Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

[flank]

ok, well some of you may know that i recently purchased a 1981 Hiwatt DR103 and at first i loved it.....not so much anymore, its just not my thing, somethin i cant explain.....

well a local shop around here ive been talkin back and forth with, and they agreed to a trade of my hiwatt for a Marshall 1973 super lead...HOWEVER, the 73 amp is housed within a later big logo style marshall box (does this cause a big decrease in value? obviously i know it does nothing for tone, but i dont wanna buy or trade for somethin that wont retain value)

i bought the hiwatt for 600, and the shop is currently selling the marshall for 899..... im thinkin of pullin the trigger because i was always lookin for an old marshall, but the hiwatt i really liked and it was a nice price....

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

Open up the '73 Marshall and look inside. If the circuit board is a printed circuit board rather than hand wired, don't do it. If it is hand wired and you like tone of the Marshall, I'd do the trade.

I don't like HiWatts for guitar...to loud and clean and tight.

Lew

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

why do you say not to do it if its circuit board? does that have to do with value (if it was circuit board, would it be worth less than $600?) or are you talking tonewise because im not diggin the tone of the hiwatt, id like to try something else.....

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

If it's a printed circuit board, the amp may still sound killer.....but it won't be worth what it'd be worth if it was handwired.

I forget what the cut off date is, but i know that by 1974 they were ALL done with a printed circuit board.

Hand wired is more collectable and easier to mod and do repairs on.

I think that Yngwie actually prefers that '73 model tho...he collects them.

I don't blame for wanting to change the HiWatt...I'd just make sure I got an even trade and got my money's worth out of the HiWatt. Is it one that is signed inside by Harry Joyce or Dave Reeves? I forget the name to look for...I think it's Harry Joyce maybe?

HiWatts don't sing and crunch like a Marshall...they get a huge clean tone for Pete Townshend/Who style rythym tho.

Lew

 

[JfromHouston]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

check ebay/HC/Gear page to see what stuff is going for...

I would do it. Super Leads are killer. They dont have a ton of gain but they do great with pedals. Loud MFers....

 

[Pandemonium]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

I wish I still had my Super Lead. Jumper the channels, crank it to about 8 [attenuator required :yell:]and you've got yourself one bad*** R&R machine. I don't know anything about the resale with the different cabinet though.

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

well the strange thing is, this hiwatt sounded big and wooly.....didnt have much punch, and had a pretty decent amount of gain, which didnt sustain at all..also, it didnt have any MOJO.....idk, its still a good sound, but not exactly MY sound anymore

i dont want a marshall for the Van Halen type of crunch, i want it more for sustain and a more punchy sustainy clucky KERRANG!!! type of sound whic punches right through the bands mix..id like it to go anywhere from CCR to hendrix to ACDC...and i think it can do that better than the hiwatt can..when i played my hiwatt with the band, it honestly didnt sound much differnt than my twin, so i was dissapointed in that aspect too...

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

I would make sure that Marshall is all original, not cut up ect. In todays world
a 73 for 899.00 is below what the going rate seems to be. Why is it cheaper? Most stores are not going to make a deal unless it sits in their favor. If the Marshall is original, ( down to the transformers ect) it may be worth considering as Marshall values are really jumping right now. Not having the original box could mean the amp was abused, altered ect. That is the key. If that amp is good to go then a trade could be very worthwhile. How clean is the Hiwatt on a scale of 10. I really want a Hiwatt bad, but I just don't have the bucks. Play that Marshall hard, would they let you check it out for a night. You gotta open it up and turn it up to see if it is for you. A fun dilema to have!!

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

my hiwatt was not particularly as clean as everyone seems to say they are (but mine was made by Biacrown and is a 2 inputer, which means that it has a bit more gain than earlier hiwatts).....however, with a strat, normal volume at about 3 or 4, you could turn the master up to 7-8 without gettin much dirt at all (and it was pretty monsterous at this point) with a humbucker guitar, it distorted a little sooner of course. Keep in mind Townshend was in love with fender amps before hiwatt, and simply needed a louder and a bit meaner version of the fender amps he was usin... i suppose that would be a good description of a hiwatt: a loud and mean fender

im in the process of getting all the details of the amp: serial number, they said it was original but i asked them again if their was anythin done to it......i also asked if it was handwired or PCB and also asked them as to why it was put into a new box......... so by tomarrow ill know everything about it, and then ill go down there and try it out i suppose

as of right now, i think im gonna do the deal because the hiwatt is simply not inspiring me

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

as far as why they would wanna trade it: i dont kno.....it does seem a little fishy
but this is the largest vintage guitar and amp store in Ohio, so they have plenty of marshalls to spare lol.....i have a feeling that they just wanna get rid of it because its in a differnt box, and doesnt make friends with the rest of the old marshalls lol...

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

my hiwatt was not particularly as clean as everyone seems to say they are (but mine was made by Biacrown and is a 2 inputer, which means that it has a bit more gain than earlier hiwatts).....however, with a strat, normal volume at about 3 or 4, you could turn the master up to 7-8 without gettin much dirt at all (and it was pretty monsterous at this point) with a humbucker guitar, it distorted a little sooner of course. Keep in mind Townshend was in love with fender amps before hiwatt, and simply needed a louder and a bit meaner version of the fender amps he was usin... i suppose that would be a good description of a hiwatt: a loud and mean fender

im in the process of getting all the details of the amp: serial number, they said it was original but i asked them again if their was anythin done to it......i also asked if it was handwired or PCB and also asked them as to why it was put into a new box......... so by tomarrow ill know everything about it, and then ill go down there and try it out i suppose

as of right now, i think im gonna do the deal because the hiwatt is simply not inspiring me

How is it cosmetically is what I meant. ( the Hiwatt)

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

oh oh, its probably 9 out of 10, looks great....just a few of the normal wear and tear scuff marks and what not.......i did take it to my tech last week and he put it through its paces, and gave it a check up.......everything turned out fine, however he did say there were some "mods" and that they were professionally installed and used correct parts.......but he didnt proceed to tell me what they were and i wasnt concerned too much.......however, the amp doesnt sound like it has been modded, theres nothing unusual about it, it sounds pretty much like any other hiwatt ive played.........BUT i do think that there is a bias pot on the back of it, which i would have to believe was the mod he was talking about, (i dont think that hiwatts had bias pots)....

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

Sounds like a dog to me.....
All of the old Hiwatts I have used or tried gave me nice fat big sound.

 

[flank]

Re: Should i trade the Hiwatt for the 73 Super Lead?

well if its a dog, it a real BIG MONSTER one....lol