SWR Workingman's 10

I would guess that my amp is about 3 years old. I was looking for something to replace my Fender BXR 25. Those of you who are familiar with the BXR 25 under its various guises know that it's capable of big-amp tones, but runs out of volume with anything more than a very gentle drummer.

Anyway, after trying a bunch of the current crop of affordable small amps (Line 6 Studio 110, SWR LA10 and LA12, G-K Backline series, Eden Nemesis Silver Series, etc.), I was getting kind of depressed. Most of them didn't sound as "nice" as my Fender, and some of them didn't even play much louder! I was starting to think I was going to have to go with something heavier and more spendy, when I came across a used WM10 at a local store.

Bingo! Decent punch and clarity, flexible 3-band EQ, additional tone shaping through the tweeter defeat switch and enhancer circuit, headphone out for quiet practice, modular expansion via an extension cabinet or slaving another powered rig, tuner output, light weight, etc.

Although the amp doesn't have a dedicated Aux input for use as a boombox for practice, I discovered this afternoon that I can use the parallel Effects return for exactly that purpose.

No chorus or other gimmicks, just good, solid, pro-quality bass tone, and the features you need for typical rehearsals, practice and small gigs.

I'm using this amp with two neck-through basses, a homemade maple/bubinga 5-string, and a Peavey Grind NTB 6-string. Both basses are loaded with active EMG soapbar pickups, running at 18 volts. I play folk, blues, pop, and the odd bit of jazz.

I like the WM10 because it has the clarity that I've come to associate with higher-end amps from SWR, Euphonic Audio, etc. Whatever it lacks in terms of the swampy warmth of an older tube amp, it makes up for with a punchy, detailed tone that lets each note and percussive impact speak out quickly and accurately.

Like my old SWR Studio 220 head, it's voiced with the characteristic SWR upper midrange emphasis. With the tone controls set flat, it has a terrific bite and punch, but it amplifies fret and finger noise in a way that's a little annoying. Interestingly, although the WM10 has a solid-state preamp, the tone is amazingly close to my old amp, which had a tube front end.

I can dial most of that preemphasis out with the onboard EQ, but if I'm really serious about gettin a smooth, warm sound, I can always bypass the internal pre. Using an Art tube mic pre into the parallel effects return, nets me an extremely smooth, warm hi-fi sound.

The EQ is flexible enough to give a broad range of tones. If you're looking for grit, though, you need a Sansamp or other external box to get it. There's no gain control on the WM10, and even with the unusually hot output from my EMG-equipped basses, the speaker starts to fart out long before the amp gives up any natural distortion.

I've only had the amp a short while, but it lead a busy life as a rental unit before I bought it, and it's never had a repair. This is consistent with my experience with other pre-Fender takeover SWR products- they're built like tanks.

SWR have been helpful in the past. I haven't dealt with them since the Fender takeover, though, so who knows how things go these days?

This is "it", when it comes to a gig-ready practice amp. To have a better-sounding small amp than this, I'd have had to venture up into a much higher price range, and with the possible exception of an Acoustic Image Clarus, go up in size and weight to boot.

This one is a keeper for me. I already have a good 1*10 extension speaker (Flite 103W), and a Bose L1 system for louder gigs.

The WM10 makes a perfect complement to my other gear. I love the small size, "big rig" clarity, and flexible I/O. I might replace the stock speaker with one of the heavier the cast-frame drivers at some point, just to gain a little extra clarity and headroom, but other than that, I couldn't ask for more in such an inexpensive amp.

I think it's a shame that SWR discontinued this amp. The LA series don't cut it on tone or volume, and the new Working Pro series are not as satisfactory in terms of portability, etc.

80 watts, 10" speaker, into 8 ohms, combo. Small black box cab. Inputs and controls on the top/back, output for extention speaker.

I use it with a matching SWR passive 10" Workingmans extention speaker which drops to impedance to 4 ohms and increases the power to 100 watts. Makes a great small stack for bass. With extention speaker the detail is excellent, the low bass is puchy. Of course there is a limit to what two tens can do. BUT then I could us this to drive my Avatar 112 or 210 cab as the second cab that would kick up the output and make everything louder

It's been super so far. I use it mostly as a rehersal amp for my power trio. We don't play real loud but we are very critical about the sound quality. Never had any problems.

SWR? I own other SWR gear going on over 15 years now I don't think any of it has ever needed service.

I got a great deal on this little amp when a on-line company was blowing them out. One of my guitar friends had one which he played his six string Jazz guitar through. Yes it is clean enough if you want a super Jazz guitar amp. I love the simple controls, the small size to fit in the back seat of my Honda civic to go to a gig. I also love the extention speaker out jack to drive a second cab with it becuase it does NOT cut off the internal speaker it drives BOTH. Use only additional 8 ohm cab and your safe. At it's original list price it's expensive but at the price I payed it's a GREAT Value.

Other reviewers have covered the features. Purchased mine in 2002. This amp fills a niche and fills it well. Well built, semi-pro quality bass amp suitable for practice and light-duty gigging. I think the features it has are acceptable for the purpose (and price) it was designed. You have to have realistic expectations from a little black box with one 10" speaker in it!

I play a Fender P w/P,J pickups (passive) and it sounds great through this amp. I have no problem getting volume out of it with passive pickups. I use it for rock, alt-country, blues-rock... nothing too heavy. I've been gigging in a 3-piece, playing medium sized venues (75-150 people) and had been borrowing a friend's 100W 1-15 combo. One day I brought the Workingman 10, put it on a stool right behind me and turned it up to about 3/4 and it kept up fine with one guitarist and the drummer. Granted our gigs are pretty low volume but later in the eve our drummer doesn't hold back at times and the WM-10 kept up. Both band mates commented on how nice it sounds and that they could hear it just fine. The only thing I miss is the sheer volume of sound/air moved by a 15" speaker. If you have two guitarists, keys, horns or play at full-volume rock/blues levels, you'll definitely need something bigger and more powerful.

I've gigged without a backup amp and it has never failed me (fingers crossed). I like the advice of one other reviewer to use caution with the fuse holder on the back. Otherwise, built like a tank.

Never needed it.

I've been playing since I was 16. My main rig is a GK 800RB and a 1-15 cab loaded with a JBL driver. I use it for larger venues and outdoor gigs. It's LOUD but I don't like lugging it around (I'm now 40). My days of blisteringly loud RnR are *mostly* behind me so this amp serves me well for 75% of my gigs. I can load into a gig with everything I need in one trip: bass in gigbag slung over shoulder, WM 10 in one hand, mic stand and accessory bag in the other hand! If this were lost or stolen I might consider other sizes or brands but the weight vs. performance of the WM 10 would be extremely hard to beat.

My amp is a 2005 I purchased it from Pickers Exchange, in Chattanooga, TN. I'm a older semi pro musician, and I'm not going to carry around 100 lb amps any more.

I play blues, country and some light weight blues changes disguized as jazz.

I wish it has a couple of input jacks rather than the one input. I also wish it had Reverb (REVERB? - read on dude)

I use this amp with the extention cabinet and don't play stadiums - so it has plenty of power for my use.

What's a bass? I play lead and rhythm guitar (Tele and Strat) through this baby. Years ago, in college the Fender 4 x 10 bassman was the hot ticket. I developed an appreciation for the punch that a bass amp would give a lead guitar, and never changed. I love the sound of my '52 Tele with DiMarzzios running through this little bass amp. I turn on the tweeters. I doesn't distort which is fine with me. I have a Boss stomp box for that and other effects.

I also have a Genz Benz El Diablo 100 Head and G-FLex 2 x 12 ported cabinet. This big F***er is a 100 lbs of monster. The little SWR Working Man 10 with extention cabinet will sit right by this big dude and never bats an eye. The SWR tone is great with a guitar and the high's I get out of it are to me fatter more colorful highs than they are with that big hunk of EL 34 tubes. Call me crazy, if 15 roadies showed up to help me move and set up my amp I'd just take the SWR.

Never had any problem with it. I usually have a backup around just in case but I'm paranoid anyway. Never missed a beat with the SWR

I saw on one of the reviews that a user lost his fuse cap and coudn't find one. I wrote SWR wanting to order one, and got an email back that day telling me the stock number and where to get it.

Never needed any warranty or service.

I've been playing semi professionally since I was in high school. I'm 61 this year. I have 9 guitars and a TECH 21 Trademark 10 and the Genz Benz El DIablo 100 with the G-Flex 2 x 12 cabinet (which is for sale)

If my SWR was stolen I would get another one asap.

I love the size and the sound - and together that does it for me.

I choose this amp not knowing anything about SWR. I took my guitar to the music store and went around the wall trying every amp that was small enough to be easy to carry - TINK TINK TINK everything sounded like a little transistor radio.

As I walked over to the last corner section there were all these amps there covered in black carpet looking stuff with metal grills. I thought they looked really mean and tough. The store owner said, you won't like any of that - those are all Bass Amps. I remember thinking - finally I found the bass amps.

So I plugged the Tele into the smalles one I could find. The Workingman 10. I didn't realize that it was hooked up to the optional 10" extention cabinet. About 10 seconds later the guitar teachers were coming out from the back to ask whoever that was raising hell out here to turn it down.

I'm loving it - saying listen to that punch, listen to those highs, that damn thing has tweeters or horns in it or something.

The SWR Wm 10 and 10 ext cab went home with me that day. I love this little thing, and it doesn't break your back - and if you are having a really bad back day (which I do occasionally) you can tote the darn thing around as two pieces. I would dearly love an SWR 210C combo but I'm not dealing with a 72 lb. box any more

This model is a 2005 I believe. This amp is a great amp for practice and small gigs (Starbucks type places). I play Jazz, blues and some classic rock - OK I have played some country as well. I play electric guitar as well and know when a have a good rythym section going. This amp goes far beyonf the bedroom practices for me. It sounds like a 12" 100WAtt or louder. Can't go wrong with this one for the price. I recently bought a ext cab 10" and know it whops! excellent!

I play jazz, blues and some classic rock.It is a very quiet amp, does hiss through the tweeter at higher volumes but not very noticeable. If distortion is your thing it's not here in this amp. Very little distortion but I play jazz anyway, great for a fingerstyle sound. I use a musicman stingray copy(OLP MM2) and a fender 60's jazz bass. It does handle slapping and pops well.

This amp is built solid man. Very impressed with the construction of it. It sounded great on a gig recently(yes, I dared to). It did look funny because of it's size but it was a small local pub gig. It has not let me down yet and it held it's own live.

No problems ever.

I have been playing bass for 5 years now. I own many basses but I love playing my OLP MM2 4 string Musicman Stingray copy. I dunno I just love the thing. Love my 60's Fender Jazz bass as well. If my SWR Workingman's 10 was stolen it would be a bad day. I would buy another though.

Can't say I hate anything about the amp, for it's size, sound and price it's a gem. If you are looking for a great practice amp for you home this is it, other amps that I compared to this one in it's class and some a little better still did not have the sweet sound of a SWR.

Others have explained this. Enough features to be dangerous. I get a nice sound. Remember we are playing bass. I also have a Fender Musicmaster bass amp and it has only two knobs. I think it puts out a nice sound, only not so versatile. If you can't get a decent sound out of this amp, iot's not the amp's fault. Someone did point out that it's a little weak with passive pickups. I notice this more with a P Bass, less so with a Jazz. Also have an old Fender Musicmaster with one single coil. If I were to use that bass and play out, I'd probably use some preamplification.

I own several basses, but mostly play a Fender P-bass and a Fender Jazz. The Fender Jazz sounds beautiful through this amp, especially slap-style. I also own a Workingman's 15. Originally bought the Workingman's 10 extension speaker because I saw one cheap on eBay and thought I'd use it with the 15. Then I saw this amp on Ebay and bought it for $190.00. I swear the 10 with the extension speaker sounds better and larger than the Workingman's 15. I'm going to sell the 15.

No problems, so no comment, other than to say it looks like you could throw it out the window, plug it in, and it'd still work.

Probably not as good as it was, before Fender bought it. Bought a Fender Bass and it arrived with a tuning key broken. Went to the dealer, they called Fender, Fender said would send on gratis. Never did arrive. Nice thought, anyway. In any event, I've had no experience with the old SWR or with the new ownerhsip.

I played bass from 6th grade through college until someone stole my Kalamzoo Bass and Fender Bassman head and cabinet (late 60's and early 70's). Think Gloria, Down By the River, etc. (Whatever happened to garage bands?) Started playing again about six years ago, not out, but for my own enjoyment. I really like this amnp, more so with the extension speaker. I will probably sell my Workingman's 15 because the sound out of this one is so much better. If it was lost, I'd buy another. I does sound a whole lot better with the extension cabinet. Probably because it moves more air.

No need to rehash this. Aural enhancer? Why bother with it.

Even though this is a "second" amp, I really love this thing. I stumbled onto this amp after looking for a transport-friendly amp after my piece of junk Carvin combo gave out. I've never been wowed by SWR products in the past, but this is one little gem that really impressed me, and I bought it on the spot. I do not have a single regret. Given, the WM10 is probably not something to take gigging with you on stage, but there aren't many 80 watt 10"s that you'd want to do that with anyway. Better off with an extension cab as some in here have mentioned.

As a practice amp, it holds up rather well in a rock/blues setting (which is what I mainly play). My bass is a Peavey Cirrus 5 with actives, and through this sucker and it really sings, with good thud and good clarity in the middle. Passive bass players are probably going to struggle getting enough volume through this thing, at least if you're playing with a full band. Tweeter can be harsh, but you can control it with the turn of a knob. For its size, I really like the tone I get out of this amp.

Sturdy, and seems well built. Have not had a problem yet, but I don't ever mistreat my equipment either, so I may not be the best judge here.

SWR is now owned by Fender, which by all accounts, may not be a good thing when it comes to response time and honoring warranties. Fender is a 10-headed beast. Then again, I've yet to deal with their people.

I've been playing bass 10 years. I know good equipment when I hear it, and this thing is a gem of an amp. If it were taken from me, I wouldn't think twice about replacing it. Great tool if you have limited space, or want to practice with your buddies without having to rent a U-haul. The WM 10 is small and relatively easy to lug around, which is half the beauty of the thing. The other half is the surprisingly stellar sound out of this little bugger. If you can find one around $350, I don't see how you can go wrong.

Cirrus, Line6 Bass Pod, Ashdown EBO ABM Evo2, Hartke 4.5XL (4X10) Cab = ZEUS!

80/100 Amp 10" speaker. Standard SWR features.
Great small size with big sound!

Mine might be one of the last old style SWR 10's before Fender changed the line.

Absolutly Great sound. Kicked but on all the 12's I could find to test, and way louder than most. With the low B I have to crank up the "aural enhancer" and give it a little bass boost (Fender active Jazz) but it can shake things plenty well enough to keep up with the drummer and annoy the wife.

Cant wait to try it with an external Cab

Its seems like a little tank, but I found the weakness (as I tend to do with most things) :-(

WARNING: If you use the effect loop as a 2nd input rather than a "real loop" DONT JUST TURN IT DOWN when you unplug the input jack. TURN IT OFF. I smoked the main transistor chip unpluging my small mixer from the "Effect Return". It was a cheep fix, but not a job for most home soldering types and Im sure I have voided the warrentee.
Yes the volume was at zero. Still popped the thing.

Fender emailed me the schamatic instantly, but If I did not already have an o-scope, MultiMeter, solder-desolder tools, and the know how, I would have had to drop it off at a local service center and wait 4 to 6 WEEKS. My guess would be that any TV repair shop guy would be able to fix this unit, (its build with nice big REAL parts not nano sized surface mounts) but dont risk it if you can help it.

SWR/Fender could have put a LITTLE more into the componants. A little more capacitance in the Power supply (cut the hiss), bigger speaker wires, some nice TI op amps. But Im glad I bought it and Id recomend it without hesitation.

5 string active Fender Jazz, I play clasic rock, blues, and jazz with my kids and my rock band freinds, some of which date back to high school.

This has been well covered already.

Okay. Gotta be honest here. I'm not a bass player. I'm a guitarist. I only have a bass to lay down simple bass tracks on my Roland VS-1880 for my songs that I write. I just have an Ibanez Soundgear series bass. I don't even know the exact model. It has a P and a J style pickup, and a boost knob that adds decibels and low end, which is an active circuit. This is my first bass amp, ever, and I've been playing guitar, drums, and recording for about ten years now. I've just always recorded bass direct or through an effects patch. All that being said, I can tell you that I did try several other bass amps out before buying this one, including an SWR LA-12, and the WM-10 blew the LA-12 out of the water. I don't know a whole lot about a good bass amp, but I do know that since I've bought the amp, I haven't been playing my guitar much, and have been learning how to play bass, and LOVING it. Isn't that what music is all about? Good tone=fun=the desire to learn more. It should also be said that I am VERY much into my guitar playing, and for me not to play my guitar for a whole week, to practice bass, is really saying something. I have a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, a whole rack of effects, I use Monster Cable (Rock) patch cords, Shure microphones, etc. etc. And here I bought this little 10" bass amp, and it's got my full attention to the point of neglecting the use of all my other equipment. I think I may go back and re-do some of my previous bass tracks.

Don't know, I just bought the amp a couple weeks ago.

N/A

Overall, being that I'm a novice bass player and don't have a lot of experience with buying bass amps/bass equipment, I'm not going to rate this amp. However, if my opinion did count, I'd give it at least an 8.5. This amp certainly beats all the Fender, Crate, Peavey, and the one SWR LA-15 that I tried. If it were stolen, I would 'want' to buy it again, but I don't know if I'd have another $400 laying around to do so. I bought this amp because I had some extra cash, and was thinking about what gear I didn't have that I needed (can anyone ever have 'too much' gear, or 'enough' gear?!), and it came to me that I didn't have a bass amp. I like the tone a lot, it sounds very 'musical', like a bass is supposed to sound, rather than thin, or muddy, or like a wash tub bass from the old south. I live in an apartment, and I can only turn this amp up to about 2.5, before it will disturb the neighbors. Basically, people, although I've recorded bass lines direct for several years now, keeping in mind that I'm not a bass player, and I would generally just use root notes, 3rds, and 5ths....I feel like I just picked up a new instrument, and am really excited to dig deeper and learn to play this instrument better. That's the power of music! Thanks, SWR!!!

Mine is 2001 model. Features are already noted. Because of it's small size, it can be easily transported as a small PA, but an XLR input with a little reverb would be nice, but... It's shining moment is that it only weighs 32 pounds, goes into the back of the Blazer easily, and can be loaded (and unloaded, and set up.... and..) by my wife. The cab is well constructed and the entire package is pretty solid.

It's a good practice or small venue amp. Extension cab is a must if 1. there's a drummer involved, 2. More than 50 people are in the room, there's at least two guitars set on "11." The amp sounds clean, but in it's defense, the levels I play at don't demand earplugs. DON'T EVEN THINK OF USING THIS AMP WITHOUT A PREAMP. If you have a bass with passive pickups, and you plug directly into the amp, the audio won't be above a conversational level until you turn the volume knob past 75%. (Tried three different guitars... same results.)

So far, it hasn't failed, but, since I'm mainly a keyboard player on most gigs (with an entirely different setup, of course..), I do a bass gig about once every two months. I do use it at the house to keep said bass chops up to par, tho.

Haven't needed them, yet, but having a website to buy accessories (corners, rubber plugs, etc..) would be nice. See last comment block.

WAAAAAAYYYYYY overpriced. This is a $250 amp. I've built many stage speakers (Kind of a pasttime when I need to release those creative juices on a lazy Saturday...) I made my own extention cab, same dimentions as the SWR cab, a 10" EV 200W (8 ohm) speaker w/tweeter and attenuator, hooked a Peavey Express amp (80 watts)to it and it blew the SWR unit away using an A/B test. To me, the amp needs to be much beefier to justify the cost. I still use the SWR with my cab (same carpet and corners) when I gig, but the saving grace is it's size, not it's performance.

Since 'Does it have enough power for you?' falls under this category - I'm giving the WM10 a 7. I think it has a tremendous amount of features for a small combo - but for gigging purposes it falls short. It's perfect for recording, small jams and practice though. Love the tuner out, the switchable tweeter attenuator and the XLR output.

Stellar SWR sound - but a little hissy from the tweeter. Otherwise a 10 would be in order. I've only played my main squeeze through it - a Fender American Std Jazz V. After gigging with it for a little over a year (and finally upgrading to something with a little more power), I now use my WM10 for recording and as an onstage personal vocal monitor. The timbre is ver hi-fi, which I really like. Clean, meaty and punchy. I especially like the results of close-mic'd demo recordings I've done with it. As a vocal monitor, it's perfect too.

Gotta knock it in reliability. It failed on me at a critical moment - failed to fire up right at the start of a gig!!! It was out of warranty so I was on my own. Took it apart to find the transformer U-shaped bracket (which held the transformer onto the backboard of the chassis) was defective and failed. It had broken clean through at one of the bends and pulled apart the solder joint of one of the main power plug leads. It was a fairly simple repair, but it should have never happend in the first place. The amp was ALWAYS carried, never dropped, and never jostled to and fro on a cart. It went - carefully - from basement to car, car to gig, back into the car, and then back into the basement. One of the reasons I went with this amp was its light weight - allowing me the luxury of carrying it wherever it went. So with all this babying, a broken transformer bracket - causing a total equipment failure - is totally unacceptable.

Customer support was great when SWR was independently owned - always able to talk to someone in tech support. Now that they fall under the Fender flagship, customer support is essentually impossible to reach. When my transformer went bad, I tried calling and emailing repeatedly and got no reply. This is why I really was 'on my own' when dealing with that repair.

In spite of the trouble I had with it and the fact that I've upgraded to a more powerful rig, I give the WM10 high ratings - especially for the price I paid. Fantastic SWR sound from a very small and lightweight pkg. I also mated it to the WM10T ext cab. For more than a year I used it as my main gigging setup. Though underpowered for that application, I've found new uses for it (recording, personal onstage monitoring) that are much better suited to it. If lost/stolen, I'm not sure if I would replace it. It would be rather expensive as a personal monitor, and for recording purposes, I'd be tempted to go with a DI bass amp emulator. But as long as it keeps going, I'll get a lot of use out of it.......just not for the original purpose I had for it.

I think this part has been covered!!

I'm using a 6 string electric and a 5 string fretless and they both sound wonderful thru this little gem. The tweeter has some hiss but has never been as issue except when the room is dead quite. I usually use a sans amp bassdriver DI but this amp really doesn't need it. I can get a good sound just by tweaking the on board eq and aural enhancer. I have used it more than just a practice amp. I've used this amp at large venues when I ran direct into the board. It has a good stage balance when used this way. It will not however handle a 1500 plus crowd by it's self. I play mostly jazz, blues and contemporary worship. Therefore, I have never had a reason to push the amp to the breaking up point. Sound engineers are always commenting on the great sound I get out of it.

I had the fuse holder to pop off during transport. I suggest you get a spare. They don't carry it at radio shack. The amp will be rendered useless until it is replaced. SWR should either move it to the top or recess it in the back of the cabinet. Other that, this amp will probably outlast me.

I contacted SWR first by e-mail and then by phone. I explained the fuse holder problem and the promply sent me 2 replacements!! Toooooo Cool!!!

I have a SWR 400 head and a Carvin RL210T cabinet that barely gets used anymore. As a matter of fact, the SWR/Carvin setup has become my practice setup and the Lazy Man 10, oops, I mean Working Man 10 has become my main amp except for the largest of gigs. Would I replace it if it was stolen? In a heartbeat!! Good Job SWR!!!!

I think it is a 2000, has a little blue power light, and I wish it had a parametric eq, and no Aural Enhancer.

Use a 4-string Stingray and a Fender Jazz fretless (both guitars active) to play small jazz and blues venues. I find the amount of bass coming out of such a wee box to be very surprising, and so does every musician that has heard it (SWRs are a little unusual in Sydney). Has very clean mids and tops - great with the Stingray for slapping and popping. I don't use the tweeter much, as I can get all the treble that I could want out of the Stingray. At the end of the day, tho, it's an 80 watt amp with a 10" speaker, so it's never going to keep up with my GK 400RB and 15" EV bin. It is what it is, and it is just awesome at that!

Used this amp extensively over the last 2 years with no probs at all. Don't lose those silly little rubber plugs on the back of the amp (I have mine gaffa taped in place - would recommend same).
Happy to use this amp without backup.

I live in Australia, so I've never dealt with the company directly. A word to SWR if they are reading this - I'd love to buy more SWR gear, but it is pretty much impossible to find out here - please find a distributor! No breakdowns of any kind. Very rugged. Seems bulletproof.

Love the weight vs grunt of this amp, hate the "Aural Enhancer" cos I don't really understand what it is doing, so I don't know how to use it.

Mine was made in I think 1998 or 1999. Very versatile and even includes effects send and returns. The usual dials as seen in previous reviews. Features I wish it had, well, I wish it was louder, but hard to get that without adding more wieght and more cost. My first review is way down there. I describe it as a Borg cube, which it is.

It doesn't add or detract from the bass. For those who like the modern bass sound and don't want to break your back like some peavey combos I know. Personally, I like the Trace Elliot tube sound, so I had to let her go. I'll miss the workingman's ten but I like what I got in return. Can you guess? See below

This is where the amp shines and shines and shines. Totally reliable and can totally handle the bass sound. The speaker is tough and can handle the low lows without farting out. I've had it for about 2 years and it has servd me well. Great for Jazz and accoustic work. This is pro-level gear.

I have to give SWR a ten. Initially when I bought it, there was a buzzing on certain notes. SWR paid the tech in Kelowna to disassembel it and tighten everything. Now no buzz.

What I didn't like was how expensive the covers are for these amps. Ouch!!! 40 bucks U.S. for a cover, granted they are really well made.

I traded the famous Kurt Phillips of Warhag and preiously Witchkiller straight across for a very nice(he treats gear well) for his Trace Elliot V-TYPE pre-amp. I just like the Trace tube sound more. I haven't tried any of Trace Eliot's new gear, so I don't know if quality went in the toilet after Gibson bought them out(too bad about that). Warhag has a new CD, which they did a really good job on(I believe the V-type was used on a few tracks). Do a search on the net, and you'll find the Warhag site. Kurt like me respects gear and likes good gear so the trade was an easy one.

If you are looking for a very nice bass combo that won't break the bank, buy the Workingman's Ten as it will fit the bill. Kurt also owns a guitarshop in Kelowna "Kelowna Guitarworks" and that's where my Workingman's Ten is now. The deal was done really recently, so it may still be there. New condition amp at used price. If you buy it, treat it well.

New in '98-'99. I play blues/jam/progressive rock. Holds up well for those styles. The best parts of this amp are: 80 watts in 32 lbs. Unbeatable cost/performance ration in my opinion. The 80 watts really does lack volume in some situations though. (eg. Guitarist has a Fender DeLuxe 4x12 combo!! Hard to compete.) I'm really looking into buying the extension cab since I'm gigging a lot more. The tone controls are adequate.

I've got a fretless MM Stingray. The combo has a nice overall tone. The amp does distort at high volumes, but like other reviewers say, it's not a bad distortion. Gotta plug the unused jacks in back though. That whistle it LOUD.

I had the input jack replaced because it was loose on thinner plugs. The tech complained about the jacks being soddered directly to the board. He replaced the jack with one that was wired to the board, and screwed to the chassis. He says it'll last forever now. Rock solid amp otherwise. This is my main and only rig that I use to gig with. It has never, ever let me down.

Never talked to them, and hopefully never have to.

I've been playing for about 10 years. I use a SansAmp BDDI as a pre-amp/direct box for the PA. All the gear I need. I used to have a 210 watt Peavey Mark III bass head from 1978 and a Sonic PA cabinet with 2 10" speakers and 1 18" speaker. That was a STUPID rig. The WM 10 is a much smarter rig. If my WM 10 was stolen today, I would probably look at a bigger SWR combo(red head?), but in general, I would replace it. I will probably get the extension cabinet though. The 80 watts is not enough *some* times. But for price and mass, there isn't a better value.

The othe people here took care of that already

I use the Workingmans 1X10 plus the 1X10 ex cab.I think this amp has a great sound.Very solid.I use this with 2 guitar players, they are good at controling there volume. When we gig, I just run the DI to the board and get a real nice sound.

I have had it for about 1 1/2 years and never had a problem with it. It used to get real hot when i run it hard, but I installed a fan it the back and that took care of the heating up problem.

Never had to deal with them

I have to say, I could not belive how good this sounds with the ex cab. Very small and i get in and out of gigs in one trip.

Neue Serie, 2002, kleine Veranderungen, anderes Typenschild (oben jetzt das SWR Logo aus Metall), Schalter fur Headphones und Horn off waagerecht angebracht, au?erdem sehr sinnvoll: ein zusatzlicher Klappgriff unten, zum Einen zum Tragen, zum Anderen kann man damit den Amp etwas ankippen, super!!!
Die anderen Features sind in den bisherigen Reviews ausgiebig beschrieben worden, daher erspare ich mir eine weitere Aufzahlung.
Eine Vorstufe (Gain) konnte noch eingebaut werden, manchmal ist die Lautstarke schwer zu dosieren, wenn ich den Sound am Bass wechsle.
Das Gewicht ist 15kg und die Dimensionen nicht zu klein (wg. Bassreflex), aber noch tragbar.Sehr schon ist auch die optionale Erweiterung durch eine Zusatzbox (z.B.: Workingman 10"), die Endstufe leistet dann noch 20 Watt mehr und das "Mini-Stack" schiebt dann schon gewaltig voran.

Ich spiele einen MusicMan MM40 Sterling, 4-Saiter, Standard pickups. Ich spiele hauptsachlich Soul, Funk und Gospel, ab und zu auch Rock, alles ist ohne Probleme auf diesem Amp moglich. Die EQ Regler arbeiten sehr effektiv (nicht nur im +Db Bereich), wenn ich z.B. vom Fingered Style auf Slap umstelle, hebe ich nur die Basse an und habe volles Pfund, oder in einem Song hebe ich zuvor die Basse am Amp ein wenig an und wenn ich dann am Bass die Basse reindrehe, dann flattern die Hosenbeine. Durch das Fullrange-System (Box+Horn+Bassreflex) ist es ohne weiters moglich, noch einen CD-Player oder Sequenzer zum Uben dran zu hangen (ich habe ein Korg Pandora 3 fur Bass).

Bislang habe ich keine Probleme, ich will hoffen dass es so bleibt, Technik kann halt versagen, ich mache mir da aber keinen Kopf :-)

Im Internet gibt's die Bedienanleitung, Ersatzteile und Zubehor (z.B.:Schutzhulle), alles andere kann der heimische Techniker "loten" :-)

Ich wurde mir diesen Amp immer wieder kaufen (wenn er nicht noch teurer wird: Mai 2002: 399,- EURO, Juli 2002: 499,- EURO, September 2002: 599,- EURO, ...) Ich habe viele Amps getestet bevor ich mich entschieden habe, aber nichts besseres gefunden (Ampeg BA-110 +112, Polytone Sonic Bass, Gallien Krueger, Warwick), alle sind entweder zu schwer, um sie als kleinen Gigamp zu nutzen oder sie haben zu wenig Leistung oder unnotige Features oder klingen schlecht, sind nicht gut verarbeitet)
Wenn Du auch aus dem dt. sprachigen Raum stammst und eine gleichen oder ahnlichen Verstarker spielst (Workingman 12 oder so), dann meld' dich doch mal, zwecks Austausch von Erfahrungen, ich lerne gerne dazu, wenn's um Setups oder Sounds geht :-)

For a practice/small gig amp the features are great, the balanced DI they have added means you can use the combo for foldback whilst the PA puts out the volume. Useful EQ section only a graded control of the tweeter is missing (its either on or off).

Obviously its no reggae amp but if you like clean modern tone this is the one to get. Slap tone is great but boosting treble creates a lot of hiss (no tweeter control). Then again, the flat sound is bright enough for most tastes. Fingerstyle tones are good is you dont want too much bottom end. Low overall volume the biggest drawback, but you pays your money....

Seems well made - no problems in six months of use.

Not needed - the user guide is fairly good though.

For practice at home and small gigs or rehearsals its clean tone and easy portability are great features. If this is going to be your only amp be aware of its sonic and volume limitations.

Very well equipped for such a small box. With 3 band EQ, Aural Enhancer (a rather vague concept knob that seems to have some kind of pre-shape effect) FX loop with mix control, speaker extension, Headphone, Tuner & DI out, and a 3 way speaker control. Comes with 1 10" driver and bullet tweeter, with 80 watts (120 with an extension cab).

If I had any gripes it would be a lack of a master volume. It seems to have input gain only, which results in the pre-amp EQ section being on full blast all the time. This means that the tweeter is always hissing no matter what volume you set, which gets worse if you set a harsh EQ. It's such a shame as it's a noticable detraction to the sound quality that one cheap pot would cure.

This produces a very nice tone at most volumes. Marred only by the hissing from the Tweeter. However the tweeter can be shut off without much loss in tone. and at anything other than very quit practicing volume you don't really notice it anyway.

It will distort if pushed hard, but the distortion is not to particularly unpleasant. Basically it sounds a lot bigger than it looks. and gives a great tone at all but the loudest levels. If only they'd sorted that hiss it would be near perfect.

Very solidly built. However, I when I got it, it rattled badly on certain notes. With the Manufaturer in the US, and the supplier in Germany, here in the UK I decided that I'd have to go in myself. I evetually traced the issue to the Transformer rattling against the casing, I put a couple of washers under it and all is now fine, but they loose a couple of points for the need to do that in the first place.

sent an email, and they're already sending me some rubber plugs for the jack sockets, free of charge to the UK. that puts them in my good books.

A fantasticly compact box with a very professional set of features. If they'd just sort the hiss out it would be perfect.

Picked up thos little guy at Georges Music in May 2002 for 429 greenbacks and have used it every day since. The features have been stated by other reviewers so there is no need to reiterate. I will say that the Aural Enhancer seems to suck the life out of my tone, the best setting I have found is at 12'oclock. I holds up in any musical situation I can put it through. I use this amp at home, for instruction, small venues, and practice. The 80 watts is plenty of power. I also wish for a gain control. -1 for the Aural Enhancer.

Like I said the Aural Enhancer is a "suck" button, but I deal with it. This little amp has been put through its paces and I like it. I use an array of basses with this amp and it loves them all (the WM 10 is like a pig in mud when used with an upright bass). The tweeter hisses, and when slappin' can be a bit grating, so I turn it off. The sound has exceeded my expectations. -1 point for the Aural Enhancer.

Some reviews have been scathing others have been on a more postive note. I guess I got the good apple, no problems with the WM 10 and I dont expect any. I give it an 8 because I havent abused it for long. I do have a Hartke combo, but I would never use it as a backup for the SWR.

Well I want the damn rubber plugs! Anyway, when I bought this amp it was on backorder and took a month for delivery, that was dissapointing. So I'll give them a 6 because of the lack of rubber plugs and the fact that I was out of 429 dollars and nothing to show for it. But now I am happy. Its nice to know there is a warranty, it could have been a peice of feces in a box, but as long as there is that warranty I feel fuzz and warm. It lets me know that they care.

I use this amp in a weird bi-amp with a Bag End S15-D and could'nt be happier. Small size and big tone put a smile on my face. I compared the SWR to amps of similar size from Ampeg, Trace Elliot, Peavey, Fender, Gallien Krueger, Eden, and Euphonic Audio. Well, the SWR just outshined the fenders, peaveys, and the trace elliot. It kept up with the Eden, but was blown out of the water by the GK, and Euphonic Audio. Then I looked at the prices, the SWR wins. Its actually better than I had expected. So Ill give it a 9.

Amp is over a year old. Volume, aural enhancer, bass, mid, treble, effects blend on top and headphones jack, external speaker jack, effects send, effects receive, tuner output jack, XLR balanced output jack, and 3-way switch for full-range, horn off, and headphones only. 80 watts with custom SWR 10-inch driver and Le-Son TLX-1 Piezo tweeter. Amp weighs only 32 lbs. Amp is great for low-volume practices or intimate gigs. I'm giving this a 10 because I don't need the built-in chorus that other reviewers wished were there.

I play a Zon Sonus 4 (with Bartolini single-coil pickups) through this amp when I'm playing with my jazz band, and it sounds great. I don't even need to use it at full volume. It has a fair amount of hiss that doesn't completely go away when you shut the horn off, but it's not an issue when you're playing.

I just bought this used, and the previous owner never had a problem with it, and neither have I so far. I'm confident that I can use this amp without a backup.

Having read mixed reviews about their customer support, I decided to put it to a little test. This amp is supposed to come with rubber plugs to plug unused jacks on the back of the amp and prevent the jacks from chirping (large amount of air being moved in a small cavity makes the jacks whistle otherwise). The previous owner lost the rubber plugs, so I called and e-mailed SWR support to test their response. They responded to both almost immediately and send me the plugs free of charge. Kudos!

I have been playing bass for over 4 years (and drums for over 23 years). I also have an SWR SM-400 and an SWR Goliath II 4x10 that I use in my rock gigs, but the setup is too big, bulky, and heavy for my new jazz gig, so this light and compact Workingman's 10 is perfect. I also have a Crate G80XL 80-watt guitar amp that I was using for the jazz rehearsals, and the Workingman's 10 (at the same wattage) is even smaller and light than the Crate for the same 80 watts, and it's meant for the bass. If this amp were stolen, I'd track down the thief and hang him. I would definitely get another one.

I have had the amp for about 2 years and this is the second time I have had it in the shop. I play in small band and seldom if ever turn the volume above 5.

One year warranty and of course the amp did not go out until the second year.

When the amp worked it was a very good amp. However, the problem is when it does not work at all or else the speaker begin to rattle on certain notes. Again I seldom if ever play with the volume above 5.

2000,one 10 inch speaker with tweeter,one input ,volume,treble,bass controls,aural enhancer,and effects blend knob.Jacks for headphones,XLR input,effects send and return ,and tuner output(on bach of amp).80 watts just the combo alone or 100 with an extra speaker.

I use two bass guitars with it: A Fender Active Jazz Bass(Mexican made),and a Samick Artist Series five string bass.I mostly play jazz and blues,but I can get a great rock sound out of it,or a good slap sound.Whatever I need sound wise,I can get from this amp.For 80 watts,this amp is very powerful!!One warning:for most situations(i.e.low to medium volume music)80 watts should be enough.However if this amp is push way too hard it will begin to distort.If it does back down on the volume or get the optional 10 cab to get more power.But I must add that(for rock) the distortion you can get from this amp is cool!!(I know that sounds weird for a bassist to say that,but compared to a bass overdrive pedal I beard the amp's overdrive sounds much cooler.)But most of the time,that is not the sound you want,so volume wise this amp does reach a limit.Other than that it rocks.

I have did gigs with this amp without a backup.I've had it for a year and a half,and I haven't had no problems with it at all.This amp is made to last.

N/A

I've been playing for 12 years.I have played through other bass amps like Ampegs,Trace Ellots,Harke.Most small bass amps I've used just don't work in band practice/performance situations.But this amp does.At 31 pounds,it's pretty light.It sounds much bigger than what it looks like.I hightly recommend this amp.If it was stolen,I would get another right away.I love this powerful 80 watt cube of pure bass power!!

This is an 80W single channel, solid state bass combo, with effects loop, headphone jack, extension cabinet jack - powers another 8ohm cabinet at 100W. Great for practice/recording/live. Bare bones as far as tone controls are concerned, but not really a limitation with this little box. Loud and proud sound.

This amp is great with various electric basses, many models and makers. Styles ranging from country, thrash, jazz, ambient, anything really. In general the model is quiet, some tweeter hiss at times. I've often found active pickups having this problem more than passive ones. I've used this amp with a tube preamp and can get some really great tone. No real effects other than the aural enhancer knob which is like a transparency effect.

Very dependable, but it is sort of small, so I recommend an extension cabinet for bigger clubs. I transport mine quite a bit and have never had a problem with it

Have no idea, as I haven't needed any.

From gig to practice to anywhere, I've always liked this little amp. I bought it as a practice amp, but liked it better than my old one so now it's my mainstay. I use an external effect unit since this box has one channel only, but even on its own the cube sounds sweet. Add an extension cabinet and this is the perfect 'workingman's' rig.

First of all, I'm a jazz guitarist who has been playing for 38 years. I've gone through at least 15 amps over the years and have been looking for a small, light(er) weight amp that have a good clean sound with some "oumph" for 6 months. I use this amp in my studio and on gigs (jazz guitar duo, guitar & bass duo and guitar, bass & drums trio). It has one channel and only "vanilla" controls. I really wish it had a gain control and reverb (I use a Roland SE50 fx box thru the fx loop). I really like the the fx blend and aural enhancer controls (I have a California Blonde and love it on that amp as well). The speaker/horn/headphone switch is also very useful, as is the XLR output and extention speaker output.

I play a 1980 Ibanez Joe Pass with one humbucker and a 1958 Guild CE100DE with two single coils thru this black box. It is C-L-E-A-N and really pushes air when I've got it turned up to 3 o'clock and am jamming in the lower range of my instruments. There is, as others have noted, a hiss when the horn is on . . . very noticable when you're not playing. The tonal palette is quite limited, even with the variety you can get with the aural enhancer, which is why I use the SE50. Not noisy at all.

As I mentioned earlier, I have a "Blonde" (4 years) and have been so satisfied with it that I feel very confident with the WM10. I love the size, the durability, and the two handles to lug it around. I hope all readers realize I'm very selective in all the equipment I use and am meticulously critical.

I've had great customer service with my Blonde (I received extra screws for the speaker screen on that box) but when I emailed SWR for advice on their products in my current search for the "perfect" amp they never replied. Mesa Boogie was even worse (with the numerous phone calls and unanswered messages to that pricey company).

I really wish there was a tube amp in this price range and size that did the same as the WM10. The Mesa Boogie Rocket 44 and Nomad 45 were the closest in what I wanted but I refuse to pay over $1000 (even if it is Canadian dollars) for an amp. And many (about a dozen) of the Mesa Boogie amps I tried out were defective in that they had alot of strange buzzes emanating from loose reverb tanks, etc. I'd rather spend the money on another guitar (or accessories) . . . at least fine guitars appreciate in value. I do not understand why some "bright" manufacturer hasn't realized that there are alot of older guys playing gigs who don't want to lug around big ass 75 pound plus amps anymore. I feel a bit odd playing thru a bass amp, but if it works, use it :-) One of my first guitar teachers, Howard Herbert (owned a music store in Philly in the 60's and 70s) used to say "I'd use my nose to play a chord voicing if I had to . . ." Well, I'll use a bass amp to get the sound I want:-) I recently read that Kevin Eubanks (one of my fellow Philadelphian "brothers"; I now live in Vancouver BC) plays a WM10 as well (on the Tonight Show or at home?). Now you can add anotehr Philly expatriot to the list :-)

I won't go into the features as you can read all about what dials it has below. It is simply a small cube(borg-like) bass combo that I would have never ever thought I would have bought until I saw it and played it.

I do wish it had a tube pre-amp, but other than that, this amp is stacked with features both dial wise and input/outputwise on the back.

For practice sessions and small cofeehouse gigs, it works very well. 80 watts is not a lot for bass but these are 80 watts clean where the amp can actually handle the output, not 80 watss where the amp is ready to blow-up.

I have to give it a ten, because it has all these features and