Michael never stops tweaking circuits and late one night he was messing around in the shop with the STR and decided it might be interesting to take this amp up one more notch, giving it more of a tweed, ST-6V6se on steroids approach. Essentially, our aim was to put a juiced circuit in a larger Space tone-esque cab, blown up in living color with top mounted controls, all with crazy good breakup/tone along with the ST-6V6se harmonic complexity that we all crave and love. Our goal was to make the most FUN AMP TO PLAY...as in EVER. Why mess around?
Yet we still wanted the cleans option, or at least some semblance of control when needed, just to give it a bit of flexibility. And of course, it had to be a bone simple circuit, tone cut sans bass/treble/mid controls, something that let all the guitar through while also having a character of its own.
Well, I cant stop playing this damn thing and it's now my FAVORITE Swart amplifier, at least this month! Yep, it's the Swart Space Tone Reverb TWEED, and if it's not the most FUN amplifier I've ever played, then I don't know what.
This is essentially the Space Tone Reverb, a circuit based on the little 5W, Class A, single-ended 6V6'R that started it all, but with new found bottom, and just amazing breakup (in my view, the BEST of the whole ST series). Of course, it has the same king hell reverb. In addition, the STR-Tweed has a switch that brings in more cleans, taming the breakup a bit when you want to tone it down.
But to tell you the truth, I haven't been able to stop smiling enough to use that switch for cleans, that's how much of a blast this amp is in "hot" mode. It really is a lot like that little ST-6V6 single-ended beast, but with that big 12" speaker, bigger cabinet vibe riding along with some Swart magic. This cabinet is actually wider and deeper than the AST, only losing a bit in the height department.
Compared to the STR, it's a bit warmer and bit hotter. This is not a subdued amp at all, sounding far bigger than you would think any 5 watts could do. And there is something magical about pure Class A single-ended, 6V6 watts, too. Lord, I love that SE breakup when everything kicks in. Who needs a pedal!?
5W CLASS A ~ JUST INSANELY BIG TONE BREAKUP!
Single-Ended Output - Zero Negative Feedback
100% Tube Circuit - GZ34 or 5Y3 Valve Rectifier
Big Swart Tube Reverb - Foot Switchable
Hot and Clean mode Switch
Powered by choice of 6V6 or 6L6 (6V6 stock option)
