Widespread misconceptions about great classic amps.

[corpse]

Heavy is a relative term.
Sadly it relates to my spine.

 

[LeonC]

"Magnatones are only good for their vibrato."

A good Magnatone amp is good for a LOT. Of course, I'm talking about an amp that has been properly maintained (and lots of old ones haven't been). Take a Magnatone 213 Troubadour. A good Troubadour has a rich, juicy clean sound and absolutely wicked overdrive if you dime it. Then there's the vibrato, which is cool as hell, but the point is--the vibrato is just the icing on the cake!

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

"Magnatones are only good for their vibrato."

A good Magnatone amp is good for a LOT. Of course, I'm talking about an amp that has been properly maintained (and lots of old ones haven't been). Take a Magnatone 213 Troubadour. A good Troubadour has a rich, juicy clean sound and absolutely wicked overdrive if you dime it. Then there's the vibrato, which is cool as hell, but the point is--the vibrato is just the icing on the cake!

My experience with a newer Magnatone is similar, but damn what rich and tasty icing it is. That reverb will go toe to toe with any reverb I have ever heard out of an amp or stand alone reverb unit.

 

[William Payne]

I think the issue with the Hiwatt’s is that people think they are going to be like a Marshall. There is a misconception to add.

 

[Wilko]

I think the issue with the Hiwatt’s is that people think they are going to be like a Marshall. There is a misconception to add.

Exactly this.

The original Hylite Hiwatts, even with the master volume just don't do it any reasonable level. even with gain full up, they just get buzzy. they don't do rich harmonic overdrive like a marshall without needing an attentuator or pedals.

I did have a SA112 from the biacrown era that was close. lovely sound.

I only have a Custom Tube 20 now that does a nice job at the "hiwatt thing".

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Exactly this.

The original Hylite Hiwatts, even with the master volume just don't do it any reasonable level. even with gain full up, they just get buzzy. they don't do rich harmonic overdrive like a marshall without needing an attentuator or pedals.

I did have a SA112 from the biacrown era that was close. lovely sound.

I only have a Custom Tube 20 now that does a nice job at the "hiwatt thing".

Weird. My experience is quite different with my Hiwatt Custom Shop DR103, and Reeves DR504. Buzzy is the last word I would use to describe them both. Tbt with both 4 input 100 watt Marshalls and Hiwatts the words "reasonable level" in terms of volume take on an entirely different meaning. Those amps are why attenuators came into the market.

 

[Wilko]

"crunchy" might be a better word for it. Also, If you're talking anything after early 80s (Biacrown and later, custom shop or Reeves) the gain is way higher than original Hiwatt levels. I do love the hiwatt vibe, it's just not very useful as there's really nowhere you can play 'em right. I play a lot and even the big places insist on reasonable stage volume.

 

[Wilko]

"crunchy" might be a better word for it. Also, If you're talking anything after early 80s (Biacrown and later, custom shop or Reeves) the gain is way higher than original Hiwatt levels. I do love the hiwatt vibe, it's just not very useful as there's really nowhere you can play 'em right. I play a lot and even the big places insist on reasonable stage volume.

 

[William Payne]

A lot of the original artists played a lot cleaner than people think.

 

[Gridlock]

Fender Twin Reverb’s are too loud.

The can be loud, but they also sound great at lower volumes.

 

[Gridlock]

Misconception:
Super Reverbs are too heavy.
Nothing with that great tone can be TOO heavy.
You just take it to the gig.
No matter what.

Super Reverb’s are worth there weight.

 

[Bygone_Tones]

"one of six prototypes that were made..."

 

[MattD1960]

TO MANY TO COUNT,

I think one of the big misconceptions is surrounding volume and has come up in many of my posts,

"it doesnt sound like XYZ recording the amp is famous for"

its cuz you most likely will never ever play loud enough and in a room large enough to actually capture that tone. You cant just plug into a jtm 45 and wonder why u dont sound like the beano record.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

"crunchy" might be a better word for it. Also, If you're talking anything after early 80s (Biacrown and later, custom shop or Reeves) the gain is way higher than original Hiwatt levels. I do love the hiwatt vibe, it's just not very useful as there's really nowhere you can play 'em right. I play a lot and even the big places insist on reasonable stage volume.

What I love about Hiwatts is how aggressive and uncompressed their crunch tone is. They don't flatten out and lose punch and articulation even at max master volume. I *think* the big difference between a Hiwatt and a Marshall is that both are driving their preamp and poweramp tubes into saturation at max volumes, but the Marshall is also getting farther into transformer saturatuon which is what causes the sound to flatten a bit more as the OT hits its operational max whereas the Hiwatt's transformer still has more to give. I might be wrong, it's just my theory.

Very few amps retain their teeth at max volume and saturation like a Hiwatt does. Even my 150 watt Matamp flattens out faster than my 100 watt Hiwatt and Reeves.