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Do I trade my MARSHALL for a HIWATT


zakkfaerum

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Hey everyone. I just aquired this '79 JMP 2203 redone in a new headshell that has white tolex. I has been modded with an effects loop with a switch to bypass it. A guy wants to do a straight up trade for a '78 or '79 (not sure) Hiwatt Custom 50 head. It's i pretty god shape but has signs of use for sure...... it is pretty old.

 

What do you think??

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As a former Hiwatt user I have a few questions for you.
What tones are you trying to achieve?
DO you currently use pedals for distortion ?
Do you have an attenuator?

Hiwatt amps are very very loud and clean. If you plan on getting crunch from the Hiwatt you will be cranking it louder than can be played in the house. Also its distortion is best heard in the The Who Live at Leads. It dosn't have heavy distortion. It does not snarl like a Marshall either.

Hiwatt's love pedals if you like pedal distortion the Hiwatt is the king. Just listen to any David Gilmour solo or Pink Floyd.
Think of the Hiwatt as a loud clean power amp.

I had a Hiwatt for 21 years but found my self preferring the Marshall snarl/roar. You cant get that on the Hiwatt. So I ended up using my JMP-1 rack set up all the time.


Mr Hiwatt

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When I owned both I found myself playing the Marshal more
often. Need a large Venue for HiWatt to shine. When you
open up a HiWatt there is nothing like it but as mrhiwatt
said at less that ear shatering vol you are stuck with
clean so pedals are needed in that case.

I put them both up for sale and figured I'd keep the one that
did not sell first. So 20 years later I still have the Hiwatt and
trully miss the Marshal ... however if it had gone the other
way I guess I would be pining over the HiWatt.

:thu:

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If you keep your other Marshalls and just want to expand your tonal palet. It would be a good trade. Hiwatts are ptp wired and easily repaired by a competent tech. The only thing that may cause a problem is that caps go bad with time in any 20+ year old amp. But they are an easily replaced.

MRHiwatt

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If it was me, I would snatch up that Hiwatt in a heart beat. You will always be able to get your hands on a Marshall tube amp that does a Marshall sound you like. Old Hiwatts in good working order are hard to come by, and have a kick ass sound!

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If it was me, I would snatch up that Hiwatt in a heart beat. You will always be able to get your hands on a Marshall tube amp that does a Marshall sound you like. Old Hiwatts in good working order are hard to come by, and have a kick ass sound!

 

 

+1

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Live at Leeds is considered to be one of the greatest recorded live sounds. I think that is for a reason.

 

Hiwatt DR-504 will have less gain (and that at higher volume levels) than the 2203 but much better clean, and anyway you would probably boost that 2203 anyway...

 

And its a more uncommon, unique sound. And costs more, and probably the best build amp of all times.

 

Go for it!

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I'd say run em stereo
;)
but thats just me...


What cab would you be running it through? Hiwatt's really shine with a Fane loaded cab. For your viewing pleasure, here's mine
;)

Hiwatt2.jpg

 

Pfffft.... that's not a Hiwatt cab...

 

THIS is a Hiwatt cab!

 

2x JBL 15s

 

P1010001.jpg

 

Just make sure the Hiwatt is from a reputable era and un-{censored}ed with. I use my 1x12 Audio Bros. era 50 all the time. Get a Gretsch with TV Jones Power 'Trons or a good solidbody with P-90s. :love::love::love:

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