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Introducing the all new Swart R-2 Ribbon Microphone designed by Michael Swart and made in the Swart Shop in Wilmington, NC Simply put, if you have not heard what a good ribbon mic can do and you're a fan of Swart Tone, this is the perfect chance to get on the the magic of uber natural midrange. This has been our go to amp mic in the studio for the last year and now it can be YOURS. The first 30 have all sold so thanks to everyone! Now taking orders on the second run, first come first served. Each mic is made, signed, numbered, tested, then shipped by Michael. |
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This amazing amp has really been a long time coming but the wait is worth it. We're talking Two 20 watt amps in one chassis, each with separate controls for EQ & tone cut along with tube/spring tank reverb and 2X Tube Tremolo. And final output can now be controlled by a unique Stereo Master Volume. Simply put, you have to hear it to understand how BIG this thing sounds. This dark tweed head is truly something special. Comes stock wti 6V6 but will take 6L6 family for a bit more headroom. Rectifier options include 5AR4, 5U4, and 5Y3 for most sag/compression and sweetness. NOW SHIPPING to your favorite Swart dealer |
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 we just love to get photos from those that have gone head over heels crazy with their music rooms. And sometimes, we need to just post a few of these Tone Pranksters in all their excess glory, bringing in the new year in Swart style. Welcome Stuart Mackay & Lou Vergne |
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 FALL has finally arrived in Wilmington, NC at the Swart Shop and not a moment too soon. It's been slow going but we're finally totally back up and running full speed post Florence, the latest builds heading to dealers. We're still so jazzed about the Stereo Master 20. Look for reviews soon in some mags as editors have been writing to get in line to sample this beast. Hoping to have some extra samples up for the Stereo Master 20 and the Antares. Stay tuned for more from the mail room and be sure to hop on the Swartamps Instagram feed for more from all things Swart. What's that to right? Well, it's just one of the few CUSTOM ST-45 & SST-30 COMBOs that headed to a few lucky souls. |
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HURRICANE FLORENCE UPDATE Thanks so much for
the notes of concern from everyone. We're all good at Swart Headquarters,
even Silver the Cat. NO POWER at the shop and house, unfortunately.
Yes, we did get some damage with trees and limbs coming down but one
broken window is a small price to pay considering this storm. Wilmington
is currently isolated from the outside world as all roads out/in have
flooding issues. But we hope to be back up and running soon as possible.
If anyone has an order in, please be patient and know we are getting
it out as soon as we can. So there will be some delays. Thanks for the
understanding. See you on the other side ~ kh |
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SUMMER
NAMM Swart Amps with Michael Swart Nashville, TN~ June 28-30th ~ Booth 759 THANKS TO ALL who stopped by Booth 759 Great, Great show! Loved seeing everyone! See SHOW PHOTOS Come see, touch and PLAY most of the line along with all NEW Stereo Master 20.... This thing will rotate your head on axis! Plug into the AST, MOD84, Antares, Atomic Jr, STRs, et al. Turn UP |
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Swart
Antares:
Our Latest 6V6/6L6 Combo On August 21, there will be just 2% short of a total solar eclipse over Swart Headquarters. And soon to follow, there will be a 100% Tonal Eclipse over the competition with the release of the new Swart Antares, our latest 6V6/6L6 Tone Bastion of Glory... |
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 Vintage
Guitar Review:More love for Atomic Jr Head & Cab Vintage Guitar Magazine found our Atomic Jr Head and Celestion Blue 1x12 much to their liking, reviewing the pair in the September 2017 issue. Be sure to check it out in the Mag and HERE on swartamps.com. We love both the combo and head version of this great Single-Ended 5w circuit. |
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| Swart
Summer Mailbag MOGWAI & Little Swart Helper? Check out Alex Mackay of MOGWAI hitting the AST Mk II at their full album replay in Spain. And Julian Swart leaves the Soccer Field to do some NL Jr Screening.... |
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Swart
June Mailbag 12 Axe STR-Trem Plus A slew of excited owners from 5w to 45w, Stereo to Convertible Top... A few fans write in, more to come shortly. Need to finish my eighth cup of coffee |
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Michael
Hits Deck in Cycling Mishap... View at own Risk Both Michael and I love cycling, getting rides in daily. Unfortuntately for poor Michael, his single-speed cruise turned into a nightmare as he hits deck after picking up some roadside Spoils... That's a helluva A Chord Bar!!! |
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Swart
Spring Mail Bag! We love getting Swart Family Mail as it's always nice to get some feedback out of the Swart Soldering Bunker. Nothing like waking up on a Monday, coffee in hand, opening the mail to find some happy Swart Freaks, all fired up about the music coming from their amps. Not much better feeling on a Monday morn. Well, it's a fine April Tuesday with not a cloud in the sky and it strikes me as a perfect time to share the love. Thanks to all that take the time to write in! Can't tell you how much it means to us. Keep em coming! |
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March
Madness Returns! Want Swag Bag Swart Patch, Daddy! What's it doing snowing on this island in March? It's NC and March Madness has arrived and we're not talking BBALL. spinning eyez, cats on amps, Tyler Returns... Tube Audio + Bluetooth? LOVE LOVE LOVE Celestion Blue! Or is it the CREAM? Yes! Vintage Vespa Madness. Wait, what about that Swart patch? |
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5w
Heads ~ ST & Atomic Jr! Over the years, we've had a slew of Swart Fans request one of the 5w Single-Ended beasts in "Head" form. We decided to make a few this Spring, utilizing the ST-6V6se and Atomic Jr circuits. They came out pretty cool... The two lucky enough to receive them are still jazzed in and out of the honeymoon... |
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Swart
LED FOOTSWITCH! A new redesigned footswitch has been on everyone's radar, including ours and the wait is over. Finally an LED Footswitch for on/off reverb/trem with tremolo speed indication to boot! Handmade in ye old Swart Shop, battery or AC powered. Utilizes plug for 1/4 cable for multiple length needs. This is a worthy upgrade for anyone with an AST/Pro, AST Head, AST Master, STR-Tremolo, SST-30, MOD84, and ST-45. It's backwards compatible with all Swarts offering "Space" & Tremolo. NOW SHIPPING! |
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Coming
MARCH 3rd Ray LaMontagne & SST-30 The Late Show w/Colbert Ray LaMontagne has been fan of Swart for quite a while and has been rocking an SST-30 on tour for the last few years. Last time we saw him, he was with Letterman performing from Supernova. Now Ray's back on thte Late Show this March 3rd with Stephen Colbert, this time to promote his soon to be released album, Ouroboros. Be sure to set your DVR if too tire't to hang with the Late Nighters! |
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Swart
Shop Holidazed... Hope all you Swart Freaks around the world are having your holiday of choice in good spirit! The shop finally broke out that Silver Swart Kitsch Delight along with Liquid, Sonic, Visual Spirits Galore, the Jam sessions now more colorful than ever.... Wish you were here! |
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Love
playing this Beast... Sadly, only had 30 minutes before off to a lucky
dealer down South ~ kh 
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ST-45
Head & Cab Review Guitar & Bass Magazine Thanks to the eagle-eyed Swart Fan who dropped us a line to let us know of the ST-45 featured in a fine review overseas in Guitar & Bass magazine's site. Pretty articulate and perceptive take and who wouldn't like the line, "I’m chalking the Space Tone 45 up as one of the finest amps I have played." Indeed. We understand. |
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Swart
Mailbox: Jonn Savannah on AST II We love great mail especially when it arrives on a Monday and a little while back, got another thanks from Jonn Savannah who was raving about his new AST Head Mk II & cab. Jonn (formerly Don Snow) has many solo releases and has recorded and played with the likes of the Sinceros, Squeeze, Procol Harum,Van Morrison, Tina Turner, Lene Lovich, Roger Daltrey, and many others. Said Jonn to Michael, "Just wanted to write and thank you for creating something seemingly in a league of its own - I will be forever grateful!" more |
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Renn
& Brett: Late Night MOD84 @ Swart Studio! Renn Anderson (Singer/Songwriter) and Brett Moore (The Apache Relay) dropped by the Swart Shop/Studio to sample the new MOD84 and we thought it might be fun to roll the digital. Let's just say both were taken and Renn walked out with the beast for his new touring rig with Danielle Bradbery. |
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Guitarist
Magazine Features AST in Demos Check out some really nice work by Guitarist Magsazine in the UK with their guitar demos featuring the Swart AST. See Black Crowes Luther Dickinson Gibson ES-335, Saint Blues Juke Joint Mississippi Bluesmaster & Scoundrel, Fender Modern Player Starcaster & Coronado Reissue, all through the AST. |
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2015
Winter News Update Man, it's boring to talk about cold but it's killin' our soft underbellies down these parts! But we'll not let it dampen the exciting start to another year at Swart Amps. Indeed, a lot planned such as the release of the new EL-84 MOD 84 combo. Michael will also be hitting Winter NAMM '15, dropping by the Wathen CryoTone Tubes booth as they'll have an AST loaded to bear with their Cryogenetically treated 12AX7 and new 6V6. Should be COOL! For more details on latest as well as link to new NL JR DEMO, ROAM HERE |
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Trey
Anastasio's ST-6V6se We opened a VERY nice note this week, perhaps one of the nicest we've received from any artist, this from Trey Anastasio of Phish fame. Seems he is totally smitten with his Space Tone 6V6se. We had heard he had been using one at his solo gigs with various symphonies around the country but had no idea just HOW much he loved our little first born. See Trey's note here |
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ST-45
& 2x12 Creambacks Sam Vilo Video Demo! The Space Tone Forty-Five (ST-45) gets up front and center treatment as our neighbors on the other side of the Atlantic beat us to the punch with the first ST-45 Video Demo, this by the talented Sam Vilo. Nice job, Sam! He proves the ST-45 can go above and beyond liquid, organic cleans. |
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ST-45
makes Premier Guitar Mag Cover ~ Sept 2014 Exciting news as the Swart Space Tone Forty-Five, aka ST-45, makes Premier Guitar Magazine's 9/14 cover! Would have made an even more dramatic splash if TOPLESS....but hey, we're not complaining. The ST-45 with matching cab in 2x12 or 1x15 is hitting Swart dealers as I type so give your fav a shout to reserve. More on the ST-45 HERE ~ kh |
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SUMMER
NAMM PHOTOS Thanks to everyone for stopping by Swart Booth 1234 at SUMMER NAMM NASHVILLE. We had a blast and loved meeting all the great people digging the Swart vibe. If you missed it , be sure to check out a few shots from the weekend. Hoping to add some more when they roll in. See you next time! |
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NAMM BE SWART! |
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MOD
84 PROTO ~ EL84 FIRST! We didn't think we would see the day for this and frankly, it's been about 10 years since the last foray into the EL-84 "suitcase" solution but you know what? We LIKE EL-84 amps, too. And we like ours even BETTER though we may be biased, though Cathode Biased in this instance. But yeah, Michael's suitcase tribute to tone is here in combo form... Man, this thing is GREAT and we're super excited about how it's turning out, even in proto combo form. It's the MOD 84 or MOD for short, and it will be in full working display in Nashville at this summer's NAMM. Again, it's worth the wait. MORE MOD - kh |
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ST-45
Convertible GLORY! OK, you waited long enough. And we MADE you wait. But was it worth it? How about a total transformation. How about 45 watts of Swart CLEANS, BASS, TREBLE (a first), our BEST EQ Circuit, Swart Tube/Spring Tank Reverb, Swart Tube Tremolo, our Favorite Swart Master Volume, and last but not least, a CONVERTIBLE HEAD CAB for FULL VIEW and Tube Changin' Crazy! It's HERE! Play it at NAMM! |
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NAMM
BOUND! Nashville, TN July 17-19 ~ Nashville Music City Center! Too many to count ask us every year, "Hey man, are you going to NAMM?" We got tired of saying, "Maybe next year." Well, it's THIS YEAR as in July, as in Nashville, as in BE THERE TO PLAY IT ALL. We'll have most of the amps including the new ST-Stereo, ST-45 Proto, AST, STR-Tremolo, Atomic Jr and more, including the first SWART FREAKER and Swart Picks a Plenty.... And if we feel crazy enough, it just might be EL-84 TIME...MOD 84 Time...LIVE to play. Dont Miss It as it only comes around once every 10 years. DROP BY BOOTH 1234! |
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Dean
Drouillard on his Swart STR#1 ~ All in MP3 So did I mention that Michael and I love to get mail with attachments, mp3, vids, etc? Well, I just did. This time it's from our ole friend up in Canada, Dean Drouillard, who actually has STR #1 along with a nice AST PRO. Dean was noodling around and sent this really cool mp3 he did in his home studio, this featuring that STR #1 along with his Atomic Boost. Everything is straight into amp aside from one part that's via the BOOST. |
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Night
Light Jr BLUE! New Run in Vintage Blue Man, just got a great shipment in of the new NL Jr. boxes in a run of cool shade of 60s BLUE, aesthetically subtle, yet standing out from the Black on Black Lemming March. Speaking of BLUE, as in LEDs in blue, stay tuned for a new SWART FOOTSWITCH with LED on/off along with a few other surprises. A cool upgrade to the stock FS that won't break the bank. |
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| Michael
Aadal Group AST Tracks from latest LP One thing we love about the AST? It's been employed in all sorts of musical genres, from Indie to Rock to Roots to Folk to Good Country to Jazz and more. Norway's Michael Aadal dropped us a nice note of thanks for his trusty AST, this along with three tracks from his latest album, Michael Aadal Group ~ Abigail. Give a listen... Good stuff, Michael ~ kh |
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| Kyle
Swisher AWASH Kyle Swisher has been a good friend of Swart for a while and we always love when he drops us a line on the latest. In talking to Kyle the other day, he mentioned a little project he was working on with the SST-30, his trusty Jazzmaster, and a Fulltone Tube Tape Delay. He sent us over an mp3 and glad he did. Really digging his sonic texture here ala hints of MBV splendor ~ kh |
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Night
Light Jr Sparkle Glory Fresh from Oven Holy Ice Storm central! Alas, right before the power outage Hell Storm, we managed a glorious sparkle run, see here fresh out of the oven, baked to perfection. When we say OVEN, we're being quite literal as this is the Swart Kitchen! So YES, for all you looking for Night Light Jr SPARKLE GLORY, there is hope. We have a few heading out this week and hoping to get power restored today for even more. See your favorite Swart Dealer to put in an order. 3/26/14 UPDATE: Night Light Jr boxes in so more should be coming down the pike shortly. Put in an order at one of our dealers Only a VERY limited number of Sparkle |
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Mark
Moldre's New Vid Moldre's latest gets new video take w/AST PRO Australia's Mark Moldre has been a big fan of the AST PRO for quite a while and we always love getting mail featuring his latest projects. Check out his new video featuring a track from his last album, An Ear to the Earth. Mark and the band head to an old Childhood memory featured in a state of flux for "Everything I Need." |
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Chris
Frank's Atomic Jr The Nepotist in Video w/ Atomic Jr sans Effects We just got a really nice note from Chris Frank of the Nepotist lauding the Atomic Jr as the go-to amp to pair with his Les Paul. See his mail along with the excellent video of Chris and his band in Sear Sound Studio, NYC. The thing that makes this video interesting besides how well-done it is? He's using the Atomic Jr STRAIGHT with no pedals or effects. Take a look & listen in HD. Good stuff, Chris.. |
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NIGHT
LIGHT Jr Now
Shipping! The new mini Night Light Jr is now shipping with 50 receiving a Cool SPARKLE FINISH option. This beast can be mounted in any 6V6se, Atomic Jr, STR, STR-Tremolo for a no fuss attenuation solution that's BETTER than a typical Master Volume in these small amps. And it's bypassable with a flip of the switch. Drop by or shoot a mail to your favorite Swart Dealer to get one! |
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All
New NIGHT LIGHT Jr The cool weather has finally arrived & Swart is in the news. Ramping up for the fall holiday season with a few new offerings down the pike, including the new Night Light Jr for the low watt, space saver, less is more sect, along with a few other surprises, such as our first high wattage take that's infused with AST soul, the all new ST-Forty Five Head, designed for more clean 6L6 headroom via an optimized Fixed Bias circuit. Stay Tuned for more! |
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for Swart ~ Favorite NEW Rectifier People are always writing in asking about tube recs. Enter the TAD GZ34 STR Selected. This has to be my new favorite GZ-34/5AR4 rectifier. In my opinion, compared to the JJ GZ-34, the TAD "Selected" version sounds more open, lively, and a touch sweeter. It's likely a bit less voltage than the JJ, perhaps with a touch more sag. We don't have measurements yet, but in my back to back comparisons with the JJ, this tube shines and gives the Swart, especially the low wattage options, a bit more harmonic richness and tonal complexity. Just sounds like more going on with some extra layering, making the entire result even more dimensional. The JJ might exhibit a bit more headroom. It's almost like a cross between a NOS 5Y3 & a GZ34 sonically, though with more the GZ34 headroom. Yeah, a few have rattled a bit. And I don't have long term results, but it's in my Swart amps at home. ~ kh |
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R.J.
Ronquillo takes the STR-Tremolo for a Spin 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. Ole RJ always loves tossing stuff up on youtube and he never disappoints. Take a look at RJ on the STR-Tremolo, this in two videos putting the beast around the bend & back for more. Go RJ ~ kh |
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Speck
Mountain ~ Badwater LP/CD/MP3 Speck Mountain have been Swart proponents for quite a while and their latest endeavor, their third album, Badwater, is an excellent showcase for the pair's psychedelic, ethereal, dreamscape numbers. Marie-Claire's lilting voice and Karl's roam-the-canyon guitar is on great display once again, but now with a new backing band out on the road. Take a look and listen to Speck Mountain & Badwater |
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ST-STEREO
MP3s~Lincoln
Morris Lincoln Morris is a long time Swart friend and a great player, often understated and usually intriguing. Linc's been using a modified AST along with a slew of other Swart offerings. This time, he absconded with the ST-Stereo Head for a recording session in VA. We got lucky and caught him on returning the beast, getting a few MP3. He tossed in a take from the session as well. Check em out. |
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The
Latest w/John
Oates |
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ST-STEREO
to DEALERS
as I type! I played it tilI I was almost locked in the shop & I STILL couldnt believe it. This has to be the biggest sounding amp we make in many ways. I know I'm always going off about this and that, but this beast is truly special. I'm really loving it with the two Creambacks in the Stereo cab, too. Better get in the queue. I actually am ~ kh |
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Swart's
own Hillybilly Ham II is beside himself with Awe at amazing ST-Stereo
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Space
Tone Stereo?
Yep. Michael's done it again. As I said, I played it till the lights were cut off. I'd be playing it now instead of typing this mess if it wasnt locked in the shop. 5w + 5w together...apart....trem bouncing craziness sounding larger than my Grandmother's thighs. You gotta hear it. Play all the Swart Brigade at SEGAS ~ Sept 22-23 @ Raleigh Convention Center ~ Raleigh, NC. |
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STR-Tremolo
HERE! The STR-TREMOLO is at the dealers as I type. And so is that insane FuzzyBoost now a popular option run in conjunction with the Atomic Boost. It's all HERE and with a lot of Fuzz... I'm predicting a big run on these STR-Trem based on my time wailing on it~ kh |
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Where's FALL?
HIGH POWER AST & STR-Tremolo A Go...Stay Tuned |
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Festivus!
Dealers, Vids, Mail,
Photos! Feels like I just finished the turkey when suddenly, it's Christmas/Festivus/MerryUs time at the Swart Shack. Where are the elves when you need them? See the latest dealers here and abroad, a great little AST vid from Ade in UK with cool guitars, Swart Brigade Mail, Night Light Madness, and more photos. Am I forgetting something? YES, it's SWART CHRISTMAS TIKES! |
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Buddy
Miller w/ Robert Plant & Band of Joy We love the legendary Buddy Miller for his tone, consummate taste, not to mention his amazing playing. When he contacted us with interest in getting an AST, which turned into TWO AST PROs in stereo, we were more than flattered. When we heard this was for a tour with none other than Robert Plant for his upcoming release Band of Joy, perhaps ecstatic is a better word. And Buddy has been loving his AST Pros ever since. You might have caught him in the last few months with these beasts in play. Check the latest tour schedule for a cant miss show. |
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14lb
Beast: Space Tone Atom! |
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Swart
Amps Live @ The Amp Show March 6th & 7th ~ Austin, TX Michael Swart and the entire Swart line, including a few surprises, will be at The Amp Show in Austin, TX on March 6th -7th. Come play your Swart of choice, or sample them ALL in our room full of tube glory. Hear what all the fuss is about first hand and talk to Michael, as down to earth as always. Will the next new release be on hand? Come find out! Get a chance to win a Night Light, too! |
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Happy
2010! Swart in new Decade Hope you guys had a great holiday. What day is it again? Is it really 2010? And do you say "twenty-ten" or "two-thousand and ten?" Michael is soldering like a fiend, knee deep in Night Light Mania. The first batch is out the door and we've already received great feedback. Pushing two Swarts with one output and you cant stop smiling. Quit reading this blather and check out Susanna Hoffs & Vicki Peterson atop one of their three Swart STR-Tweeds. Like their buddy Matthew Sweet, they are smitten with the 5 watter. Wait till they hear the latest greatest... can you say Baby Swart REVERB? Might be my new fav! MORE |
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Holiday
Craziness & The
NIGHT LIGHT Well, we've had this beast here for a while now and it was always near a virtual fist fight to see who could take the Night Light proto home. Audrey sang three cheers for the attenuator, that is, until I plugged up my AST & STR-Tweed for some holiday cheer. My face is still numb... GOOD LORD, it made beautiful racket! |
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Swart
Update: What took you so... What a sad sight. Why? Because I've got a pile of mails, photos, samples, concert dates, and Swart updates all sitting here. I can see them. You can't. Yep. First off, see Rafiq Bhatia's INSANELY good jazz cuts on the AST. Next, drop by to find out about Speck Mountain. And did you see September Vintage Guitar's STR-Tweed rave? How about the AST Head II & 1x12 in TONEQUEST? Stay tuned to the site for new reader videos and samples featuring the AST, STR-Tweed, ST-6V6se, and SST-30, this along with a host of cool photos you Swart fiends have been sending in (thanks Daniel DeGeit for the EXCELLENT ST-6V6se shot on last week's splash page!) And oh yes, as always, Michael has something cool in the mix ~ stay tuned -kh |
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| see more (yeah worth the look) Swart News Archives | ||
Star-Base
1 Limited
Edition!
