Frank Hannon of TESLA at Hiwatt

Frank Hannon of TESLA hung out with us at the Toronto Custom shop. He told us about his experiences with Hiwatt, and what he's currently using on the road.
In this video, Frank plays a Super-Hi 50 and an updated Custom 20/40 "Studio/Stage" through his new SE4123 cabinet loaded with Fane F75 speakers.

[@leosun8469]

Yep- Frank’s Hiwatts he used in the 90s in Tesla (especially on Bust A Nut) are THE sole reason I got into them. I actually found a modded DR504 at Starving Musician in San Jose that had that same sound as Frank’s DR103s, which he later on let me play through. Freakin’ glorious! Thanks for helping develop my eat for tone, Frankie!🤘🏻

[@harrykadaras9459]

Hiwatt Heaven...Hiwatt hell is no Hiwatt! That 50W is really 🔥

[@rebecca75588]

Frank did a rad job here as usual great guitar playing here most definitely digging this sound!

[@cannadaincowboy]

Frank you rock them HIWATTs. I gotta go plug in mine now. 🤘

[@markdodds6141]

I used to have a Hiwatt 50W head that I bought at a consignment store in Sacramento probably around 1983 or 84. It had a mod for an extra master volume knob on the back that allowed you to crank the preamp for more gain. I wonder if it came from Leo’s music? I wound up buying a Mesa Boogie MK III head because I wanted channel switching and sold the Hiwatt head. That is my one gear regret I have. I should never have sold that Hiwatt. It was a killer amp.

[@ratt669]

Happy to see him happy to play a 4k USD amp with a 8k USD guitar. Life is happy.

[@thebudge333]

I can attest. My HIWATT just sounds different than my other British amps. It sounds great.

[@underhated3317]

i bought an orange rockerverb and i'm very disapointed. I wanna a Hiwatt now, better cleans and better drive.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

that's because it's made in China these are not Hiwatt amps they are garbage nothing like the original Hiwatts the company stopped making them and sold the company in 1980's

[@thebudge333]

@@theprogrammerrolandmc3039 I’ll agree on the Chinese made Oranges. I’ve got a 72 OR120. But I also have a HIWATT SA210 made in Doncaster from around ‘03 that is immaculately hand wired just like the originals and def has that HIWATT tone.

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

@@thebudge333 Keep a hold of your Hiwatt sa210 they Hiwatt value now. i am looking for a Hiwatt myself but lucky i am in the UK so i get to pick all the used ones rather than the new stuff. Even the new stuff like the Hi 5 has two valves 1 pre and 1 power tube it's a transistor amp really marketed to the metal crowed it's obviously a tranny anp with a overdrive circuit. I have even seen Hiwatt pure tube amps that are transistor as well people dont even know what they are buying in today's market.

[@thebudge333]

@@theprogrammerrolandmc3039 Yes! I’ve seen these lately. 1 kt88, 1 el34. What is that even? Pure marketing to young’uns with little money or experience looking to play with headphones. But hey it’s a big bottle amp right?

[@vadimchalpankoron709]

Hiwatt SE4123F amazing cabinet for all amps, my favourite Friedman BE100 in cab se4123f

[@marvelharris9540]

That is a great sounding amp

[@rebecca75588]

It is!!!

[@karltraunmuller7048]

Go Hiwatt 👏🏻💪🏼

[@waynegram8907]

What did Leos Music modifications do to the hiwatt amplifiers?

[@GenetNasty]

Hiwatt amps are best with the master wide open, I play mine loud.

[@vox1966]

Must be Rich to have one at 15 I spent my Whole life getting my Hilight stack

[@theprogrammerrolandmc3039]

why not give your schematics out to your customers or even better put them in the amp case i have a T10 HD that needs fixed and without schematics its a useless door stop Hiwatt customer service ignores any request for schematics.