FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

Tagged As: Swr Bass Amplifiers

Question:
Awhile back, I acquired a SWR Workingman's 12 bass amplifier, intending to use it for my fretless bass work. Just for grins, I plugged my Hummingbird (with Fishman Acoustic Matrix) into it.... and ... HEAVEN!! What a wonderful sounding acoustic amplifier. I've come to respect this amp more for its acoustic properties, than as a bass amp. (And it's a tough little bass amp indeed... it continues to endure jam sessions, cranked up to 10, with no problems....) I emailed SWR, asking if the Workingman's 12 was in truth a beefed-up, stripped down version of the California Blonde. Never got a response from them. The owner of a local music shop told me that he did a special order of a Workingman's 10 for a customer, who backed out of the deal. The owner elected to keep the Workingman's 10 for himself, as his personal acoustic amp. His experience with it is identical to mine. Anybody have any similar experiences with the SWR bass amp line?

Answer:
I haven't used it much with acoustic guitars, but I did try my Wm's 10 with acoustic and electric guitars and found much of what you did. I just don't plug in the acoustics much. The old ('70) Guild 212 12-string sounds wonderful and the 335 is great, albeit a tad ... 'hi-fi' for me. But with the treble turned down is has a phat jazz tone! It does a splendid job on bass for me. I use a Jack Casady bass and play with an otherwise all-acoustic band (two guitars, dobro, mandolin, fiddle and singers) and the SWR Workingman's 10 gives me all the tones I want a nicely low volumes.