vintageHIWATTconvention.com

And now, what you've all been waiting for; the Official Vintage Hiwatt Convention 2010 Speaker Shootout audio clips are ready for your listening pleasure!

Special thanks to Mark Huss, for recording and posting the clips and to Jason, for playing through all those cabs! Jason let the cabinets (and the Dos Equis) dictate the style, so each clip is a bit different. But, the amp settings were untouched throughout the process (only the impedance selector was changed for the 2x12 cab). Each clip is over 2 minutes in length and between 3.5MB and 6.0MB in size. So, sit back, relax and enjoy!

http://www.vintagehiwattrestorations.co ... eakerDemo/

When you've had a chance to hear them all, c'mon back and vote for your favorites and/or take a guess as to which cab is which.

We'll let the poll run anonymously for awhile - then disclose which cab is which.

Dave

Note: Poll closed now that cabinets have been identified.

Can you disclose the speaker order? I am curious to know.

Ok here we go!

I like the 1-2-4-5 -10


-1 ..........something's there ......passed half way ,a nice little mid crunch .

'-2...........Dark but somethings happening in the middle like kinda chunky fat mids

-4...........If this is not a vintage speaker ,I'll be very impress,Dark but very sweet and mellow,something happening in the mids like an old G12h Pre Rola

-5...........Brighter , not as much of that low mid mojo but somethings there ready to come out one day, might be vintage ,not sure

-10.........Something very nice is happening at about half way of the clip nice riff ,a little vintage woody feel with broken glass on top

........................................................................................................................................................................

-3 ............Ok but no Wow factor for me !

-6............No bass ,no mids ,no mojo...hope this is not a DR-F

-7............dont know yet........somethings happening half way of the clip but the speaker sounds compressed a bit

-8............lack of bass or something else ,close to number 5 but I think 5 is better ,number 5 has more of everything than 8

-9...........lack of something..............sounds tin

-11..........lots of upper mids but choice of riff makes it hard

-12.........sounds a bit tin ..... choice of riff again makes it hard......a power chord would help ..........some numbers above are better


I've made my choice with my computer's 2 1/2 inch speaker so hope my review is ok based on what was coming out
of that s**t box. It would also have been easier if all the riffs would have been the same.
Again I could be far away with what I was hearing through my comp.


Who's next!!!

Louis

choice of riff and consistency is key.
Both Jason (killer guitarist, but uninspired at the time of the recordings) and I are totally underwhelmed with the clips.
I would remove the post and try for a better result.............IMO.

I think next time we'll DI the guitar signal and then play back the exact same thing through each test subject. It's too hard to judge with varying selections.

--mark

Dr.HIWATT wrote:I would remove the post and try for a better result.............IMO.

Aw, c'mon. You're being too harsh .

Jason let the cab (and the Dos Equis) dictate what he played. Besides, who wants to play exactly the same thing through each of a dozen cabs? I do agree that a pre-recorded playback would result in a better trial.

It's better than nothing. Mark, you have the official list, don't you? Maybe we should post it and close the poll.

Dave

They all sound very Stratty.

I witnessed a portion of the speaker shootout at the Convention. Guessing the speakers is a crapshoot since the guitarist adjusted the knobs and switch on his Strat at least a couple times and mic placement varied slightly from cab to cab.

I'd really like to do a shootout with a Les Paul...humbuckers really make a Hiwatt rig roar.

NOTE: There are 12 sound clips, but only 11 speakers listed on the shootout page at the moment. I think there were two 122142 Fane cabs used, one with cast frames and one with stamped frames, but I could be wrong. I think Dr.H has a stamped frame 122142 cab within his large collection.

I liked clips #2 and #10 the best

My picks:

1) vintage cast frame Fane model # 122231

2) vintage Fane model # 125161 (Dr.H's cab formerly used by The Gin Blossoms) .....or maybe the HITONE DR-F ('161 clone)

3) vintage Fane model # 125155

4) vintage stamped frame Fane model # 122231 (mine)

5) vintage stamped frame Fane model # 122142 (assuming it was included in the shootout)

6) FC12

7) Fane Reissue

8 ) DR-F '142 prototype

9) Vintage Purple

10) HITONE DR-F ('161 clone) ...or maybe the real Fane 125161

11) Celestion G12K-85 (mine). These speakers have gobs of low end...great for down tuned riffing, but they suck for trebly solos through a Hiwatt. They sound much better on the high end with a Marshall.

12) vintage cast frame Fane model # 122142 (mine)

OldSchoolDave wrote: Mark, you have the official list, don't you? Maybe we should post it and close the poll.

Dave

Results !!....Results!!..........Results!!

I have to find the list now, that was last year!

--mark

mhuss wrote:I have to find the list now, that was last year!

--mark

Hi Mark!! did you find it !

HSS01 DR-F
HSS02 FC12
HSS03 VP
HSS04 Fane RI
HSS05 Fane 155
HSS06 Fane 142
HSS07 Fane 231 CF
HSS08 Fane 161
HSS09 DR-F CF
HSS10 DR-F
HSS11 Celestion G12K-85
HSS12 Fane 231 SF

Thank's Mark !!

I've listened to the clips again and I'm very impressed with the DR-F
espacialy half way through clip 10 ,very nice riff and sound .
I think that they even have a nicer chunky bottom end compared with the originals .

I also liked the 155's .

The Fane reissues are very dark but they have a nice sweetness ,maybe pushed with more treble ,they
would sound more like the vintage Fanes ,I really thought they were old beat up's with tired cones with a Pre Rola G12H feel.

The FC12 are surprising too

Then again ,it was very hard to make some kind of choice because of all the different riffs but Hey!...maybe next time!
Also I was listening trough a 2 1/2 inch computer speaker.

Hopefully we can have a much better comparison soon.

louis wrote:Also I was listening trough a 2 1/2 inch computer speaker.

That's probably the case for a lot of listeners, which complicates the issue .

Dave

P.S. Thanks for posting the reference list, Mark!

OldSchoolDave wrote:

louis wrote:Also I was listening trough a 2 1/2 inch computer speaker.

That's probably the case for a lot of listeners, which complicates the issue .

Dave

P.S. Thanks for posting the reference list, Mark!

I was going back and forth between number *8 which is the 161 Fane (apparently Convention's favorite)
and number *10 the DR-F and I must admit that you guys did an awesome job !


Really nice sounding and I dont know if it's my 2 1/2 speaker but here ,the DR-F
has a little something more , a touch more chunkyness and roundness .

Very good job !!