Hiwatt Sound

[dpaulb]

Is there a much cheaper amp that sounds similar to a Hiwatt combo?

 

[bigmuff113]

Also on a similar quest, but I've found nothing

 

[gypsymoth]

about the closest you'll get in a combo is an old Sound City concord, especially if it has fane speakers.

a Sound City 100 mk 3 head with a suitably equipped small cabinet will do it too, likely better - I usually run mine through a single eminence delta pro 12.

these would be more comparable to an early hiwatt (4 input).

the later 2 input hiwatts are different, maybe leaning more marshallish.

 

[uriah1]

The . good amps, still pricey

http://www.reevesamps.com/

Wiki

Dave Reeves started HIWATT and Hylight Electronics in 1966. In order to raise capital for his young company, Reeves accepted a contract to build a line of amplifiers for Ivor Arbiter's store Sound City. By mid-1968 and the contract with Sound City fulfilled, Reeves focused on his own brand, HIWATT.

 

[AJBaker]

Depends. Do you just want the general sound characteristics, or do you want the big clean headroom they're known for? I use a tech 21 Leeds pedal (analogue hiwatt emulation) a lot, either into a pa or a loud and clean guitar or bass amp. I think the sound is great, but someone else here will have to say how it compares to the real thing.

 

[sliberty]

Glad to hear about the Leeds pedal. I have the Liverpool pedal, and like it a lot. But I am an old HiWatt guy, do now I know what to get next.

 

[Joely]

You can pick up an early hiwatt 4 input for a bout £1000 on evilbay the 2 inputs are just as good but they have a little less (i mean a little) head room. Back in the day the idea was to jump the 4 input wihe patch leads to get the full on hair dryer treatment but the 2 inputs have this all ready hard wired.....you can still get the 2 input ones ( with true point to point, partridge trans etc..) up until 1981-ish but they change factory and parts of the company sold off and things went down hill!!!

Modern amps...i think reeves are have it spot on......There are serveral Fane clone speakers about which are a must for the Hiwatt sound.

 

[dpaulb]

Depends. Do you just want the general sound characteristics, or do you want the big clean headroom they're known for? I use a tech 21 Leeds pedal (analogue hiwatt emulation) a lot, either into a pa or a loud and clean guitar or bass amp. I think the sound is great, but someone else here will have to say how it compares to the real thing.

I've never played a Hiwatt but from what I've listened to (demos and various recordings) I think I would like one. I also like the VOX AC30 sound (never played one). And I really like George Harrison's sound on Let It Be.

About 20 years ago I sold a mint '65 Bassman with 2x12 cabinet. I've regretted it since. I traded an 8 channel powered Yamaha mixer for it.

I've thought about the Tech 21 Leeds. I wonder how it will sound through my JC-55?

 

[AJBaker]

I've never played a Hiwatt but from what I've listened to (demos and various recordings) I think I would like one. I also like the VOX AC30 sound (never played one). And I really like George Harrison's sound on Let It Be.

About 20 years ago I sold a mint '65 Bassman with 2x12 cabinet. I've regretted it since. I traded an 8 channel powered Yamaha mixer for it.

I've thought about the Tech 21 Leeds. I wonder how it will sound through my JC-55?

Though on let it be, Harrison was using a Tele through a fender twin or Lesley.

A trick with the tech 21 pedals is too run them straight into the effects return to get less coloration from the amplifier. I'm sure they'd work fine with your amp.

 

[dpaulb]

Though on let it be, Harrison was using a Tele through a fender twin or Lesley.
It's still one of the sounds in my head though.

A trick with the tech 21 pedals is too run them straight into the effects return to get less coloration from the amplifier. I'm sure they'd work fine with your amp.

My amp doesn't have an effects loop or a power amp imput.

 

[gypsymoth]

so you like a lot of amps but don't want to spend a lot of money, pretty normal, and the reason there's modelling amps.

maybe that would be a good way to go, and if you find you always end up on a particular setting - then spend the bucks for that amp.

 

[sliberty]

You can pick up an early hiwatt 4 input for a bout £1000 on evilbay the 2 inputs are just as good but they have a little less (i mean a little) head room.

No no no. Four input late 60's, early 70's HiWatts are the good ones. Two input models are very different, and to a HiWatt lover, kinda suck.

My 72 is still my favorite all time amp, but just too loud to use (Custom 100).

 

[PinewoodRo]

Mine is '71 (Custom 100) and also too loud for the guitar. Best bass amp I've ever used though.

 

[dpaulb]

so you like a lot of amps but don't want to spend a lot of money, pretty normal, and the reason there's modelling amps.

maybe that would be a good way to go, and if you find you always end up on a particular setting - then spend the bucks for that amp.

I think that's a wonderful idea! Thank you so much. Maybe it's the virgo in me. I would rather get a modeller amp or pedal to use with my JC-55 than spend money on an amp I may not be happy with. You speak wisdom.

 

[Wally]

Whose Hiwatt sound is it that you are chasing, dpaulb? The reason I ask is because when I think Hiwatt, I think Pete Townsend. Here is a short story...hopefuly...that gets to the heart of the thing.
Years ago, a young fellow was sitting with a gibson '58 Authentic...unbuffed Reissue...trying it out through a '63 1X15 Pro that I had and still have. He hit some Who-like power chords.....adn Wham! there was that sound. We both recognized it. I hadnever seen Townsend play through Fenders, so I was amazed. But....if you goggle his equipment, you will see that Townsend recorded a lot of music with.... you guessed it, Fender amps.
There are more ways than one to skin a cat....and I am certain that if that is the sound you are looking for, there is a way to get it without buying a HIwatt. There are certain FEnder amps that will give you that sound....maybe beefing up the first stage of filtering would get even closer.
That said, woudl I like to have an old HIwatt? Sure enough. I have had only one of them pass my way in 22 years, though....and I didn't need that big of an amp.

 

[dpaulb]

Whose Hiwatt sound is it that you are chasing, dpaulb? The reason I ask is because when I think Hiwatt, I think Pete Townsend. Here is a short story...hopefuly...that gets to the heart of the thing.
Years ago, a young fellow was sitting with a gibson '58 Authentic...unbuffed Reissue...trying it out through a '63 1X15 Pro that I had and still have. He hit some Who-like power chords.....adn Wham! there was that sound. We both recognized it. I hadnever seen Townsend play through Fenders, so I was amazed. But....if you goggle his equipment, you will see that Townsend recorded a lot of music with.... you guessed it, Fender amps.
There are more ways than one to skin a cat....and I am certain that if that is the sound you are looking for, there is a way to get it without buying a HIwatt. There are certain FEnder amps that will give you that sound....maybe beefing up the first stage of filtering would get even closer.
That said, woudl I like to have an old HIwatt? Sure enough. I have had only one of them pass my way in 22 years, though....and I didn't need that big of an amp.

He is who I usually think of. I had forgotten that I read he used Fenders in the studio but the Hiwatts on stage before good pa was available. So maybe Hiwatt was copying the Fender sound but louder.

Are there any inexpensive Fenders you could recommend?

 

[gypsymoth]

true about the fenders, and the different hiwatts.

who doesn't sound like tull or floyd. later who and PF amps were not stock hiwatts anyway, but specials tailord for them..

but if you want umagumma, early who, etc hiwatt isn't it anyway. early zep live is usually an arbiter 100, close relative to the SC 100 which was also used on TYA Undead.
jimi had early SC's too -

 

[Wally]

Well, my Pro is a bit of a special amp in that it was a prototype and carries the tapped treble pots which causes it to be a bit more like the 6G5 brown Pro and other big 6G FEnders.....but I would think that any basic non-reverb FEnder amp could be made to yield something like what you are wanting. Again, what power are you looking for?

 

[TexGoneNW]

There are a lot of custom builders who could build that brown Fender circuit for you. See what Allen Amps already does, then check Ace Pepper. I'm sure there are other builders, but Ace could do just about anything you want, and you'll end up with a keeper.

 

[Televised]

Depends. Do you just want the general sound characteristics, or do you want the big clean headroom they're known for? I use a tech 21 Leeds pedal (analogue hiwatt emulation) a lot, either into a pa or a loud and clean guitar or bass amp. I think the sound is great, but someone else here will have to say how it compares to the real thing.

I can't compare the Hi-Watt/Leeds but I have the Tech-21 "Blonde" - (Fender) character/emulation pedal and the "Liverpool" - (Vox) and have been very happy with the Fender/Vox tones for the amps that I use them on. They apparently are supposed to work better straight into the board or with SS amps, however, I run my "Blonde" in front of a tube Silvertone as a pre-amp and it sounds real Fendery and real good!