SWRBabyBlue

[GibbyM]

Good morning, it looks as if this amp was made 2nd or 3rd quarter of 1990.The 118th amp, what I am also curious about is and this may seem irrelevant..but how many were made by serial number I have seen also on reverb that there was #300.

 

[GibbyM]

It is infact in very good condition..my neighbors like me..better! So it works in my apartment!

 

[GibbyM]

Very Happy with BB!

 

[SteveC]

Bummer SWR didn't last long enough to make lighter versions of their bass combos and acoustic instrument combos. And as much as Genzler is an awesome company, I'd have liked to see where Genz Benz went in subsequent years. Thanks Fender.

I'm a little confused by this statement. Genz Benz did go somewhere - Genzler. Same guy(s). New concepts. Great combos and acoustic instrument amps. My MG350/112 combo weighs like 26 pounds. It's ridiculous. Sounds amazing, handles a B string pretty well and gets quite loud.

I had an SWR Baby Blue combo 1st gen. Amazing little amp. I had a lot of stuff by SWR gear before I went Genz Benz and now Genzler.

 

[agedhorse]

This is interesting, I don't recall the foam surrounds and when I looked back in by documentation, I show a different part number E8A which is a more traditional treated cloth surround. The Henry 8x8 used a similar driver but with the M roll cloth surround, non-vented motor with a Zurrette type dust cap, 32 ohms, so I don't know why there were foam surrounds used unless that's what they started with and then evolved with Bag End. The Henry 8x8 driver was sourced from Celestion, maybe that's where this information came from, though I don't recall any of the Baby Blue driver versions using Zurrette dust caps.

Ironically, this part is still available from Bag End and was used in some of their pro audio products. It's a much more modern part, with a vented motor rather than using a felted dust cap as the vent. This generally (not always) improves the mid character, and is consistent with the larger drivers SWR used. The new version looks like an Eminence OEM component, based on the Beta platform (but not a stock driver).

Fender used Eminence for their version, the power supply was revised to meet current (at that time) international safety standards, as well as some EMC updates. There may have been some minor preamp and power amp changes as well, but not significant.

 

[DuluthDank]

I'm a little confused by this statement. Genz Benz did go somewhere - Genzler. Same guy(s). New concepts. Great combos and acoustic instrument amps. My MG350/112 combo weighs like 26 pounds. It's ridiculous. Sounds amazing, handles a B string pretty well and gets quite loud.

I had an SWR Baby Blue combo 1st gen. Amazing little amp. I had a lot of stuff by SWR gear before I went Genz Benz and now Genzler.

Genz Benz and Genzler are both great and similar enough, there are differences in focus and variety. I like the wider range of combos Genz Benz offered, from the 8 through 210 Shuttle combos, the Contour 500, etc. In my ideal world Fender would have continued Genz Benz, and Genzler would come around as well.

 

[darwin-bass]

Bummer SWR didn't last long enough to make lighter versions of their bass combos and acoustic instrument combos. And as much as Genzler is an awesome company, I'd have liked to see where Genz Benz went in subsequent years. Thanks Fender.

Genz-Benz morphed into Genzler. And @agedhorse moved on to Mesa so part of the GB DNA can be found there.

Based on my experience with GB, if I were in the market for a gigging amp, I'd be looking only at Genzler and Mesa Subway. Alas, my gig opportunities are all ampless.

 

[agedhorse]

Genz-Benz morphed into Genzler. And @agedhorse moved on to Mesa so part of the GB DNA can be found there.

Based on my experience with GB, if I were in the market for a gigging amp, I'd be looking only at Genzler and Mesa Subway. Alas, my gig opportunities are all ampless.

Correct, both are natural evolutions of our prior work and philosophies.

 

[BassicJazzy]

This is interesting, I don't recall the foam surrounds and when I looked back in by documentation, I show a different part number E8A which is a more traditional treated cloth surround. The Henry 8x8 used a similar driver but with the M roll cloth surround, non-vented motor with a Zurrette type dust cap, 32 ohms, so I don't know why there were foam surrounds used unless that's what they started with and then evolved with Bag End. The Henry 8x8 driver was sourced from Celestion, maybe that's where this information came from, though I don't recall any of the Baby Blue driver versions using Zurrette dust caps.

Ironically, this part is still available from Bag End and was used in some of their pro audio products. It's a much more modern part, with a vented motor rather than using a felted dust cap as the vent. This generally (not always) improves the mid character, and is consistent with the larger drivers SWR used. The new version looks like an Eminence OEM component, based on the Beta platform (but not a stock driver).

Fender used Eminence for their version, the power supply was revised to meet current (at that time) international safety standards, as well as some EMC updates. There may have been some minor preamp and power amp changes as well, but not significant.

My BB2 had foam throughout the interior of cabinet where the 8's were mounted. I could not see inside the box where the tweeter was mounted, so not sure if they used foam there too. The Celestion BDG60-8s in mine looked like a cross between Eminence and the BagEnd speakers here, they were shallow but seemed to have a larger area where the magnet was located. They had a more modern look to them, but were definitely outdated compared to the Eminence. Sadly, I didn't take any pics of the interior of the cab before I discarded the amp.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Here is a better pic of the BB2, pre-Fender model from '94.

 

[Manticore]

I was an SWR fan when the brand was new. I owned the 17th Redhead, an early 400s (pre-fan era) amp, countless speaker combinations, and a very early Baby Blue. I still own some of the gear, the Baby Blue among the items retained. I still use it in acoustic duets with a Martin acoustic bass guitar. It is an amazing combo that has proven exceptionally durable. I use it as a monitor set behind me so I can keep my bass out of the wedges facing me (feedback prevention). The foam surrounds on the speakers can be seen in the pic; the surrounds are fully intact some 35 years after I bought it new. (40 years? Don't remember) These really aren't that heavy, weighing about 35 pounds or so; definitelya one-hand schlep with the top handle. And? It fits nicely in the front of a 997!

 

[BassicJazzy]

I was an SWR fan when the brand was new. I owned the 17th Redhead, an early 400s (pre-fan era) amp, countless speaker combinations, and a very early Baby Blue. I still own some of the gear, the Baby Blue among the items retained. I still use it in acoustic duets with a Martin acoustic bass guitar. It is an amazing combo that has proven exceptionally durable. I use it as a monitor set behind me so I can keep my bass out of the wedges facing me (feedback prevention). The foam surrounds on the speakers can be seen in the pic; the surrounds are fully intact some 35 years after I bought it new. (40 years? Don't remember) These really aren't that heavy, weighing about 35 pounds or so; definitelya one-hand schlep with the top handle. And? It fits nicely in the front of a 997!

Looking closely at the pic, your cones seem to be in better shape than mine were at the end, even though my BB2 was a bit newer. Might be due to me living in a marine environment, where paper and rubber basically disintegrate very quickly? I'm glad you are still getting service out of yours, Kida sad I had to bury mine, though I did leave it out with manual and note saying it was welcome to anyone who wanted to attempt to restore it.

 

[agedhorse]

My BB2 had foam throughout the interior of cabinet where the 8's were mounted. I could not see inside the box where the tweeter was mounted, so not sure if they used foam there too. The Celestion BDG60-8s in mine looked like a cross between Eminence and the BagEnd speakers here, they were shallow but seemed to have a larger area where the magnet was located. They had a more modern look to them, but were definitely outdated compared to the Eminence. Sadly, I didn't take any pics of the interior of the cab before I discarded the amp.

I’m talking about the foam speaker surround, not the damping lining the inside of the cabinet.

 

[iammr2]

I was an SWR fan when the brand was new. I owned the 17th Redhead, an early 400s (pre-fan era) amp, countless speaker combinations, and a very early Baby Blue. I still own some of the gear, the Baby Blue among the items retained. I still use it in acoustic duets with a Martin acoustic bass guitar. It is an amazing combo that has proven exceptionally durable. I use it as a monitor set behind me so I can keep my bass out of the wedges facing me (feedback prevention). The foam surrounds on the speakers can be seen in the pic; the surrounds are fully intact some 35 years after I bought it new. (40 years? Don't remember) These really aren't that heavy, weighing about 35 pounds or so; definitelya one-hand schlep with the top handle. And? It fits nicely in the front of a 997!

We must have similar taste. I used this BB II with a Martin B-1 accoustic bass. It was awesome. I'm surprised to see your surrounds are still intact.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I’m talking about the foam speaker surround, not the damping lining the inside of the cabinet.

Good point, but you always have good points. Yeah, mine did not have foam around the speaker itself.

 

[BassicJazzy]

We must have similar taste. I used this BB II with a Martin B-1 accoustic bass. It was awesome. I'm surprised to see your surrounds are still intact.

View attachment 7215584

That looks exactly like mine. I also used it with an acoustic/electric, in my case the Ovation Elite 4. I played it more often with a '90 Fender Jazz Plus. I found the Ovation was loud enough without amplification, and if I was playing in a crowd I preferred the electric. Is your's still alive? Mine died recently, and I put it out to pasture, or for a new home if someone wanted to accept the challenge of repairing it. Maybe it'll show up here in time?

 

[Ric Vice]

Bag End designed and manufactured the original 8” drivers for the original Baby Blue 2x8 they revised it less than two years later and replaced the 16 ohm Bag End drivers with 8 ohm drivers built by Celestion. That lowered the load to 4 ohms, which increased the power output. That model was called the Baby Blue II. Not to be confused with the “Baby Blue 2 that had a 10” drivers. The Aural Enhancer was an “Acquired Taste” Somewhere here on talk bass, there is a way to put a bypass on that control. Otherwise it’s always on even if you zero it out completely. The rubber surrounds on the Bag Ends deteriorate and render the speaker unusable. .

 

[31HZ]

FWIW, Bass Player magazine used a Baby Blue as their "reference amp" whenever they tested a bass (this is back in the 1990s). Apparently they loved the amp!

 

[agedhorse]

Bag End designed and manufactured the original 8” drivers for the original Baby Blue 2x8 they revised it less than two years later and replaced the 16 ohm Bag End drivers with 8 ohm drivers built by Celestion. That lowered the load to 4 ohms, which increased the power output. That model was called the Baby Blue II. Not to be confused with the “Baby Blue 2 that had a 10” drivers. The Aural Enhancer was an “Acquired Taste” Somewhere here on talk bass, there is a way to put a bypass on that control. Otherwise it’s always on even if you zero it out completely. The rubber surrounds on the Bag Ends deteriorate and render the speaker unusable. .

There was also an Eminence version post-Celestion.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Bag End designed and manufactured the original 8” drivers for the original Baby Blue 2x8 they revised it less than two years later and replaced the 16 ohm Bag End drivers with 8 ohm drivers built by Celestion. That lowered the load to 4 ohms, which increased the power output. That model was called the Baby Blue II. Not to be confused with the “Baby Blue 2 that had a 10” drivers. The Aural Enhancer was an “Acquired Taste” Somewhere here on talk bass, there is a way to put a bypass on that control. Otherwise it’s always on even if you zero it out completely. The rubber surrounds on the Bag Ends deteriorate and render the speaker unusable. .

I agree with everything except the 8 ohs for the Celestion BDG8-60's, which were 16 ohms, but were wired in parallel to get 8 ohms, which was also the impedance of the 5" tweeter. The BB2 only made 160 watts if you plugged in a second, external speaker, which dropped the load to 4ohm. The BB1 did not have a second jack for an external speaker. If modified with Eminence 8s which are indeed 8 ohm speakers Agedhorse warned me to block off the external speaker jack, because the amp wasn't capable of driving a 2 ohm load, and either the fast burn external fuse, or the internal slow burn fuse, would blow. Said he saw some that had done this, didn't end well.

Trust me on this, my BB2 was only 120 watts. My new Fender Rumble100 is actually about 20% louder at same volume settings.

And yes, some people did not like the aural enhancer. I usually kept mine at around 10 o'clock, rarely turned it higher.