Yep, the STR-Tremolo will have the same soul and basic circuit as the
STR-Tweed, just with:
- The addition of a great tremolo
stage
(along with a revised and more surf Zone Reverb
Stage)
- The addition of a 3 way
EQ Switch that makes
the STR-Trem more flexible
- Available in the original STR
"Tuxedo" 60s style
or the AST Style Tweed cab.
Push comes to shove,
I think the STR-Tremolo does have a touch less gain than the STR-Treed
as the Tremolo section will take place of the extra gain stage in half
of the 12AX7. On the other hand, it will still have much of the
STR-Tweed's great tone, immediacy, growl, and touch sensitivity.
Drop in the Atomic Boost, and you get it back and more. I really
dig this amp and have been playing it daily since we finally got it
off the bench. |
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I actually tried the STR-Trem with and without an Atomic Boost and loved
it both ways. Of note, the new cabs are a touch deeper to fit
the Celestion Blue and Gold or many other slightly deeper speakers.
I thought the Celestion Blue was AMAZING in the amp but did have a bit
less bottom fullness at lower levels, much like any alnico vs a good
ceramic. The BV-30 is such a great compromise of tone, great breakup,
and nice fullness for a 5w single-ended design. But we also REALLY dig
the Celetsion Creamback in this amp (my
personal favorite if going with a ceramic. ***Dig the take of a Blue
in the TUX cabinet*** ~ kh)
I loved the 3-way
switch when you needed to back down some of the added lower end fullness
when pushing the amp hard. Drop it back in with a bit lower volume
and it's a pleasant extra bit of lower end richness.
This amp just sounds
so great when cranked, though. The overdriven STR-Trem is just
addictive with a lot of complexity and swirl. And it allows you
to hear the difference in guitars instead of turning every axe into
more of the same. I'd say that's a great trait of all Swart amps
and the STR-Tremolo continues the tradition with aplomb.
As for the tremolo,
it's not easy to get great trem with low wattage single-ended designs
and this is among the best I've personally heard, with a nice range
of speed and good depth. But the amp sounds great
with it off, too. Back the depth to zero and let her rip
and you'll be grinning ear to ear.
STR-Tremolo Specifications
- 5W CLASS A ~ Single-Ended
Output
- Zero Negative
Feedback
- 100% Tube Circuit -
GZ34 or 5Y3 Valve Rectifier
- Big Swart Tube - Spring
Tank Reverb - Foot Switchable
- Swart Tube Tremolo
- Foot Switchable
- 3 way EQ Switch ~ Full,
Natural, Low Cut
- Powered by choice of
6V6 ~ 6L6 (shod w/6V6)
- JJ 12AX7(2) - JJ 12DW7
- JJ 6V6S - JJ GZ34 Rectifier
- Shop Tube Subs - Tung-Sol
12X7, TAD 6V6, TAD GZ34
- Point to Point Hand
Wired Circuit
- Cathode Biased (no need
to bias)
- Carbon Comp Resistors
~ Mallory Caps
- Cloth Hook-Up Wire
- Hi/Lo Input for High
& Low powered Pickups
- Heaters referenced to
ground
- Standby Switch for
tube warm-up, extending tube life
- All Swart Amplifiers
employ Star Grounding
- 4/8 ohm 1/4" Out
- Drive other Speaker/Cabinet
- Switchcraft 1/4 inch
inputs and output
- CTS Potentiometers
- Custom High Quality
USA Built Swart Spec Iron
- Speaker: 12" Mojotone
BV-30H ~ 8 ohm
- Finger-Jointed, solid
Pine Cabs w/Two Build Options
- Vintage Jewel Lamp
~ Circuit Fuse Protected
- Two-Button Footswitch
for on/off Reverb & Tremolo
- Dimensions: 17"
W x 10 3/4" D X 16 3/4" H (w/feet) ~ 29.5lbs
As an aside, after sitting with it
for a good 30 minutes and loving it, I personally played a pair of STR-Tremolo
in STEREO and was just blown away. One had a Celestion Gold (Blue
might even be better on hindsight) and the other a BV-30. Moved
them five feet apart and dickered with settings and for the love of
St. Nick, could not stop playing the beasts. It was so compelling,
I'm convinced we need to come out with our own Stereo Pedal just so
we can facilitate running these things in pairs. I moved to one
AST and one STR-Tremolo and was just as blown away, if not more.
For those of you with TWO Swarts of any kind, running them in stereo
is just amazing and highly recommended.
video
demos
STR-Tremolo & RJ Ronquillo
RJ Ronquillo is a cool cat with some great chops who just happens
to be a long time Swart fan. We love his stuff with his AST and
when he expressed interest in the STR-Tremolo, we knew good things
were in store. RJ takes the STR-Tremolo around the bend &
back for more in these two excellent vids. |
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Right now, the STR-Tremolo
comes stock with the Mojo BV-30 12" although the Creamback 75 is
a slightly higher priced option, this in either tux or tweed style cab.
Both are excellent and I think both have positives in the ceramic bracket.
I personally prefer the Tuxedo style with the Celestion Blue
for the most open and lively of the bunch.
~ kh
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