Congratulations on your purchase of the SWR® SM-1500™ bass amplifier!
The SM-1500 builds on the tradition of innovation estab- lished by SWR founder Steve W. Rabe in 1984. In response to the advice and suggestions from the top L.A. recording bassists of the day, who wanted their live sound to be every bit as great as what they heard in studio playback monitors, Rabe developed an entirely new concept for bass instrument amplification; and the “SWR Sound” was born.
The PB-200™ was the first tube preamp/solid state power hybrid bass amp and featured the now classic SWR pream- plifier and Aural Enhancer™ circuitry. It was a product that started a revolution in bass amplification and offered crystal- clear, high-fidelity tone in live performance and recording situations.
The next leap in SWR’s evolution came in 1985, with the introduction of the now legendary SM-400™ amplifier. This was the first true stereo bass amp with a stereo effects loop and inputs for both passive and active instruments. The now industry standard 4x10 Goliath, the first full range speaker enclosure for bass that featured a high frequency tweeter, fol- lowed in 1987.
In 1991, our never-ending quest for more power and profes- sional features led to the creation of the SM-900™; one of the most requested bass amps by both concert promoters and backline companies worldwide. In 1993, the SM-400 was upgraded to the SM-400S™ and further refinements and improvements in the platform led to the SM-500™ in 1999.
True to SWR tradition, the SM-1500 is an innovative product that is the result of decades of research and design experi- ence, coupled with direct input from the world’s greatest recording and touring bassists. In the SM-1500, we have com- bined the extensive feature set from our SM family of ampli- fiers; including stereo and bi-amp capabilities, with a stag- gering amount of power: 750 watts per side in dual mono or stereo operation, or 1500 watts @ 4 ohms bridged to mono.
In addition, we have added our popular Bass Intensifier™ circuit; (a boost circuit great for soloing); and a tube-driven compressor, which can be engaged before or after the EQ section of the amp. The SM-1500 is simply a remarkable piece of engineering as well as an incredibly powerful and versatile tool for the serious bass player.
We are confident you will enjoy your SM-1500 for many years to come and we thank you for “Stepping Up” to SWR.
Your new SM-1500 Professional Bass Amplifier offers the perfor- mance, power and SWR® tone that professional bassists of every playing style demand:
•Twin power amps with three modes of operation
•Bridge (mono) mode—1,500 watts @ 4-ohms
•Stereo mode—750‑watts @ 2-ohms (per side)
•Bi-Amp mode—with adjustable crossover frequency
•Tube preamp fueled by a 12AX7 dual triode tube
•Two front panel inputs plus one rear panel input with input select switch to accommodate multiple bass guitar setups
•World renowned SWR® Aural Enhancer tone shaping
•World-class Compression with Comp Position selection
•Four Footswitch selectable features
•Bass Intensifier for maximum impact
•Boost to accent solos
•Three Semi-Parametric Equalizer configurations—choose from two independent 3-band Eq's or combine them into one 6-band Eq
•Stereo/mono Effects Loop with Effects Blend control
•Traditional Bass/Treble tone controls
•Speakon® and 1/4" speaker outputs
•Balanced XLR output with Line, Comp Output and tube Direct modes, plus Level control, Phase and Ground Lift switches
