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SWR California Blonde

bass-shy

bass-shy

Jan 11, 2005
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#1
Just picked up an SWR California Blonde, yesterday.

So far, it sounds great and is loud as hell. I'm playing Martin 00C-16GTAE and Alternative-X basses and a Martin DCX1E guitar through it, as well a a vocal mic on channel two.

The reverb is nice, and can be assigned to only one channel by patching cables on the back panel. It also has a very effective EQ section that is really useful for switching between guitar and bass.

There really isn't much info or discussion on this amp here on TB, so once I've spent a little more time with it, I'll post a more thorough review.

Oh yeah, its a pre-Fender Cali-Blonde and I got it for $300.00 US, out the door. It needed a little bit of cleaning but is in excellent shape with all the knobs and switches intact, and the tolex is in good shape.

Does anyone else have experience with this amp?
 
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#4
Pre Fender California Blonde (made in Sun Valley) is my home practice rig. Surprised more folks don't use them. Really versatile amp. Speaker design claims 20Hz to 20,000Hz. I do not believe that it really goes that low with any audible clarity, but I am impressed with the reproduction of the low E (or detuned D).

You can use it for bass, acoustic instruments (built in reverb is great) or vocals. Two channels - side effects loop.

Basically, its the Swiss Army knife of small bass combos.

Its only downside for me is the weight. Around 50 pounds for a 1x12 combo is alot is todays micro/neo dominated market. But, again, I use this for home practice. So, I don't have to move it alot.

I don't think there is a more versatile small combo amp out there in the $300/used price range. Hope you enjoy yours!
 
#5
I used one for several years with a 17 piece swing band and the only complaint I ever heard was "turn it down". An excellent amplifier for bass. I also used in on occasions when I had to play guitar with the band.
 
#6
funkytoe said:
Pre Fender California Blonde (made in Simi Valley) is my home practice rig. Surprised more folks don't use them. Really versatile amp. Speaker design claims 20Hz to 20,000Hz. I do not believe that it really goes that low with any audible clarity, but I am impressed with the reproduction of the low E (or detuned D).

You can use it for bass, acoustic instruments (built in reverb is great) or vocals. Two channels - side effects loop.

Basically, its the Swiss Army knife of small bass combos.

Its only downside for me is the weight. Around 50 pounds for a 1x12 combo is alot is todays micro/neo dominated market. But, again, I use this for home practice. So, I don't have to move it alot.

I don't think there is a more versatile small combo amp out there in the $300/used price range. Hope you enjoy yours!
Click to expand...

Couldnt agree more with his assesment. The only downside is the weight.
 
#7
funkytoe said:
... Its only downside for me is the weight. Around 50 pounds for a 1x12 combo is alot is todays micro/neo dominated market. But, again, I use this for home practice. So, I don't have to move it alot...
Click to expand...

The beloved Mesa Scout 12 is a 50 lbs combo that seems to be very popular despite it's weight. If the sound is there, 50 lbs is not too much to ask IMO. I'd love the chance to pick up a SWR Blonde for $300!! They just don't show up here in Ontario Canada too often and when they do they're not $300.
 
#8
I'm playing my Stambaugh through mine right now. I've had it for years and I'm always amazed by how clear it is. The weight is awkward due to the handle placement on top. If I moved mine more, I would think about adding a handle to the side to carry it horizontally. I also wish the taper was a bit different on the master volume because it gets loud quickly. And yes, it does work well with my Guild acoustic guitar as well. ;)

As a swiss-army knife, here's some of the ways I use it.

1) Plug in an play (always a good start)
2) XLR line out into my DAW with the speaker off for some recording
3) Preamp of choice into the effects return with the speaker on as a powered enclosure
4) Bass or guitar into line one, mic into line two for the rare occasion I need to be mic'd while singing.

At some point, I'll add an EUB to the line up and I believe this will work nicely. Great little amp.

Matt
 
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#9
GMSweet said:
I also wish the taper was a bit different on the master volume because it gets loud quickly. ;)

Matt
Click to expand...

I have this same wish. Seems like you're at 80% of the clean volume before you reach 11:00 on the master. I've often wondered how that master volume would function with the baja blonde extension cab attached. How much more clean headroom could you get from the additional speaker?
Could you get the master up to 1:00 or 2:00 without distortion?

Anyone using theirs with an 8 ohm extension cab?
 
#10
funkytoe said:
Anyone using theirs with an 8 ohm extension cab?
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to find out soon. I've been looking for a similarly sized cabinet to pair it with. I'll post impressions once I find one.

As for the weight, the second handle on the bottom makes it super easy to carry, IMO. I grab the top handle with my right hand and the bottom handle with my left. I can carry it close to my body and it seems much lighter than 50. lbs. that way.

(It is also the lightest amp I own.) :rollno:

I've been working late so I haven't had much time to play around with it yet.

Soon..............
 
#11
That's so great that you guys are talking about this. I own both a pre-Fender Calidornia Blonde and a Workingman's 12, and I plugged my bass into my Blonde on a lark and it sounds WAY better than the Workingman's 12. The difference is pretty astounding... so I wanted to check to see if anyone else was using it primarily as a bass amp. I'm going to see if I can trade my Workingman's 12 to someone for a replacement head (my 800RB recently melted down on a gig). Has anyone blown a Blonde running a bass through it at a higher volume?
 
#12
Well, I've run mine loud enough to rattle the walls in our rehearsal space without any obvious damage to the amp. I am using mine with acoustic guitar and bass. The basses have a very solid bottom end, and I would think that if anything bad were to come of playing bass through it, it would have happened already.

Also, as an update to my original post: This amp totally rocks!

It's loud and clear at loud volumes and still articulate and sensitive to subtlety and inflection. I have been running a vocal mic into channel two for singing and playing simultaneously and the vocals come through very well, too. I was concerned that loud bass and vocals being pumped through a single 12" driver and horn would be too much for the small box to handle, but it does very well.

I haven't had the chance (or need) to add an extension cab yet, but I'm incredibly impressed and pleased with this amp.
 
#13
I used my Workingman's 12 to drive my Ampeg 410HE for a gig, but the Workingman's 12 ran INCREDIBLY hot, and I'm not sure I'd do it again. However, the Blonde is considerably more powerful, so I would think you'd be able to drive a decent size extension with it.

Funny, I A/B's both the WM 12 and the Blonde for my wife and as an untrained ear she agreed that the Blonde sounded MUCH better. Funny, I always liked the WM 12 up until yesterday...
 
#14
As I stated in an earlier post, I used the California Blonde in my jazz band for years. Its replacement: SWR 210 combo, (cant remember the exact model number, 2x10c?). Although the 210 sounded far superior to the Blonde in A/B, the blonde was far superior when on stage (remember I play in a jazz band, you rockers may totaly disagree with what I am saying) because it handled playing dynamics so well (it was designed for acoustic bass). One day when I accidently turned off the limiter on the 210, IT SUDDENLY CAME ALIVE. So dont throw away your workingman too quickly, turn off the limiter and then A/B it to the blonde. If you still prefer the blonde, ( and you very well may) just remember that SWR designed the CB as a proffessional amp where the Workingman is a budget amp.
 
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#15
Hello everyone, I have had a great experience with this amp and love just about everything about it. Currently my brother is running his electric guitar through it in the band. I was wondering if anyone could confirm for me whether pushing the gain control into clipping/distortion hurts the amp in anyway. We love the texture he can get out of it.
 
#16
Sacco taco said:
Hello everyone, I have had a great experience with this amp and love just about everything about it. Currently my brother is running his electric guitar through it in the band. I was wondering if anyone could confirm for me whether pushing the gain control into clipping/distortion hurts the amp in anyway. We love the texture he can get out of it.
Click to expand...

No problem at all. Clip away! It usually doesn't sound so great for bass when I did that with other SWR amps though...
 
#19
bass-shy said:
Well, I've run mine loud enough to rattle the walls in our rehearsal space without any obvious damage to the amp. I am using mine with acoustic guitar and bass. The basses have a very solid bottom end, and I would think that if anything bad were to come of playing bass through it, it would have happened already.

Also, as an update to my original post: This amp totally rocks!

It's loud and clear at loud volumes and still articulate and sensitive to subtlety and inflection. I have been running a vocal mic into channel two for singing and playing simultaneously and the vocals come through very well, too. I was concerned that loud bass and vocals being pumped through a single 12" driver and horn would be too much for the small box to handle, but it does very well.

I haven't had the chance (or need) to add an extension cab yet, but I'm incredibly impressed and pleased with this amp.
Click to expand...
Hi, does it mean you usually played bass guitars on it? ( not just acoustic bass/guitar).
Thanks!
 
#20
I owned and used a California Blonde. The first series, low serial number. Loved it. It's only something like 80 watts, so if you push it hard, and if you crank up the bass knob, it will get hot. There are limits. I tried the matching SWR cab (passive, they also made a powered version) as a stage rig (boy did that look cool), and the amp went thermal and shut off. The reverb is excellent, if you want that. The side chain effects blending is brilliant. I wouldn't use any effects in front of this amp, it is so good. For 300 bucks, I'd snatch one..but they are usually more than that...I used this amp for casuals, electric bass, upright bass. It is a legit bass amp, i watched a video of Stanley Clarke yesterday, he was wailing away through a California Blonde.

BTW, unlikely that pushing it to clipping in the preamp will hurt anything, unless you get really stupid and crank up the gain on any overdrive box that's in front. Just be aware, that components do wear out no matter, the more you use them. The original CA Blonde was built front to rear will top notch parts..the Mexican ones, they probably cut corners and used good parts at the first stage, and cheaper ones behind. Pretty typical these days. You get what you pay for.
 
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