Hiwatt vs Marshall

S

Stratovarious

New member
ok, this is something ive always been super curious about


what are some of the differences in sound in these amps


im not implying that they are the same amp or anything like that, but I know they are both very famous for having the "british" sound, Im just curious which aspects of the UK sound they both capture.

:sword:

this has been puzzling me for a while and I dont know many famous Hiwatt players (I dont really enjoy listening to the who) but ive been listening to non-stop Floyd, and thats really the only reason I ask, cause im considering a dr-103 cause Dave's sound is just..epic.


thanks in advance, all

-Paul
=)
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

I've always known Hiwatt to be a very clean but LOUD amp but when you finally crank it, it has a very signature distortion, much like the Orange.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Stratovarious said:
ok, this is something ive always been super curious about


what are some of the differences in sound in these amps


im not implying that they are the same amp or anything like that, but I know they are both very famous for having the "british" sound, Im just curious which aspects of the UK sound they both capture.

:sword:

this has been puzzling me for a while and I dont know many famous Hiwatt players (I dont really enjoy listening to the who) but ive been listening to non-stop Floyd, and thats really the only reason I ask, cause im considering a dr-103 cause Dave's sound is just..epic.


thanks in advance, all

-Paul
=)
Click to expand...

Just as an aside, Dave's studio rig and his live rig are COMPLETELY different. With the studio albums you're most likely hearing a Twin or Princeton.

Not a Who fan......well that makes it awfully difficult! LOL

Luke
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

If you like pearl Jam eddie runs straight into his Hi-Watt, trying to think of clips that would help . . . . Any Pearl jam live DVD would give you a good idea, but I don't know where you'd get to check one out??
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Stratovarious said:
ok, this is something ive always been super curious about


what are some of the differences in sound in these amps


im not implying that they are the same amp or anything like that, but I know they are both very famous for having the "british" sound, Im just curious which aspects of the UK sound they both capture.

:sword:

this has been puzzling me for a while and I dont know many famous Hiwatt players (I dont really enjoy listening to the who) but ive been listening to non-stop Floyd, and thats really the only reason I ask, cause im considering a dr-103 cause Dave's sound is just..epic.


thanks in advance, all

-Paul
=)
Click to expand...

Rather than try to describe in written words how an amplifier sounds, which is close to impossible, I will suggest that you listen to some comparison clips:
http://www.proguitar.de/AudioDemo/CompareAmps/CompareAmps.html

As to Who (no pun intended) plays Hiwatts, see this page.
http://www.hiwatt.com/data/Hiwatt_artist.html
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Gilmour's Hiwatts were basicly modded to give him a huge Clean sound with lots of headroom... his pedalboard gave him his distortion's and OD's... Music Ground in the UK make the Hiwatt David Gilmour Model modeled after Dave's mid 70's stage set up... For studio work Dave used Twins and later a pair of Bassmans a fair bit.... In the very late 70's-to the 94 tour his Hiwatts were just power amps-(preamps disconnected) with a modded Bass preamp in front...

Pete Townshend's Hiwatts were also heavily modded... Again Music Ground in the UK offer a signature model.... www.hiwatt.co.uk Anyways in Pete's case it was more gain, Volume and a slightly different EQ then a stock 103..

Rush in the late 70's used Hiwatts for a few tours..

The seceret to Hiwatts is the Cab with the Fanes... i know a few collectors who say their Marshall heads sound better thru the Hiwatt cabs with the FANES...

Stock 70's Hiwatt half stacks i have played thru a fair bit... so extremely loud!!! to get them to distort they need some volume... and man they just feel louder then most amps....

Being a major fan of The Who i'd love a Hiwatt but really i could never use such a beast... I could see myself with a Fender Bassman and a few pedals...
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Here's something I'm curious about....why people don't forget about their computers for a day and go listen to some amps? If you want to truly know what an amp sounds like, and if it'll be useful to you.......go to a bunch of new and used gear stores in a major city and plug into them.

Within 1 minute you'll know if an amp is something you like or not. There's been SO many times where I've heard raves about an amp, then I plugged in and hated it.......and visa versa.......I've plugged into amps that nobody cares about and heard tonal perfection.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Yeah, that would be the right thing to do. But if everyone did this, there'd be no use for discussion forums, and what fun would that be.;)
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Luke Duke said:
Just as an aside, Dave's studio rig and his live rig are COMPLETELY different. With the studio albums you're most likely hearing a Twin or Princeton.

Not a Who fan......well that makes it awfully difficult! LOL

Luke
Click to expand...


Actually Gilmour records quite a bit with an SA212. Regarding Pink Floyd the amps used are very close to 50% fender and 50% HIWATT.

They weren't modded for additional headroom either. David never pushes the amps even close to break-up levels.


Great HIWATT tones:

Styx - Grand Illusion album
Deep Purple(Tommy Bolin) - come taste the band
Martin Barre and Robert Fripp - King Crimson
Jeff Beck Group(Jeff Beck) - Rough and Ready
Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Animal
Rush - Hemispheres and parts of Farewell to Kings
Loverboy - all of their stuff
Steve Hackett - most old Genesis
Kinks - anthything post 1970

Lots that I am forgetting

mhuss.com is the best website for HIWATT info

The best forum for Vintage HIWATT info.

http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewforum.php?f=3

The best forum for David Gilmour and his gear:

http://www.davidgilmour.pq.pl/index.php?sid=ae75d54d92b3d3e9f65a18830dab3757

That should keep you busy for a while!

-Clayton
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

thanks alot guys =)

its good to see that Steve Hackett uses one aswell, cause I love his super super light tone he gets , its hard to explain it just kind of prances from note to note, anybody know anything about this? lol


as far as I know and have heard, Hiwatt's are alot cleaner than Marshall's and the like's

and yeah ive heard the clips on that site, thats the only reason I really started wanting a Hiwatt, sounded amazing! and then I watched Live in Pompeii....wow. his tone during Echoes is just..epic.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Of course, the classic Hiwatt album... Live at Leeds.

I prefer the Hiwatt sound to Marshall myself... look better, too.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Gearjoneser said:
Here's something I'm curious about....why people don't forget about their computers for a day and go listen to some amps? If you want to truly know what an amp sounds like, and if it'll be useful to you.......go to a bunch of new and used gear stores in a major city and plug into them.

Within 1 minute you'll know if an amp is something you like or not. There's been SO many times where I've heard raves about an amp, then I plugged in and hated it.......and visa versa.......I've plugged into amps that nobody cares about and heard tonal perfection.
Click to expand...

i speak for myself... but in my country those high priced amps do not exist, theres no place to test them, you have to place a special order to another country to get them, so the only way is sound demos and other people opinions

that sucks like theres no tomorrow but hell.. its all ive got


to stay in topic, to me theyre two totally different amps, i like the marshall gain, but the cleans, well....
on the other hand hiwatt has great cleans, and its the killer amp to use if youre going to use effects (as someone said, david uses pedalboards and not the amp gain)

just my 2 cents
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Hiwatts can crunch up/distort pretty good. Well, CP103s can at least.

BTW, in the US, Reeves sells the exact same stuff as the new production Hiwatts with a different nameplate and about 50% off the Hiwatt prices.

Hiwatt CP103 is $3400, Reeves CP103 is $2000 (direct), etc.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

Well done,

I just came off my Orange thread thinking I must post a Hi-watt vs. Marshall thread for almost identical reasons. Are you psychic?

What I do know:

Dave's Hi-watts are an out-of-production model, and they HAVE been modded to by-pass the tone controls, but NOT to my knowledge levels.

In my case I am most definately looking for something like the Gilmour Mid80's to '94 live sound, but I wan't flexibility too, as I am not running the band 'Fake Floyd' more's the pity. I want to be Gilmouri-ish. I'd also prefer a 50W head than a 100w at present.

It's funny but now I've done some research on the subject it seems that what has drawn me to the GIlmour sound are the same reasons that he set out to create it; A mutual liking for clean tone, at least mit-out FX.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

EveryMn said:
http://www.hiwatt.com/data/sheads.html

MusicGround? Hiwatt DG504. The 50w version of the Dave Gilmour sig head. They also have it in 100w, and both for the Townshend sig too. And then of course, the Custom 50 and 100 (aka DR103/504), and a 20-watter too.
Click to expand...

Oh, cool. It obviously won't have the 'original' tube type in, or Dave wouldn't need a cupboard full of the old ones, but that will do nicely. I hadn't even considered that there was a Sig' model because of his need for 'old' out of production tubes. This must be more recent than any of the research articles I found.
 
Re: Hiwatt vs Marshall

"Built using Partridge transformers, 4 x ECC-83 tubes in the preamp section, 4 x EL-34 tubes in the power stage, and is rated at 100 watts output, with switchable 4, 8 & 16 ohms impedance."

.... mmmm ..... patridge tranny four ECC 83s, four EL34 I bet if you push it with MXR+ type of pedal it will get you a gorgeous crunch.
 
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