Introduce yourself

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Welcome to the Vintage HIWATT forum Phil!

[Bossco]

Hey folks

My name is Phil and....

Hello & welcome Phil. Where are you located?
We have similar tastes. Hiwatt SE320 and the WEM Bass Reflex = Major Cool Factor indeed!!

Did you see this auction? I was very sad to not be able to snap them up:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0743173253

I wish someone would reproduce the WEM red/gold diamond pattern grill-cloth with red piping.

Cheers!

[Philrob1]

Hey folks

My name is Phil and....

Hello & welcome Phil. Where are you located?
We have similar tastes. Hiwatt SE320 and the WEM Bass Reflex = Major Cool Factor indeed!!

Did you see this auction? I was very sad to not be able to snap them up:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0743173253

I wish someone would reproduce the WEM red/gold diamond pattern grill-cloth with red piping.

Cheers!

Hey buddy and thank you

Yeah, they are exceptionally rare. I am based in London, England!

I did have Jeff Swanson make me a 4x12 WEM Starfinder replica - all accurate aside from the cloth. Sounded huge but it was just too impractical so I moved it on and went for 2 2x12s instead. I much prefer the sound

[bossssob]

Hi to everybody, sorry for my English probabily not so good
I'm Andrea from Italy
Yesterday I bought a dr103 '74...
Fantastic!..The BEST amp I've ever played... I come from a Plexi, a jvm410, Fender an so on but Hiwatt astonished me in everything
Nice to join this forum

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Hi Andrea,
Welcome to the vintage HIWATT forum!

[Specialist]

Hi, I should introduce myself also... I just joined today.

I'm Ash from Australia and I started playing Hiwatts around eight years ago or thereabouts. Prior to that I was playing combinations of Marshall JMP's, Ampeg SVT's and Sovtek MIG's before finding that my dissatisfaction could be completely solved with a DR201 that did everything so much better. Then I couldn't sell my other amps fast enough.

Just before getting the 201 I played some type of Sound City amp - a Mark IV maybe?.. I can't remember... and was disappointed because at that point I thought they were supposed to be almost the same thing as a Hiwatt. Then I found the 201 (1969 version) and it was amazing. I bought an early model 1970 DR103 a few years later also, and both are the best things I've ever heard. There's no point trying to preach to the converted on this site, but anyone reading here who just has a passing interest in Hiwatts - just play one and you'll see. It's not a myth or wishful/fanciful thinking. If you think Fender or Vox amps are great - try a Hiwatt. If you like an always-dirty sound, then stick with Marshalls. Nothing does dirty much better than an early Marshall for sure. But try and get a proper full clean sound for recording and it's difficult.

The original Hylight Custom series are hands down the best instrument amps ever produced. Signal clarity, instrument tone reproduction and power is basically where they are at. I use mine with guitar, analogue synths and bass and both amps are perfect with all of them. You really need to use a Hiwatt/Fane cab though as well to experience what the amps are capable of. Don't run a Hiwatt through a Celestion G12T-75 Marshall, or some other cheaper cab, because you'll just be wasting your time to some extent. The late model Hiwatt Fane cabs (as in recent and current production) are amazing in that regard as well - it's down to the speakers inside. Don't buy the Celestion version new cabs though - as some Hiwatts are fitted with those instead (or were? I don't know the current status of production...). I've owned and used both old and new Hiwatt Fane cabs, and the frequencies and power they can handle is astounding to say the least. Instead of combining guitar and bass amps together (I used both simultaneously), the Hiwatts cover everything - and better.

If Hiwatt still existed, maybe I'd apply for a job as a salesman...

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Welcome Ash,
you should try some real Dave Reeves era HIWATT Fane loaded cabs, they are not nearly as dark sounding as the current offerings.

[Specialist]

Hi Dr,

Thanks for the welcome. And sure, I have played on both old and new cabs. Currently I've got an SE-4129 I use with the 201, and an SE-4123 I use with the 103. Both of those are later 70's Hylight cabs.

But I also had two new production SE-4123F's that I used for live stuff and they were great also. I just figured the new cabs would be a lot easier to find for most people than the old ones. Plus a lot of people tend to just overlook the importance of speakers anyway. Same goes for hifi audio and studio mixing setups. You can't go half way and just buy a Hiwatt head in my opinion. Well the amps are more than half way... but they were designed to go with the Hiwatt Fane speakers and are complemented by them in every way. If someone can't find a vintage cab then I'd recommend a recent model SE-4123F as the next best option.

Thanks again,
Ash

[Dr.HI-TONE]

I guess there aren't many alternatives down under.

[Philip]

My name is Phil

I am in UK and have an old Hiwatt Amp I believe was used by Roger Waters.

Trying to establish a value so I can put it up for sale.

Serial number is 833 and amp was bought approx. 35/38 years ago from a music shop
called "Sound City Music" situated in Kingston-upon-Thames Surrey.

Would be great to here from anyone interested in helping me.

Anyone remember the pubs in Kingston that had bands and played rock music
called the Royal Charter and the Three Fishes ?

Regards Phil.

[fishercat]

My name is Dave and I'm looking to get back into Hiwatt heaven!

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Welcome to the Vintage HIWATT forum Dave!

[supershifter2]

Hello I'm Jeff. I have my eyes on a Hiwatt 200 custom slave amp with 4 KT-88. How would i add the early 4 input DR201 preamp section ?

[Pigri71]

Hi to all forum members,

I'm Pierluigi, i like Hiwatts from a tecnical point of view: I design and buid valve amps for myself, so I apreciate all the well designed amps.

Pierluigi

[mhuss]

Welcome Pierluigi!

--mark