SWR Sound Bass Player T EC H S P ECS

52 BA S S P LA Y E R | M AY2 0 0 8

d i ff e rent input impedances as well, with the

PASSIVEjack’s 1MΩrating perfect for realizing

a passive bass’s full frequency potential.

The Redhead was always a studio favorite,

and the newest model enhances this qualit y

further with the addition of a smooth-sound-

ing c ompressor and tr ansform e r- c o u p l e d ,

o n b o a rd tube DI (see sidebar). I appreciate the

R e d h e a d ’s DI layout, putting the controls on

the front panel but leaving the XLRjack on the

re a r. The DI’s parameters are particularly ro b u s t ,

with LINE or DIRECT signal-flow options (LINE

incorporates the preamp and EQ, D I R E C T i s

tapped off the input stage), a G R O U N D L I F T, a

DI-specific mute (a killer feature that’s sadly

lacking on many amps—ever try to tune at a

gig when your bass is still in the house mains?),

and a PA Dfor ensuring proper gain staging with

a variety of re c o rding and sound-re i n f o rc e m e n t

equipment.

The new Redhead is louder than its pred-

ecessor. A lot louder. On its own, it’s hard to

imagine a gig that it wouldn’t comfortably hang

with (plus, anything bigger and there’ll be PA

reinforcement). Its tone is distinctively SWR:

rapid attack, a sense of overall dynamic con-

t rol, an uncolored (and uncluttered) midrange,

and a snappy top. What it isn’t: buttery, thick,

s y ru p y, gooey—the colorful characteristics that

may or may not be your thing. The new driv-

ers are superb, holding tight under extreme B-

string attacks and dispersi ng in a pleasant ly

elegant room-filling soundstage. The Redhead’s

sharp and authoritative attack, coupled with

its crisp high end, make it a particularly killin’

slap amp. The cool compre s s o r, inherited fro m

S W R ’s flagship SM1500 (and the soon-to-arr i v e

Marcus Miller preamp), enhances this facet of

the Redhead’s personality, adding evenness and

p resence without offensive coloration. The DI

p e rf o rme d well in a computer- re c o rding envi-

ronment, adding a bit of burnished color lack-

ing in t he l ive signal, due la rgely to the

h a rmonic characteristics of its tube and trans-

former components.

The new Redhea d is more of w hat i t’s

always been: a high- quality, pristine-sound-

ing, pro-level amp for those who prefer clar-

ity and cr ackle to mud an d crunch . In

upgrading the p ower, speakers, a nd feature

set, SWR successfully took the combo into the

21st century, and so the Redhead is back in

contention as a titillating bass-gear p in-up,

w o rth the price of admission. BP

T EC H S P ECS

Input impedance ACTIVE, 130kΩ; PASSIVE, 1MΩ

Tone controlsBASS: ±15dB @ 70Hz

(shelving), w/TURBOengaged: ±15dB @

30Hz; MIDRANGE: ±15dB @ 200Hz–800Hz

(semi-parametric);TREBLE: ±15dB @ 2kHz

(shelving), w/TRANSPARENCYengaged:

±15dB @ 4kHz

DI output Tube-driven, transformer-coupled

balanced XLRwith MUTE, LINE/DIRECT, and

PADcontrols

Power amp topology Class AB

Power output400 watts into internal

cabinet; 600 watts with 4Ωextension

Cabinet type 2x10 + horn

Speaker manufacturer Custom-designed

Eminence drivers with Foster horn

Weight 80 lbs

Made in U.S.A. (some parts manufactured

in Mexico)

WarrantyFive years