SWR: Original vs. New

[GladToBeBack]

I currently have an SWR Silverado Special II 2x12 Combo. I love it. I can't stress that enough. I LOVE IT! But it's old. I have another thread stressing my concerns with using an older amp...if it goes down, I don't want to not be able to play or practice.

I would like to stay with SWR but I have heard that their quality has taken a hit and newer builds are lacking something compared to the originals. Is this true? I'm not referring to sound, I have listened to many as my concerns have been growing. A 20-30 minute demo in the store, however, can not provide any kind of insight on the longevity of the life of the amp.

Anyone experience these newer first hand in a semi-daily to daily use application?

[T. Alan Smith]

I owned a post Steve Rabe / pre Fender SWR Sound rig, and while it was great, the stuff produced with Steve Rabe at the helm(SWR Engineering) was better. Most was quality control & customer service, but the Fender owned SWR shares most of the original design characteristics. It's great, just not the "real thing." If you have the budget for SWR Professional Series, then look into Bergantino cabs & Thunderfunk or Genz Benz amps.