The Sweet 15.3 and Sweet 25.2 come from Wariwck’s Semi-Professional series. Both are built around the same chunky 15" speaker and switchable high-frequency horn, and contained in sturdy bass-reflex cabinetry. They boast ample tone controls, and though they’re both a bit heavy to toss around with abandon, they’re portable enough to fit in the trunk of a car and be moved without a dolly. The Sweet 25.2, however, is a bit too hefty to carry on long distance load-ins.
The powerhouse of the pair, the fancooled solid-state Sweet 25.2, is rated at 250 watts and manages tone via BASS, LOW MID, HIGH MID and TREBLE filters, switches for enhancing DEEP and BRIGHT frequencies, as well as adjustable COMPRESSOR and variable CONTOUR controls, and features an additional 8" speaker to accentuate the midrange. The Sweet 15.3 boasts an 8- band graphic EQ, and switches for LOW BOOST and HIGH BOOST. The rear kickstand on the back of both amps is a handy fea- ture, but doesn’t feel like the sturdiest of 45-degree resting places.
At medium volumes, both amps offered thick, well-textured tone. They are a bit bass shy, especially with a B string, but otherwise I was struck by their good balance and poise. It wasn’t until I played with a loud drummer at a rehearsal that I found the Sweet 25.2’s breaking point. With both GAIN and MASTER volume controls, the ratio between the two was an important ingredient in the tone recipe. Backing off a bit yielded a much more pleasant tone, especially with the compressor engaged to tighten the extreme dynamics. The Sweet 25.2 offered some additional perks: DI out with pre/post and ground lift, an effect loop and tuner-out jack (it’s only active with MUTE engaged), headphone and line out jacks, and a MUTE button.
Pushed hard in a loud setting, the Sweet 15.3 struggled a bit to keep up, but played within it limits, it was a full-bodied companion. The 8-band EQ shaped the tone as expected, and the LOW BOOST and HIGH BOOST worked well. Though this model lacks a DI out, it does feature an effect loop as well as line out and headphone jacks, and a MUTE button.
Overall, while these Warwick Semi Professional models feel sturdy and are smart looking, they’re best suited to quiet-tomedium- volume gigs or solo practice.
WARWICK SWEET 25.2 & 15.3
STREET Sweet 25.2, $900; Sweet 15.3, $630
PROS Rugged; stylish; effective EQ
CONS Low-register response; kick-back stand not so sturdy
TECH SPECS
Sweet 25.2SPEAKERS CONFIGURATION 1x15 + 1x8 + piezo tweeter
POWER RATING 250 watts @ 4 ohms
SPEAKER SENSITIVITY 100dB
WEIGHT 64 lbs
Sweet 15.3SPEAKERS 1 x 15 + piezo tweeter
POWER RATING 150W @ 4 ohms
SENSITIVITY 95dB
WEIGHT 53 lbs
MADE IN China
WARRANTY 2 years limited