Gentlemen,
I am a bassist and somewhat new to the HiWatt world. I have traditionally been a solid state player and could never get behind the SVT. It just wasn't my sound. I was always more of a John Paul Jones, Motown, rolled off tone knob kinda guy. But the tube bug is upon me and I have a chance to buy a 76ish dr201 at what I think is a great price. My question is as follows...
First, The amp is the el36 version. Any opinions on the these in general, sound wise etc. How would this differ from the kt88?
Second, Is there a good tube substitute for the el36. Can el34's be used? If not any recommendations on finding el36's? Anyone still make them?
I am comfortable with tubes and their issues, are there any Hiwatt specific dealbreakers or things I should look for when I check out in person?
Lastly, the ever popular question. what's it worth? I haven't seen much on the el36 version. Would it hold the same value as the kt88 version? With the market up and down these days... what is the rough blue book
Any and all help is appreciated
Should I....
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Dr.HI-TONE
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Re: Should I....
Somewhere along the way, I believe there was a typographical error.
The DR201 uses EL34's not EL36's.
An EL34 DR201 will work well for bass. I have both versions the KT88 and EL34 and they are VERY similar tonally.
I highly recommend trying it!
as for a "bluebook" value, that is difficult as there weren't that many of them, thus they don't sell very often.
It highly depends on condition.
ask for as many good pics both inside and out. post them here or PM me and I will give you my opinion.
The DR201 uses EL34's not EL36's.
An EL34 DR201 will work well for bass. I have both versions the KT88 and EL34 and they are VERY similar tonally.
I highly recommend trying it!
as for a "bluebook" value, that is difficult as there weren't that many of them, thus they don't sell very often.
It highly depends on condition.
ask for as many good pics both inside and out. post them here or PM me and I will give you my opinion.
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OldSchoolDave
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Re: Should I....
Welcome to the Vintage Hiwatt Forum.
I've never heard of an original HIWATT shipping with EL36 tubes. Are you certain of the (tube) model number or has someone made a modification?
The only output configurations I'm aware of in DR201 amps are 4 x KT88 and 6 x EL34. We demo'd both at a Vintage Hiwatt Convention a couple of years ago, with bass guitar. The tone is similar. The KT88's to me have more punch. That said, I would not shy away from a 6 x EL34 model. I think you'll find the HIWATT tone stack to be very versatile.
What speakers will you be using?
As far as what to look for, extra holes in the front or back panels are always red flags. If the seller will allow you to pull the (heavy) chassis, you can compare the innards with pics on Mark's site: http://hiwatt.org/ipage.php?n=4
Keep us posted on what you find.
Dave
I've never heard of an original HIWATT shipping with EL36 tubes. Are you certain of the (tube) model number or has someone made a modification?
The only output configurations I'm aware of in DR201 amps are 4 x KT88 and 6 x EL34. We demo'd both at a Vintage Hiwatt Convention a couple of years ago, with bass guitar. The tone is similar. The KT88's to me have more punch. That said, I would not shy away from a 6 x EL34 model. I think you'll find the HIWATT tone stack to be very versatile.
What speakers will you be using?
As far as what to look for, extra holes in the front or back panels are always red flags. If the seller will allow you to pull the (heavy) chassis, you can compare the innards with pics on Mark's site: http://hiwatt.org/ipage.php?n=4
Keep us posted on what you find.
Dave
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Dr.HI-TONE
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Re: Should I....
the short answer is
"hell Yes!"
"hell Yes!"
Re: Should I....
I don't mind the idea of less punch, especially since I am coming over from the solid state world. The information I am going off of about the el36 I deduced from this catalog page. I would be surprised if they had el34 in the 103 and el36 in the 201. What sense would that make. If any crew group could speak for/against that, this is it...
http://hiwatt.org/info/78cat/page01.jpg
is it safe to assume that that was an error? I will certainly check once I see it in person. I believe it is a one owner to this point and 200 watts should be perfect for the venues I play out at.
As for the cab. For now it will be hooked up to a epifani 4x10 cabinet. I went the hifi bass route for a while and I have the 4x10 and a Thunderfunk 550 head. Not sure if those are commonly known in these circles. I would hopefully get me hands on a 2x15 at some point. Either the bergantino nv215, or something of moderate vintage. I know the reeves 225 works very well with the bergantino cabs. Between those two heads and cabs. I should be able to tackle about anything.
I will surely keep everyone posted, and get pics up once I can. Thanks for the quick responses.
http://hiwatt.org/info/78cat/page01.jpg
is it safe to assume that that was an error? I will certainly check once I see it in person. I believe it is a one owner to this point and 200 watts should be perfect for the venues I play out at.
As for the cab. For now it will be hooked up to a epifani 4x10 cabinet. I went the hifi bass route for a while and I have the 4x10 and a Thunderfunk 550 head. Not sure if those are commonly known in these circles. I would hopefully get me hands on a 2x15 at some point. Either the bergantino nv215, or something of moderate vintage. I know the reeves 225 works very well with the bergantino cabs. Between those two heads and cabs. I should be able to tackle about anything.
I will surely keep everyone posted, and get pics up once I can. Thanks for the quick responses.
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Dr.HI-TONE
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Re: Should I....
definitely a typo.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Good luck and happy hunting!
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OldSchoolDave
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Re: Should I....
Huh! I've seen that catalog page before, but never noticed the typo. Have no fear, they meant 6 x EL34 .ebull wrote: is it safe to assume that that was an error?
I'm not real familiar with current bass cabs. Just wanted to make sure you had something that would safely handle the power. Try it and see.
Dave
Re: Should I....
Hiwatts are the only tube amps I've used personally that have proven responsive enough to delivery power and tone to a variety of speaker setups for a variety of styles. Unfortunately I'm only in the 100 watt realm right now but no doubt 200 watters are all the more so capable. I'll get there someday!! 
I am a bit confused with your John Paul Jones/Motown leanings and your choice of speaker cabs (10"ers?). I didn't use Acoustic stuff like JPJ, but similarly (to achieve that same sound back in the day) I used solid state power with folded horn 15's for what one could charaterize as fast amp with slow speakers setup. Personally I've never found 10's capable of effectively delivering the amount of air movement and round tone required for that genre. Even SVT/810 couldn't hang ... humbled a few in the battle of the bands daze.
I am a bit confused with your John Paul Jones/Motown leanings and your choice of speaker cabs (10"ers?). I didn't use Acoustic stuff like JPJ, but similarly (to achieve that same sound back in the day) I used solid state power with folded horn 15's for what one could charaterize as fast amp with slow speakers setup. Personally I've never found 10's capable of effectively delivering the amount of air movement and round tone required for that genre. Even SVT/810 couldn't hang ... humbled a few in the battle of the bands daze.
Bossco
HIWATT DR-103, DR-112, SE-4122
Diezel VR4S * Rivera S120 * Dr. Z Maz-18 Jr
Eventide+AnalogMan+ Effects
HIWATT DR-103, DR-112, SE-4122
Diezel VR4S * Rivera S120 * Dr. Z Maz-18 Jr
Eventide+AnalogMan+ Effects
Re: Should I....
Bossco...
I think that I am in your camp on this one. I have found that out over time about the 10's. I have a epifani 3x10 cabinet that has served me well for about 7 years now as my stand alone cabinet. I liked this company because of the warmth/clarity balance they have. Also this cab at 750w rating only weighed 50lbs. That was my driving force in avoiding the acoustics and even the ampeg 8x10. For the same reasons I have a p-bass but mainly play a F-Bass BN4. But in the last year I have been wanting some more bottom, and warmth. The JPJ acoustic setup has always intrigued me. The thunderfunk 550 is modeled off of it.
Now that I have more stage experience in a couple of different settings my eyes are back on a 2x15. Or perhaps the classic 4x10 and a 1x15. I am not as concerned with cutting straight through with midrange as most svt'er are. I am looking for some low end support that can punch if needed.
Any recommendations on cab pairings. I would love a folded 15 but I don't think my back/venues could handle that. That being said I really like the newer speaker companies epifani, bergantino, aguilar and probably won't stray far from them unless the right vintage piece or 4129 came along. That being said the 201 is going to break the bank for me so it might just have to be the 3x10 for a while.
... if you can't tell. I tend to overthink/over analyze. That's the problem with not having enough money. There is too much planning and not enough chance to a/b setups.
I think that I am in your camp on this one. I have found that out over time about the 10's. I have a epifani 3x10 cabinet that has served me well for about 7 years now as my stand alone cabinet. I liked this company because of the warmth/clarity balance they have. Also this cab at 750w rating only weighed 50lbs. That was my driving force in avoiding the acoustics and even the ampeg 8x10. For the same reasons I have a p-bass but mainly play a F-Bass BN4. But in the last year I have been wanting some more bottom, and warmth. The JPJ acoustic setup has always intrigued me. The thunderfunk 550 is modeled off of it.
Now that I have more stage experience in a couple of different settings my eyes are back on a 2x15. Or perhaps the classic 4x10 and a 1x15. I am not as concerned with cutting straight through with midrange as most svt'er are. I am looking for some low end support that can punch if needed.
Any recommendations on cab pairings. I would love a folded 15 but I don't think my back/venues could handle that. That being said I really like the newer speaker companies epifani, bergantino, aguilar and probably won't stray far from them unless the right vintage piece or 4129 came along. That being said the 201 is going to break the bank for me so it might just have to be the 3x10 for a while.
... if you can't tell. I tend to overthink/over analyze. That's the problem with not having enough money. There is too much planning and not enough chance to a/b setups.