SWR 12 Pack Rock Box 212 Cabinet

Because this cab is designed not to have a lot of features (tweeters, mid driver, L-pad, etc.), I think it fair not to give a rating here. It doesn't come with casters, which woul've been nice, but then again it's relatively light (about 60 pounds). It's also a bit smaller than the other 2x12 bass cabs I've tried (Eden, Aguilar, and SWR's earlier 2x12, Bigfoot), so it fits very easily in the back seat of my Camry.

Top notch hardware, grill, handles, etc., and it has a VERY cool looking dark burgundy tolex, not carpet. Be aware that the grill is just like on SWR's website, but it is powder-coated black and isn't chrome like in their pictures. I'm not crazy about the gaudy chrome SWR uses on their grills so this was a pleasant surprise for me.

I've played three basses through it, a Zon Legacy Elite five string, a Mexican Fender Jazz with Seymour Duncan Antiquity Jazz pickups, and a 1960s Gibson EB-0 (with the big single neck pickup).

The cab does have it's own character, but each bass still sounds very much like it's supposed to--the cab doesn't change the sound of the instrument. SWR describes the sound as "lo-fi" and heavy in mids, but I somewhat disagree. It is VERY deep, very tight in the deep bass, and there are lots of low mids, but it isn't tubby, barky, or congested sounding at all, in spite of the small size. It thumps right in your chest and really cuts through. I noticed that the slotted port is much deeper than on most cabs (including other SWR cabs), so the box is voiced for deep lows. I did have it vertically, on its side, up on end. I didn't try it how SWR pictures it on their website, horizontally.

I used it in a loud monthly barn jam with two guitar players (a Carvin 1/2 stack and a 50 watt Marshall 1/2 stack) and a loud but unmiked drummer (no vocals), driving it with a borrowed Eden WT-550 (a good match with this cab, IMO). The guys couldn't believe so much sound and thump was coming through such a small cab, especially when I used the five string and the EB-0.

After an hour I stepped aside and let another guy play my basses, and I walked around and listened to the cab. It's sound really blooms well. I'm not a slapper, but the guy who took over for me did some thumb playing with my Jazz bass, and the cab was very punchy. BTW, he commented later about how good the cab sounded.

It doesn't have the trademark SWR slice in the highs, but it is punchy, deep, and loud, and it did NOT bottom out whenever I pumped a loud low B into it. Even with no tweeter, it does have some high end, but you're not going to break a wine glass with ultra highs with this thing.

I just got it, so I can't in good conscience rate it. It seems very solid, and the grill looks like it could stop a bullet. I will carry it very carefully until I get a Le Cover or Tuki cover for it because I don't want to split the tolex. Tolex doesn't hold up to abuse as well as carpet, but it looks so much better, especially after the carpet gets fuzzy from wear.

It took a lot of loud bass without breaking a sweat. My guess is that the 400 watt rating is conservative, although the Eden puts out CLEAN power. With a distorted amp, I don't know.

I contacted SWR to find out where I could try out this model, because the two dealers closest to me didn't have one, and they were very cool and gave me the name and phone number of a dealer they had recently sent one to. I guess Fender bought SWR a few years ago, but just try to call up Fender to ask which area dealer has the Geddy Lee signature bass. Hah!

SWR was very helpful and friendly to me, at least.

I've been playing for over 20 years and have had and played through more amps and cabs than I can remember. This is one of the best sounding bass cabs I've ever heard and THE best sounding one I've ever heard that's this small size. (Let's be fair--it's not an 8x10" SVT.)

If you want a relatively compact, loud, thumpin' cab that has deep but tight lows and punchy mids, this is the one. If you must have a tweeter, well, then you're not reading this review, are you?