Hiwatt DR-103

2 inputs, normal and bright with a volume for each, high, mid, bass presence and master volume controls. 100 watts.

I love this amp but lets be realistic here. It is not nearly as versatile as basically any of the new amps on the market. That does not mean the amp doesn't blow them out of the water though.

I got this amp and didn't have a chance to test it out before bringing into our rehearsal space and then from there straight into the studio.
I ran in through both a factory Orange 4x12 cab and a Marshall JCM800 cab I had loaded with 2 Eminence private jack's and 2 Eminence Texas heat. Guitar wise my main guitar was a 1967 Gibson SG jr but I also used a Gretsch 6122 62 reissue, Gibson The Paul Firebrand and a Baker PRS copy. We also tried it with a Tube Screamer and some other pedal that our drummer had(he plays guitar in a metal band and swears by it).

I think that qualifies this as well tried out.

Firstly the amp sounded great with all combinations of gear and pedals. In the end what sounded best was My SG and the Baker(had p90's also) run through the normal channel with the normal volume cranked and the master at about 80%. This amp was absolutely deafening at this setting but we sat in the next room to do my guitar tracks which made it tolerable. Sadly it won't see this volume much as I got it for my clean amp in my rig.

For a clean amp it sounds exactly how I wanted it to. You can really hear the partridge transformers sound coming through and I love it.

This amp is 27 years old and has everything all original. It is one of the last Hiwatts made before Biacrown took over later in 81. I am pretty sure I could drop this down a set of stair and only have to replace the tubes.

I got this used and it will only ever see professional amp techs so I can't say.

This amp is my favorite amp in my collection with my Morris coming a close second. I have owned a ton of boutique and vintage amps and currently have a Soldano Hotrod 50+ xl, Morris Single Channel 45watt head and a 1974 Marshall 50watt JMP non-master. For somebody who wants a good all around amp they will more then likely hang on to forever I strongly suggest a hiwatt.

Mine is an 8XXX serial number (circa 75). Had the original Mullards in it up until 2006, when I finally had to break down and put in a set of Sovteks.

The 103 has exactly two features: excellent tone, and LOUD LOUD LOUD. Got mine at a used equipment store in Minneapolis in 1990 for a whopping $200 (as soon as I saw it sitting there, my checkbook was out) and it subsequently accompanied me on 5 national tours and the recording of four albums. After a seven-year hiatus, I plugged it back into my carvin 4x12 and it still sounds every bit as fanfuckingtastic as it did on day 1.

As others have said, the operative word here is "loud." Unbelievably loud. Spasm-inducing loud. Sufficiently loud that, despite the fact that I play in LOUD damn bands, and in venues ranging from 100-capacity bars to 3,000-seat theaters, I have NEVER turned the master volume up beyond 40%, and usually run the 'Normal' pre at about 30% - and it's still earsplitting. By way of comparison, I used to run my ampeg V4 (another killer amp) at about twice that to get the same levels.

Would've been KINDA nice to have a nasty old spring reverb in these (I used to love the sound of the V4 being dropped an inch or two with the volume and reverb full on) but I'm more than happy to accept the tradeoff for better tone and power.

My main guitar is an SG; my primary onstage backup is a Kramer 3000, and I also have been known to play strats, a Guild S-275, and a bizarre takamine electric through the 103. The common denominator is that all sound fantastic through it.

The clean sound is crystalline - which is great, since I love the sound of the three different distortion pedals I routinely play through (primarily a ProCo Rat). On my semi-hollow Gibson it gets this magnificent warm jazz tone that's smooth as silk - and it stays that way no matter where I set the volume.

I've never needed a backup - the Hiwatt's ALWAYS worked. I've burned up Marshalls and blown out cabinets plenty of times, but the Hiwatt just keeps coming back for more. AS I said, I finally had to swap out the Mullards, but that was after I'd already owned the beast for 16 years - and someone else had had it for fifteen years before I got it. There's no sign of any servicing inside (it looked as if the cabinet had never been opened until I changed the tubes, really).

No such thing...Hiwatt proper died along with Dave Reeves and Harry Joyce. The fakes using the name now don't warrant consideration.

Now all I need is an original Hiwatt 4x12 with Fanes...

2 inputs, normal and bright. Built somewhere in the 80's. Bass, mid, treble, gain, presence, master.. 100 tube watts... loops... 2 cabs out... A really basic amps... perfect

Like the guys said this amp love humbucker pickups. I'm using it with a strat copy with an hot-rail bridge pickup and with a godin detour (nice cheap guitar). I also used it with my old jackson sl2h soloist (piece of s*** "made in the usa" by mexicans!) it was quite good but the best is still the hot-railed strat. The cab I'm using is a thd 2x12 cab. The first time I turned it on, it took 20 minutes to the tubes to warm up beacause the amps didn't play for a lonnng time. Then a miracle happen lol. Seriously... this is the most versatile amps I ever tried. It has one channel with 2 modes but I can get any sound I want. It has a beautifull clean: I can get a really warm jazz clean or a blackface (mid cut) like clean. The "bright" mode is a bit weak at low volume but when you turn the gain all up and you put the master at 3... get the **** back. It like an old marshall sound but with a lot more crunch and... tone! again from blues to rock to hardcore this baby does it all (exempt for shredding which is the enemy of crunch) and if you have an overdrive it sound even better for solos. oooh yeah be carefull this thing if really really really really louuuuddd! I'm sure you can kill somebody when it cranked all up... so loud...

well.... it about 25 years old (older then me!) and still sing like a charm. don't know how old are the tubes but they still sound good. The only problem with the dr-103 is that I heard that you can't bias this amps so you can only use specific (nos) tubes for this amps or they will always blows.

well... this is a serious amps that have a lot of potential. I didn't try the new ones but I like mine and everytime I play with it I am astonished by it sound. Don't be fool by people who complain about the sound in the custom 100 page, these people did'nt take the time to realized that "custom" is the serie and not the model of the amp! my others amps are a randall rg100 and a micro-cube (small beast hehe!) but compared to the randall it is completely different. Finaly this is a good website for hiwatts fans:

http://mhuss.com/Hiwatt/index.html

I think mine is a 1975. It has Harry Joyce written on the edge of the chasis. I'm not sure if it's real or a forgery as I've never seen his signature (other than on my amp).

Here's the trick with mine. If you use an amp switcher (I'm currently designing one but the one I'm using in the meantime is the Voodoo Labs amp switcher), you can "jumper" all 4 inputs. This is how to get the most grind and WAY more bottom out than just jumpering 2 inputs. There is no other way to do it. You can't get there by cross patching. I mean it's way, way ballsier and the low end just blossoms. Really quite unbelievable. If you try this you will find that you have a completely different amp than you thought. My main amps are my '69 Superbass Marshall and this. I'm trying to add a Laney Supergroup but it keeps arcing and blowing components. The difference between this and the Marshall is that the Marshall doesn't need to be pushed as much to achieve saturated tones and feedback. The Marshall isn't as tight in the low end either and needs the bass frequencies managed to keep it tight sounding. The Hiwatt is always tight. When pushed hard it's real mean. If you don't hit it hard with your guitar it will taunt you and call you Nancy. I like to leave the fuzz on to show it who's boss. Perhaps the finest amp ever made, surely one of two. I give it an eleven.

Can't hurt it. Components will surely fail after 30+ years but it's ridiculously easy to service as the layout is by far the cleanest and best in the biz. No amp has ever compared. I give it another eleven.

Everyone died, yet the amps live. Ye shall know them by their works. Fernandes owns them now. I've looked inside the current amps at the NAMM and they apparently tried to mimic the layout but it's not very close. The old ones are all wired at 90 degree angles and done on a loom. There is a grounding buss that is hidden underneath the boards so no sweeping wire runs are apparent. I understand this can cause some noise problems but mine is quiet as a church mouse...until I windmill a power chord! No one would dare to try to wire an amp like this. They would go broke in no time flat. Even the very well put together Audio Bros copies don't really sound like the Hylites. Very, very close though.

I need this and my Superbass. I own or have owned just about every British amp produced in the '60's or '70's and some American ones as well but they don't really matter.

This isn't like a line 6... and thank god for that!

this amp sounds like heaven. I'm running it into a carvin legacy 4x12 cab with Celestion 30's (60 watts each) and it sounds beautiful. The clean tone is amazing. If you crank the preamps and boost the volume with another pedal (like a Boss CS-2 for instance) you can get a pretty sweet fuzz that's only suitable for dark power chord stuff really, but it can sound a little farty. This amp is very loud, but don't kid yourself... For a REALLY loud sound, you'll need another cabinet at least... or more Hiwatts, but for most people this will be well enough. (I'm a firm believer that you need at least a half stack to gig anywhere...anywhere) :-) .:.Any other effects must be purchased seperately.:.

I'd say they're very dependable only because everyone else does... I've only had it a few months and it hasn't failed me yet hahaha But the fact it was the last one made in 1970 (serial 999) makes me a bit uneasy as to whether it'll go at any time, but I get the feeling it's really a tank

Hiwatt's long gone, you'll need to find your own tech....

Hiwatt > all else

1973.
I play classic rock/blues/metal. The amp does exactly what I want, only 100X better then I would ever think I could ask an amp to sound.
There is only 1 channel. No effects loop, no headphone jack.
I use the amp to play everywhere. And it can get louder then I would ever need it to get. 4 input jacks, two "normal" two "brill (brilliant)," 2 output jacks. One volume knob for each input jack types. Bass, Treble, Mid, Presence, and a master volume.

All tube, 4X EL34, 4X 12AX7.

Why not a 10? Because it only has one channel, and no effects at all. Which is perfect for me.

I play American Fender Strats, with EMG pickups. My sounds range from David Gilmour, SRV, Dave Murray, Page etc.

It suites my playing style perfect. I use a lot of stomp boxes, and I choose them very carefully. I use a HiWatt because it is the ultimate clean amplifier. Its clear tone will blow your mind, and it only gets better the louder it gets. So I want to hear the stomp boxes, exactly how they are supposed to be heard.

There is no distortion with this amp, its all about clean tone, at all volumes.

It's a 1973 amplifier, so I've gone through tubes, fuses etc. Nothing major, nothing unexpected. Hand wired, there is no better craftsmanship.

If you are looking for a head that can do most anything, without using many effects, THIS IS NOT YOUR AMP.

I've owned Mesa/Boogie Subway Rocket/Reverb, Mark IV, Lone Star 2X12, Marshall TSL100, Fender Deville... I no longer have them, don't need them with my HiWatt.

This is the best amp I've ever owned.

Year made: 1974

The features have been covered by the other reviewers in enough detail, all you would expect from Britain of the late '60s/early '70's - no frills or gimmicks, it just does what it says on the box.

I bought this along with a Marshall straight-fronted 4x12 Bas cab of the same vintage in about '80, and have used it continuously since, both pro and semi- for playing bass.

In that time I have played '50s Rock and Roll, 60s Mersey sound, 70s pop/rock, heavy rock, New wave/Romantic (I'd prefer not to dwell on that!) Soul, Slap bass, Country & Western and others that I've forgotten. Whether using it with a '73 Precision, '78 Rick 4001, the ubiquitous Hofner violin bass (hasn't EVERY bassist owned one of those at some time?) or a 1959 Hofner 500/5 (Stu Sutcliffe) bass, people have always commented on the incredible sound I get - surely it can't be a coincidence!

On the couple of occasions when I couldn't use it - the valves went in for a change in about '82 and I had it stolen a decade later (I got it back after a fortnight, just how close was that!) - the replacement amps I had (Trace Elliot, Laney and others) made my bass sound like a guitar with 4 strings - no bottom end, no fill-out at all, completely bloody lifeless, no matter how much I fiddled about with the settings. It was a nightmare.

I used this amp all through the '80s in a contemporary recording band, when it was definitely NOT cool to use one, but to me all the other bass rigs sounded shite - no bass frequencies, again. It's quite a good feeling now to find that everyone else envies me!

Having used it almost exclusively for bass, it has all the controls I need - I wouldn't know where to start with all those graphics sliders; in all the thousands of gigs I've played or attended, I've never heard anyone comment "Oh, it sounds OK, but he could do with a touch more on the 122Hz slider" - live bass isn't subtle enough for that crap. The Hiwatt gives all the top end you need, even with old semi-acoustic basses, but without it becoming muddy if you increase the bass setting; the two frequencies just sit alongside each other rather that entering into competition.

I used to use it with the bass setting very high, until months of sound engineers telling me I was too loud made me realise that, although I was too close to hear the really low frequencies, it was shaking everyone else to bits! I only use bass on about 1/3 now. In fact the band used to be fully miked up - except me! And they STILL said I was too loud!

I don't know whether it's just my amp, but I've noticed that as the gig progresses and the other band members turn up the volume (bloody guitarists!) the Hiwatt seems to keep pace as the valves get warmer and warmer - a few times we've played in some cramped spots where the rig is out of reach behind drummers or other gear, and I never feel the need to touch that dial!

Using it for bass, I have the master turned on full and control everything else through the Normal channel, so the only distortion I've ever experienced has been when I was doing a few pretty big, heavy rock gigs and the amp ended up flat-out! To be fair, I think it was mainly the speakers that were crying out in pain!

It needed a valve change about 20 years ago - to be fair we were playing 8 hours a night 6 days a week (ah - good old Deutschland!)
Strangely enough, I've just replaced another EL34, so it looks as though it's due again. If that's unreliable then Ghengis Khan was a human rights activist!

Any other failures? What do you think? Never used a backup - never need to, just take some spare valves and fuses with you (I carried that spare valve around for 22 years until I needed to use it!)

If there's ever a nuclear war, I'm going to build a bomb shelter out of them, because they'll just tell any explosion to f**k off! This thing will still be rocking when I'm in a box!

Never dealt with Hiwatt, never really needed to, but I don't suppose there would be any point in trying to talk to the new owners, the amp could be fixed by most competent electricians.

I reckon Hiwatt sowed the seeds of their own destruction - somebody should have told them about how built-in obsolescence can be a money-spinner. They just made them to last. And they do.

Can't imagine playing without it - nothing else has ever come close.

In short, this thing is the Dog's Bollocks - I'd love to be able to afford another one, because if I lost it again I would die. I love it more than the wife!

This amp was used as our back up amp in case anyone's amp broke down.

I play bass guitar and last used it about 2 years ago when my all singing, all dancing amp decided to breakdown minutes before curtains up. I remember plugging into this old amp and getting truely amazing sounds from it...and it kicked butt too.

To coin a frase, I liked it so much, that I've just brought it as a non-runner with the view of getting it fixed, regardless of cost for the sound!

well, it has finally broken down.. It's an original 1975 serial number 6700. It had been used and abused for many years and it has only now failed..and I'm sure that the problem is only a minor one at that!I would still rate this an excellent amp.

I am need of finding a good local repair man. I have contacted music ground who are the main dealers UK for Hiwatt. Awaiting feedback to e-mail, so can't be objective re customer support yet.

for some of you guys wishing to date your amps, this link will give you all the info you need. http://mhuss.com/Hiwatt/dates.html

The submission from Massacre at 02/03/2004 was spot on. I don't know if you'll ever read this Massacre, but I found your feedback on the Hiwatt very helpful..thanks.

It has a red light that turns on when you turn it on. That's about it. Probably the amp of choice for Fred Flinstone, but hey, what more do you need?

There are two volumes on this amp, silence and deafening. The doctor said my ears were in the worst condition he's ever seen for a 25 year old. If you have one and you keep thinking that the phone is ringing, it's actually the beginning of the end of your hearing. However, the sound is original and amazing.

The Hiwatt R&D department claims that Pete Townshend smashes 25 SG's over each head before they hit the shelves. After the holocaust the only things left will be cockroaches and Hiwatts.

When I asked most music stores in Australia 'Where can I find Hiwatt gear?' most replied 'we don't sell vaccuum cleaners.' These things are unbreakable, if you need parts to replaced I'd love to hear what you did to it (but please speak very loudly in my right ear).

This amp has many plus points. For instance, a week after I bought it, 12 units in my apartment block were vacated. This gives me much privacy and I can imagine I'll be able to pick up some cheap real-estate in the not-too-distant future. The other plus is you also start using the Hiwatt international greeting 'I beg your pardon?' much more often. You won't hear a thing anyone says to you, including parents, in-laws, parking inspectors, policemen and women, magistrates etc... It really is a great investment.

This amp was made in early to mid 1973. By Hylight Electronics in England.
Powered by hughe Partridge transformers, 4 EL34s and 4 ECC83s (aka 12AX7s).
There are two channels: Normal and Brilliant. Each has a hi and low imput. There are controls for bass, middle, treble, presence and a master volume that is effective untill around 5 or 6, at that level it just gets more and more searing as opposed to louder and this thing just starts sounding like the guitar on your favorite rock albums.

The amp is awesome in a studio environment as I've used it for a super tight sounding bass head (pushing a 1X15 JBL is super british invasion sounding), pushing an ampeg 8X10 is ultra rock with some growl that's a little tighter, bigger and more bold than say the "motorhead" bass sound. As for guitar you'll need a 4X12 with either Fanes or Greenbacks and you will quickly forget the notes because the sound will knock you into a tonefully induced stupor. Also take a patch cable and chain the normal and brilliant inputs (plug a patch cable into the Normal high input and Brilliant low imput and plug your guitar cable into the high brilliant input, both volumes will know be engaged for more gain. This is great for guitar but too much for bass). I love watching other guitarist use my rig at shows (if they're traveling light or just want a test drive) because they end up messing up and it makes me look better you know, Ha! They tend to get overwhelmed and freak out!
Now, with Two 4X12s... If you are or have been lucky enough to have played a HIWATT live through two 4X12 cabs with either fanes or greenbacks then you know. It is addictive and will make you seek out the big rooms to unleash is tone and power for your personal tone and power jones (just get some roadies or some friends to roadie for you and get them in for free). You may run the risk of losing some hearing but who wants to hear what's going on when you're old and set in your ways? I'd suggest ear plugs for atleast practice sessions. If you wear ear plugs live then stop reading now. I'll hollar at you when I'm old and burned out.

Whether clean, big and bold or a "scooped" sounding british tone with the mid backed way down you can't go wrong with one of these. Or turn up the mid (and the volume) for the huge WHO vibe. Also there's a great mod you can do to these amps by adding a rotary mid boost selector. I had this done in the rear of the amp in an available hole in the chasis (I'm a player and never plan to sell this amp so spare me on the scolding). It's great for different mid voicings in the studio or at lower volumes. This will allow you to get rid of any overdrive pedals. It will crush any "superlead" I've heard or played through.
I hear about other HIWATTS being sterile or sounding like "a can of nails," This, however, is nothing of the sort. Sounds more like an overly fertile can of whoop ass!
Much more mids than any marshall or Orange amp. Or you can bypass the mid boost and get that classic, chimey bite that is the HIWATT sound. Get that growling Stones tone from the Hyde Park concert, the tight glassy chime of 1970-? pink flyod or ballsy, shimmering overdrive of The Who. There were others like Blue Oyster Cult, King Crimson, Cheap Trick, The Damned, Lords of the New Church etc. that have used and recorded with these models and all for good reason.
They Rock!

I've used this head on several albums and the lead tones are superb.
This amp has more than enough power and actually sounds great if you remove the outer two tubes and cut the ohmage in in half (if a 16 ohm cab/load, switch the ohm selector to 8. If using an 8 ohm load, switch it to 4).
I've never used channel switching or any effects other than an echoplex, Crybaby and sometimes an old MXR dyna-comp pedal. I'm not really into reverb except on old fender amps and old ampeg amps. I've never heard a british amp with great reverb anyway. This amp isn't for surf... It's for Tsuna

I use a Les Paul Custom mainly with a 59 Duncan in the bridge and a 55 duncan in the neck. A 59 Les Paul Special with original P90s and sometimes a Les Paul Standard with PAFs. Also a Rickenbacker 4001 and 4003 bass and an old Fender P Bass. Each axe sounds fantastic through this head.

It more than fits my stlye as IT is my style. The amp when pushed is not silent and noisegates come in handy if using it in the studio and if using condensor mics to track it. If using dynamic mics (57s and so on) you can probably slap a mild gate on it and the small amount of noise will never surface. Partridge transformers sound incredible but they are not quiet. That's not saying they're noisy either but there are amps that are more quiet.

Live, you never notice "noisy" unless the venue has lame power. I'd also suggest traveling with a ground lift as the HIWATT amp has no polarity switch and some places have funky wiring.
However, saying this amp is nosy is like comparing it to a Harley Davidson and saying it's noisy. It is noisy while running idle but once you rev it up or are going about 35 plus mph... Everyone you pass gets a blow to the chest blast of raw power.
The distortion on my DR103 is perfect. If I'm playing with the pre amp volumes above half way and the master above 4 and let go of the guitar it will feedback everytime... It'll take right off. When it is set up at my live playing level and I hit a single note and roll the tone on the guitar down it will sing that note all night long.
Another thing about this amp that I've read somewhere is that it will definitely showcase the sound of your guitar. If you've got good sounding axes then they'll sound great. If you've got lame axes then they'll sound like big, bold and pwerful lame axes.
You can get the Vox AC 50 tone, you can get a tighter, thicker and bassier clean tone than that of vintage Fender amps. More distortion than vintage Sunn, Ampeg and Sound City Heads. And more mid than a superlead... although when cranked the mids tend to influence the lows giving it a low mid grind that is ultra rock'n'roll and probably unlike any amp you'll experience (unless you own an old MATAMP/Orange with that nifty "FAC" knob).

I've owned this head since 1993. It's been used as a PA head for practice, a bass head for live and studio and for the past four years a lead guitar amp on the stage and in the studio. I had the capacitors changed when I got the amp as the originals were dried up. I also had a variable bias adjustment knob added in the back. Once discovering the Sovtek EL34WXT or EH EL34 (the closest sounding mullard knock off EL34) I set it for those and disconnected it.
This is my practice amp (with the outer two tubes out) and my live rig with the same set up or with all four EL34s for medium and large rooms.
(KNOCK ON WOOD). This amp has not been serviced since 1993 and has been played at loud volumes for thousands of hours. Many US tours and a stint in Europe (probably more than that as I'm sure it was getting used by a band of the day as I'm the third owner and the second owner never played out... He was a collector that lived in a small house and neede to make room. He had the head shipped from England in 1988 when these things were super cheap).
I went across country twice last year with this head and even let people use it. I trust this thing like I trust "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" or "Live at Leeds" when I need to get rocked aurally. Neither has ever let me down.
I do baby the amp physically and have a very thick padded cover but I need an ATA case for it. If this thing got ripped off I'd probably get a MATAMP... But I'd also get another DR103 and do exactly to it what I've done with this one.
These amps WERE built to last. And looking underneath the chasis you'll freak out. It's all there, in your face. Hand wired, big and obvious... super easy to replace if needed. I've heard a very reputable amp tech say that if every guitar player owned and used these heads and combos he'd have to go back to college 'cause he'd be out of work.

I doubt it... HIWATT is back in business and I'd imagine if you were willing to spend the dough they'd service it. Any amp tech that can read schematics can do this though. These were designed not to fail but if so could be easily fixed while out on the road.
Set the amp at proper votages and impedence and the transformers should last a life time. Never turn the amp on with out being plugged into a proper load. Play it often and keep the caps from drying out. And, change the tubes regularly every two years if they're good tubes and you play often. Some say once a year but who is out there playing these amps everyday for a year? If a fuse blows take it to someone if you don't know what's going on.
Most amp techs can and will work on these as the schematics are available. Warranty? I doubt you'll need it if the amp is set up and maintained properly. Did they ever warranty these amps? Good question... who do we ask?

As far as customer support on any thing that's "vintage" I'll have to give it the old "N/A" stamp. Get the "Tube Amp Book," that's all there was in the early 90's when I got this amp. I'm sure by now there are even more books/publications.
This is a quality, touring grade guitar amp that you can use practically all over the world (Australia, UK, Continental Europe, Canda and the US for sure.
This is not a washing machine that's going to eventually break. The glory of tube technology is that everything can be fixed. Ask the Russian and Chinese governments...

I've been playing since 1989 and have been touring and recording since 1993 (the same year I bought this head). I would never take another head on the road (maybe an old MATAMP or a Sperlead if someone said, "Hey, take this Superlead").
I did use Fender Blackface twins, pre CBS bassman amps here and there but for some reason I sold them on ebay. The only other amp I own is an old valco made Gretsch "Chet Atkins" two 12" combo and that's another story.

By no means am I saying that this is the best amp hands down. But once you get your tone and set up down and you don't have the money for a back up amp everyother tour and you don't want to throw away money on repairs and you like your rock'n'roll big, bad and reliable then get one before the price goes up even more. Not many folks/bands use these amps. Get one and be "the next new sound."

All tube, hand wired 100 watt Head with no frills, just as much real tone as you'll ever need!!Just set the rear impedance selector to match your cabinet, plug in a good quality guitar and play.There's no channel switching and apart from a slight crunch with the channel gain up high, no distortion either, but no matter how you set the controls, it's impossible to get a bad sound out of it.

At the moment I'm doing a residency and need an amp setup that I can leave at the gig, Previously I'd used a silver faced Twin and a Marshall JCM 800 stack but because the accoustics at the venue are so bad, I was never happy with either of them. I wasn't particularly looking for a Hiwatt and didn't really know too much about them but I came across this at a great price and bought it.
The guy I bought it from was a friend of Warren Cucurullo's (he said) and when Warren left England to move back to the States, he was entrusted with selling off some of his equipment for him.
Warren had it modified by Chandlers in London with a bias adjusting trim pot and had a "Choke" added, this looks like a small transformer next to the output tubes and it's supposed to smooth out the sound and improve the dynamics.
I've never heard the amp without these mods so I don't know how much of this amp's great tone is down to them, but judging by what all you other guys are saying, maybe not a lot.
I can't believe I wasted so much time (and money) trying every amp under the sun when Hiwatts have been there all the time!!
I didn't know how good my guitars were 'till I played them thru this, I realised that I've just been making do all these years. It's loud, clear, warm, it's got as much headroom as you'll ever need and it sits in with the other instruments so well, it just makes the band sound better, it just sounds "real"
I'd used various Marshall heads in the past and was always dissapointed with the basic clean sound, it was always a bit too gnarly and harsh for me. My style is basically somewhere between Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck and Nile Rogers so my clean sound is very important and if you've got your clean sound down, it's very easy to get a good solo sound with the right pedals.
At the moment I'm running it through Boss CS3 > Crybaby > Line 6 Distortion Modeler > Line 6 Modulation Modeler > Line 6 Delay Modeler > EH Holy Grail Reverb. The amp doesn't have send and return so everything is going straight in the front and I have no problem with noise.
I don't know what year mine is 'cos the serial plate is missing but it looks old and has the old pull out/push in voltage and impedance selectors.
I'm running it through a new Marshall 4x12 with 30 watt Celestions but I'm currently trying to locate a 70's Hiwatt cab with Fane speakers just to see if this improves it even more.

Everytime I turn it on it works.

I've emailed Hiwatt to see if they can help me date this amp but they don't reply.

I use this with various guitars including Strats, Teles and a 335 and they all sound like themselves with no unwanted coloration. For me, this is definitely an amp for life and if anything happened to it, I'd get another one in a heartbeat.
Everytime I play through it, it makes me smile.

as easy as it gets, no channel switching, no fx loops, just great sound

can't get any better, this is the best, forget about the rest. for years I struggled with various Fenders and Marshalls, but wasn't ever satisfied. This beast solved all sound problems in a heartbeat!
Fatter and more chunky than a Marshall with more headroom and less compression, the perfect mix between a Fender and a Marshall, just plain perfect.
Can do anything with it, pure, pristine and punchy. Works great with fx: Put a decent fuzz face, distortion or overdrive in front and you got it.
Want to know how it sounds? Listen to the Who (Live at Leeds) or any Pink Floyd stuff. Townshend and Gilmour used nothing but Hiwatts.

Without a doubt the most reliable amp ever: Build to military specs until 1980 (the later models are good, but not in the same ballpark).

You don't need any customer support with these. These amps were build for easy servicing under field conditions (mil spec), so every tech who knows a little about tube amps can service it.

this is it, nothing more to say. Buy one while you can.

Same features as everyone else has, no more - no less. Kind of a cool story to go with it. I've been in a band for the last 8 years and we've played mostly heavy metal ala Opeth, In Flames, and other Swedish bands like that. Well, looking to branch out into new territory, I wanted to add a Floyd-sy tone to our sound and I started searching for some equipment Gilmour used. I found this amp at a garage sale by an elderly couple. The woman's husband had died 4 years ago and left everything to her b/c they didn't have any living children. So, I offered her $400 for it even though she probably would have taken $40 for it, and took it home. Which leads me to the next category...

WOW! The second best clean, the best overdrive, and a decent crunch. Not exactly for death metal but that's what the Peavey 5150II is for. Now I know what Gilmour and Townshend and all the others felt like on stage (almost). I run a Fender Strat or a Gibson LP to a Dunlop wah, a tubescreamer (driver), a small stone, a CE-2, and then to an a/b box into either the 5150II with a dbx 166 in the FX loop, or the Hiwatt. Both run through 5150 4x12's. Absolutely amazing sounds. Tone out the ears! Everything is relatively quiet for how much crap I have running at one time. The clean and OD is absolutely awesome!

It's worked for who knows how many years. It sat for at least 4 since the old man died and didn't give me any problems with tubes, scratchy pots or anything after I brought it home. Just dusted it off a bit and bam, it worked.

This adds an entirely new (and old at the same time) element to my music and adds character to the tone. I gave up a roland jazz chorus 120 for this and haven't regretted it since. True, the jazz chorus was the best sounding clean channel I've ever heard but it didn't have as much character as the Hiwatt and it didn't stand a chance against the Hiwatt's OD!

No nonsens design, 2 non switchable channels (Normal and Bright) with 4 inputs, 2 pre-amp volumes, 4 tone pots and a master. 4 El 34 delivering 100 W of pure tube power.

Holy shit, here it comes, the ultimate amp, end of all debates, the real deal:

I saw it in a music store 10 years ago, plugged in but didn't hear not sound, no hiss, nothing. Ah... the guitar's volume pot was down, I hit a chord and booom - the tightest, loudest, most agressive brightest sound I had ever heard hit me in my stomach. What a shock, I couldn't believe it.

It was so fucking loud and heavy, everything else just seemed like a toy in comparison. It took a while to get used to it, it was real frightening. For the first time I could hear the guitar - no matter what guitar, what band, what stage.

Some say it has less gain than a Marshall, I don't think so, it sounds just different. The treble, bass, mid and presence pots are very interactive (e.g. want more bass? - turn down the mids) and give much more control than a Marshall.

You can have as much headroom as you want (turn the preamp down and the master up) for real tight clean rhythm playing.

If you want it more gainy, use a booster or a good distortion, that's all you really need.

This is the most reliable amp in the world, period. It was build by Harry Joyce himself (there is his name and the date inside the chassis) to military specs. This amp was build to withstand the III. World War.

Founder Dave Reeves died in the early 80's, Harry Joyce, who builded great amps under his own name, died recently.

So there is no customer support anymore? Well, it's a HIWATT- you don't need any customer support.

There's a new HIWATT company in England now who builds amps in the old fashioned way. Never deal't with them and am sure I'll never will.

So thank you Dave and Harry for the best customer support I could wish for !!!

I've been playing for so long, I can't remember, I have owned lot of good stuff (Fender, Marshall, Boogie) and lot of crap ( bought the TS-808 when it appeared on the market, what a piece of shit - never used it. When I needed some resistors and such some weeks later, I opened it and took it apart, threw away the rest).

The HIWATT is the one thing to me that's like a fire in the darkness. Guitars come and go, but this amp stays wih me all the time. Sometimes I look for another flavour, buy a pedal (overdrive, distortion or fuzz) and have some fun.

Man, I love this thing to death.

plenty of tone variation posible from various combinations of the two channels (bright/normal) and four inputs (hi/low gain for each of the two channels), the four band eq (bass, mid, trebble and presence), channels gains (1 ea) and master volume.

A lot of other people say it won't break up without a buzz box, but mine f--ing screams when I rail out the volume on my (mostly - shaller bridge) stock '63 SG standard! Just rail rail everything w-f-o (EXCEPT the master volume! - that's on about 1 or 2)
Turn the guitar's volume down to 5 or 6 and it's sweet, singing sustain, clear as a bell.
Better than Viagra! This amp f--ing rocks!

Owned it for over 15 years, never a problem - still have the same tubes init as when I bought it!

I've been playing damn near 20 years off and on (gigging, garage, wanking) mostly hard rock/ metal, bluesey cruncha billy moshfunk type stuff. I've used this amp for both guitar and bass (although with different cabs - orange 4x12 celestions for guit and various bass cabs, usually with jbl drivers)

S0...about a two years ago I was driving in my car and I just got the remastered Who "live at Leeds". I was really pumpin the volume. And I just absolutely fell in love with the guitar tone. I mean...power, punch, grind, just fuggin balls! That was the sound that I wanted.

So I went searching on the web and found some good resources on hiwatts. Found the one I desired and got it sent from England. I also got a '69 4x12 4122 with the oatmeal grill. Beautiful!

As stated in previous reviews, it has four inputs, two normal , two bright. I prefer the normal channel since I usually play the bridge pickup on my les paul. Gets a little bright for me in the bright channel.

Does it have enough power....bwahhahaha! Hell yeah it does. I have acutally pulled the two outside EL34's to reduce the power. It does that very well. Please note that it does not go to 50 watts. However, you are able to get more crunch at lower volumes by pulling the tubes. Warning: Pull the outside tubes only.

I love amps with limited features. I don't like at the channel switching. I use my pedals for that. The controls are responsive. I'm giving it a 10 because these are the features that I like in an amp. However, if you like fancy knobs, there aren't on this amp.

My main guitar is a 77 Les Paul Custom. All stock. My pedals are the following: Guitar > Budda Wah > Ernie Ball Volume > Fulltone FD2 > Menaton Blue Collar (the best) > Visual Sound Jeckyl&Hyde > Boss CE2 > old MXR Flanger > Boss TU2 Tuner all powered by a Voodo Lab pedal power.

From this setup, I am able to get many different kinds of overdrive sounds (lead and rhythm) that sound great on top of the Hiwatt. I get a great clean tone that has just a smidge of dirt on it and use just guitar and amp for clean tone. For my main overdrive that can get to AC/DC levels, I use the Menatone Blue Collar. Killer combo!! Use the FD2 for Clean boost on the hiwatt. Yummy! the J&H for lead tones.

What I love about the Hiwatt is the punch and clarity. Marshalls get a little saturated for my liking. If you can give the hiwatt just enough volume and add a good overdrive, you will be in heaven. Sounds so good. Can go from Fender to marshall by still sound like a hiwatt.

Tone for years! If you run it through Fane speakers, even better. I like my strat through it as well. I have Kinman pickups that sound great. But I'm a les Paul man and it just goes beautifully with the DR103.

You will need a pedal to get crunch unless you don't care about your hearing. But get a good one dammit. A boss overdrive into a Hiwatt is a sin dammit. Get one that is as transparent as possible.

Built like a tank!

Haven't dealt with them.

I love this amp. My Fender twin is in strage collecting dust. My dreams of a plexi have washed away. No substitute.

Let's be up front about this: I wanted a Hiwatt because Pete Townshend used them. With that point made we can now start to be critical.

My DR103 was built in 1971. It has four inputs, two normal , two bright. On each channel, one of the inputs is higher sensitivity. My usual choice is the bright high sensitivity.

The DR103 has individual channel volume controls; bass, middle, treble and presence controls; and a master volume. Usually the input volume is wound right up and overall volume levels set with the master. Power output is rated at 100 watts from four EL34 power valves [tubes].

Tonal variation is amazing, and the interdepenedence of the controls, especially the preence control can contour your sound to surprisng degrees of subtlety. Even with the input volume opened right up, the Hiwatt will not distort like a Marshall. It remains clean but with a musical edge to it. Wind up the master volume and it moves an awful lot of air.

The DR103 is precision musical instrument, in that it responds to touch. Poor technique or plain sloppiness is revealed in no uncertain fashion. Get it right and the Hiwatt rewards you with sounds that you have earned.....

The DR103 takes a Les Paul armoured with Seymour Duncan PAF [neck] and JB [bridge] pickups and a homebuilt HSS Strat. Humbuckers produce a real kick in their attack. Single coil/tapped humbuckers generate a far cleaner, almost sweet clarity. Strat positions 2 and 4 really bring out the best in the amp and vice versa.

Since a recent valve replacement and re-biasing, the amp has run virtually hum-free. Distortion is relatively clean and external help is required to really grunge things up [ie a ProCo RAT]. For what I want, the Hiwatt is ideal. Tonal variety, power, clarity. Full marks for, what is relatively speaking, old technology.

Recent valve replacement was needed after eight or nine years since the last one. Sitting in a cold garage probably doesn't help, but She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed refuses to have a Hiwatt amp and 4x12 cluttering up a bedroom. Apart from recent valve failure, she [the Hiwatt!] has ben reliable in the extreme. The point-to-point chassis wiring has to be be seen to be believed! Exemplary isn't the word!

Never used any of the various 'Hiwatt' companies. She's over thirty years old now and warranties count for very little. However local electronics specialists can readily cope with thermionic technology. Getting EL34 spare valves has become less problematic.

Nearly thirty years playing although SWMBO reckons it seems like less. The Hiwatt copes admirably with my two Les Pauls [Goldtop Standard and black Pro Deluxe] and homebuilt Strat [2xsingles coils + bridge JB 'F'-spaced].

Almost invariably a ProCo RAT sits between guitar and amp, although occasionally a wahwah will fall out of the stomp box case.

What do I love about this amp? It's a HIWATT. Compared to my previous 1959 Marshall it is versatile, demanding and bloody LOUD! OK it doesn't have the Marshall distortion but it does have options beyond that particular voicing. The ubiquitous RAT takes care of the extra distortion as and when it is needed.

The combination of my guitars via the Rat stomp-box into the DR103 and a 4x12 cab is all I could ask. To me it is priceless. Blues sweetness, rock'n'roll drive and Uncle Pete's crunch ['Magic Bus' a la Leeds]. It's all there. God Bless you, Dave Reeves!

Let's be up front about this: I wanted a Hiwatt because Pete Townshend used them. With that point made we can now start to be critical.

My DR103 was built in 1971. It has four inputs, two normal , two bright. On each channel, one of the inputs is higher sensitivity. My usual choice is the bright high sensitivity.

The DR103 has individual channel volume controls; bass, middle, treble and presence controls; and a master volume. Usually the input volume is wound right up and overall volume levels set with the master. Power output is rated at 100 watts from four EL34 power valves [tubes].

Tonal variation is amazing, and the interdepenedence of the controls, especially the preence control can contour your sound to surprisng degrees of subtlety. Even with the input volume opened right up, the Hiwatt will not distort like a Marshall. It remains clean but with a musical edge to it. Wind up the master volume and it moves an awful lot of air.

The DR103 is precision musical instrument, in that it responds to touch. Poor technique or plain sloppiness is revealed in no uncertain fashion. Get it right and the Hiwatt rewards you with sounds that you have earned.....

The DR103 takes a Les Paul armoured with Seymour Duncan PAF [neck] and JB [bridge] pickups and a homebuilt HSS Strat. Humbuckers produce a real kick in their attack. Single coil/tapped humbuckers generate a far cleaner, almost sweet clarity. Strat positions 2 and 4 really bring out the best in the amp and vice versa.

Since a recent valve replacement and re-biasing, the amp has run virtually hum-free. Distortion is relatively clean and external help is required to really grunge things up [ie a ProCo RAT]. For what I want, the Hiwatt is ideal. Tonal variety, power, clarity. Full marks for, what is relatively speaking, old technology.

Recent valve replacement was needed after eight or nine years since the last one. Sitting in a cold garage probably doesn't help, but She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed refuses to have a Hiwatt amp and 4x12 cluttering up a bedroom. Apart from recent valve failure, she [the Hiwatt!] has ben reliable in the extreme. The point-to-point chassis wiring has to be be seen to be believed! Exemplary isn't the word!

Never used any of the various 'Hiwatt' companies. She's over thirty years old now and warranties count for very little. However local electronics specialists can readily cope with thermionic technology. Getting EL34 spare valves has become less problematic.

Nearly thirty years playing although SWMBO reckons it seems like less. The Hiwatt copes admirably with my two Les Pauls [Goldtop Standard and black Pro Deluxe] and homebuilt Strat [2xsingles coils + bridge JB 'F'-spaced].

Almost invariably a ProCo RAT sits between guitar and amp, although occasionally a wahwah will fall out of the stomp box case.

What do I love about this amp? It's a HIWATT. Compared to my previous 1959 Marshall it is versatile, demanding and bloody LOUD! OK it doesn't have the Marshall distortion but it does have options beyond that particular voicing. The ubiquitous RAT takes care of the extra distortion as and when it is needed.

The combination of my guitars via the Rat stomp-box into the DR103 and a 4x12 cab is all I could ask. To me it is priceless. Blues sweetness, rock'n'roll drive and Uncle Pete's crunch ['Magic Bus' a la Leeds]. It's all there. God Bless you, Dave Reeves!

Build in 1976 and Quality checked by Harry Joyce.

This is the classic Tube AMP with all what is needed for a good
sound.No stupid and overloaded gimmicks.A real craftsmen tool.
Pure Valve at all with a very high quality standard.
The best friend to your guitar and playing skill.Not an Make Up Amp
like som many nowadays.

Dave Reeves designed the perfect Amp.

The good thing is,that the Hiwatt never sounds like Hiwatt.
It reacts fast and clearly to your guitarwork and choosen guitar.

The Hiwatt does not make up your sound.You have to fight with yourself
to sound great.If you are good,you sound good over a Hiwatt.
If you play bad,the Hiwatt will show it to you.

The Hiwatt has no sound.With a Mesa Boogie you can use nearly every
guitar and it will sound like Mesa Boogie.
With a Hiwatt each guitar will have its own voice.Nothing gets covered.
A really neutral and fair sound.The guitar sounds,not the
amp.
The Hiwatt has only one sound.Strong and balanced amplification.
Eventhough in highvolume Zones,the Hiwatt will not shape the sound.
Howatts are known for their clear and hardpunching sounds.
The Hiwatt reacts directly.
It is hard to make a Hiwatt distort.Mostly you pay it with your ears.
They will fall down.

I want from an Amp,that it delivers the same quality at high Volumes
like on low Volumes.A clear tone showing every detail at every
volume.
When the Hiwatt still is in balanced level a Marshall starts to scream
like a hysterical woman.

The Hiwatt is a pure Poweramp and it has Power.It is not an effect
amp.And I love it for that...

Soundshaping is done before the signal enters the AMP.The EQ of the
Hiwatt is only a fine way to correct the final sound.

HIWATT is a classic Amp at the best quality.Hiwatt has no own
sound,but it can let you sound amazing,if you are good.

ARMY Material ! Nothing can destruct this quality.
All the other amps have to proove if they can survive like the old
DR103s.

Indestructable !!!

Never needed ! And where to go ? Hiwatt was burried in 1981 when
Dave Reeves passed away.
The following Hiwatt Story was a bitter fruit.

When I got this DR103 there was a Mesa Boogie hype.
The Hiwatt sounds not,it only amplifies what you feed in.
But amplification was never done better like with the Hiwatt.
A Hiwatt amplifies,the others only make up.

Hiwatts are clean,pure amps.There were times,when High End
HIFI cracks,where hunting for the Hiwatt Transformers.Many Hiwatts were
destructed on that way.What a pity.

Dave Reeves designed with the DR103 the NonPlusUltra Tubeamp.
Indestructable and to highest quality standards.Point to point
wiring at its best.And the still unreached Partridge transformers.
Not any compromise in this amp.100% perfect.

An amp should be an amp and not an effectbox.

My Hiwatt Dr103 with Serialnumber 10518 is from 1977-78.

I play blues-rock, and for 1 year ago I had a Marshall 1959 Plexihead. The Plexi was wonderful for Hendrix or just some 70'-rock, and i believe that a cranked ampoverdrive is much better than any guitarpedal, but since i play both blues, hard rock, jazz in Bigband, and experimenting with Country, I need to have a Amplifier that gan give me ALL sounds for every style i need-of course with pedals.
The Hiwatt only have; Brill/Norm. volume;Treble,Midrange,Presence,Bass and Mastervolumen, but NO fancy channelswitching or eff.loop. No, it's an amplifier that delivers the most CLEAN sound in the world. You can not crank up this amp,(at least not with AAH GrooveTubes). It's great to build up a good sound from this amp with it's Basic-sound.

I think it's the perfect amp for me; with the right pedals I can make any sound i want, and the notes are just so clear. The sound I'm searching for ,but haven't found yet, is a bit like David Gilmours(PINK FLOYD). Listhen and hear the worlds greatest guitarsound.

When i play with my rockband through my Dr103 in my 360Watt Marshall cab.(lousy cab)- it provides more Power tha't i shall ever need.

This amp is a really cool amp, in BIG halls where you play loud, but It doesn't have any reverb so you need to use the real reverb that comes in the Hall. If you only need a practiceamp, don't buy this, but onstage it's a dream.

It's not noisy at all, even with my singlecoil Morchpickups. I play both Hardrock and jazz, it's good for all styles.
It only gives you CLEAN, but It's great for any Effectfreak, if you use highquality pedals. I'm inspired of David Gilmours sound(Pink Floyd) He uses Pedals, and it sounds like Heaven. I'm about to archieve his sound now after 1 year with my Hiwatt.

The Amp is from 1977-78, made with "Point To Point" Wiring, there have never been any problems. I've read that when they built the Hiwattamp. in the seventies, they Hired a technician from the Brittish millitary, that stood for Qualitytesting. The amps had to be able to hold for Touring, and were build like a tank

Too old, but I've spoken to the "new" Hiwattfactory(actually there are 3 different companys that are making Hiwattamps, but I had Question to www.hiwatt.co.uk , and they were very friendly even thou they didn't even produce this amp.

This is the ultimative amp for me, I'd deffinetly buy it again if it were stolen.
Remember it's a pedalamp. You can only form a clean sound from it.

It has anything that i need

Made in 1971 (the serial number has been cross-checked twice to confirm) the DR103 is original apart from the installation of a modern Euro connector in place of the original circular three-pin input. Unlike the Marshall 100 I swaped for this amp, it balances on the handle for carrying therefore no strain apart from bearing the weight! Physically it can easily be described as sturdy.

There are four inputs, two sensitivities each for the normal and brilliant channels. These run through a four band EQ, bass, middle, treble and presence into individual channel pre-amp pots all firing into a master volume.

End result? A fundamentally clean valve amp that has plenty of tonal versatility that can be devastatingly LOUD when cranked. No wonder Townshend and Gilmour use 'em!

It's a classic combination, Gibson Les Paul via a Rat into the DR103. The LP Standard produces a bit more guts and drive whereas the Pro Deluxe with its P90s is warmer, sweeter and that little bit less harsh.

Normally the pre-amp sections are wound right up and the distortion is controlled from the guitar. It works for Pete and it works for me. Distortion is perhaps harsher than a Marshall but not as prominent. I suppose I am saying that the Hiwatt is more musical when distorting and does not have the characteristic colouration found in Marshalls. But there again, that was one of my reasons for going Hiwatt in the first place.

A ProCo Rat 2 is used to add more distortion, but sparingly. Somehow the Hiwatt going 'Guuurrrrrrgggghhhhh!' just doesn't seem right. Rather like mugging a bishop. Adding a bit of edge with the Rat and the occasional wah-wah (Hendrix I most certainly am not!). For bluesy sounds she has it all, and there is nothing more I would ask or want of an amp.

Only failure was one of the EL34s. Audio Bros did a complete overhaul and replaced all the power valves with matched pairs. Dave Reeves certainly knew what he was doing when he put this amp together!

Only used Audio Bros. Who owns Hiwatt these days, anyway? Audio Bros deserve a full 10! No warranty as I acquired the Hiwatt off a mate. My local hi-fi/TV repair company have looked her over. They had never seen hand-wired looms like that before.

Over twenty six years playing although dear wife reckons it don't sound it! If, heaven forbid, I lost the Hiwatt, I don't think I could afford to replace her. It is simple, reliable, sturdy, loud, visually impressive and built to last. What more could a guitarist ask of his/her amp?

1970's I bought 2nd hand(the 1st one)in London about 1978 brought back to New Zealand used continously at an average of 3 times a week till about 1985 and the only prblem I had was a seized standby switch!I used it for Bass,which is a Prescicion I had bought new in 72.The speakers being EVs.I sold all my gear and went back to London,bought another Prescion over there and eventually another Hiwatt then later went back to NZ where I managed to pick up another couple of Electrovoice's and I'm still using it today!And the only trouble I've had with it is,you guessed it,the standby switch!

Although I use it for Bass,I still think its the best setup I have ever had, and I have tried hundreds!I've played all styles from soft mellow jazz, to pop, heavy rock, slap ,and even strumming the Bass and it always sounds perfect and nuetral.

Reliability wise, well you can't really say that a standby switch is going to let you down!

Fixed the switch myself,and with an Amp like that you never need it fixed.

When I first went to England I was going to buy a Marshall, but when I saw some Bass players using Hiwatt's there was no turning back,even now,why should I?The 1st one I paid 100ponds for it and it was mint with original cover.The 2nd one I paid 120pounds and was rougher and a slightly later model.

1970's I bought 2nd hand(the 1st one)in London about 1978 brought back to New Zealand used continously at an average of 3 times a week till about 1985 and the only prblem I had was a seized standby switch!I used it for Bass,which is a Prescicion I had bought new in 72.The speakers being EVs.I sold all my gear and went back to London,bought another Prescion over there and eventually another Hiwatt then later went back to NZ where I managed to pick up another couple of Electrovoice's and I'm still using it today!And the only trouble I've had with it is,you guessed it,the standby switch!

Although I use it for Bass,I still think its the best setup I have ever had, and I have tried hundreds!I've played all styles from soft mellow jazz, to pop, heavy rock, slap ,and even strumming the Bass and it always sounds perfect and nuetral.

Reliability wise, well you can't really say that a standby switch is going to let you down!

Fixed the switch myself,and with an Amp like that you never need it fixed.

When I first went to England I was going to buy a Marshall, but when I saw some Bass players using Hiwatt's there was no turning back,even now,why should I?The 1st one I paid 100ponds for it and it was mint with original cover.The 2nd one I paid 120pounds and was rougher and a slightly later model.

This amp is a vintage 4 input, 2 channel (non switchable) 100 watt Brittish tube powerhouse! Not a lot of useless features, just pure TONE!!! This is the amp that made me give up rack gear. Not because it's the most versatile, all in one amp, but because it simplicity and killer sound makes me want to rock my ass off!

I use these amps with a vatiety of guitars and pedals, but my favorite combo is any American Fender Telecaster with a DiMarzio Fast Track 2 in the bridge and the Marshall Guv'nor Plus distortion or Fulltone Full Drive 2. The Guv'nor is a bitch to set up, but once you get it dialed in, it's a match made in heaven (think Black Sabbath, Melvins or even the Pixies distortion with Pete Townsend's clean tone). I'm getting a chubster just thinking about it. So the chain is Guitar, Pedals, Hiwatt into a Mesa big box Dual Recto 4x12 straight cab loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's. This setup sounds so good I bought a second DR-103 and Mesa Cab to run in stereo. This system moves so much air that I don't like to play both amps in small places with glass windows (seriously) for fear of breaking them. I think I should get a couple of THD Hot Plates. Oh, I do mostly rock/noise pop and other stuff. You can use a Hiwatt for most rock styles. This is not a jazz or commercial music amp. This is pure rock-n-roll. Get ear plugs if you plan to still hear stuff when you're in you 40's.

If you are familiar with Hiwatts, you know that these are famous for their build quality

Get a good tech if you ever need one.

FYI my amps were built in '71 & '75. While the Hiwatt is not for every taste, it more than suits mine. Of the numerous amps that I own, these are the only two I would never sell EVER! They're loud as hell, but they also happen to sound great so I live with the volume happily. If you've never played through a point to point wired Hiwatt, you don't know what you're missing.

1976, 4-input, hj/reeves amp. if you're reading this, then you already know what to expect from a vintage hiwatt. all tubes and hiwatts seem to favor svetlana

custom baritone guitar. i had to order some different speaker cabs because the bari is 61Hz at the lowest note. the head handles and delivers. only noise is that which can be expected from a 25-year-old amp. PURE CLARITY.

i have two amps: 63 fender showman and the hiwatt. basically, i have a back-up, but i don't think i'll need it.

don't bother with hiwatt. find a tech.

beautiful amp in every way.

This is an all tube 100 watt head. It has 2 channels: normal & brilliant with 2 inputs each. It had no effects loop, but I had one installed. Why? Well, first of all I like to eliminate hum when possible. So if you put your effect module ( in my case a Yamaha FX 500 ) between the pre-amp and the power amp the noise gate cancels unwanted noise coming from your pre-amp. Furthermore your sound gets smoother and fatter too, which is real good for playing hard rock (my style).

The DR 103 is a very clean and bright sounding amp, meaning that the normal channel is in fact a bright channel and the brilliant channel a super bright channel ! I link the two together and turn them both up to 7 without hearing any distortion when playing clean. No other tube amp I've heard of can do this ! It's true that it lacks sustain ( too clean ? ), but turning up the presence control helps a lot. Anyway, I love this amp for its clarity and its tremendous power. It really kicks, but you need effect pedals for a distortion sound.

This thing never breaks down. 100 % reliable.

No experience with customer support. I have my local technician in case of problems, but I only needed him once for the effects loop ...

If you can get one of these at the price I paid for it, don't hesitate. Mine's from 1975 and as good as new. The best tube amp I ever owned (far better than my Marshall Plexi ). It's a warm, clean and powerful tube amp. What more do you want ?

This is really an update to my review ofd 10/27/99. I have discovered that any reviews of this head, or Hiwatts in general, must be taken with a grain of salt; apparently there is little of no consistency in the sound of Hiwatts. Mine sounds unbelieveably amazing. But I've had the chance to play or hear several DR-103's since then, as well as custom 50's. Some sound like complete garbage, some sound OK, some are killer. So you can't really say "the DR-103 is great" without hearing it first. For instance, a friend of mine came through town and our bands played a show together. He also played a DR-103, but he asked me before the show to borrow mine, because his had blown a tube the night before. He almost shat himself when he plugged into mine. He said that his was at most 1/2 as loud as mine and not nearly as powerful. Where on his, to be heard, he had to dime out the master and put the preamp at 7 or 8, on mine he was barely above half on each. After the show we did some investigation. His was a year after mine, same head, same features, same brand of tubes even. But mine killed and his was quiet. So while I must tell you this is the best amp I've ever bought, I feel I should warn you all to PLAY IT FIRST before you buy it. Avoid Ebay or any sight-unseen buying. Good Luck!

Absolutely indestructible.

1972, 100 Watt, 4-input design, normal and bright channels

Using Stratocasters with DiMarzio HS-3 pickups, 2 Meg volume pots, and various preamps.
The HiWatt is incredibly noise free and has a consistent powerful, full range sound. I've got three Marshall tube 100 watt heads, and the Marshalls are much thinner sounding as well as having much less power. The Hiwatt is pure balls and pure rock. You do need to pump the input voltage with a preamp to get heavier distortion, but it's worth it once it's all dialed in. What an experience!

This is a hand-wired amplifier made to military spec. Never a problem and I don't expect any.

Not applicable.

This is what an amplifier should sound like. Tonal ranges that are diverse, lots of power. Again, you need to boost it for distortion with a preamp, but with the amount of punch it provides, it really makes my Marshalls sound like they are less ballsy (I still love 'em though - A first-year '76 Master volume, a 100 W. JCM 800, and a 100 W. Silver Jubilee head).

The amp was made in 1969. It's a perfect recording or live applications. It's 100 watts with a normal and bright channel.

Use a Telecaster with a "Little 59" by Seymour Duncan in the bridge and a Pro Co Rat peddle. It's a humbucker which works really well with this amp. Also, with the Rat pedal, it cleans up nicely. I play in a trio, so this amp gives me enough punch.

This amp is very dependable for gigs. It's thirty years old and at times needs some tender care, but it's minor maintenance.

No customer support...just find someone you can trust. I had some minor wiring problems that cost about $30.00 to repair.

I have been playing for about 15 years. Use a MXR Phase 90 and Micro Amp, Pro Co Rat, Electro Harmonix Poly Chorus, Boss DM-2, and an Ibinez Bi-Chorus. I own two Hiwatts and I will always try to buy more if I come across one. My second choice would be a Marshall 100 watt Superlead from 1971 or earlier.

I have a 1974 head running through a new-ish Marshall 1960 Cab. 2 inputs (bright and normal), Volume knob for each input, Bass, treble, middle and presence controls, Master volume. Simple, right? But there's zillions of useable tones in between the very responsive and musical settings. I'm not one for lots of processing or anything - Generally I look for the shortest signal path between the pickup and the speaker. Call me a purist. When I bought it it had tubes with a very low performance rating of 1, so the power amp distortion was so solid it was kicking my ass. So I changed those out to 3's, which gave a bit more headroom and versatility.

This amp's sound is so absurdly huge that whenever I play it, people ask me, "man, that sounds amazing, what kind of preamp processor was that, what kind of pedals are you using, is that modified?" blah blah blah. I tell them "look. I've got a Hiwatt and a guitar." Every time I play it I get this rush of adrenylin from the sheer balls of this amp. When I bought it, I was searching around for an overdrive pedal for my Fender Bassman blackface, which I thought at the time kicked serious ass. I saw the Hiwatt sitting in the corner, plugged in, turned everything to twelve o'clock and I heard nothing. Not a hint of hiss or crackle. So I hit an open A chord - WOW. I literally felt my insides rearrange themselves. I immediately traded in my Bassman for this amp. I had never heard something so loud, clear, and... EXACTLY what I wanted a guitar to sound like. It was so... realistic. Every Marshall I've tried has this sort of hyped-up, "aaaggghhhh!!!!!!" kind of bland generic thunkiness to it. It's been done to death by all of the trillions of bands that use them. It's so easy to make something sound like a Marshall - they just sound like every distortion pedal on the market, only with more bottom. But a Hiwatt is something entirely different. You haven't lived till you've hit an open A chord on a dimed-out Hiwatt. Tone for days. You can ride the preamp gain high and the master low for a cool totally rad mid-70's midrangey roar, or you can ride the master high and preamp low for the cleanest glassiest tone you could imagine. This is a serious amp that goes to 11. Some people have trouble getting it to break up - either switch to a lower number of tube or try an overdrive pedal that works with the amp's natural distortion.

It's been dropped, kicked, smashed and my stack fell over once. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It's impossible, impossible to harm it. It's built like a friggin' tank.

Never dealt with it - never had to (refer to above reference to indestructability) (though seeing as how it's 25 years old I doubt it's under warranty)

This is without a doubt the most kick-ass amp I've ever heard. If your notes ever get lost in the mix, it has to be you because this amp is serious, serious. It's very, very, very loud and a lot cleaner than most. Kind of like AC/DC - the tone is actually quite clean, and that's what makes it seem so loud and huge. Adding more distortion makes things lose character and body until it sounds like a Peavey Rage.

All the features that you need. Balls and TONE. If your a sissy and you can't live without preamp distortion, then its not for you. If you like to use fuzz boxes and boutique effects and you want them to sound the best that they possibly can then this is all you'll need to rule the world.

Henious is the first word that comes to mind when I think of my Hiwatt. These things are great if like I said, you use fuzz boxes and you like to neutralize the first 3 or so rows of your audience. If your that kind of guy, then this amp with make you sound absolutely enormous and louder than most people will ever need to. I'm the type of guy who wants to make shit blow up when I play guitar, but even I don't turn this thing up past 5. You can feel the air move past you when you stand in front of this amp and hit a fat power chord. Without fuzz boxes or slaving to another hiwatt, you can't make this thing distort unless it is your speakers are giving out.

I bought mine used and had it completely rebuild to orginal specs by ASA Audio in Dallas, Texas when I lived there. My Hiwatt is a '72 and it won't give up. Hiwatt...you can't bust em.

I've never dealt with the real Hiwatt. I emailed Fernandes (current owner and distributer of Hiwatt) when I was in search of the date of birth for my Hiwatt. They never even emailed me to tell me that they couldn't find the info that I needed. It makes me question whether I would ever even buy a new one from them. You can email some of the cool British sites that specialize in Hiwatts and they can give you some info on the old ones. Thats how I found out when mine was made. Fernandes though, they can lick my ass cause I emailed them more than a few times so its not like my question slipped through the cracks or anything

Over all I'd say that this amp is THE SHIT!!! I don't ever compromise my sound and I spare no expense, so when a piece of gear makes it into my arsenal of weapons it is a achievement. If it was lost or stolen, I would first go get shit faced drunk cause I would seriously be depressed. It would be like losing a testacle or something. After the mourning period was over I would buy another Hiwatt of the same vintage and move on with my life. I've had Marshalls, I've had Mesa Boogies. This thing makes my Marshall sound like faggot shit and even though I don't like to talk trash about mesa boogie, I would say that my Hiwatt sound considerably better. Nothing else compares to flat out Hiwatt. Its like the Hemi Dodge Challenger of British amplifacation. Hiwatt is God.

The front panel includes 2 inputs: Bright and Normal. Each input has its own preamp volume control. The Bright input utilizes both its own and the normal channel's preamp gain stages and therefore both the normal and bright preamp volume controls contribute to the bright channel's tone. The tone controls, which are shared for both channels, consist of Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence. And then there is the ever important Master Volume. On the back of the amp there are 2 speaker outputs and an impedance selector for 4, 8 & 16 ohms. The circuit utilizes 4 12AX7 tubes in the preamp section and 4 EL34 tubes for the power amp. Older DR vintage Hiwatts are built with all point-to-point hand wiring. The later DR models used a printed circuit board for some portions of the circuit and hand-wiring for the rest.

This is the real reason I love Hiwatts. The way I use the amp is turning the Master Volume, Treble, Mid, and Presence on Full Out (that's more than 11 for you Spinal Tap fans), and the Bass, Bright and Normal volumes each on roughly 2/3'rds. I attenuate the wave of volume this would normally create through a Marshall Power Break. To me this is the best setting - great for all kinds of overdrive or spanky semi-clean tones. I'm not a fan of knob twiddling on amps (too many choices gives me option anxiety). I prefer to adjust the tone by using the volume control, and pickup combination, on the guitar and varying picking/fingering styles and feels to achieve dynamics.
If you like to twiddle the knobs you can achieve quite a range of tonal variations - much more than a Marshall - because the tone section comes before the gain circuit. However, the tone controls, as in most tube amps, become less sensitive the higher you have the master volume cranked. Personally, I probably wouldn't play through a Hiwatt if I couldn't crank it full blast through an attenuator though because at low master volume levels (less than around 6) the type of distortion the amp produces is kind of harsh and buzzy.
Many people remark on how clean Hiwatts sound. That must be the way they sound at master volume levels of less than, say, 5 because at full blast through the Bright channel (through the Power Break - or not) the amp pumps out a thick, sweet, woody, rich tone with lots of sustain and easy feedback. It's great for fans of hard rock who like a thick tone with rich mids and a singing tone (think something along the lines of Joe Satriani's "Flying in a Blue Dream" solo tones). For instance, using the Bright input with the guitar's volume control set to around 4 the overdrive level is about the same as a Marshall Plexi that is on full blast. At around 1.5 on the guitar volume it cleans right up and makes a nice bright spanky tone ? though it is highly responsive to changes in picking style. With the guitar volume on 10 the Hiwatt's overdrive level is as thicker and richer than any of the new hi-gain amps I've ever played through. A lot of that is probably due to the fact that I'm using power amp overdrive instead of preamp overdrive which tends to be buzzier and much less dynamic. It loses something in terms of headroom when it's running full blast, but in my experience it gives significantly better note definition than a Marshall amp. The Normal channel gives a very tight crunchy sound at full volumes - great for rock rhythm guitar work.

A few weeks ago one of my Hiwatts developed a problem with the power switch. It seems it doesn't want to turn off - go figure. This is the first problem I've ever had with any of them - not bad for a 20+ year old amp. I'm sure it will be quite simple to replace the toggle switch. Other than that I've had no problems with the 3 Hiwatt heads I currently own. The craftsmanship of these amps is really great. Check out http://www.audiobro.u-net.com/ for a picture of the insides of a Hiwatt amp with the point-to-point wiring. Very neat and tidy.

I have no experience with the current support you'll get from the current owner of the Hiwatt name: Fernandes Guitars. They are producing re-issues of these original designs for a tremendous price.

I'm going to give these old beasts an overall rating of 10 because they're the only amps I've played through that satisfy my particular tonal desires. I love the sound they produce at full volume and that's the most important thing to me. If I were in a pop band and I needed a huge range of sounds I would be less enthusiastic, but I'm more interested in getting one unbelievably great tone for hard-rock and lead-guitar sounds than in almost, but not quite, reproducing a zillion different sounds at the flick of a switch. I have a simple setup: plug straight into the amp (no effects pedals), crank everything up full-out and blast out beautiful rich singing tone and for that purpose this amp is the only thing that has satisfied me.

The Hiwatt is an all tube, no-frills single channel amp. It has 4 inputs (Hi and low for both Normal and Brill(iant) channels. Each has it own volume control. If you patch Normal to Brill, you can use both preamps. There is no effects loop and no reverb. Even with limited controls, this amp is very versatile. The tone controls are extremely sensitive, the most variations I've ever heard. The amp has more than enough power but lacks a real distortion channel (Gain). Reverb or an effect loop would have been nice. I've used this amp at home and in clubs for many years -- it has always performed very well.

This amp has only one sound -- LOUD. If you've ever stood in front of a Hiwatt through a 4x12 you know what I'm talking about. This is the cleanest amp you could ever play out of. If you turn all controls on 10, the amp is still clean. This amp is really punchy. It seems to cut through unlike Marshalls that come across sounding like mosquitos (thin). If you want distortion, you better bring your own ... the amp doesn't have any. Any tube preamp will do. I use a Les Paul Custom, SG, V, and an EDS-1275 as well as various Strats (Single coil and Humbucker equipped) and they all sound great. Just adjust the tone (bass, middle, treble) to suit the guitar. You can get any tone you want.

No Problems at all. I hauled it around for 7 years when I played clubs. I've had it now for 13 years. Never had a problem. Even dropped it once. Still no problems. This amp is built like a tank. If you open it up and look at the way it was made, the point to point wiring is a work of art. I wish all amps were built with the craftsmanship that this amp has. I changed all 8 tubes once.

The Hiwatt company, now owned by Fernandez Guitars, has changed hands at least 3 times since my amp was built. Getting any real cutsomer service is impossible. Theres no way to trace the serial number for year/model design variations, limited, if any, orginal schematics available and no "Factory" service. I believe the new Hiwatt amps (which are nothing like my mid-'70's original) are serviced through Fernandez. No experience with Fernandez.

I would definately buy another one. (I'll never sell the one I have) You just don't see this kind of craftsmanship anymore. The only comparable amps are the VHT Pitbulls. They are the only thing that even comes close. I now run stereo with the Hiwatt as my punchy clean tone and my 100W Mesa/Boogie MK-IIB for the distortion tone ... what an awesome setup !.

Traditional British amp from the early 70s. 2 channels, Normal and Bright. Each channel has its own Gain control and two inputs, High and Low. Tone controls are common to both channels, usual Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence to add high end sparkle. One Master Volume control. On the back it has a voltage selector switch for all common voltages around the world and an impedance selctor switch for 4, 8, and 16 ohms as well as 100volt line. No channel switching and no FX loops. This is a 'plug in and go' amp, all controls are from the guitar. This may restrict some people but its fine for me.

The clean sound from hell! The amp itself is very quiet with very low hiss. It is incredibly loud and incredibly clean. It is possible to overdrive the pre-amp but it is an unpleasant buzzy type of distortion. Much better is to overdrive the power amp. This is done by whacking the Master up full and adjusting the channel Gain control, then the amp sings. I use an early 70s Telecaster and for banging out chords it is unbeatable. The tone controls are excellent, very smooth in operation and give a wide range of sounds. This is not a heavy metal amp, it's far too clean for that, but for full tilt prog rock it is unbeatable - standing in front of one of these on full cry makes you realise why Pete Townsend liked them. On that basis I give it a score of :

This amp was bought in 1971. It has had one repair in 25 years of serious gigging (although the last 6 have been rather more sedate), a failed blocking cap in about 1973. Other than new tubes, it has worked flawlessly since. Truly dependable amp.

It was a one year warranty, but I never had to deal with cutomer support. The one thing that went wrong, I phoned Hylight Electronics - the then owner of the mark and they pretty much nailed the fault over the phone straight away. This was 1973 customer support! Yikes! So, other than contact with the now closed manufacturer, I've never had call to use the services of the new owners of Hiwatt.

Well, I don't think I'd pay the price being asked for them now! Would I buy again? Possibly, although at times I crave a little more versatility however I wouldn't sacrifice that clean tone for anything and I haven't heard anything to match 'that sound' when its in full pelt - even today's amps seem to lack that 'something' when the clean channel is cranked. Set against the fact that I paid 80 pounds for it (about $120) all those years ago and its never failed me it has to qualify for a: 10