want an expert steering me away from money pits and recommending the best options. This channel does that honestly and I truly appreciate being steered away from the mass produced junk with a fancy logo!
One of the few modern amp builders I respect
Great username 😂
@@ribbonsofeuphoria5744 😂
What a nice example of what a single ended amp can be. I would consider this to be an heirloom quality amp that will be coveted by guitar players and enthusiasts 50yrs from now.
I've had a Swart AST Master II for years as my primary amp. Absolutely love it. Glad to see the level of quality comes through in your walks trough. Get what you pay for.
A+ --- way to go Swart. I've wanted one these amps for ever and it's starting to feel like something I'm just gonna have to do before I die, or get too old to enjoy it.
You know what? I appreciate your vids. Screw the haters. You live and breathe audio, esp amps. Your opinions have been developed over years and years, and working with thousands of amps at the highest level. I say you can be as "snobby" as you want, you are one of the few who actually have earned it.
But really, I have never thought you're trying to be a snob. It's not pretentious if you're not pretending. You simply know what you're talking about, and I personally don't care if you are emphatic about negatives. It's important to have highly knowledgeable critics such as yourself. Especially in this day and age where it seems like the majority of UA-cam reviews are essentially advertisements, and glowing examples of confirmation bias.
I'm only getting my first combo amp on Tuesday. I'm just a home jammer, having taken back up the guitar after a 20-year absence during the pandemic. I got a Pro Jr. IV SE because they're on sale, and at 350 brand new it seems like a win. The speculation is the "Fender special" speaker is probably just the last Jensen relabeled. Other than that and the black clothes, it's supposed to be identical. Kind of like a Pro Jr. 3.5. In the future upgrading to a P10R would purportedly make it functionally the same amp as the regular PJr IV. But I'm not sure it's even going to be necessary.
But what I will do is keep watching your videos, so I can keep learning. And when I am ready to step up to a real deal amp, I will be so much better off for you having shared your knowledge. And, again, thank you for not being just another glorified commercial on UA-cam!
I love how you "talk through" the amp as you go. I learn a lot, especially what NOT to do in various situations. While I have skills and tools to work on an amp safely, I lack sufficient knowledge in most situations. The little bits and pieces you share that are useful stick with me and help me know how to think about and troubleshoot.
I think your opinions are unfiltered and from years of experience. I don't think you crap on amps, just calling balls and strikes like you see them. Please keep it up.
Ive been thinking about getting a Swart for some time now, this pretty much seals the deal for me.
Man the whole people doggin you on your amp advice kills me. Your advice saved me from buying a Morgan instead of a Magnatone. I now own two Magnatones. Your advice is very appreciated. Screw the haters
I think you made a great choice and once you play through a Magnatone, it just confirms it 👍.
@darrentoguchi9435 absolutely. I have zero regrets. Only downside is I can't afford to buy all the Magnatone models.
I just had to have one of these jewels from Mr. Swart , so a Tremelo Two Tone Tweed is on the way. @@alexwoolridge94aw
Lyle keep on spreading the truth, the truth is the only thing that matters.
Lifts your heart to see something done near perfectly - a good benchmark.
Definitely one of the best built boutique amps I've seen for under $2k.
I absolutely adore this amp. Do not sleep on this. It sounds incredible.
Those are wonderful sounding amps. I’m glad to see that they’re built well too.
Swart’s customer service is fantastic.
Great little amp, superbly constructed and easily serviced,
I got to play through one of these a couple of years ago. I’ve wanted one ever since. The clean is killer.
I have been waiting for you to work on a Swart! I have had my Atomic Space Tone (head), Swart's 18-20w amp, for about fifteen years now, and it is my number one amp. Other amps have come and gone, but the Swart remains. I am glad to hear your report on the excellence of the build, and that it matches the excellence of the tone.
Very nice Amp, with clean wiring, and a beautiful esthetic. "De-popping" the switch was smart, and I hope Mr Swart chooses to include that modification in his Amps, thus making an excellent Amp even better. It was a interesting video, and fun to see a well-designed Amp. Generous of you to not charge the owner full price for the repair. I hope good things come your way. 👍
nice but way too pricey for that little amp.
@@sixslinger9951 its actually not that pricey at all when you look at what American made, hand wired (p2p) tube amps cost. While you find PCB board amps for less, you don't see this kind of quality materials and craftsmanship at the price.
Look at what hand wired boutique amps cost (Morgan, Carr, Dr z, Friedman, Mesa, Tone King, Two Rock, etc...) and you'll see that Swart is actually one of the cheaper options in that category. Hell, smaller Fender hand wired amps (Princeton's, Custom Deluxe, Deluxe reverb are $2400-3000+)
@@sixslinger9951 a 1965 Deluxe Reverb MSRP'd for $239.50. In 2022, that's equivalent to $2,284.
Every single vintage Fender surviving today started with a musician making a value proposition decision identical to what all the Swart owners face today. Luckily there's people who understand value and the impact that an amp has on a player's tone.
What a good honest review of the amp, it just shows you don't have shell out big money on vintage amps and I'm a seventy year old player who has played through old ones and now play through a small Soldano combo that been utterly reliable and extremely well built even though it has a PCB.which some amp snobs would turn their nose at. Keep up the good work Lyle.
I have two early Swarts.They are great so far!!
What a great review and autopsy of that amp!
Swart is not exactly an obscure brand among boutique makers, but man do they offer some superior value at the price for a hand wired and US made amp with premium parts. The little brother to this amp in the video, the “Atomic Space Tone Jr” (AST-JR) is an 8” monster and is about as good as it gets for a Champ style amp (with tube reverb) you can play around with at house volume.
I got an Atomic Jr. two years ago, it has the best sounding reverb I have heard in person.
Finally a Swart crosses your bench!
I had an older AST I blew up (my fault, but you have to remove the chassis on those to change the speaker) that I eventually sent back to Swart for service. Really inexpensive repair bill plus Michael Swart was a doll to deal with.
Eventually traded it on a Swart Antares that’s more my cup of tea. No speaker swap needed. Love that amp.
I was a little apprehensive about this video in case you didn’t like it - kinda like bringing the new girlfriend over to meet the parents…
🙂
And the parents loved her! She’s a keeper!
Super cool boutique amp. I'd be proud to own one.
I just took delivery of a Swart AST MKii head 2 days ago, good to see these have the Lyle seal
As a guy who would like to learn to build things like amps...(ok ok, I know I probably ought to stick to tying flies) I really appreciate this channel. You give a very clear picture of what good work looks like and what it doesn't look like.
I have owned several Swarts, and currently have a Space tone Jr head, that I play thru a 2x10 cab with Celestion Golds. It is the best rig I have ever owned in 40+ years of playing guitar. It has enough juice to be heard over a decently loud drummer. And I have called Swart amps a couple times and Michael Swart personally answered the phone. These amps are highly recommended.
Bought an AST a few months ago, great tone. Glad Lyle approves.
Swart! Really excited to see you digging around one of Michael’s creations… I have an Atomic Space Tone Reverb amp that has been idle for a year or so, but will never leave my collection.
So I was literally just turning this video on very passively while about to do dishes and turned my head away then shot my head back around when you said "change tubes while the amp was still on". What an entirely new next level of idiocy
Nice! I have seen these amps around, but never heard one. They look very well made, and this one sounds great. I hope that owner learns his lesson and stops trying to kill his amp!
Simply marvelous video and walkthrough. Thanks a great deal for posting this and your great work.
Thanks. It was great to see a job well done. PS I experimented with a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Junior once upon a time and used it with a 2 X 12 cab fitted with really efficient Lorentz speakers. There were 6 of us on stage playing to about 200 people on New Years Eve and I kept being told to turn it down! 5 watts can really rock. I was playing clean rhythm guitar (strat)! ✌️❤️🙏🇦🇺
Very nice amp! Thanks for the tour!
What a beautiful little amp. Lyle you don't crap on amps. I feel your honest from a tech and players point of view. You have been a tech for a long time and a player for longer so I value your opinions on amps.
I really like the design of this amp. I like the way it's an incremental (or evolutionary?) variation on a tweed era amp, but improved. The way the chassis is bolted in, for example. It's a simple improvement that makes the amp more durable and doesn't make it harder to work on. I would wager the screws on the front panel that secure the baffle are also machine screws engaging with metal inserts. And so on. Just excellent.
I really appreciate and respect what you do Lyle. I do not agree that you trash amps. Reality is hard for lots of people, especially when they try to justify a purchase they might have made. Simple fact is, many amps today are garbage, cheaply made to be disposable and everyone just keeps accepting it as the new norm for the industry. In reality, it should be a wake up call for manufacturers.
I'm not gonna lie, when I first saw this brand a few years ago I assumed they'd be like many other "boutique" amps with less-than-stellar build quality and components considering the price. I'm pleasantly surprised with the looks of this one! Great video
I owned a Swart STR for a few years. The swart night light attenuator made for a great setup.
My swart ast (big brother to this amp) has been my main gigging amp (Buddy Miller seems to like them too!) - thing is going thousands of gigs now no issues
Cool Amp. Thanks for showing it.
Had one for a while. Great reverb. Looked inside, well built. Only quibble was previous owner had used an EL34 in it. The dropping resistors on the cap can were discolored. I would have upped the wattage in those locations as they were 2w (I think). Mine was real early tuxedo case one.
Looks to be a well built amp. Very attractive aesthetics too. Never heard of this brand before but it looks like the guy knows what he’s doing.
I like the look of the (tolex?) covering and piping.
Great little amp and Swarts are very good deals given the hand wiring/turret board const.
Always wanted to see a Swarts innards😎👍
Heard many good things about them.
Glad that someone whose opinion I personally respect agrees.😎👍
Right on😎👍❤🖖
The Swart amps are great.
Thank you Lyle. Just bought a used Swart mod 84. Peace.
Nice. Looks good, built good, sounds good. What more can you ask for?
Like this video very much!
Cool interview John, come back to Rochester NY!
Love this amp! what are some of your favourite amps over the years?
Thanks Lyle!
You’re like a young Uncle Doug! You don’t crap on amp, you point out when amps are crap.
"Perfect? Nah..." Loved that one!
Got a nice little sound to it. Both channels.
Was thinking about buying a Swart. Tried a few and they sounded great. But I was most impressed with the look. They do the "functional black box" several levels better. The only other brand that I can think of that tries to do this is Carr. How many tweed cabs does the world need?
Thanks!
Amazing amp
Every Swart I have played has made me want to just dump whatever I have and buy a Swart.
I used to own an AST Serial # 5. I sold it years ago and I am still kicking myself.... but a new one is on the way... these are tone monsters
I had one of these. A couple of times it popped a mains fuse from being switched into standby and quickly out again.
I have the same Audio Taper CTS on the Volume pot on a guitar...what do you recommend to allow a smoother response than the CTS? I'm surprised there are people (even here) who criticize...you are so methodical and thorough...not to mention experienced...such great videos Sir, thanks.
The “vintage taper” pots made by CTS for Mojotone and RS Guitarworks don’t have the issue. Neither do the Emersons.
But all three have been hard to get this past two years.
Alpha 3/8” bushing 24mms don’t have the issue but they are hard to solder to the case and they are only available in solid shaft.
I just bought the smaller brother of this amp, the Atomic Jr. 1 x 8 combo, and it's just as fine, especially run as a head through a 1 x 12 cab. It's put together differently, has one less 12AX7 gain stage (nothing the right boost pedal can't make up), and no standby switch. The controls are on the back of the amp, and access to the tubes is much easier, making a tube swapping dream (cold swapping that is, just go refill the coffee cup and enjoy the sounds of silence for a moment). Top quality sound and build with surprising versatility at a great price. Glad to see it passed the audition, as that was the model that inspired my purchase, going smaller after consulting my aching back.
Cool amp!!
Mr. Psionic,
How would you compare the build quality of a Swart to a Germino ?
New video!
3:00 I wonder if the PT is the same as he uses in his bigger amps. Maybe buying in a larger quantity brings down the price enough that it makes sense to use the same one?
Is this one of the best amp builders today?
Gorgeous little amp. I guess there's a new Machrone's Law - the amp you want costs $900.
What function does the footswitch control?
What a cute little choocher of an amp.
I'm a fan.
Despite being accused of being a negative bastard, too.
By couch-champions.
@Psionic Audio would you recommend this amp for a beginner? I will be looking to purchase a new amp for my Grandson on his birthday. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Well, while it’s a hell of a lot nicer than what most of us start out with, it really depends on your grandson’s musical tastes.
If he loves metal or modern heavily effected sounds, he’ll hate this amp. It would be “boring” for many beginners.
And a fairly expensive gamble.
Ask him what guitar styles he loves and wants to sound like, then let me know. Maybe I could help you find the right amp that would give him more immediate gratification and help him stay interested in playing.
@@PsionicAudio It would also be important to consider the grandson's home environment, his temperament, and whether he needs to stick to a low-power amp, or one with master volume, in order to not create discord with family, neighbors, or roommates...
Lyle, do you have an episode that just basic care for a tune amp to get the most life and least maintenance cost?
Not as such. Closest I have is this three parter on Fender reissues:
Fender Reissue Amps Part One | The Pros | The Cons | How They're Made
ua-cam.com/video/88ZEGLPCIIg/v-deo.html
That Swart is a very visually pleasing amp! What a looker!! I’m guessing the reverb is solid state driven? I didn’t see a transformer or a driver/recovery tube anywhere. It sounds good either way.
What’s funny about boutique amp manufacturers not using pot star washers is that they usually come with the dang pots they use(CTS specifically). Is someone saving them to use as currency in a Fallout type world or what?
No, it’s a tube reverb.
I didn’t draw it out, but it looks to be a capacitive driven circuit. See Ampeg, Traynor, I think some old Gibsons.
And yes, it’s a tube circuit, just not using a transformer.
@@PsionicAudio Q: like the new Blackstar St.James amp? (please excuse my ignorance...).
@@PsionicAudio , some *vintage* Magnatone amps use capacitor-driven reverb.
We all wish that products we buy will last forever but reality dictates something far different. I have never gone out of my way to destroy anything Ive acquired,I have relied on the honesty of others to give thought and opinion. If you are constantly receiving problems and you are aware of issues AND remedies spread as much knowledge as you see fit. I don't you come off as being any more resentful to sub standard product or work as any of us should be,you just have the intelligence and experience to take a stance
It sounded nice. Then I looked it up. It better be that good for the price.
Quality isn't cheep.
Speaking of “the tubes may have been damaged” it’d be interesting to see you restore an old Mullard or GE tube tester, or maybe review a couple of the newer tube tester products out there.
I have owned and refurbished a bunch of vintage tube testers ---- many Hickok as well as a few Triplett, Heathkit, and B&K testers ---- but I've never seen a Mullard tube tester here in the States. I don't think I've ever seen a GE tube tester either. Bear in mind that the majority of the vintage tube testers don't test output tubes at anywhere near the voltage/current that they would be run at in an amplifier, and so they are mostly good for testing large groups of the same type of tube just to weed out the ones that have obvious shorts or are gassy or perhaps have interelement leakage. But, ultimately you don't quite know how they'll perform until you put them into the actual amplifier and drive them harder. As for the modern testers I don't have any experience with Maxi-checkers or the Orange tube tester or any of those, so I really can't advise you further...
@@goodun2974 the valve wizard seems to have made something using someone else’s code and an arduino, seems like it does actually test at full voltage, just in very short bursts.
I have the same amp. Would you be willing to share the detail of what you did to de-pop the gain switch? What value resistor did you end up using?
I used a 3.3M from the switch center to the ground lug of the adjacent input jack. That way the grid never loses a reference to ground and hence loses its bias at the moment of switching.
This resistor will be in parallel with any existing resistor to ground ahead of it when in either switch position, so you want a high value that doesn’t change the sound of the existing two positions. 3.3M-10M range is typical for this.
@@PsionicAudio Wow. Thank you! Love, love your channel.
I had a Swart AST to me it sounded very stuffy no air to it just didn't bond with it was an expensive amp used
Is that gain switch just adding / removing NFB?
No, it’s switching in/out an additional gain stage.
Any thoughts on the build quality of this amp compared to the Tone King Gremlin?
I have no experience with the Gremlin.
The Gremlin is well built but has some strange MOSFET HT regulation on various nodes in the power supply which like to fail.
Great sounding amps, though.
I've never heard of these amps before.
Re: Getting a Lower Noise Floor on Single-Ended Amps: Isn't that achieved by adding a filtering stage that has the sometimes unwanted effect of darkening the amp's tone? Or is there another way?
Good layout and grounding techniques are important for lowering the noise floor, especially for lowering hum in single-ended amps, because they do not have inherent phase cancellation of hum in the output stage as a push-pull amp would. Hiss is probably less of an issue because most small single- ended amps don't have an enormous amount of gain. Of course, anytime you add an extra gain stage or two, especially for reverb or tremolo, you are more likely to add some noise.
@@goodun2974 Interesting info. Guess it depends on the single-ended amp maker, whether to take the time to do good layout and grounding, or just add a filter to kill the hiss. I've not tried a Swart, but consistently read that some/many who have describe the amps as "dark", "better for single coils," and the like.
@@upload2352 , power supply filtering is unlikely to have much effect on "hiss". Buzz ("buzzzzzzz") and hum ("hummmmmm") are indeed affected by filter capacitor values (among other things), but layout and grounding are also extremely important, and if the layout and grounding are badly done, no amount of additional filter capacitors, nor increases in capacitance, are going to remove all that noise. "Hiss" can come from not only noisy tubes, but also noisy resistors, conductive circuit boards, layout, lack of shielding for signal-carrying wires as well as lack of shields on the tubes.... but usually the biggest and most likely cause of "hiss" and white-noise "shoosh" is noisy tubes, followed by high-gain circuits, or lossy designs that throw away a lot of gain but which still add noise to the signal (tone controls tend to sacrifice a lot of gain in favor of frequency response shaplng and so the signal to noise ration is reduced). It is also worth noting that layout can greatly affect the possibility of the amplifier oscillating; and if the circuit is close to or on the verge of oscillation it will often add hissy high frequency noise without necessarily "squealing" audibly.
@@goodun2974 Art meets science of amp building. Thanks for the helpful info. I've been nervous about single-ended amps due to noise or excessive filtering concerns.
The fender 007 single ended amp is known for a hum. Ever looked at that amp ?
I don't understand anyone who would give you grief. If it's good, you say it. If it's crap you say it. Simple.
Have you met the internet?
7:16 - A German virgin: "guten töight"
I have a swart atomic space tone pro...uhhh. having to look behind amp to plug in and adjust is the only gripe
How is the owner still alive?
Who changes tubes while the amp is powered up? Not crapping on anyone…..
Just one minor thing to carp about; the chassis doesn't appear to be marked with the value of the correct B+ fuse (did a P-touch label fall off?), and I don't care for where the fuseholder is located right next to the tubes: this could lead to premature fuse failure from excess heat, and scorched fingers if you don't let the amp cool for a minute or two before trying to change the fuse. Or perhaps that's two things I'm carping about.... Otherwise it looks quite nicely built.
If I had put that in the review people would say I was inventing things to criticize. ;)
Maybe the fuse values are listed in the owner’s manual. I’m just glad it has a B+ fuse.
They’ll only burn their fingers once.
@@PsionicAudio , who takes a guitar amp owner's manual with them to the gig ? 🤔 (Actually, it's probably online, since so few products include an actual paper manual anymore; or the manual Is the size of a postage stamp until you unfold it and then you need a magnifying glass to read it. If the amplifier in question is one of these new miracle products that has 100 different tonal settings, you darn well better have a way to access the owner's manual when you're setting up at the gig! I also wonder if men have a better track record of actually reading owner's manuals then they do at asking for directions when their significant other thinks they're lost...).
Well, smart players look to see what spare fuses they should carry in their gig bag.
Just sayin.' ;)
@@PsionicAudio , this also begs the question ---- since fuseholders are usually rated for AC volts and current, how high should the AC voltage rating on the fuseholder be if it's gonna be used for DC B+ of 400 to 500 volts?
9:50 IT'S OUR JOB TO DELIBERATELY FIND FAULTS!
WHEN WILL THESE CRITICS UNDERSTAND!?
Some amp builders/manufacturers: "our product is 'perfect'; that's why people can't wait to pick us apart".
What does single ended amp mean?
Single-ended means that there is only one output tube that drives the output transformer and speaker. This means that the tube is ---- and must be ---- biased to run in class A mode, where the single tube passes both halves (both + and - polarity) of the audio-signal waveform; it also means that the tube is used in a less efficient manner, draws a high level of current at idle (even when it is not actually passing a music signal) and generates less audio power than it's theoretical maximum capability. On the plus side, a single-ended amp can be overdriven at relatively modest volume levels, and so they're often favored for recording as well as playing guitar at home. Plus, they can be relatively inexpensive to construct because you only need one output tube, one socket for that tube and a smaller, less expensive output transformer. By comparison, a push-pull amplifier has a pair of output tubes (sometimes a quartet), and one tube handles the positive half of the audio waveform, followed by the other tube handling the negative half of the waveform.. Each tube is only conducting audio for a little more than 50% of the time (with some overlap between them, depending on how the bias is set; like two runners handing a baton back-and-forth to each other as they run side-by-side), and so the tubes don't run quite as hot, don't draw as much current, and the circuit is more efficient and generates more clean power. As an example, a single Class A mode EL84 can put out 3 or 4 watts, a single 6V6 about 4 to 5 watts, but a pair of EL84'S in push-pull can put out 12 to 15 watts, and a pair of push-pull 6V6's perhaps 18 to 20 watts. I hope this answers your question!
@@goodun2974 it does! Why though are there 2 “power” tubes in this amp? Never mind one is a rectifier. Got it Thanks!
@@chrisfit , I really dislike it when some people refer to output tube(s) as a "power tube" , or tubes plural, as it causes confusion. As a tech, when I hear "power", I think of the *power supply* first and foremost; and so, I am careful to differentiate "rectifier tube" from "output tube", and "power supply" from "audio output power".
@@chrisfit , by the way, some solid-state amps are run in class B mode with NO overlap between the two halves of a push pull output stage, but it is rarely done with tubes (except for tube-type radio transmitters) because it tends to have high odd-order distortion at the crossover point as one output tube hands off to the other, although some McIntosh amps are purportedly Class B and use extremely high quality specially designed transformers. Audiophiles like Class A solid state amps and decry anything else, but I've got a Class B NAIM amp that sounds very good. Nowadays you see high efficiency Class D amps with switching supplies used for bass guitar, pro audio and some home audio, but most techs don't want to try and fix them if/when they break (switching supplies are murderous on cheap capacitors).
You just sold a bunch of Swart amps.
Ya know, so many amplifier manufacturers, from boutique to mega-corporate, are building 1950's style amps with upward facing, rear-mounted control panels ---- and silkscreening the control panel in the same manner, as if the amp would be in front of the player on stage, instead of behind him or her. Why should players have to look at the knobs and controls upside down, in 2022?
What ? You like a none vox type amp
Some people shouldn't have nice things...