By Rick Carlson for Bass Magazine  The bass amplification world lost one of its pioneers with the passing of Steven William Rabe on September 30, 2021. In the mid-’80s, when hair bands stalked the stages and behemoth amps ruled the backline, Steve Rabe started his company in the San Fernando Valley of California with partner Ed Randolph, christening the newborn with his initials: SWR. That moment, like the first breeze of a Santa Ana Wind that foretells of the impending heat wave to come, kicked open the sonic door and the bass world would never be the same. During his tenure in service departments at Acoustic Amplification and A.M.P., Steve developed the concept for a bass amp with a hybrid design: a tube preamp for warmth and clarity integrated with a solid-state power amp. The new amp design would also incorporate an EQ that would cover the broad frequencies needed for bass, even