SWR Black Beauty 115 Combo

Pre-Fender SWR made in USA, New old stock.
It has what you need as a bass player. Gain, Subwave, Bass, Mid, Mid Freq, Treble, Aural enhancer, main Volume. Limiter defeat switch, tweeter on/off and 50% switch, woofer on/off switch. 1X15 with horn,
350 watts stand alone, 400 watts with a 8 ohm extension cab and 450 watts with a 4 ohm extension. Fuses for power amp and speaker. Pre-amp clip light.

Bottom Blaster! This thing moves some air! True Bass all the way.
I can't see how this amp got bad write ups. Plenty of power, and good snap with the tweeter on full. Tone knobs work fine and dial in the sound you need. The subwave effect is the best tracking octave effect Iv'e ever used. It tracks a low C on the low B string clean and glitch free! Add a 2X10 goliath jr to this and you'll have the full ball of wax. Bottom and midrange punch.

Pre Fender, USA Made! Nothing more to say!

Never needed it.

Been playing for ten years. I had tried this amp about 8 yrs ago and liked it. I origially wanted a Hartke 3500VX combo, but the store was out. Im starting to gig again so I needed something with power.
I asked the store if they had the Black Beauty and when they said yes, I was there in 30 min. If someone trys to steal this they better have a dolly, it weighs 96lbs! If you want a stand alone combo with balls, this is it!

Great amp for small stages, I've never cranked it up above mid-way onstage yet- but it sounds amazing. Very pleased with the features overall, but am taking off a point because it doesn't have a 1u or 2u rack space (like the Redhead) for bringing along a good compressor. ;-)

Main basses I use this with are a '62 Jazz (stock + Hipshot d-tuner), a '72 blonde Precision (w/EMG actives), and a Guild acoustic (Fishman actives)- the active basses usually need the horn rolled off a bit to keep 'em from sounding tinny and shrill in the high-end, but at ~30% the horn adds a nice presence to the passive Jazz in particular. Virtually no noise unless it's coming from dirty pots in the bass itself, very clean and quiet onstage. I've been able to squeeze a wide variety of tones out of the Black Beauty.

No complaints with the expected 'meat-n-potatoes' SWR EQ section (low, parametric midrange, high, presence), it's tried and true and lets me dial in pretty much whatever I need quickly onstage.
Now I've never been much of a octaver/harmonizer guy- but the Subwave effect is very nice and tracks well on notes above roughly the open A. Going lower than that on the E (or god forbid a B) string and the Subwave's tracking gets a bit off/pitchy- but honestly I use it more for playing high and filling in the lows. I sometimes miss the punchiness of a few 10" speakers when using this 15" only combo, but really can't complain.

Construction is solid as hell, and although I've beaten the hell out of this amp over the last 2 years it's never complained one bit. Dropped out of the truck, sat over the weekend in very wet environments, you name it- the Black Beauty has always fired up quickly and without issue. Bulletproof amp (esp. for one with a tube pre).

I didn't get my subwave pedal in the shipping container, but they FedExed a replacement to me literally overnight, along with some complimentary T-shirts and the like. I'd comment on the warranty, but outside of that small snafu I've never needed to use it. Great service (although I'm not sure how that's changed in the last year or so).

I've been playing bass for well over 25 years, and use the Black Beauty weekly for small stages, alongside a larger-stage SWR rig w/dual 400s and matching pairs of Goliath 3 $ Big Ben cabinets. During my heavy road-warrior years I stuck with solid state amps just to cut down on rebiasing/retubing (Gallien/Krueger, Trace Elliot, etc.), but there's really no beating the warmth and punch of the SWR front-end. The Black Beauty is that same meaty sound in a little teeny trunk-sized package. Only way I'm giving up my SWRs is if I'm pushing up daisies. Seriously.

I like the aural enhancer I am not sure what it is supposed to do, but for me it adds some growl to the sound. I agree about the subwave, leave it alone. Its a sound I can't find a place for. Has plenty of power for medium venues, it has never been buired and never over 50%

I have been running my 4001 Rick (71)a Fender Precision Deluxe (86) and an Ergo 5 string EUB. The Rick is way too bright unless the tweeter is in the padded or off position. I adjust the basses for the sound not the amp, except for above. Played plenty of different styles, country, old time rock, progressive, light jazz, blues. I can't think of style it did not handle. I am running a SWR 2-10" cabinet lately, WOW, it really opens up the sound. I normally play a heavy bottom, but could not beleive my ears when the extension cabinet is hooked-up.

No Problems, not even a whimper.

N/A

Been playing about 40 years and this covers my needs, I would buy another one. Now my wants, thats another story got a hankering for an Ampeg. Also keep a Yamaha B-100 with a Trayor bottom with 2-15", at a club for a house act.

I really like the tube preamp and MOSFET power section. Sounds like tubes to me. Suppose thats why I like the Yamaha also.

I don't know what year this was made but it is a pre Fender model. I use it as a house amp at a weekly jam night. It seems to cover everything pretty well. I have this amp up on the drum riser and use it mostly as a stage monitor and pump the house via the D.I. As with all the SWR stuff the controls are simple and easy to operate. Getting a good sound is pretty simple.

This amp has everything from the top of the line Warwicks to the $29.95 K-Mart specials plugged into it. The cheap basses sound cheap and the nice ones sound nice. NOthing spectacular here just a good sounding bass amp.

OK, here's the nasty part. I don't know what speaker is being used now but the original didn't last a month! What a cheap piece of crap! I replaced it with a Peavey Black Widow speaker and it never sounded so good. That tells you sorry the original speaker was. I chose the PV because if this speaker did blow I could replace the basket quickly. I'm looking at durability vs sound for this amp.

This was pre Fender so I don't know what their customer service is like now. When I called it was like talking to a brick wall. I hope Fender has solved this problem.

This is a good sounding amp for the jam night. I don't know if I'd use it for my regular gigs. If it were lost or stolen I'd take what insurance money I could get and buy something else. I'm not in love with this amp but like a McDonald's Big Mac...it does fill a void. I am curious as to the improvements Fender may have made.

My dealer stated to me that this amp was "pre-Fender"...early 2004. I play everything from 70's and 80's rock, to Jazz, Blues, Traditional and New Country.

The Black Beauty has one channel with an active and a passive/active input. The amp has an effects loop, a balacned XLR output with a level control, ground lift, a 3 position switch to select the type of output from the XLR...(line, direct, and direct + sub). It has a jack for the "Subwave footswitch," and a tuner out. In addition, it also has a tweeter select switch giving you the choice of full range, off, or -6db. It has a internal speaker on / off switch, and a speaker fuse and line fuse mounted on left rear panel. The amp also features a speakon and 1/4" outputs, and an output for the internal speaker. The amp is rated at 350 watts at 4 ohms with the internal speaker. If you use the internal speaker ( 4 ohms )and an 8 ohm extension cabinet the wattage is 400 at 4.5 ohms. If you use the internal speaker (4 ohms) and a 4 ohm extension cabinet the wattage is 450 at 2 ohms. The amp features a standard removable 120VAC power cord. The back of the amp module is a large heat sink.

I am a Pro Player that has to cover alot of different styles. For that reason I picked this amp for it's sound. It's features are adequate to cover the styles that I play. I do wish that it had a graphic EQ on the panel. I never use the Subwave. I am into great tone, and Subwave and great tone should not be used in the same sentence.

I use this amp stand alone as a rehearsal amp. I use it with a 4 ohm 400 watt single 18" subwoofer on stage with the with the Band. it sounds warmer with the sub. I bought it to use in any situation that I might perform in, and I believe that it will cover my shows well.

The Black Beauty has much more power than the internal speaker will handle. If you're playing LOUD...(1/3) power, and you like ANY bass in your tone at all, don't spend much time down on the B string as the stock speaker won't handle it. I'm going to replace the stock speaker with a JBL. I plan on using a Bag End 18" sub in the future that works down to the mid 30's in the hz. range.

I'm using a Ken Smith Design Proto J 605 5 string most of the time. It has Ken Smith single coils and a BT preamp. This bass sounds WONDERFUL, and the SWR showcases that sound. If you like your sound colored up, buy an Ampeg. This thing sounds more like a DEMETER that my VTBP 201! This thing is about as transparent sounding as anything I've ever played through.

I generally turn the tweeter off, and run the Master at 50%. I don't use effects, so I leave the EFX blend off. I do, however leave the Defeat/Limiter on. It is controled by pull on/push off of the EFX Blend control. I run the Treble at 50%, and I leave the Midrange frequency and level controls turned off. I run the Bass control all the way up...(not very much bass even at that setting), the Subwave is left OFF, the Aural enhancer is at 50%, and the channel gain is at 50%. I use the Passive/Active input.

This amp is fairly quiet in most environments. It does not like flourecent lighting! Volume does not effect the tone of this amp. It does seem quite touch sensitive though.

I messed with the Subwave and the mid range controls quite a bit when I got the amp. For someone that likes/needs noise in their style, I recommend the Subwave. I personally don't like it.

I haven't had the amp long enough to know how it will shake out in a year. So far, it's great, and I won't take a backup with me.

SWR was just bought out by Fender, so I imagine the customer support will drop accordingly. I only had to have SWR service once before...some time ago, and they were nice...and helpful. I imagine that Fender won't honor the warranty, so I'll use a former SWR service center if I need one....or DON JONES!

I've been playing over 40 years, and I've been a working Musician over 30 years. I use high end Basses: Ken Smith, Mike Lull, Celinder, Warwick. I've used everything from Ampeg, SWR, Demeter, Eden, Ashdown, and more.

I would get another one of these. I like it alot. I do wish that SWR/Fender would offer this amp with a speaker upgrade to JBL or EV...something that will handle the power and LOW frequency without making flatulent noises.

I bought mine new. Sounded great when I bought it, and I beat on it
for a while with my electric upright in the store before I put any
money on it.

Nice Subwave functionality, although with an extended-range bass or
other instrument (I also play Chapman Stick), it will muddy up notes
an octave below middle C. I use the Subwave as an effect, and not as
an enhancer for this reason.

EQ is pretty good, actually. Good to have a sweepable mid, so that I
can dial in a good sound for the upright (which is usually difficult
at best).

The tweeter can get a bit harsh, at least with basses. It's pretty
handy for the Stick, to bring out the highs on the melody side.

I use it with a Clevinger Solid Acoustic electric upright bass, a
Chapman Stick XG 10-String, an NS Design cello, as well as various
software synthesizers (all of these instruments through a mixer; on
occasion, I'll run the upright through the preamp section, then into
the mixer, and then the mixer back into the power section).

This amp suits my style perfectly.

I've used SWR amps for over a dozen years now, and their sound and
reliability were key factors in my decision to buy the Black Beauty.

In the two years I've had it, I've never had a problem with it (well,
okay, it could weigh a little less...)

I've called and emailed SWR on occasion, to get advice on other amps,
and they say that they service anything they've ever made. I've never
had to see if they do what they say, though, because nothing of theirs
has broken down on me.

Nonetheless, they answered my questions quickly, and gave me confidence
that they knew exactly what they were talking about.

I've been playing bass for 30 years now, and have played through so
many different amps I've lost track. The fact that I've stuck with
SWR for over a dozen years now should say something to anyone reading
this review.

To be fair, I don't think it's particularly useful to review a used
piece of equipment, especially if it's a bad review of something that
was purchased in a damaged state.

That said, if this amp were stolen, I'd replace it, and buy the poor
shlub who stole it a truss... :)

2 10" speakers with tweeter
Active/passive and passive input
Effects loop
Extention for another cabinet
350 Watts
Solid State

I used this amp with an Alembic Essence and a Carvin Fretless. It had plenty of bottom end and top end but the mid range was not there at all, regardless of how much I played with the tone controls. Also the sound was very sterile and did not acuratly reproduce the sound of either of my basses. There was also a lot of cracking/poping/distorded noises both when playing and also when the bass was still plugged in but the volume turned all the way down. There also was a "subwave" feature on the amp but this did not work. I bought this amp for $500. That was half off of what it used to be. When I asked why at the store, they said it was going to be discontinued. A smart move on SWR's part becuase this amp was not worth the felt it was wrapped in.

Was already broken when I bought it (the subwave function)

I have been playing bass for close to eight years and in all my travels I have never played on such a lousy amp. My crate practice amp has better tone control over this one. If it got lost or stolen I would thank the guy that did it so that I wouldn't have had to wheel it back to the store, just call my insurance company! The only thing I love about it is that it is now gone.

350-450Watt (je nach Widerstand)
Vorstufenrohre
Subwave Octaver
3Band Klangregelung
Aural Enhancer
Hochtonhorn
Ich hab mir den Amp gekauft weil er geil klingt und nicht zu viel technische Schei?e hat!!!

Klingt fett, brilliant(mit dem HOchtoner,der regelbar ist)
und sehr detailgenau. Was da an Bass rauskommt ist ziemlich geil.
Durfte nur fur riesige Buhnen zu leise zu sein.(Zusatzbox!)
Und Der Octaver ist der Hammer, gottseidank isser fu?schaltbar, den ich hatte keine Lust immer auf den Taster uber dem Regler(!) zu drucken!

nichts passiert bis auf lockere netzbuchse

geiler AMp
vielseitig
aufstockbar mit zusatzboxen!!!!!
geiler Octaver effekt
richtiger kauf
konnte billiger sein deshalb nur 9

This amp in great condition is unknown to me. I recieved this amp from AMS ordered as "NEW" and arrived in a makeshift box, dents...horrible.

The amp sounded nice enough before all the incessant Pops and clicks took over. Then on loud settings I heard "farting" up the arse with this thing. C'mon! where is QA? I'm sending this half of a refrigerator back.

Sounded great at low levels. Alot of popping though. Go with a Carvin or Gallien "Freddie" Krueger. They are awesome! head or combo.

Hah!

Ahhhh. "Just send it back" routine. Shipping was 10 days here and now ten days to AMS. Inconvenience galore.

Keep looking...GK, Ampeg, Carvin. SWR heads..on your own with drivers man. Try before you buy. Alot of hype on this Black whatever.