SWR Goliath III

Pre-Fender SWR Goliath III bass cabinet, 8 ohm model. Simplicity at its finest: 4x10" PAS drivers and a Fostex horn pumping out up to 700w, horn attenuator on the rear panel along with 1/4" and Neutrik Speakon connections, spring-loaded recessed handles, removable casters, carpeted box, bottom slot port, and super sleek shock-mounted chrome grill. Small box make big BOOM!!!

This cabinet is an acoustic chameleon. Need deep bassy reggae tones? Done. Crisp slap and pop treble? Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Can be intense even when being quiet as a mouse, yet will gently rattle you to the core when you crank it up.

I have two of these, and they reside in my band's trailor with heavy 2x18" subs and other bulky PA equipment constantly bumping/grazing/falling, etc. Yet, they come out, ready to play, each and every night. Only gripe: the casters that come stock are kinda cheezy, but Peavey and Ernie Ball make solid replacement casters that retrofit without any modifying.

Haven't had to deal with the company yet. Then again, haven't had a reason to. But the music company I work for deals with SWR through Fender and we haven't had any issues, be it with shipping time or chatting with the employees there.

I've been playing for 10 years and I've yet to come across a bass cabinet that puts out so much power and tone out of such a small box. If one or both of these cabs were ever lost or stolen, I would definitely search for replacements fast.

same features as most other high end 4x10 cabs built today.

I have used Fender, GK, Peavey, Ampeg, and Aguilar cabs. This one is the best. The Aguilar is quite nice also. Low end is GREAT, Highs are clear enough to show when your playing gets sloppy. Good punch. If it matters, the only two brands of bass cabs I still use are SWR and Aguilar, and the SWR has better performance IMO.

Been using mine (700 w 8 ohm) since around 2000. no problems yet, not one.

haven't needed um.

As stated above, I have used a few differnt brands and this cabinet just sounds the best IMO.

Mine is an '02 or '03, I believe and I can't say enough about the tonal quality of this beast. The cab also looks great with it's chrome grill. Also, in my honest opinion, there is no other brand of cabinets making a 4x10" able to provide the amazing balance of bass, mids and treble as well as the SWR Goliath III. Edens and Ampegs are one-trick ponies in my opinion. They put out great low end, but not well-balanced.

I use this cab stacked on top of the Son of Bertha 15" cab which is also an amazing product. The only complaint I have is with the horns on SWR's. I have the horn on both of my cabs turned off. With them turned up, even barely, there is a great deal of unwanted noise, especially fret buzz and clicks. Because of this, I am deducting 1 point, since I personally find this a feature that SWR should do without.

I play an Ernie Ball Stingray 4 and 5 and the sound quality I am able to achieve is superb. Currently, my playing style is groove metal-oriented (think Mudvayne meets 311) with a good bit of slapping. I play with a very aggressive finger-style technique with the bass dial on my amp set at about 3 o'clock, midrange between 1 and 2 o'clock and the treble set pretty low (around 10 o'clock). I can go from ballsy, bassy lows with superb midrange to blow your eardrums Flea-slap with just the simple push of the "ultra-brite" button on my SVT-4. In one of the previous reviews, the writer states that his Goliath III "farts out" on anything played below the low E. I'm guessing he must be pumping an assload of gain or "ultra-lo" (an option on some amps that, in my opinion, overloads cabs with way too much bass while cancelling out most of the mids and highs)through his cabinet, but who knows; maybe he got a lemon.

All in all, I rate the Goliath III's sound quality as the best in the industry. I've played 'em all, but then again, this is a very opinionated area.

10 so far. I've owned mine for about 3 1/2 years and I have blasted some serious low-B through this cab with no speaker problems to date.

I have not had to deal with SWR's customer service department, though I hear they've gotten kinda s****y since Fender took over in '03. My cab(s) just missed the buyout by a few months.

I have played bass since third grade, so that's like 13 years. Throughout my life, I have owned a myriad of bass equipment, but my search for the right setup is over (unless I get the opportunity to play through the new SWR SM-1500 head). I am a serious tone-junkie and have searched high and low for a rig that is both versatile and loud and I have it with this cabinet along with the rest of my setup. In college, I played in a cover band gigging sometimes 5 nights a week. In this band, we covered a vast plethora of genres; from super bassy rap/rock covers to Chili Peppers-funk to old-school Rage Against the Machine. Many of these venues had weak in-house PA systems if they had one at all. In some of these venues, we would run the whole band through the in-house PA with the exception of me (because the PA systems would simply conch-out with my bass playing simultaneously with the drummer). With no PA help, my rig could fill any of these venues with more than enough low-end. What I love most about the Goliath III is it's ability to retain amazing tone at any volume (and I've pushed it hard plenty of times for years with no busted speakers to date). I recommend this cab to anyone looking for a great sounding, powerful 4x10".

SWR Goliath III cab made sometime in 2003? Not really sure about that one. Features include some speakers, some wheels, nice metal front grill, carpet like covering, etc. Also has a tweeter adjust switchy on the back. I run this amp off of a BBE Bmax preamp into a Crown CE 1000 power amp... running about 900 watts. This provides me with more than enough power for any gig. Ive had this setup for about 4 years now and have found it to be versatile and powerful with any bass I plug into it. I havent been able to make this cab distort. The sound is very much a blank slate. I give it a ten, its a cab theres not much to it ya know?

I use a few different basses with this cab. I used to mainly play a 6 string carvin through it, but also your standard p bass, a thunderbird, and the odd tobias here and there. My style is mostly heavy, melodic Tool like stuff. This cab has had no problems reproducing any sound Ive been looking for. It is very responsive and clean. The tweeter control can get a bit hissy if you really crank it, mines at 12 oclock and if theres any hiss its not noticable. I feel that this cab can handle any sound you throw into it... it is very very rugged and will take alot of power. I currently use it in a death metal band and it is so powerful I give my drummer and two guitarists with full stacks a run for the money quite easily. I also run plenty of effects and have not noticed any issues. It has sounded good after many many gigs, ive yet to be disappointed by it. It stays nice and punchy throughout the spectum, from B even down to F#... no problems. If you stand in front of it and slap a few you feel like you are getting hit in the chest... I give it a 9 cause the tweeter control can be a bit hissy, but what do you expect when you crank your treble?

easily a 10 for reliability. Ive had this cab for a few years now and Ive never needed anything else. It gets the job done. Its very sturdy (IE, HEAVY!) and is just a beast. I gig without a backup with this cab everytime.

I havent had to deal with customer support so no opinion there!

Ive been playing for about 14 years... this was the first serious gig rig I purchased back when I actually had a band that gigged regularly. I needed something professional and reliable and I found it. I havent desired or needed anything else since I got this cab. It is truly a beast, heavy as hell, but the power and sound this thing delivers makes it all worth it. If it was stolen or lost I would definately get another one. Im saving up to by another so I can stack these bad boys and do some serious damage. Ive tried a few other cabinets before and after this one, and none of them have measured up in my opinion. It has handled every bass Ive played through it, it handles B and even F# without sounding flabby or farty or whatever. You should get one, its the last cab you will ever want or need.

I bought the cab last week, and I'm totaly satisfied with the product!!
Description:
4 10" speaker with 175 Watts each and a horn.
Total power: 700watts RMS
Impedance: 8 ohms
Frequency response: from 40Hz to 15kHz
Other Features: Tweeter Attenuation Control, Removable casters and rubber grip handles
Dimension: 23'Wx25.25"Hx18.375"D
Weight: 89 lbs

I'm currently using a music man sting ray 5, a presonus tube pre pre-amplifier, a power amplifier (PA - class AB type) just to drive de preamp signal (comon power amplifier used in night clubs) and the swr goliath III cab - total of 600 watts RMS.
My idea was to exploit the music man built-in pre-amplifier to perform the equalization. I choose to use power amps instead of bass amp heads because these heads usually are very expensive for higher power ratings and, in my opinion, the only benefit is the pre-amp section (good power amps are quite similar in performance). The tube pre adds the characteristic valve sound (warm and smooth).
The results are quite impressive!!! I played yesterday in a night club and the sound was amazing - excelent frequency responce and high definition in the low notes (5th strig)!!! This cab is a sealed type, so it gives a dry sound, perfect for grooving and dead notes.
Due to the sealed construction, the cab doesn't have the low frequencies naturally amplified (like in sub woofers), but it has a lot of power to generate these low frequencies when you boost them in the equalizer. This characteristic gives a very deep and clean low frequency notes with a very good definition - just perfect for me and bassists that likes to groove.
The only thing that I don't like in this cab is its weight - is too heavy.

I can't say. I bought last week.

I can't say. I bought last week.

I'm verry happy with this cab!! I'll give 9 because of the price.

I bought the cab in 2001.

I see some people are saying the cab sounds flabby when low notes are played through it. I play an Alembic 6 string which is a very powerful bass through an SWR SM-400 and I don't have any problems when everything is cranked and playing low. I get a nice tight rounded sound in the lower register and way up in the upper register when soloing. It handles all styles of music, I play jazz with a clevinger and it sounds great, rock, funk, country, you name it and the cab handles it all at all volumes.

Never had any problems with the cab, very reliable.

Never had to deal with customer support or never had it repaired.

I retired from the military as a bass player and I was able to try many different pieces of equipment. SWR and Eden and the best I have played through. In the early 90's I blew a Hartke 1-15 on a gig, I immediatly requested new gear. One duty station had Ampeg, no comparison. The Ampeg didn't give me the volume I needed. I've always used high end basses, Alembic, Ken Smith and they all sound great through the SWR.

SWR Goliath III cab, purchased brand new in 2005. 4 ohm version. Great to look at. Adjustable horn treater, nicely constructed, very compact. Very expensive.

I play classic rock and this cab is not the way to go for a rock and roller. SWR is trying to get the rock and roll guys using their stuff by making shiny chrome grills, ect. For a cab that is allegedly 700 watts rms, this farts out pretty fast. The bottom end is very transparent, to the point of being inaudible and it is prone to feedback. This cab as a stand alone is just not gonna get the job done, even with a 750 watt 750x head going into it.

No problems.

Looks nice, not overly heavy, compact size, well built, sounds way flabby. Save your money and do it right the first time. I bought a new Goliath III 4 ohm and a 750x (see my review of that one) and was not happy, impressed or amused. For a rock and roll guy SWR is not the way to go. I sold the whole rig for less than 1/2 of what I paid and bought an Ampeg SVT-CL and a Ampeg SVT410HLF cabinet and am very happy. The all tube head is awesome and the cab has amazing lows. If you play rock and roll in the tradition, I suggest you save the bother and heartache of trying different rigs and go with Ampeg.

Very clear and bright cab. It can handle lots of power also. It suits just about any musical style but especially funk or jazz.

SWR cabs have a very distinct sound that rings out.

It is very nicely built. It should last.

No idea.

I am looking forward to getting a 2nd Goliath III so I can drop my load to 4 ohms and fully utilize the 1kW+ that my amp can put out.

Made in 2005. I feel it is versatile. The cab responds well to however the bass preamp is EQ'd or otherwise modeled. I use this amp for classic rock, R&B, funk type music (no slapping). It has a single channel with a volume dial to adjust how much signal goes to the tweeter. This is a nice feature. I use it for live shows indoors/outdoors where decent volume is required. It's rated at 700w and takes a good amount of power without distortion. The nice "feature" of this cab is that it is straight forward. Speakon and 1/4" inputs. 4x10 cabinet with a 50w tweeter. Ported design.

I play a Fender Jazz bass through a Hartke VXL into a mixer and then to a QSC RMX 1850HD which connects mono-bridge (1200w) to the cab. The Hartke DI does nice tone shaping and it is very well reproduced by the cab. It's not noisy at all. It reproduces deep bass tones very well. The cabinet is ported. I have not driven this cab to distortion. It can take a lot of power. The cab seems to put out whatever sound I put into it. This is what I liked about the cab. It doesn't seem to flavor anything too much. I have control over how the bass sounds. There was only one other 4x10 cab that I thought sounded better on the shop floor, but it was $1200. This cab at $650 was truly a bargain.

I would run it without a backup. The wheels on the bottom seem a little small, but they'll do. Good front grill.

I have not dealt with the company.

I've played bass for 3 years, but I've played keyboards for 30+ years. I own a Hartke Kickback 12, a couple of keyboards and a few other basses. I would replace if stolen (if I had the money again!) I simply love the tone. It doesn't fight the tone that I put into it. I compared it to the Workingman series. I did not care for the Workingman. I would not have been happy with that cabinet, so I spent the extra money on the Goliath III. I briefly played this through a BBE Bmax preamp and it also sounded very nice.

Not sure when it was made. It's a standard layout 4x10 Cab. It's just got a hell of a lot more power than most. The only thing I look for as far as features go is a Tweeter level control and it's got that.

I play a Schecter Elite-4 with upgraded EMG 35J pickups. It handles everything quite well. My only nitpick is with Slap. It sounds OK to the side or above. Only when it's pointed at you will you get the best tone. That's what amp mics are for, though.

I absolutely love NOT being in front of it when playing anything fingerstyle. The tone just fills the room really well. Nothing seems to be harsh at all.

Seems to be built very well. I have no backup. A LOT of people use this exact cab so I'm not worried.

Dealt with them through a good amount of emails. Always were polite and prompt.

I went with this instead of the Workingman's 4x10. I ended up having to get a more powerful head then I had planned but it worked out alright. $400 for this cab and $480 for an 8004 T/O/P head is less than a Workingman's half stack and I now have double the power. Very good deal.