vintageHIWATTconvention.com

hi everyone, (1st post)

so ive had this Hiwatt cab for about 15 years now. im not proud of how ive treated it but dang, it wont die!
i recently opened it up and was trying to see and understand what i REALLY have.
my brother (he gave me this amp) says the speakers are the original ones that came with it but the cover was replaced. but im not so sure because the labels are gone!

anyways, im here for your expertise, so PLEASE help me identify my SPEAKERS.

from the serial number this is what i gather... (incase its hard to read)
Hiwatt Cabinet
Type - AP
Model No - SE 4123
Serial No - 8270
Rating - 100
Impedance - 16

the speakers have these numbers on them...
125114
32/78

so according to the data here, its from about 1973 or so, but its not a 300 watt (is it suppose to be?)

so PLEASE help me figure out IF these are the ORIGINAL SPEAKERS or not.

THANK YOU!!!

lenny

Dr. HIWATT can tell you for sure, but my guess is they are OEM - #8270 was most likely a '78, so the speaker date codes look right. Fanes, for sure, but a later model than the 122231 50 watt. Hylight-era HIWATT cabs were rated conservatively - the SE4123 cabs usually had 4 x 50 watt drivers... enough to handle a 100 watt head.

The cab looks like it might be a 'tweener - somewhere in the low 8000 s/n range appears to be when Hylight switched to front loaded drivers.

Welcome to VHC!

The speakers clearly date to 1978 (32nd week, to be exact). I'd bet that's closer to the cab's manufacturing date. They are Hiwatt Fanes and would have had black plastic covers glued over the magnets, like this:



The covering looks odd in the photo. Is it padded or tolex glued directly to the plywood?

Mikhailwatt may be right on the transitional nature of that cab. I haven't seen a rear-loaded cab with a removeable grill like that. The handles also look different from the plastic ones I have. I've got a front-loaded one in the 87## serial number range, so yours may well be on the cusp.

Dave

I think Mikhailwatt and Old School Dave are correct with it being a late 1978 "tweener" cab.

THANK YOU ALL!!

OldSchoolDave - thanks for the speaker picture. the cover isnt padded. it was apparently glued on but it hasnt been glued since i got it. my brother said the covering material was replaced and stapled on the wood.

oh yes, the cover needs to be renailed. when i moved it came off and got a little damaged.

i havent seen many Hiwatts (at stores or internet) but these are the handles.
for reference i guess.

lenny

Like I said, I haven't seen those handles before. The ones I've seen have been more rectangular - like Marshall types:





Dave

my 1978 SE4123 has those handles. Cab #8031 or 8032............can't remember????