I will have this amp for a long time. Its quality would satisfy players well above my skill range, and its sound is good enough that it makes me want to play it every day. If I ever need more volume (which I almost certainly never will) I can make/buy a speaker to slave off it, or I can go XLR out into a big PA, etc.

Sound
I am an amateur/learning/hack/poser bass player, this is the third amp I have had (Peavey TKO 150 and and Ampeg 115 before). This amp is by far the best sounding, albeit more expensive. You can plug in active bass to active or active/passive jack depending on how much 'detail' you want to hear. I'm still tweaking all the sounds I can get from EQ with my active bass, I haven't even wanted to plug in effects yet.

Features
Effects loop and blend knob, high-Z out, external speaker jack, speaker on/off switch - nothing fancy here, just every BASIC thing you would ever need in an amp, at very high quality. Unit is light, you definitely can carry it in one hand, bass case in other. The size and portability to sound quality and volume level ratio (if there is such a 'rating') probably put this amp at the top of the heap.

Ease of Use
Manual is actually pretty helpful in getting you to what sound you want.

Quality
Very sturdy, not a single problem thus far. Also, it's made in the USA, in Corona, Ca. Pretty sure Fender bought SWR. It didn't used… read more to be so important to me to buy things made in the USA, but with all the high-priced GARBAGE coming out of China these days, it's comforting to know that craftsmen/women in our country still give a %#@& about quality. It was worth the price just to get something made like they used to make them. God, that makes me feel old saying that...

Value
I will have to see how it lasts in the long run. I got a great deal on it from zZounds because it was an 'opened product' or floor model, don't really know. But, it came in original box, packing and sealed manual, documents, warranty cards, etc.

Manufacturer Support
No problems with unit so I haven't had to call them yet, but folks on the phone at zZounds are very good, so I'll give the support rating a 9 to keep the overall score up. This amp is worth all the praise I can give it.

The Wow Factor
It looks really cool, shiny silver grate, unique color, soft material covering. I wanted it so bad that I was willing to endure the stink-eye from my wife when I told her I bought it (we were planning our wedding at the time and couldn't really afford it). Yes, it has great sex appeal.

Musical Background:
hobbyist

Musical Style:
alt-indy-strangewave-prog-jazz-psychobilly-funk read less