Iain Hatt « SWR basic black »
Published on 09/17/24 at 14:00
Best value:
Excellent
Audience:
Advanced Users
I have owned one of these amps for 28 years in which time I’ve used it for what must now amount to thousands of hours of gigs and rehearsals. Aside from a blown crossover, wrecked input connections and a couple of new valves and thorough services it has never ever let me down. I love the warmth, immediacy and attack of the valve pre section - it is something no solid state pre has ever gotten anywhere near.
I play both fretted and fretless 5 strings through it in jazz, funk, soul and even occasionally small venue rock contexts.
It has its limitations in terms of power and response beyond certain volume levels - I never push it beyond 1 o clock on the pre or power stages. Within this parameter it’s great. For anything requiring more then it’s time for the heavy artillery.
I play both fretted and fretless 5 strings through it in jazz, funk, soul and even occasionally small venue rock contexts.
It has its limitations in terms of power and response beyond certain volume levels - I never push it beyond 1 o clock on the pre or power stages. Within this parameter it’s great. For anything requiring more then it’s time for the heavy artillery.