Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

[edi_87]

hey guys, it's been quite a while since I posted my last thread here.. Anyway, I found a vintage (70's) Hiwatt cabinet loaded with 4 Fanes (the purple sticker ones) in a very good condition... The seller wants 900$ for this one.. Since I haven't found any prices to compare, I'm wondering if it's worth it ??

I've been looking for a good cab lately, wanted to buy H&K w/V30's, than saw this one.. I've heard that those Fanes are one of the finest speakers you can get, but still, Im worried that a vintage cabinet like this one wouldn't handle my hi gain head (triamp mk2) or that it would lack versatility (especially distorted tones).. What do you think? Anyone familiar with those speakers/cabs/problem?

thanks

 

[seabass]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

Mesa or Marshall if you are gigging...vintage gear belongs in the studio IMO. I owned one of Ron Wood's 1968 Marshall 8 X 10 cabs and never felt safe taking it to gigs. I sold it to a local studio and as far as I know it's still in service.

 

[edi_87]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

Mesa or Marshall if you are gigging...vintage gear belongs in the studio IMO. I owned one of Ron Wood's 1968 Marshall 8 X 10 cabs and never felt safe taking it to gigs.

What do you mean? Is it too expensive? Not reliable enough? Is there a problem with mix in a band-context?

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

He probably meant that it'll get torn up and beaten up on the road.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

ya these Hiwatt cabs with the Purple sticker Fanes are collector items!!!! great cabs.... wish i had one... but ya i'd think twice about taking out on the road.. sometimes it is better to take replaceable gear out...

 

[edi_87]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

I'm not accualy into collecting anything.. The only aspect that counts for me is the tone.. so I wonder whether the price is so high only because the cab is rare, or because it sounds killer.. Anyone?

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

I'm not accualy into collecting anything.. The only aspect that counts for me is the tone.. so I wonder whether the price is so high only because the cab is rare, or because it sounds killer.. Anyone?

it is a rarer find and they do cost a fair bit.... a lot of collectors are looking for these and they do sound good

oddly i have a few friends that tour with some Hiwatts and they say the cabs are not that well conctructed.. they told me they have had some corners come unglued

 

[edi_87]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

it is a rarer find and they do cost a fair bit.... a lot of collectors are looking for these and they do sound good

oddly i have a few friends that tour with some Hiwatts and they say the cabs are not that well conctructed.. they told me they have had some corners come unglued

this one doesn't have any corners at all ;] take a look yourself

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

I have a non name 4x12 loaded wiht a set of the same Fanes you are talking about...mine are a matched quad form 1972, same cast frame same purple sticker...I wish I had the whole cab but I found the speakers in this cab...

These are amazing speaker to say the least!

However they are very different from ANY Celestion speaker you;ve ever heard.

I suggest try before you buy if you can at all...just because they sound so different than any other speaker I know of.

Also, the ONLY problem with the cabs themselves are the junky back pannels...the HiWatt cabs that were sold in the US had particle board backs...replace that with a plywood back and you're golden. That said most of them are just fine even witih the particle wood back!

FWIW, I'd take a Hiwatt cab over ANY Marshall cab any day...there is NOTHING wrong with a Hiwatt cab...trust me on that!

I think they handle gain pretty well myself but thats me...again try befopre you buy if you can at all! Just so you know those are 50 watt speakers so a 4x12 is good for 200 watts...for most people this is plenty but some guys really seem to like the high headroom speakers. I will say this just as a point of reference...these sound NOTHING like V30...HiWatt/Fanes are VERY bottom heavy speakers...loads of it and much cleaner than most Celestions IMO...

 

[d1dsj]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

I'd just try it, if you like the sound then get it! I've got an early 70's Orange 4 x 12 which has the Original Greenbacks in and I gig it sometimes. At the end of the day it's only a cab and apart from blowing speakers what can go wrong? It's not like a vintage amp. That's just my opinion anyway, unless you can afford to collect, play and use all the gear you buy... use it for intended purposes. Obviously I don't know what sort of price you would pay for a Marshall or H&K or similar, if they are alot cheaper and give you the sound you want get one of those. All the best.

 

[edi_87]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

I really would try it if I could, but it's so **** far away (500 miles).. Anyway, I think I'll buy the cabinet.. I run a search on the internet and even if I don't like the cab, there are some people ready to pay 1200$ for it.. When I get it I'll post my opininon on it, and maybe some sound samples.. Thanks for your input, cheers

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Vintage HIWATT 4x12, need a piece of advice..

this one doesn't have any corners at all ;] take a look yourself

i didn't mean plastic corners... i meant some friends of mine in a band that tours with Hiwatts have had issues with the cab itself coming unglued.. not sure how or why but that is what i'm told... could be a rare issue...

when i was over in England a few years back i helped them set their newer Music Ground cabs up at the University in Manchester. They had some Music Ground stuff on loan for the tour.... i was shocked to see that the "Handles" on the sides are just holes in the plywood! I never noticed Hiwatts were like that until we were stacking the cabs on stage