30 years, bass guitar, professional

rock, blues, jazz, fusion

The Super Redhead is tight, punchy and performs well at all levels. It's simple, yet delivers all sorts of sounds. The semi-parametric mid function is wonderful; it offers two levels of bass boost at a couple of frequency levels and the same is true for the treble. I found the SWR Aural function to be subtle but effective.

The high score for the features has as much to do with ease of use as anything else. You can plug directly into a recorder with XLR or 1/4 plugs (one guy I know goes direct and then mics his cab to get a unique sound that I'm going to try soon). You can also employ the pre-amp or simply by-pass it for direction recording and you can also tweek the horn in the cab to your liking.

The amp is solid. It's beautifully made and looks great. You can even enclose it with the cover that comes with it when you're through playing to keep the front clean. (Most photos I've seen show the cover under the amp, acting as a stand, which SWR says is a proper use of it.) It comes with casters that are solid and a plus.

Sure, it'll set you back a few bucks, but hey, you're going to play the thing everyday and you want a tight rig, right?

Maybe my mark for support is a bit rough, but I did send an e-mail to SWR about a buzz in the amp. (Turns out it was a shielding issue involving my bass.) Trouble is, I never heard back from SWR.

It is a good looking amp, not a great looking amp. It's not as 'sexy' as say a fancy head sitting naked on top of a 4X10 cab, but this little puppy is a job doer. I'll use my own guile to attract the ladies. (Maybe not -- I'm engaged!)

Hobbyist

Funky Rock, Blues, some Jazz, some straight Rock

The sound is aces. It's just that simple. The amp produces warm, clean, noise-free super punchy tones and any volume. If the sound and feel of a pair of tens is not for you, no problemo. Simply piggyback a cab with a different configuration to the the amp and you have added to the spectrum of sound the amp can produce. I found the SWR Aural control subtle, yet effective and the semi-parametric mid control is sweet. It also has features on the bass and treble controls that alter the frequency ranges that they control, which is also a tasty function.

The amp is 'phat' and flexible. The sound shaping is formidable. A pull of the bass knob enables you to enhance a lower set of frequencies. The same is true of the treble knot -- a pull give you access to a higher frequency set. The mids are semi-parametric -- wonderful. You can mic the amp for recording or go direct from it to any recording unit. You also have the option of recording with or without the amp effects. There's a convenient headphone jack on the front and the ability to mute the speakers or turn off the internal fan. (Not a good idea for extended periods of time.) It's also to boost the signal coming from the amp's horn if you're wanting more ring from it. The front cover is also a plus. Cover the amp with it when you're finished and it looks neat. You can also use it as a type of stand to direct the sound upward, a configuration you often see in many pictures of the amp.

The Super Redhead is sweet yet solid. It looks great and feels well built. The red paint on the amp is a plus, but I'm a sucker for red heads!

I was considering an amp/cab configuration, but the sales person with whom I worked convinced me to go with the Redhead. That saved me more than a thousand dollars and I got a top flight amp combo to boot. It is a few dollars, but just imagine -- you're going to play this thing nearly every day and you want a tight sound, right?

The high score has everything to do with the quality of the amp and nothing to do with any contact I've had with SWR. Given the quality of the product, I doubt I'll have any contact with SWR. It comes with a two year warrenty, which is a plus. Also, the company web site is fun -- sure, it's unrelated to the measure of the amp, but hey, it's a bonus.

The Super Redhead is not the type of amp that gives you the look of 'Rock-god' but you can achieve that with your chops and muscular upper body. To me, it has the look of a petite hottie and is that so bad? Some guys want a leggy tall something near-by, some guys are fond of tiny redheads. I appreciate the killer sound and that's the bottom line.

Hobbyist

Rock, R&B, Rock-Funk fusion, some Jazz, Blues

This is the only bass amp you will ever need. How does it sound? (What kind of sound do you want?) You can record with it. (Very quiet electronics and adjustable XLR out.) You can play live with it. (350 watts RMS- drive an external cab,for more volume, no problem). It only weighs 75 lbs and will fit in the back of your car. Best of all, it sounds like an SWR.

Most useful features are treble transparency, turbo bass, aural enhancer and seperate volume controls for gain and overall volume. And the adjustable-gain XLR that allows you to select either pre or post EQ.

Really flexible. Like all electronics, has a learning curve but is simple and intuitive to operate.

IMHO the best commercial bass amp available. Built like a tank. If you blow this one up, you are too f*cking loud. Good for the road, good for the studio. With proper care you will die with this amp.

The buy in on a new one is pretty steep- about $1450, but you can get a good used one (if you can find one ) for around $600 and then you will spend a couple hundred to clean it up. But hey, you get what you pay for. A Peavey it's not, thank God.

They have a local authorized repair center that is great. They did a recone on my used Super Redhead and fixed a tweeter network that was miswired by the prior owner. Plays and look like a new unit.

It's the bass player's best friend. Pure nirvana.