Swart Star-Base 1 Small Cab, Fawn w/ Celestion Alnico Gold

Gorgeous Vox-like chime and 18w Marshall roar aplenty in the Swart Star-Base 1!

When we first got word from Michael Swart that this amp was hitting the market, we could barely contain our excitement. This is one of the coolest circuits to ever come out of the Swart shop, and we're confident Michael would agree!

This 15 watt combo represents a sort of evolution of Swart's British-voiced design in the MOD84 platform and expands it in a way no other Swart amp has done to date. Including not only a Master Volume but the first-ever fully integrated 3-position attenuator circuit directly into the chassis, the Star Base 1 provides the player with an incredibly versatile amplifier that allows for the fine tuning of preamp and power amp distortion as well as overall output. The Gain toggle switch at the first preamp stage takes the amp from a cleaner, chimier Vox-like tone into 18-watt Marshall territory, with a punchy, quick attack and harmonically rich sustain. Combined with the Tone control you can get a darker, fatter sound or something with more sizzle and upper-mid bite. Dialing the amp in to suit the guitar and pickups is a breeze!

Of course, what better way to complement this circuit than with the beautiful tube-driven reverb that Swarts are famous for? Keep it short and springy or long and lush, with plenty of settings in between to fine-tune your sound.

The combination of the Master Volume and switchable 3-step Attenuation is really well-designed. Pushing the input volume to get the preamp cooking a bit while also being able to maintain power-stage dynamics with the attenuator works seamlessly.

This iteration pays homage to the old JMI Vox combos of the early and mid 1960s, with a Fawn tolex and diamond grill cloth.

The Star-Base 1 is an instant favorite here at the shop, and we're sure you'll agree!