Hiwatt Projects?

[OrganicEffects]

Perhaps my search ability isn’t up to par, but it seems like Hiwatt isn’t a very explored brand. If that is true, I’m curious why. Is it that the sound isn’t desire-able, circuits overly complicated, circuit too delicate without military spec wiring, less part availability, less diversity than the F/M/V types?

Maybe it’s too similar to British/Marshall amps already? Or perhaps there are pieces of Hiwatt in some of the DIY based amps that I just don’t realize.

[SILVERGUN]

Just in case you haven't seen it:
https://hiwatt.org/

People have been trending towards lower wattage amps for a while now.
If the name was Lowatt they'd be everywhere right now.

[Ritchie200]

To expand on what SG said, they are known for loud AND clean.  Still a little woody with EL34's but they were all but done by the time Marshall was master voluming and all but gone by the jcm800 years.  Other than the Pete Townsend fans it was not considered the "sound" of classic rock.  Some people say they are too bright, abrasively so.  Others say BS on that.  Some say the equivalent Marshall has more tonal capability.  Others say BS on that too!Most say they are super pedal friendly.  Most also say the KT88 versions sounded best - which I can certainly relate to.  Some bass players swear by them.  One of note was Glenn Hughes who used 400's in the Purple years.  Although I heard from Ritchie's amp tech that the open frame partridge transformers howled like crazy when the amp was turned up over 6 or 7.  I played a 50watt version years ago when I was asked to come up and play with a band in a live situation.  I thought it sounded really good and was loud and bold, but it was very pedal driven.  I like a cleanish transparent amp, which I thought it was.  I think there are enthusiasts out there but, like SG said, people seem more concerned with producing less watts than even 50 these days, much less 100, 200, or gosh forbid 400!  Original construction is still unmatched.  Cabinets are still unmatched.

Jim

[Ritchie200]

Last gasp Hiwatt ad (I'm kidding) in the early 80's with Slade.

Jim

[Ritchie200]

Glenn Hughes with enormous bass reflex bins.

Jim

[MakerDP]

22W HiWatt kit...

http://www.trinityamps.com/product/trinity-triwatt-kit/

I've been wanting to build one of those for a while.

[Leevi]

I have built two DR103 based heads and would say they are loud and clean as stated here before. These models have huge headroom and they sound different as Marshalls. DR 103 is suitable for bass just because of its huge headroom.
/Leevi

[OrganicEffects]

Thanks everyone!

SILVERGUN - Lowatt  I've seen MHuss's Hiwatt page, tons of valuable info!

Ritchie2000 - Cool pictures. I'd like to think fans of Gilmour would still be after those Hiwatt's. I'm also surprised that Page fans are so into Supro, but let Hiwatt's sort of fall by the wayside. The Royal Albert Hall concert has great sound, especially for a live show.

MakerDP - That does look amazing. Good to know a Hiwatt can still be a Hiwatt with 6V6's. Wonder if they'll sell the transformer set 

Leevi - Do the speakers work for bass as well, or do you need a bass cab?

[Leevi]

Do the speakers work for bass as well, or do you need a bass cab?

The DR103s I built are heads.  Both are used by bass players who are probably using bass cabs.


I can add that the circuit prevents hum pretty well. Both were very silent and did't need any extra round for hum elimination.


/Leevi

[MakerDP]

MakerDP - That does look amazing. Good to know a Hiwatt can still be a Hiwatt with 6V6's. Wonder if they'll sell the transformer set 

My guess is yes. Stephen is a great guy. I've built two of his kits... the TC15 (my first ever amp build) and the OSD. Top-quality stuff through and through. No corner-cutting here. Thinking of getting an 18W SIII V6 kit to put together this summer.

EDIT: Ah yes, check the bottom of first post here... $250+shipping for the transformer set. http://www.trinityamps.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1516

Actually not too bad for a custom-wound Partridge clone set made by Heyboer.

[MakerDP]

Also should be noted thought that a great deal of the HiWatt tone came from the "purple Fane" speakers. There are some folks who make knock-offs. Avatar does or did I believe.

.aaaannnndd.... Pete Townsend really pretty much only used them live. In the studio he did most of his stuff on Fenders. There's a website out there that details what he used on each The Who record.

[Ritchie200]

MakerDP,

VERY good point!  I've read many a post where someone scrimped and saved and bought a DR103 only to have it fart out with a guitar into a celestion cabinet.  This is a case where the speaker(s) seems to make the man - so to speak.  The old Laney Supergroups were like that and sounded unbelievable with Fane or JBL's but ehh... with celestion.

I also saw where Townsend used Fenders for recording. I have to say MY Bandmaster NEVER sounded like We don't get fooled again......   The other thing I read (and saw in a video) was where Pete's brother plays a lot of guitar on the Who albums and helps Pete write. (More useless trivia....)

6V6 with a Hiwatt pre?  People talk about how different the EL34 is from the KT88 in the Hiwatts.  I wonder how that would sound!

Jim

[MakerDP]

I expect a full report on the differences after you are done with your build.