The Quest for the Perfect Hiwatt (Part One)

Recording and mixing engineer par excellence, Joe Barresi recently contacted Steve for some help with his quest to get his own personal Hiwatt to sound better. The first step was to head over to his studio to demonstrate what great classic Hiwatts sound like by playing several curated models through a few different cabinet selections. Much was learned and fun was had by all.
For more of this discussion, please watch this episode of The Malcontents where Joe hung and drank with us as we talked about what we all learned: kzbin.info...
#eviljoebarresi #prosoundworkshop #fryette #hiwatt #soundcityamps #vintageamps

[@LeonTodd]

Man this was a GREAT watch. Real fly on the wall type of experience.

[@josephesposito3499]

BRAVO! GREAT TONES!

[@moosemuseum1853]

"It’s gotta bark"... that's exactly the word I use for my F70.

[@hgostos]

Truly amazing content

[@Wileylikethehawk]

That looks like so much fun. As the owner of five Hiwatts I have to say I’m a fan. Killer sounds happening here!

[@silviopimentel7247]

36:01 This is absolutely wonderful!! But now im sad cause I miss my 76 head DR 100 & 70 cab. Always thought by down sizing to ampeg, Trainor, badcat, matchles & searched hard to find the harmony 410 circuit that i was told by another friend of mine that was also a hiwat lover. He downsized first and i followed through cause of weight and space. But obviously never got that tone again & its proven on my records the hiwat totally has that unique frequency, vibration of the lusting soul!! This is great. But I don't use or like strats but had a rule all my buddies were welcome to ride the hiwatt train as long as they didn't play strats cause i didn't find pleasant. Thanks guys for chering this with us HIWATT heads. 🎉

[@jakestewartmusic]

Would love to see a whole video about the development and characteristics of the F70G and P50E, with some comparisons in the Fryette cabs

[@stephensawall5844]

Been about 15 years since the last time I owned a Hiwatt. Really enjoying all of this. 🍏

[@johndeschain2156]

Now I need a Hiwatt, thanks guys

[@mynameisjonas80]

The blocking distortion of the 2-holers can sound really cool if you don't push it too far (and only use the bright channel). One clear example is the intro to "Limelight" by Rush. Also, take a listen to "Mouth Breather" by the Jesus Lizard for a less subtle implementation.

[@BGTsoundandvision]

Hello Steve. I know Joe from the 90s time and I'm not sure if he ever did dig my SA112OL. But then again I don't think he had much time with it in a professional context. It has the Canadian Mod. The Canadian mod happened when Hiwatt imported their amps into Canada in the 70s. They were forced to comply with Canadian power standards and have the voltage fixed at 117v. At the same time they were modded to have the Bright cascade into the Normal when you plugged into the Bright. If you plugged into the Normal it worked like it should. The rumor is the mod was done to compete with the new Mesa Boogie Mark series amps that were just starting to get a foothold at the time. I still own the 1981 Biacrown that I found in a pwn shop circa 86. And now I have a 1977 Hylight 112 and run them together with EV12Ls. I can dime them no problem and it is glorious.

[@leonardovalvassori]

My 73 DR-103 is my fave amp of all time. So fun watching this.

[@Vikkk1978]

Thanks Steve. I look forward to continuing. Great sounds. Dream!

[@Cluless02]

Always dug Fane ceramic and alnico together. Also used Altec and JBL. Never had a Marshall, though I always dug Blackmore and Hendrix. I have a bit different sort of style. HIWATT are unbeatable!!

[@johnzucco3559]

I once played my old Boogie head through a Marshall cabinet in a music store and it sounded unreal!! When I bought a different Marshall cabinet it didn't sound at all like the one in the store. I then found out that the one in the store had been fitted with Fane speakers!! I just downloaded a Fane IR for my Boss ME90 and it made a huge difference.

[@admarhermans1]

I’m a bassist, and once I was about to start play on a gig and my bass amp broke down and I got to play the 50 Watt Hiwatt of another group through my own bass cabinets. This guitarist just said that it’ll work just fine. And it did... Man, I play any Hiwatt on my bass any day for ever and ever!! 🖖

[@75YBA]

You two guys are so generous. Thanks for everything you share! All the best from 🇨🇦 EDIT: Definitely not offended aboot Tha Canucklehead Mod. ❤ you guys!😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@75YBA]

You folks are all so informed. Such a great video.

[@ForeverDownByLaw]

Those Fryette/Sound City cabs sound great. I really should get in touch to snag a couple of Fanes for my CLX 2x12 combo.

[@stiffrichard2816]

That huge, bell-like clean tone is what the Hiwatt is all about. Usable overdriven tones are harder to extract but they can be worth it. To me, Gilmour's tones on Animals are the pinnacle. He supposedly got that lead tone straight from his modded Hiwatts combined with rotary cabs, no dirt boxes, or so I've read anyway. There must have at least been a boost in that chain, I would think.

[@laurentperez5229]

Gilmour’s tone on Animals is not a straight Hiwatt modded, they are stock (but linked internally) and he used Power Boost and Ram’s Head primarily for this album. You rarely ear Gilmour without any distortions. But yes, he used a Yamaha RA-200 for certain parts of the album

[@auntjenifer7774]

Some of the leads are straight into the hi watt and some are thicker and less defined with more sustaina and those are the pedals. DGilmour definitely used his hi watts on animals though !

[@Smurfman256]

That tone is what I've been chasing for the past 20 years and finally got it after getting a DR504 via Hi-Tone. Turns out it's actually the sound of a ColorSound Power Boost with both the treble and volume knobs cranked high with the Hiwatt set pretty darn clean and with both the treble and presence knobs set below 10 o'clock to counteract the ludicrous treble boost the Power Boost is providing. The Yamaha RA-200s are only there to provide some mild swirly modulation under that. BTW, the "secret Gilmour sauce" is *not* that Alembic preamp. It's the EQ circuit in the Power Boost.

[@CarstensAmplification]

Love it guys. Joe's is always a great hang too \m/

[@stevenbryan7586]

I really liked the deliverance cabinet the best; although, the sound city cabinet would likely be my choice for the stage.

[@patmcwilliamsmusic]

At one time I had 3 70’s era Hiwatt DR103’s and early 70’s Hiwatt cab with Fanes. 2 of them were 2 input and 1 four input. Being in Canada the 2 input models had the ganged input mod which I had reversed but the 4 input was by far a better sounding amp by far. I believe it was a ‘76. Now that I have a PS-100 am looking for another. Very unique sounding amps, not for everyone. I love them. Thanks for the great video!

[@PeteThorn]

Cool vid you guys!

[@FryetteAmps]

Thanks, Pete! Stay tuned for Part 2.

[@GraphiteandCigars]

Great stuff Steve. Tell Niko Chan we love her!!

[@FryetteAmps]

Niko Chan says "I love you back!"♥

[@steve10358]

Wow. Those sound great

[@JRP3music]

I bet George Lynch would be interested in these cabs. He loves the Hiwatt Fane speakers.😊

[@jujubs76]

Excellent !

[@sneifert1968]

Love Joey B. Cool dude and awesome engineer.

[@yaanno]

The Hiwatt punch is unbeatable :) I wonder how that Jimi style Marshall & Hiwatt combination sounded like back in the days besides deafening. I've built a DR103-ish amp for a friend, he is loving it paired with an AC-30 and a Marshall head to cover all the bases. The sound guys are not a big fan of his setup tho :D Thanks for sharing!

[@Skoora]

That Deliverance cab sounded real nice. I would actually choose it and the SC cab over the vintage cab. I’ve had an F70 for quite a while in a mutt of a 4x12 with a different speaker in each position. It’s my go to choice for higher gain where you want good midrange voice but not as much fizz in the top end. Lot of high gain heads have too much sizzle or fizz and you end up EQing it out. The F70 kind of does it for you right at the microphone.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

Love the F70 in my 2x12. I have it paired with an Eminence Swamp Thang and even though the Swamp Thang is louder, the nice full midrange of the F70 fills out the lack of mids the Swamp Thang has going on and they sound GNARLY together with my Pittbull 50CL.

[@brianaaland5263]

I love Niko's descriptions. Dead on😂

[@75YBA]

Niko is the raddest!

[@davedeville6540]

Townshend’s dislike of midrange is a bit strange since the Hiwatt has such a powerful mids knob. That’s where all the distortion sits. Anything above 9 o’clock gets gnarly on my DR103

[@RocknJazzer]

Townshend's model CP103 based on sound city had a different tone stack with no mids knob, and has a drastic mid cut built in, closer to the very scooped vox stacks. Unlike the DR103 stack with mids knob, where the mids are always there and never get scooped much, giving a more nasal mids you can vary a bit but not drastic scoop like pete's. You can't get Pete tone on a DR103 it is not scooped enough. I have owned both amps (any many more...all the ones here, etc...yes the late 70s ala this 79 suck with blocking distortion, easily cured w simple mod)

[@davedeville6540]

Thank you for that clarification. This was extremely valuable information to me who have always loved the Pete Townshend tone but never loved the tone of my ‘78 DR103. Guess I’m better off tinkering with a Vox then…

[@frednance3988]

I liked PT's sound b4 and after the LP Deluxe he played. He has a Bogie MK1B+. I remember the vHT from the 80's/90's. I live in LA, So back then you had ESP Customer shop and htye sold VHT amps. You can see how guitars are built also. I tried a ESP Tele via a VHT. I had the neck p/u w/tone control rolled back. Trying to get the "Woman Tone" this way. The sales guy told me it sounded like a radio. He was a MEtal guy. I like Metal and Classic Rock too. So the ESP shop sold VHT, Carvin had their store, Lab Sound(now Mesa/Boogie). Nadine's sold Rivera, Peavey and Duncan amps. So it was rare to see a HiWatt, Laney, Vox or Orange. In the 2000's i went to Turetone Music in SM and they sold Reeves and other boutique amps. I remember trying out an Engl amp at a ship in Studio City in 2006. Those were thd dyas.

[@syfman6]

Vintage Hiwatt cab sounds best to me. Does it have the Fane Purple speakers? 💚🎸

[@gbarrancos1]

I developed an unhealthy fixation with this Fender Esquire+50W Hiwatt pairing. Delicious sound, my goodness

[@auntjenifer7774]

Is sounds good huh !? It reminds me of Stones, Cheap trick and the who 😅

[@NILOCOgov]

I see the Evil Joe amp in the background 👀

[@NILOCOgov]

Great vid. Steve's knowledge and ability to demonstrate the... undesirable characteristics of the two hole DR103 are wonderful, comes through clear as day even with camera audio. Can't wait to see how it looks on the inside.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

Those vintage fanes would sound incredible if you were to slam the amp with a Rangemaster treble boost.

[@cchavez248]

😂😂 It's interesting to consider that the solid state Hiwart might be the best sounding of the bunch!

[@giloro85]

Their Crunch and new Leeds Series are possibly the best sounding SS amps ever made. And they are extremely Hiwatt-ish!

[@watkinscopicat]

the sound city cab sounds best to me.

[@bluesful]

I actually really like the old Hiwatt cab.

[@harrykadaras9459]

I personally prefer the really "clean" chimey tone from a Hiwatt. I do own 2 Hiwatts, and they sound different - maybe mine have been "modded",

[@ebeep]

Same here. I prefer Joe's amp unmodified.

[@mkii1964]

Hard to top the tone of the Deliverance cab (with Dave’s head) but then again I’m not in the room and listening on an iPhone.

[@Johnsormani]

When I was young ( late 70ies) we used to hate Fane speakers because of the mere fact that they were not Celestions .little did we know 😀

[@fletches4084]

I have a 3 input HiWatt. Normal, bright and linked. Always use the linked, natch. It is God's own amplifier. 🙉

[@middle_pickup]

Anyone know where I can get some good IR's of those cabs? I'd love to try them out.

[@Smurfman256]

How about a Hiwatt Synergy module? 🥺👉👈

[@southwestkittyit]

✌️♥️🤘

[@johndeschain2156]

Don't blame Canada 😂

[@Niteblub]

What is the name of the intro song? I loved it! :)

[@FryetteAmps]

It’s an original Joe Gamble composition.

[@danielrose703]

Sound City Synergy module?

[@nickbenjamin6527]

The new F30s sound great also: more low mids than the F70

[@louderthangod]

Does Steve have any recommendation to restore (maybe mod) a vintage Sound City? I’m in California but will ship if necessary.

[@RocknJazzer]

vintage ones are a rats nest of wiring hell, not fun

[@Skoora]

Curious who you guys like for a Hiwatt style modern made amp these days. Is a Reeves Custom 50 going to get me real close to that 504 and is there power scaling any good? FWIW I don’t consider that Sound City like a Hiwatt per se. Similar genesis but not the same animal when driving hard.

[@FryetteAmps]

If you really want a new amp that sounds like the 504 in this video, a custom variant of the SC50 can be made that way. Companies promoting clones that claim to sound right because of how the wiring is laid out is the first clue that it isn't going to sound right. Avoid power scaling.

[@Skoora]

@@FryetteAmps thanks, that’s good to know about the SC50. Would it be an upcharge to get one reconfigured?

[@FryetteAmps]

@@Skoora Please contact [e-mail]. Thanks.

[@ebeep]

What year is Joe's amp?

[@jamest9457]

Great video… That later model Hiwatt doesn’t sound very good compared to the sound city and the 70’s Hiwatt heads. Hopefully you can help it out on your bench…

[@FryetteAmps]

We shall see 💀🔥

[@johnoconnor4984]

That’s my rig, esquire with hi tone

[@frednance3988]

Reeves' clones have fanes. He's got choices.

[@northcountryriffworks7992]

What type of Y-cable are you using to jump channels? I have a 2-holer from '79 and can't get both channels on at once with a mono or stereo Y-cable. Am I doing something wrong??

[@FryetteAmps]

If you can get sound individually on each input, you should be able to run both using a mono Y. If not, something may be wrong with the Y you’re trying to use.

[@geoffthechef76]

Which Fryette Power Station is being used here? Also, what is the pedal you’re using between amps, just a simple switch pedal?

[@FryetteAmps]

Power Station is PS-2A. Switch is junkbox DOD 270 A/B switcher.

[@geoffthechef76]

@@FryetteAmps thanks! I see y’all don’t have any Power Stations in stock, know when they will be available again? All the Hiwatt talk is much appreciated, now I realize how much the Power Station could help!

[@FryetteAmps]

@@geoffthechef76 They're in stock now: chucklevins.com/products/fryette-ps-2a-power-station-reactive-load-with-50w-re-amp-attenuator-sapphire-blue-panel-chucksclusive-65th-anniversary-edition

[@jonnybeck6723]

Mids may come and they may go but... Hey! ...where'd everybody go?

[@FryetteAmps]

We moved the factory recently. Taking time to regroup.

[@timgriffin5512]

Is this guitar tuned 1/2 step up?

[@FryetteAmps]

Good question. We'll check and reply on this weekend's Malcontents episode.

[@sharkair2839]

where's the new 5 watt hiwatt?

[@FryetteAmps]

Maybe axe Hiwatt 😊

[@axe2Mummy]

Screw the Hi-Watts lets hear those Wizards breathe their fire 🔥.. Not even close

[@sunwomb7428]

in a room with a recording genius and we use a fucking camera microphone.....

[@brianjuffs4662]

He shouldn't mod his head if he doesn't like hiwatt he should sell it to someone who does.

[@wendyandgeoffpattison2610]

These guys are full of garden manure. You need to get out more guys.

[@JohnWiku]

What in the actual hell is wrong with you? What exactly have they said that is "garden manure"? In that case, what is your version of the truth? Would you care to educate us all about what is and what isn't "garden manure"? I am genuinely curious.

[@josephesposito3499]

Question: Would my HIWATT DR103 work through SIX Eminence PA speakers such as the ones used for acoustic amps like the Hienrich?

[@FryetteAmps]

As long as you set the impedance correctly, no problem.

[@josephesposito3499]

@@FryetteAmps THANK YOU so much!

[@TobiasC-mg4zk]

Don’t knock PA speakers till you try them. I tried a pile of speakers in my Twin Reverb and wasn’t ever happy with any Fender or celestion drivers. On a lark I tried a Fane Sovereign 300 watt PA driver with a smooth cone. Bingo. It’s absolutely killer sounding so I paired it with my Fane Medusa 150 watt. That amp fucking stomps now and is my poor man’s Hiwatt. I had a DR 505 years back but stupidly sold it so I’m well acquainted with the Hiwatt sound. A lot of it is speakers. Electro Voice EVM12 and EVM15 are pa speakers too. They just sound amazing with the right amplifier. Heavy lumps but really allows your signal to shine through without colouring it with excessive eq lumps.

[@josephesposito3499]

@@TobiasC-mg4zk THANKS to everyone for the feedback. I a big fan of Fane speakers. Also Eminence. Unfortunately, Fane no longer makes 10" speakers? If anyone knows about 10" speakers that are used for Hiwatts? THANKS.

[@josephesposito3499]

The FIRST cabinet sounded better