Alex Lifeson's 70’s Hiwatts - two or four inputs?

[Rocinante]

Hello, I am new to this forum and am hoping someone could help me out. I'm in the market for a vintage Hiwatt, and I really love the guitar sound Alex Lifeson got on the Hemispheres album. I know from interviews he used 100W heads, but I'm not sure whether they were the 2 or 4 input versions. Now, I've read that the 2 input version was released in "late 1977", and Hemispheres was recorded in England in June 1978, so the 2 input versions WOULD have been available at that time. I'm just not sure whether he used them. His amps didn't seem like they were any higher gain than say Gilmour’s amps of that era, and I know Lifeson even used a Maestro box for extra fuzz. He switched from Marshall to Hiwatt somewhere between the Farewell to Kings album in 1977 to Hemispheres, so it’s possible he could have bought the 4 inputs for rehearsals before the two inputs were released. In fact, disk 3 of the Different Stages album was recorded live in February 1978 and that definitely sounds closer to his Hemispheres tone (Hiwatt with a Space Echo), so he could have had them months before the two inputs were released. But then, I’m curious whether the release of the 2 input model actually prompted his switch from Marshall. Does anyone have any ideas? I've seen several pictures from that era, but none where you can really make out the inputs, and all the interviews I've read are not really specific.

[OldSchoolDave]

Welcome to the Vintage Hiwatt Forum!

I'd say mikhailwatt would be our leading Lifeson expert (though others may know the answer). Hang out a bit, I'm sure he'll stop by and respond.

Dave

[Zells]

I can't comment on the Hemispheres album specifically, but Mr. Lifeson has certainly used the 4-input amps.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/rece ... 00x225.jpg

Having owned both 2-input and 4-input vintage DR103 amps, I can assure you that Alex would have wanted to the 4-input model. However, the 2-input amp is very, very similar in tone to the 4-input after doing the Huss "de-fizz" modification. http://hiwatt.org/2_mod.html

[mikhailwatt]

I'm pretty certain Alex used 4-input heads when he first switched to HIWATT.

Hard to tell for sure from the available pics, but the subsequent tours (Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures) could have been modded 2-holers... complete with side-mounted fans (ugh) and removed badges. There was a thread at the P/P a few years ago - supposedly someone had come across one of these later heads... if I recall, the report was that it was rather gain-ey, "kind of like a bad Marshall."

In fact, disk 3 of the Different Stages album was recorded live in February 1978 and that definitely sounds closer to his Hemispheres tone (Hiwatt with a Space Echo)

That show was toward the end of the Farewell to Kings tour... AFAIK he was still using Marshall stacks live at that time (and that Hammersmith Odeon recording doesn't sound particularly HIWATT-ey to me), though I believe HIWATTs may have been used in the studio for some of the AFTK album.

BTW - Zells, I think that pic was from the Snakes & Arrows studio sessions, and those HIWATTs were from the producer's personal collection. I read an interview around that time where Alex said he sold off all his old amps years earlier.

As far as the recording of Hemispheres, he's stated in interviews that he used a mix of Marshall and HIWATT, plus a Roland Jazz Chorus... with all the layered parts it's hard to say what was what, though I tend to think "The Trees" in particular was all HIWATT (except for the Roland on the clean chorus-ey section).

Regardless of what mix of amps was used, I just love the tones and performances on that album. My all-time favorite.

[Dr.HI-TONE]

Off Topic:

It's Great to see you around Mikhailwatt!

[mikhailwatt]

Thanks, Doc.

Lurking at least a couple times per week... though not playing much of late. "Other things" occupying my time.

[Dr.HI-TONE]

I can relate!
"other things" are taking over.

[Rocinante]

Cool, thanks Dave, Zells, and Mikhailwatt! Looks like I came to the right place.

I'd probably be safe trying to find a good mid-70's 4 input. From what I've heard and read about both versions, that is closer to the sound I want to get anyway. Mr. Lifeson's personal choice would just seal the deal.

I saw this picture after posting. Are those 2 holes? And are those the side mounted fans you mentioned?

http://www.pbase.com/camtrav/image/92152607
http://www.pbase.com/camtrav/image/92152634

Interesting about the Roland Jazz Chorus. Do you have a link to that interview? I think I'd read somewhere he used two parametric filters in succession, but in the only picture I've seen from that era where you can make out his floor effects, he's only using one. I always wondered why he needed two space echos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidmmart ... hotostream

Yeah, Hemispheres is just mind-blowing to me, still after all these years. It's hard for me to pick a favorite, but just the overall sound of that record is incredible.

[mikhailwatt]

The mid-'70s 4-input circuit is my favorite... perfect blend of preamp gain and headroom. A proper Fane-loaded cab is a critical part of the sound as well.

Yes, those are the non-badged, fan-loaded, modded heads I referred to - I haven't found any pics that offer a good look at the inputs, but they could have been 2-holers.

I don't have any interview links, and there is a lot of second-hand, often inaccurate info floating around in the ether. But there have been a few good ones in Guitar Player magazine over the years. This is an excerpt from a 2002 interview I saved:
------------
A FAREWELL TO KINGS [1977]

"We didn't really have any sense that `Closer to the Heart' would be a big hit for us when we were tracking it. I remember cutting the intro at about five or six in the morning with a Gibson B-45 acoustic 12-string, a Gibson Dove acoustic 6-string, and an ES-355 through a Fender Twin. The dirty stuff was a blend of the Twin and a Hiwatt. The solo breaks into blocked-fourth harmony in the middle, and I did that as an overdub--no harmonizers were used."

"XANADU"
A FAREWELL TO KINGS [1977]

"`Xanadu' was recorded in one take--and it was the first take--with the whole band. When we did that, the engineer was dumbfounded. `How can these guys knock out a 12-minute tune in one take?' But that was the kind of preparation that was important to us then. I played my Gibson EDS-1275 doubleneck into a Roland JC-120. The solo was the 1275 into a 100-watt Hiwatt."

"THE TREES"
HEMISPHERES [1978]

"We tracked the intro in the courtyard of Rockfield Studios in Wales. I played an Epiphone C-60 nylon string that was miked with a couple of Neumann U87s. Neil had his wood blocks out there, and Geddy had a keyboard to play his flutey synth line. It took us a few takes to get it down without cars going by, but we liked the vibe of being outdoors. The electric parts were done inside the studio, and I played my 355 through the Hiwatt for the verses. I used a Roland JC-120 for the dreamy, clean middle section, because that's what I was using for chorus in those days."
----------------

At other times (earlier on) he's been quoted as having used H/H amps on the AFTK album... but the Roland + HIWATT formula is what I hear. "Cygnus X-1" sure sounds like a loud & clean HIWATT.

The Maestro "parametric filter" was actually an overdrive/distortion unit that incorporated a parametric eq of sorts. I don't know exactly how he used it, but I suspect it was mainly a boost for solos - you can see Alex stomp on something in this youtube: http://youtu.be/MtWxyRi8mwY

I believe the "other" parametrics were Ashly preamp/eq units used with the acoustic guitars.

Space Echo... he was using three at one point. Probably with different settings - those were the "pre-preset" days, ya know.
Going back farther, it sounds to me like he had a couple Echoplex units going in the long middle section of "By-Tor & The Snow Dog" on ATWAS.

[thefatcyclist]

I read in a forum about a rehearsal studio that has 2 dr504s that the owner says he bought from Alex Lifeson. They have Rush stenciled on the back, but that goes against everything written about his Hiwatts except the removed badges.

[Rocinante]

Mikhailwatt,

Thanks again for the info. I didn't realize he was using Hiwatts on A Farewell to Kings. That makes sense though; it was definitely a different sound than his previous albums. I appreciate you tracking down those interview quotes. I always figured he had one Space Echo set up for just light echo during solos and the second for the hard delay parts like in By Tor, 2112, and Anthem. In that first picture I posted I can make out two of 'em sitting next to his amps on silver looking box I can't identify, and it looks like the third one may be sitting to the left of the other two in the second picture.

thefatcyclist,

Yeah, I might've read that somewhere too. All the tour book equipment lists mention Hiwatt 100's, but maybe he had a few of the 50's at one point too. I was lucky enough to meet him and Geddy a couple of years ago at a meet and greet during the Snakes and Arrows tour, but it never occurred to me to ask him all the gear questions I ever wanted to know. Probably 'cause it would've taken up too much of his time!

[Ted B]

New to this forum, and happened across this discussion ...

Lifeson's 'nameless' Hiwatts from the late '70s through Moving Pictures are 4-input models. This is perhaps most clearly visible in Exit ... Stage Left.

[Ted B]

More thoughts and observations on Lifeson, circa 1980-81:

- His transition to Hiwatt from Marshall seems to coincide with the evolution from straightforward rock to more textured and layered sounds, which originate from a loud but relatively clean signal, to which various effects are applied. Obviously, '70s Marshalls aren't particularly well suited for that.

- Earlier photos I've seen of the same Hiwatts, prior to removing the nameplates but with the same cooling fans seen later, indicate they were initially used with Marshall cabinets. The predominant speakers used by Marshall at that time (AFAIK) were black back Celestion G12M and G12H, both using Mueller 1777 cone kits.

- The 4-input Hiwatts in Exit... are played through the 'Normal' Channel. The amp settings are as follows (left to right) with knobs in these approximate o'clock positions: 1-1-12-3-12-10-2.

- I speculate that the Marshall combos apparent in Exit... are used for certain purely clean parts (e.g. classical guitar).

- Maestro Parametric Filter/Dist units were abandoned in favor of a MXR Distortion +, which is used heavily in Exit...

- Chorus comes from Boss (Roland) Chorus Ensemble, CE-1. FWIW, the chorus effect in the JC-120 (which he used in various recordings) is the same basic circuit.

- Flanged sounds are from an Electric Mistress. The old 18v model I have is spot on.

- The degree of 'tone suck' from these devices (especially the CE-1) can be substantial, which would neatly explain the use of a MXR Micro Amp to restore unity.

- Lifeson describes in a later interview the practice of using two delays set at different intervals (e.g. 100 and 300ms) to create a reverb effect. I suspect this combination is dedicated, whereas the slap back echo evident in ByTor, etc. originates from a different unit.

- Also used is a Morley volume pedal and Crybaby Wah.

- The pickup in the white "Hentor Sportscaster" guitar is an original Bill Lawrence L500L, which has been renamed L500XL since the early '80s. The current item sold by Bill Lawrence (not Bill Lawrence USA) still retains the old chrome housing, glimpses of which are evident in Exit...

I don't know the exact sequential order in which these effects were plumbed, nor do I know anything about the custom switching setup he used.

[Rocinante]

Ted B,

Thank you for the detailed post!! Some great information there. How were you able to see the settings?? I can barely make out the inputs, but then, my TV is pretty old. I ended up getting a vintage 4 input DR103 a few months ago and am now shopping for a 4x12 speaker cab. I've read good things about the Reeves Vintage Purple and the Weber Thames, but am kind of leaning towards the Hi-tone. Something about the sound in the clips I've heard.

[mikhailwatt]

I've read good things about the Reeves Vintage Purple and the Weber Thames, but am kind of leaning towards the Hi-tone. Something about the sound in the clips I've heard.

Original Hylight or HI-TONE.
Don't waste your time on the others - been there, done that.