STRAWBERRYBLONDEOWNER’S MANUALSWR• SCOTTSDALE, AZ• USA

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONSCAUTION: TO REDUCE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER OR BACK.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. PLEASE REFER TO A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
A. Read Instructions: All safety and operation instructions should be read before the product is operated.
B. Retain Instructions: The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.
C. Heed Warnings: All of the warnings on this product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.
D. Follow Instructions: All operating and use instructions should be followed.
E. Cleaning: Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a slightly damp
cloth for cleaning.
F. Water and Moisture: Do not use this product near water; for example, near a swimming pool, wet basement, and the like.
G. Accessories: Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket or table. The product may fall, causing
serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product.
H. Ventilation: Slots and openings in the unit are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product, to protect
it from overheating, thus these openings must not be blocked or covered. This product should not be placed in a built-in installation such asa bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer's instructions have been adhered to.
I. Grounding: This product is equipped with a three-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit intoa grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace
your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug.
J. Power Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed uponthem, paying particular attention to cords at plugs and the point where they exit the product.
K. Lightning: For added protection of this product during a lightning storm or when it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges.
L. Overloading: Do not overload wall outlets or extension cords as this can result in a risk of fire or electric shock.
M. Object and Liquid Entry: Never push objects of any kind into this product through the openings as they may touch dangerous
voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.
N. Servicing: Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous
voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
O. Damage Requiring Service: Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under thefollowing conditions:
1) When the power supply cord has been damaged2) If liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the product3) If the product has been exposed to rain, water, or other conductive liquids4) If the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions
5) If the product has been dropped or damaged in any way6) When the product exhibits a distinct change in performance.
P. Replacement Parts: When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified
by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,electric shock, or other hazards.
Q. Safety Check: Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.
R. Heat: The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or other products that
produce heat.

INTRODUCTION
The Strawberry Blonde, a smaller version of its big sister the California Blonde, is a single channel, 80 watt
combo that produces a warm, dynamic tone full of crisp acoustic flavor.
Equipped with both a custom designed 10-inch SWR speaker and a piezo tweeter, the Strawberry Blonde
compliments all types of acoustic instruments including violin, cello, acoustic bass, mandolin and guitar.
FEATURES INCLUDE:• Gain Control• Aural Enhancer• Bass Control• Midrange Control• Treble Control• Spring Reverb• Discrete Solid-State front end• Master Volume Control• Side Chain Effects Loops• Balanced XLR Line Output• Headphone Jack
• Extension Speaker Jack• Top Strap Handle• Bottom Slot Port
• Blonde Tolex Covering• Chrome Protective Corners• Vibration-Free Speaker Grill
SPECIFICATIONS

Speaker Compliment: (1) Custom SWR 10" speaker, (1) Le-Son TLX-1 Piezo Tweeter
Power Output: 80 Watts RMS
Enclosure Impedance: 8 Ohms
Dimensions: 18.5"H x 16"W x 13.75"DWeight: 40 lbs.

FRONT PANEL FEATURESINPUTThe instrument input accepts a 1/4" mono phone plug. The input “senses” either a magnetic or piezo pickup, therefore separate inputs or a selector switch is not needed (as on other acoustic amplifiers). If you hearany distortion when using this input, make sure to check the battery in your instrument.
GAIN CONTROL
Proper use of this feature will ensure maximum signal to noise ratio (quiet operation) and prevent unwanted
clipping (distortion) in the preamp section. The following procedure should be followed.
1. Turn the Master Volume to the “MIN” position. Plug your instrument into the input jack. The volume control on your instrument should be set at maximum (because we all know sooner or later it will getthere during the night!). Start with the Strawberry Blonde’s tone controls set to the “0” (flat) position and the Aural Enhancer in the 12 o’clock position.
STRAWBERRY BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL • 1

2. Starting from “MIN,” raise the Gain control while striking your loudest chord or note. If you begin to hear
distortion, back off the Gain control until the distortion is no longer present.
3. Use the Master Volume to set the overall desired loudness.
The Aural Enhancer and tone controls can have an affect on the optimal setting of the Gain control. Afteryou have set these to your liking, repeat steps 1 through 3.
To accommodate a wide range and variety of instruments and mics, the Gain control’s taper or action was
designed to start slowly. This allows a better finite position to achieve the proper Gain setting for yourinstrument. In other words, you may notice that the volume changes more rapidly after the Gain Control
reaches about the 11 o’clock position. This is normal and was done for the reason stated above.
The Gain control also “drives” the effects send signal and internal reverb circuitry. Effects units used in theeffects loops should be able to accept line level signals. If your effect is being overdriven at the input, you
can turn down the Gain to alleviate this condition. Reset your Master Volume for desired overall volume.
AURAL ENHANCER
SWR’s Aural Enhancer Control was developed to bring out the fundamental low notes of all instruments,
reduce certain frequencies that help mask the fundamentals, and enhance the high end transients. Basicallya tone shaping control, the Aural Enhancer is a passive R/C network that alters the frequency response
throughout the frequency spectrum. This pre-shaping is “blended” into the original signal via the Aural
Enhancer Control. Exact frequencies affected are dependent on the characteristics of the instrument used.

TONE CONTROL SECTION
The Strawberry Blonde’s Tone Control section is a three-band set of level controls centered around the frequencies 80 Hz (Bass), 800 Hz (Mid Range) and 5kHz (Treble). Each control can cut or boost its band a maximum of 15dB. Each control has a flat (center click) position that defeats its function. In this position, thetone controls are inactive. For each tone control, rotating the knob counter-clockwise from the center click
position will reduce or cut its designated frequency. Rotating the knob clockwise will boost its designatedband or frequency.
USING THE TONE CONTROLS
To get the most out of the Tone Controls of your Strawberry Blonde, it would be best to first understandhow the Aural Enhancer works, and how it interacts with the Bass, Mid Range and Treble controls. Think of
it as a variable tone curve, changing with its position. As you raise the control from its “0,” or fully counterclockwise position, you are elevating the whole range of sound (lows, mids, and highs) at frequency points different than those selected for the individual Tone Controls.
This remains true up to about the “2 o’clock” position, at which point selected mids start to drop off. The
curves involved here are gentle, as opposed to the very extreme curves you can create with the Tone Controls.
Most significantly for basses, the Enhancer will help bring out the fundamentals of your lower registers without masking them with overtones, such as the Bass control. At the same time, it opens up the sibilancecharacteristics of all instruments without being harsh.
Most players prefer setting the Aural Enhancer between 10 and 2 o’clock. Try playing a chord and move the
Aural Enhancer from one extreme to the other. You should find a setting that is pleasing to your ear.
The Bass control works in a range that will be useful under most “normal” conditions. Its musical use might
be thought of as a “fatness” control. The overall “punch” of your instrument will be determined with thiscontrol. With passive instruments, this will be straightforward. With active instruments having bassboost/cut functions, more exploration will be worthwhile.
The Mid Range control operates in a crucial area for most instruments. Many basses, particularly thosestrung with roundwound strings, and some pickups for acoustic instruments, can have a very “honky” ornasal sound. Dropping the Mid Range control can go a long way toward smoothing out your tone. We suggest, though, that what sounds best when your listening to your tone by yourself may not be what works
best in a band or recording. Sometimes that objectionable quality may be just the right “hair” on your noteto still have an audible presence in the track or on stage.
The Treble control operates in a tonal area that extends through and beyond the usual Treble control range.
2 • STRAWBERRY BLONDE OWNER’S MANUALIt may be thought of as a “transparency” control. Over time, we have found this approach to result in a moremusically useful treble. Boosting the the control will open up the sound of a dull instrument, particularly in
conjunction with the piezo tweeter in the Strawberry Blonde’s speaker complement. However, this is also therange of string rattle, finger slides, pickup clicks, etc. Again, we recommend you experiment with the control
alone with your instrument while finding your tone, and listen again in a band context, both near to and awayfrom the Strawberry Blonde. Qualities like punch, fatness, presence and bite can be fairly well spread out.
Treble, despite the broad dispersion of the piezo tweeter, is a very directional quality. Spend some time
exploring what you can hear in this area as you move around.
EFFECTS BLENDThe effects loop circuitry in the Strawberry Blonde is a “side chain” design, the same concept as used instudio mixers or consoles. The Effects Blend control mixes the signal coming from your instrument with thesound coming from your effect. With the Blend control fully counter-clockwise, no signal from your effect will
be heard. As you turn this control clockwise, more of the effect can be heard in the overall sound. When the
Blend is fully clockwise, no dry or unaffected signal is heard other than the output of your effects device.
This type of control and patching arrangement is very effective in reducing noise caused by effects units andin maintaining a more natural sound. If your effects device has a similar control, we suggest leaving it set toits maximum effect/minimum dry signal position and using the Effects Blend control for this function.
Please read the “Effects Loop” section for more information.
REVERB CONTROLThe Reverb control blends signal from the internal spring reverb with the main signal. The reverb circuitry is
on a side chain as well, so the natural sound of your instrument is always maintained. Rotating this control
clockwise will add more reverb to the overall sound.
MASTER VOLUME
The Master Volume adjusts the signal level going to the power amplifier, Stereo Headphones jack, extension
speaker and the internal speaker system. It does NOT affect the Balanced XLR Line out. For optimum signal
to noise ratio, it should be used in conjunction with the Gain control. Losses caused by effects units can berecovered by increasing the Master Volume.
STEREO HEADPHONES JACK
By inserting a set of stereo headphones into this jack you will be able to monitor your sound or practicewithout disturbing your neighbors. The volume level is adjusted by the Master Volume. We suggest you begin
with the Master Volume off (fully counter-clockwise), then slowly bring the volume up to your desired level. If
you hear distortion in your headphones that is not present with the speakers on, turn down the volume as
you are probably overdriving your headphones and could cause them damage.
To practice silently, position the 3-way selector switch on the back panel to the “Head Phones” (middle) position. Any impedance stereo headphones will work. However, optimum impedance is 75 ohms. Do NOT use
mono headphones as they will short out one channel.
SPEAKER PHASE SWITCHThis switch reverses the input to output phase. In the “in” position, the output (speaker) is in phase with the
input. In the “out” position, the reverse is true. The purpose of this feature is too inhibit regenerative feedback. This method is superior to a notch filter as it does not alter the overall tone.
If your instrument starts to feedback, set the switch to the “out” position to reverse the phase. It should be
noted however, that the distance between you and the cabinet is a factor. Depending on your proximity to
the cabinet, changing the phase could actually cause an increase in feedback.
Most feedback in acoustic instruments occurs in the lower registers. If ample volume in not obtained
through use of the phase switch or changing your position in relationship to the amp, try putting theStrawberry Blonde on a chair or stand off the floor.
POWER SWITCHSTRAWBERRY BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL • 3

Pressing the Power switch to the “On” position activates the Strawberry Blonde’s electronics as indicated by
the green LED above the switch. A slight pop will occur when the unit is first turned on. This is normal andwill not harm any of the components in your amp or speaker cabinet.

REAR PANEL FEATURES
TUNER SENDThis feature allows the user to connect their instrument tuner to the Strawberry Blonde without having to
unplug and go back and forth from amp to tuner to amp. The Tuner send is isolated from the rest of the circuitry and no other controls other than your instrument affect the signal. Being on a side chain (isolated)also avoids loading down of the instrument which can cause a loss in dynamic range. To use the Tuner send,connect a shielded patch cable from this jack to the INPUT of your tuning device. Turn the amp on andyou're ready to go. If you don't want to monitor your sound while tuning, turn down either the Gain or Master
Volume or position the selector switch on the back panel to the “Head Phones” position.
EFFECTS LOOPThe Strawberry Blonde’s Effects Loop is located POST EQ and PRE Reverb & Master Volume in the signal
path. The level appearing at the Send jacks is controlled by the Gain functions on the front panel. If you are
getting too hot a signal at the input of your effects unit, reduce the level of the Gain control. You can raise
your Master Volume to retain similar overall volume levels. By using the Gain, Master Volume and Effects
Blend controls, optimum performance should be easily obtainable with any effects device.
Because the Effects Loop is on a side chain, it should greatly reduce noise generated by effects devices (ascompared to in-line effects loops). Additional features of this type of loop can be found below under the
Receive jack section.
SEND JACK
Run a shielded patch cable from the Send jack to the input of your effects device. This jack may be used as
an additional line level output, in which case its level is determined by the setting of the Gain control.
RECEIVE JACK
Run a shielded patch cable from the output of your effects device to the Receive jack.
One unique feature of the Receive jack is the ability to practice along with pre-recorded music. Insert asound source into the Receive jack (make sure it’s a mono signal). Use the Effects Blend control to mix thelevel of the recorded music with your instrument's level. The combined signal will be heard through the internal speakers or your headphones. The Send jack is not used.

NOTE: Inserting a plug into the Receive jack activates the Effects Blend control by receiving a “command” through the ground created. Therefore, only a mono (2-conductor) phone plug should beused.
If you are not getting any “effect” through the speakers, check the position of the Effects Blend control on
the front panel.
BALANCED LINE XLR OUT
Being a "line" out, the signal appearing here is similar to that heard through the speaker system. All of thecontrols on the front panel, except the Master Volume, will affect the sound.
To use this feature, run an XLR cable from the Balanced Line out to the input of a mixing console, tapemachine, etc. This output is also suitable for sending a signal to a house mixer in live situations.
Wiring for the XLR connector is American standard: Pin 1= ground, Pin 2= +, Pin 3= –4 • STRAWBERRY BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL

3-WAY SELECTOR SWITCH
In the top position, labeled Full Range, both the woofer and tweeter in the speaker system are activated.
This will generally be the position you use the most.

NOTE: We have found that most fiddle and violin players prefer the tweeter out of the circuit (HornOff position). This can be true for some upright bass and cello players as well. Guitar, Dobro, bass
and mandolin players tend to like the horn activated. Try it both ways and pick the setting thatsounds best to you. The Treble control’s range is very similar to the response of the tweeter andcan be used as a “high end pad.”
The middle position, labeled Head Phones, disconnects the signal going to the internal speakers and extension speaker jack. Use this position when listening through headphones only or for silent tuning (refer to “To
Tuner” section). The Headphones jack is always active regardless of the position of this switch.
The bottom position, labeled Horn Off, disconnects the tweeter located in the upper right hand corner of the
speaker cabinet. It will not affect the 10" loudspeaker, headphones or any extension cabinet. If you prefera “darker” sound or are getting a lot of fret buzz, clicks, bow, pick or finger noise, you may want to use thisposition.
EXTENSION SPEAKER JACKUse an unshielded 2-conductor cable (NOT A GUITAR CORD!) to connect an additional speaker cabinet. Usea high quality, heavy gauge cable of at least 18 gauge (the lower the gauge, the heavier the cable). The
impedance of the extension speaker should be 8 ohms or greater. If you wish to connect two additional cabinets be sure their combined load impedance is not less than 8 ohms (equivalent to two 16 ohm speaker cabinets in parallel).
A/C LINE (MAINS) FUSE
The line fuse can open (blow) due to power surges or high power line transients. This fuse will also open in
the unlikely event of an electronics failure inside your amplifier.
Correct size and rating of the line fuse: 3AG, 2 amp slo-blow for 120V operation. 3AG, 1 amp slo-blow for
240V operation. Do not defeat the purpose of this fuse by using a higher amperage rating. This could void

your warranty.

A/C LINE CORD RECEPTACLE
Accepts a standard A/C power cable (supplied with the Strawberry Blonde in the United States), used withalmost all current musical, professional and household electronic devices. If it becomes misplaced, replacements can be found at almost any computer, electronics, or pro audio store. Please note: the rating for thiscable is 3-conductor, 18 gauge, 10 amperes. If replacement is necessary, or if you wish to buy a longer cable,
look for the correct rating on the cable.

CABINET FEATURES AND INFORMATIONSPEAKERS(1) 10" stamped frame woofer, 100 watts, 8 ohm impedance; (1) high frequency piezo tweeter, 150 watts(4kHz and above), 8 ohms. Crossover point fixed at 4kHz. Frequency response: 30Hz to 16kHz.
CABINET
Made from a combination of plywood and particle board. Interlocking dado and rabbet joints, glued andnailed. Covered in a "sandstone" vinyl covering. Metal corners. Comes with our “Texas Bar Proof” powdercoated speaker grill. Front slot port located at bottom.

STRAWBERRY BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL • 5

SWR LIMITED WARRANTYThe Strawberry Blonde from FMIC is warranted to the original consumer purchaser for aperiod of One (1) Year fromthe date of purchase, against defects in materials and workmanship and provided that it is purchased from an
Authorized SWR Dealer. This warranty applies only to products purchased in the USA or Canada. This warranty is
VOID if the unit has been damaged due to accident, improper handling, installation or operation, shipping damage,abuse or misuse, unauthorized repair or attempted repair, or if the serial number has been defaced or removed.
FMIC reserves the right to make such determination on the basis of inspection by an Authorized FMIC Service
Center.
SHOULD YOUR SWR BASS COMBO REQUIRE SERVICE OR REPAIR,
PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE:

1
2

Locate your original receipt showing date of purchase, model and serial number.
Determine the closest Authorized FMIC Service Center to your location. The fastest way to get a complete list of
Authorized FMIC Service Centers is on the web, at:
http://www.mrgearhead.com/faq/allservice.html
You can also get this information by calling FMIC Consumer Relations at (480) 596-7195.

3

To receive warranty service, return the complete product to an Authorized FMIC Electronics Service Center, with proofof purchase, during the applicable warranty period. Transportation costs are not included in this Limited Warranty.

4

Defective products that qualify for coverage under this warranty will be repaired or replaced, at FMIC's discretion, witha like or comparable product, without charge.

COVERS & REPLACEMENT PARTS
Waterproof covers made from high-quality black Cordura are available for most SWR speaker enclosuresand may be ordered through your local Authorized SWR Dealer.
Replacement parts (such as fuses, corners, etc.) are also available and may be ordered through yourlocal Authorized SWR Dealer.

CALIFORNIA BLONDE OWNER’S MANUAL • 9