That’s why there’s a good argument for purpose-built acoustic amps that account for the instrument’s peculiarities. While SWR’s Baby Blue 2x8 combo (now sadly out of production) is a beloved gem among acoustic bassists, the Natural Blonde is SWR’s first true acoustic bass amp, but with plenty of punch, guts, and twinkle for players who double on electric. Slightly similar in format to the Baby Blue, the Natural Blonde offers many mission-critical features for gigging acoustic bassists.
The Natural Blonde’s design revolves around a clever two-channel/two-input circuit, a concept of fundamental importance to doublers or upright players with a mic/piezo pickup system. Channel 1 uses a q" stereo jack for balanced or stereo inputs, although it’s also compatible with a mono signal. Channel 2’s combo jack (xlr/ q") accepts an unbalanced mono signal or an xlr output from a mic and sends phantom power to power a condenser, a super-cool feature that avoids the need for an additional preamp when using a mic. Each input feeds identical preamps of typical SWR design; that means mid-scooping EQ contour (aural enhancer), shelving bass and treble controls, and a semi-parametric mid range. There are also independent phase reversal switches for feedback prevention, mute switches, and effect loops with blend controls. The two channels share the compressor, bass intensifier, and master volume, and there’s a dual-channel mute switch. That’s three mutes—right on!
SWR’s cleverness extends to the Natural Blonde’s cabinet and speaker design. All told, the SWR has three woofers and a horn, although only the two 8s and horn are visible from in front. The third speaker is a rear-firing 5" driver designed to project onto a club’s back wall to enhance onstange presence. It, along with the horn, is level-controllable via one of the two front-baffle L-Pads. The handsome off-white cabinet includes a dolly with telescoping handle for easy schlep-itude (thank you, thank you, thank you). While the SWR’s two 8" drivers use neodymium magnets (a lightweight material that can make for seriously light bass cabinets), the Natural Blonde is actually a touch heavy. No worries, though, as the handy dolly and well-placed top-mounted handle alleviated the worst of the burden. Construction and the quality of the components were average quality, with an orderly interior and firmly braced and bolted joinery.
I mostly used the amp with my Citron AE5 Swallow bass, a beautiful sounding instrument that can be devilishly tricky to amplify, but I also enlisted a couple of upright-toting buddies and plugged in an acoustic bass guitar (ABG) or two. With the ABGs and the Citron bass, the Natural Blonde was neutral with perhaps a hair of bump in the midrange. Its highs were delicate, but retained a slightly ragged edge that was actually beneficial when I sought that vibe-y string-on-fingerboard growl. The bottom, while not extensively deep, is ever-present thanks to the rear-firing speaker, but amp placement was critical with regard to the rear speaker’s benefits. Placed close to a wall, the bottom swells; placed far from the wall, the Natural Blonde’s otherwise point-sourced sound spreads across the stage, a quality that either thrilled me or peeved me, depending on the room. Fortunately, the front-located L-Pad made removing the unpredictable rear speaker an easy matter on the nights it annoyed me. The frequency-adjustable bass intensifier was useful for instantaneous low-end growth. It couples a low-frequency boost with a fast-acting compressor to accentuate and tighten the Blonde’s bass response.
The Natural Blonde was excellent with the uprights, but like with the ABGs, it required a judicious attention to the settings of the horn and rear-firing speaker to achieve a balanced, woody tone. The Natural Blonde had a slightly “amp-y” sound, but such is life when trying to amplify an instrument originally intended for symphony halls. Pizzicato jazz bassists—my guess as to the Blonde's primary customer will love the amp’s quick response and rich tone, and it includes every feature that the experienced gigger learns to cherish.
My only bone to pick with the Blonde is its volume. I wish it were a touch louder. Sure, it’s plenty loud for the average jazz club or cafe (and there’s direct outputs a-plenty to send to a mixer), but on a rock-club stage it struggled a bit to compete with drums and loud guitar. This may be a moot point for many acoustic bassists, but players who like to play the odd ABG or upright tune with their rock band would probably be better served with a more conventional bass rig.
It’s clear that a gigging acoustic bassist had a heavy hand in the Natural Blonde’s design. There’s few annoying omissions; that “this is great, but I wish it had …” feeling I occasionally get with the latest gear just wasn't there with the Natural Blonde. It’s not an all-encompassing solution for every bass, but for the frequent acoustic player, it’s a top-notch choice.