Hiwatt vs Orange vs Mesa-Boogie: What's the Difference? | Reverb Tone Report

Reverb's 2021 Holiday Gift Guide: bit.ly/3ojmKNW
Treat yourself or find the perfect gift for your favorite music maker. Orange, Hiwatt, and Mesa-Boogie amps are associated with big stages, searing lead tones, and massive arena-certified volume levels. The brands have maintained relevance for decades, and today, Andy is running through some of the unique qualities that makes each one of these legacy amp brands truly memorable.
Read more on Reverb: bit.ly/2lf5yLo
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Shop Orange on Reverb: bit.ly/2lk3aTK
Fender vs. Marshall vs. Vox Amps: • Fender vs Vox vs Marsh...

[@ExplicableCashew]

1:40 My man not only has an invisible pick, he also has an invisible trem. Next thing you know Andy's gonna learn to coil split by snapping his fingers

[@stanislavmigra]

Looks like Andy is Timelord or something like that ...

[@heggy_69]

He's pulling the bridge up lol

[@Spudgun88]

He's playing with his fingers and pulling the bridge, how can you not see that?!

[@MikeTappokone]

that's not the bridge it's the head

[@jamesha175]

@@MikeTappokone it is the bridge. the head is where the tuning knobs are.

[@iwiggs6870]

Admit it Andy. This video exists so you could play Echoes through a Hiwatt. I'm saying this out of pure unbridled jealousy.

[@grayaj23]

@j77 I mean, if I had time travel -- you can forget all the "let's change history" options. I'd just keep going back to listen to PF playing a concert for dead people. It would never get old.

[@heftosprod]

@j77 Or... the best music video of all time

[@lordmanshaft1112]

He even broke out an outboard RE20

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

Seemed to me he couldn't hide his joy at the Orange.

[@tyfrey_]

It’s the truth!

[@SeanZetterlund]

that Hiwatt may be one of the best sounding amps i've ever heard

[@regortex3364]

I’ve owned a DR-103 since the 80’s. They are very stiff, glassy, ice picky, sterile, at lower volumes. They are actually painful to listen to, UNLESS, they are pushed to their sweet spot, then they become why they’re known as one of the best amps ever made. An attenuator is a must, unless you play in an incredibly loud band.

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

@@regortex3364 Hiwatts are designed to be pushed, hence why they're built like tanks!

[@regortex3364]

@@mattthrun-nowicki8641 -no argument here, I think they’re misunderstood and not that popular because most players won’t be able to play at the volume required for them to sound good, me included, hence the attenuator and it’s double duty as a bass head sometimes.

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

@@regortex3364 Agreed. Thank heavens for a Fryette PowerStation!

[@regortex3364]

@@mattthrun-nowicki8641 - I’ve never tried that attenuator, I owned a THD Hotplate and Dr.Z Airbrake, but settled on a Ho’s Electronics unit that is actually a reamper/attenuator but works and sounds the best for me. There’s so many options nowadays, I’d love to try the Fryette and some of the newer ones that have come along.

[@buckycore]

Man, I never really hear a hi-watt in isolation. So beautiful with those cleans

[@stanislavmigra]

There is something magical about Hiwatt ... I get that special Pink Floyd vibe instantly ...

[@mizupman24]

Y’all gotta do Sovtek, Supro, and Ampeg next!

[@kevinbothwell8425]

Yes! And maybe throw in the ehx mig 50 for good measure...not too many good demos of that one...

[@benedekgabor.]

Yeah I third that

[@meexiko]

Ampeg v4 / v2 / vt22 / vt40. One amp to rule them all.

[@shmooless3699]

60s fender bassman is the best amp ever without a doubt

[@Grungebob_Squaredance]

Mizrahy Aquino ampeg Reverberocket for the win!

[@craigrusse11]

Soldano, Peavy and Bogner would make a good hi-gain amps video.

[@Reverb]

That would be a fun one!

[@Beegpapijimbo]

Laney, Engl, Carvin? Three brands associated with virtuoso players

[@Mesa3077Boogie]

Not so much on the Peavey though.. Unless there's a magical Peavey I don't know about..?

[@charlessale409]

@@Mesa3077Boogie everyone with a beard and a metal neck guitar is jacking it hard for Peaveys these days.

[@craigrusse11]

Mesa3077Boogie 5150

[@salvi415]

matamp, sunn and sovtek would be really awesome

[@MihajloSimic44]

Simply a beautiful series where everyone can clearly see the diffrenceses between those amps. Thank you Andy. Hope to see more of this.

[@elonmush4793]

This series is awesome!! Laney, Matchless and Sovtek next, please!

[@andrewpappas9311]

Definite props for playing Echoes with that Hiwatt, one of my favourite Floyd songs/riffs and it just works so damn well

[@guitarristainiciante2142]

This song is my favorite too 😍

[@gregg4164]

Oh by the way. Dude I am really impressed with your guitar playing. i always find it interesting to see a finger style guitar player really be able to cut it up. Hell of a style you have there.

[@dominicherrera6984]

LOVEU ANDY FOR PLAYING ECHOES FOR THE HIWATT DEMO

[@liamtahaney713]

No love for the Mesa boogie? That thing was sick!

[@michaelgreen5206]

Agree!!!

[@TheShannontsmith]

I have had Mesa amps for a long time. I have heard the hot rodded fender statement before. It does have a sustain and singing lead tone like no other amp I’ve played. The muddy sound I was hearing from the demo is nothing like any Mark amps I have used. To his defense if you are used to other brands setting up a boogie is a different animal. The knobs have 10 on them but you should never get past 7 on anything. If you know you know. 🤓

[@Austin_Bourque_]

Bc they are thrash amps amp the demo didn’t give u the scooped chuga chuga goodness

[@dimiaraujo90]

Hiwatt: huge headroom, it's kinda like a clean of a Fender and the Drive of a Marshall blended together Mesa Boogie: tends to be a little mids-scoop with whatever gain/drive setting and volume, which helps a lot those who are looking for distorted tones still able to distinguish each individual note in a full and complex bar chord with all extensions, also giving a great sustain while mantaining clarity Orange: Huge mids-hump, which allows to use just a little bit of gain, and sound like the amp was cracked and blowing up of so much drive/dirt

[@DrewPeabaws]

I love my hiwatt. Great clean sound, but once you put some gain in it’s a pure rock machine.

[@Art-zs6sl]

Mesa actually tends to have more kids IMO. Many scoop it, because they have to.

[@dimiaraujo90]

@@Art-zs6sl Compared to a Fender, yes, Mesas have more Mids. Compared to most British amps, Mesas have a lot less Mids.

[@skylersample5356]

never thought i would see complex and bar chord in the same sentence

[@EllisAudio]

i feel like you might have a preference for mesa boogie lmao

[@edadpops1709]

Andy knows his gear . Guitars amps and pedals. He is a great resource.

[@noahjuan2234]

Thumbs up for "Echoes" PF riffs!

[@mattborba1340]

Duuuuuude I love these videos. Please keep doing stuff like this. I love it.

[@deezee8508]

Andy, your love of reverend guitars makes me smile.

[@marioagostini8726]

First: great explanation and you seem a very nice guy. Then: your playing style is top notch, fingerpicking to the highest level!

[@scampoli25]

I could listen to Andy play Who songs on that HiWatt all day

[@jaschul]

Mark Knopfler plays Pete Townshend songs, basically

[@ruffryder13]

Awesome! Looking forward to the next one!

[@uppermids]

I don't care about the amps, honestly. I just came to see Andy play.

[@Auen73]

Very cool.....Andy does an excellent job explaining the history and demoing the sound of these amps......Bravo

[@Brembelia]

Would like to see a demo of the Marshall Bluesbreaker.

[@eltigre8978]

Awesome! I love this series! Supro and others next?

[@danielblauw2978]

Great video Andy 👍 great playing

[@jimmymarchisotto8152]

Great video! All the amps sounded killer. I'm living my EL84 powered Rocket-32 from Orange. The Stereo effects loop makes it VERY versital.

[@echodigger]

The previous Marshall, Vox, Fender demo had more info on why they were different than this presentation did. Kind of lacked the fact that Mesa pioneered the cascade gain stage. Or didn't exactly cover why Oranges have that distinct sounding fizzy breakup. Definitely need to do cover Soldano and their SLO circuit.

[@georgefromgreece4119]

Insightful info here! Spot on!

[@moustachio334]

Only Rockerverbs get fizzy and it’s easy to control with the eq knob. Just a dumb generalization. My O50 was very well balanced tonally and had a good EQ. A bit fuzzy on the third gain stage but that’s what the amp was made for. But you just set the knobs all at 12 and you can play any classic rock song out there. I love Mesa amps but i just wish they’d release a MKII head for good.

[@sparkyguitar0058]

Boogies are great when they work right. But if any repairs are needed Lord help you. That's why the only Boogie I want and got are old Mark 1 or S O B's. Not as quite cramped and messed up inside. Not perfect by any means. My S O B is only 7 knobs so not so twisted inside. But not like an early Fender amp either.

[@jasondorsey7110]

Soldano's something of a late-comer...I'm wondering why there's no love for ampeg, they came along well before mesa/boogie even

[@bryanherward4679]

classic old-school solid state...Lab Series, Kustom and Roland JC

[@jkf9167]

Sunn as well. And Acoustic!

[@cliffords2315]

Yea and Acoustic 120 was also a Sweet sounding Old School Solid State..........problem is the capactors need to be replaced every so many years. And the GMT solid state lead amp that Santana used in 69,.

[@chrisw5742]

I used to use Kustom heads with a distortion pedal. My band used to play out with bands who had Boogies and were known to be the heaviest and best band around. Well I get done with my set and some dude comes up to me saying "holy shit your tone fucking blows theirs away". And yep capacitors kept bowing out.

[@fvckoff4ever561]

Also those great old SS Sunn and Acoustic amps

[@bryanherward4679]

Had a Lab Series L7...so loud and punchy, it would knock the fillings out of your teeth.

[@tmitz73]

Great Video Andy!!!!

[@GeekWarrior77]

This channel's an amazing resource.

[@pclindholm]

Even though it's now the Etsy Tone Report, Andy still rules!

[@Thomaszmccormick]

Andy, I want you to demo an Ampeg VT-22 or VT-40. Those QOTSA riffs of yours deserve it!

[@scotchrobbins]

Hell, we'll settle for an early-model V4.

[@JakeTerch]

I could listen to Andy play all day, world class player!

[@WebbChannel1]

Like the fact you are using a REVEREND GUITAR - Nice!!

[@jacoblagarde4383]

Tasty playing man, awesome fingerstyle

[@rogerbranton1752]

My brother bought a Hiwatt Custom 100 in the 70s from Kalua Music in Scarborough, Ontario. They brought 'em in, straight from England...in fact, my big bro got the first one out of the crate! But Kalua had an English techie guy who would mod them before they even hit the sales floor. So....Normal channel still gave you clean tones up to insane volume levels but the Brilliant channel would give overdrive into white noise regions! Still to this day, the most impressive amp I've ever heard.

[@darthmal1]

That was a tasty "Echoes" riff on the Hiwatt

[@BlackofAzur]

Awesome video as always ! Considering buying a Mesa

[@friedkin71]

BlackofAzur proud owner of a mark v 35 watt. Had it for a couple years and just love it. It really boogies!

[@Antonio-nn5ot]

Another very useful video!

[@perthmike7]

Nice review 👍🏻

[@djmmjd3]

Please do a vintage combo series with: Fender (Tweeds, Harvard, Champ, 5E3 circuit), original Gibson amps, and the original Supro/Valco combos

[@tuomas_]

T H I S

[@BD-me4nk]

That last tone at the end of the video played through that Fred Flinstone looking guitar was amazing

[@blipblip100]

Terrific - learnt a lot - Thanks!!

[@stevefiorito5379]

Had an early Mesa Boogie, and that had one Altec in it along with a on Altec extension. That amp could get a wide range of tones. Before I built the Koa Wood cabinet for it as a combo, the original speaker top head was used with a 4 - 12" celestion cabinet. That sounded great. If you can only have one amp (I had two) the Mesa covers a lot of territory.

[@riffsvanwinkle]

I'd love to see an amp roundup of some boutique brands--Tone King, Carr, Dr. Z., Benson.

[@samclarke653]

Megawatt too

[@hibernative]

I don't need it; I'm all over Tone King!

[@peterpansie5]

Boomer amps

[@Jeff-11_354]

Carr!

[@TatersUnited]

Dr. Z are the best sounding amps I’ve ever played.

[@iansnyder274]

My first religious/spiritual experience was playing through an old Hi Watt stack back in 83'. I was 15 years old. I have never had that experience since. There is nothing like the feel of pushing all that air. It makes you play different in a good way, and it feels amazing!!! I have only gigged with Fender combo amps over the years, and they are awesome, but NOTHING compares to that fateful day in that guy's garage trying out his HI WATT at full volume with my 335!!!!!

[@John-hm6ke]

Love the round up. Thank you. I’m picking up a vox ac30. And a Cascino lol.

[@johnnyq1992]

Oh god I was so into Fender Hot Rods but these HiWatts are starting to convert me

[@kevinleonard2368]

I'm loving my ORANGE Rocker 30 at the moment! I also love my early 90's Marshall JCM 900...I guess it just depends on what I'm playing.

[@vonslagle]

Ampeg, Supro and Laney please! Excellent show BTW

[@mistersallingo]

Supro, Mad Professor and Victoria would be great! And thanks for this one! ☝️

[@somewhereupthere]

I love that color of strat... really stands out beautifully

[@NateThunder]

Reverb makes great vids. Awesome subject.

[@churchbryan35]

Excellent video ✌

[@GrooveDuude]

That Mark iii is capable of so much more.

[@elsapucai]

Great to test that Hiwatt with Echoes and Can't Explain. Next comparison should be Laney vs Peavey vs Dual Rectifier (80s generation)

[@markedwards7721]

The Hiwatt can make use of reverbs, the Marshall, not so much.

[@josephesposito3499]

Andy = great guitarist! THANKS for showing me that a Hiwatt can be effectively used with finger style!

[@leonnardobonnard]

Please evaluate Supro and Two Rock!! I am about to buy a new amp and those videos are helping me to decide 😃

[@delphinoaleon6436]

Your videos have made me a huge fan of Reverb the company. They should probably give you stock in the company

[@jasonkhavari4792]

Love the Emperor cab too, wish there were some more of them out there!

[@jacobthomas2756]

Do some more of these, please!

[@AladimGTR]

Thanks a lot for great series))) How about Friedman, Bogner and Bad Cat

[@futur_sunds]

Love that classic orange crunch!

[@theo8539]

Estaba esperando este video

[@josevillegas9029]

That Hiwatt is just beautiful !!

[@v8dreaming]

That is a beautiful shade of blue on that guitar!

[@Cluless02]

Great video!! HIWATT w/Fanes is the finest in tones.

[@gtrwndr87]

Some suggestions for future amp roundups: The Grails/unattainables: Trainwreck, overdrive special, steel string singer, etc. high gain monsters: engl, diezel, soldano, Friedman Boutique trailblazers, mid 00-to 10s boutique trends: Dr z, bad cat, divided by 13 Cult classics: matamp, cornford, krank

[@lije927]

“...to something super HEAVY.” Yessir, I’ll drink to that. 🤘🏼🍺

[@DannoDemo]

Please do a bass amp comparison like this, cheers!

[@mypal1990]

Orange is my first amp I enjoyed when I played it with the micro terror. I moved on since then. But when I see an orange amp I play it and just enjoy the awesome tone these amps push out.

[@leerogers9052]

What do you use now?

[@FantasticExplorers]

What you play now?

[@mixn5919]

tell us Emmanuel pls

[@fernandocarrillo8875]

For the love of God tell us we need to know

[@ivana4029]

What are you waiting? Must know NOW!!

[@evanmcdoniels]

For amp suggestions for a video, what about a comparison of a few small, lesser known "boutique" amps in a variety of price ranges? I happened upon the Fender pawn shop series today (was looking for the pawn shop mustang bass) and was intrigued what was up with those little pawn shop amps that look so cool. It seems every famous studio has a few weird, old tiny amps so I figured it must be about unique tone but an expert could make a great video on some of these.

[@colaboytje]

Andy, how do you find your invisible pick?

[@Reverb]

Andy is a wizard. We thought everyone knew this.

[@cour1988]

Andy is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to

[@r.weaver3769]

@@Reverb He is the Chuck Norris of the guitar world! Just sayin'

[@istvandejesus]

It floats trough the air. He grabs it when he needs it. 😂

[@idiosyncraticmushroom3030]

Magic and a lot of Boogie. That’s how

[@amnesie6615]

Holy shit, what a finger magic Andy produces.. Just amazing!

[@1976oswald]

i love that floyd sound :) Awesome !!!

[@idiosyncraticmushroom3030]

I use an Orange Crush 35rt in my home and it is great. Who ever thought that a 35 watt would be sooo loud. 100% recommend.

[@idiosyncraticmushroom3030]

@aNtiDIsEsTabLisHMenTaRiAniSM StRuCtuREd aGaiNSt yOu yeah it was like at 2 and it was crazy loud. And the worst part is you can't even overdrive the clean channel because high headroom technology and so I can't drive it super loud and overdriven like I can a Fender Blues Deluxe or a Marshall JTM45. But that makes it great for layering like a Klon clone into a Tonebender clone or like running a TS9 into a Rams Head Muff. Its just loud and clean, and since I roll the treble low my clean tone is rather muddy but I like that. Just the best overall for me.

[@negativeland5207]

the AD30 is one of the best amps I’ve ever owned, does its thing like no other.

[@alexk5325]

negativeland totally

[@opecno8108]

I love these videos

[@banyarling]

It doesn't seem to be very popular, but I've been pleased with my Orange Rocker 32 combo.

[@JF-em6hr]

I was surprised at how good the orange sounded.

[@FantasticExplorers]

You should play some when you see them!

[@stephanemelo]

Orange rocks. Like, really.

[@tuomas_]

As a former AD30 owner, I 100% agree. If you want an Orange-in-a-box pedal, the Monarch by EarthQuaker Devices is superior to anything else.

[@r3dr43]

Love this! Let’s go with silvertone, Supro, and maybe some other odd ball brand?

[@Reverb]

Sovtek? Soldano? Alliteration nation.

[@r3dr43]

Oh Hell yes! Sovtek!

[@r3dr43]

This example of alliteration should be used in a English classroom

[@tinyb69]

A vintage Gibson GA-5.

[@_MetaL]

Do em ALL my man!

[@tlewis84able]

Andy. Love your vids. Awesome playing! How do you keep any fingernails?!? Mine would be gone in a day w/o a pick while slamming chords.

[@CityOfQuinn]

Out of the 6 demonstrated amps so far, Fender still takes the lead... Great videos btw. :-)

[@jonnyharris55]

Great to see these amps side by side. How about doing a sessionette 75 watt ?

[@EliseOfTheValley]

The dual rectifier is prolly one of my favorite amps to ever be made as well as the or120 cause you always need to be able to doom

[@neriberto]

Oh, this hiwatt with the bridge pickup, what tone!!!

[@guitarguy911]

Super helpful video. Do you guys have a video related to Friedman or Supro amps?

[@yungyeshua.]

fucking incredible info and playing as usual, echoes was a nice surprise

[@stevefiorito5379]

My early 70s 130 watt Orange Amplifier was a lot like a HighWatt. I was running 8 - 12" Altec speakers too. It was hard to push that amp hard enough to break up ... without hurting anyone in the audience.

[@RiffMusic1970]

6:30 sounds very close to my Rectoverb I used to have. Glad I sold it.

[@kodykindhart5644]

🤣🤣

[@MrJingres]

Awesome 1st song choice!

[@paradox4450]

The history of Peavey would make a good video!

[@jackflorio6483]

ampeg V-4B reissue with guitar running through a 2x12! Would love love to hear that

[@meexiko]

It doesn't sound good, the 7027A power tubes were the real shit.

[@jt3483]

I'd love to see a Dumble or Dumble type amp in the mix!

[@phwildman124]

Dumble, Soldano, and Ampeg would be super interesting!!

[@wchurchill419]

hiwatt dr103 my fav amp on earth!!!

[@donbablo]

a sunn review would be great!

[@idiosyncraticmushroom3030]

Mesa Boogies and Oranges are my Amps of choice, along with a tiny Vox Mini 3 G2 amp.