Hiwatt DR-504

1979..

Nothing sounds like a Hiwatt.
Imagine if a 100 watt Super Lead & Blackface Bassman
made a creation? Well, a Hiwatt Custom 50 still sounds better..
Mine has the bright & normal channel bridged.
The best sounding Rock & Roll amp ever made.
If you want clear blooming kick *** tone, this is it!
I usually compare all amps in Fender or Marshall terms.
It still love Fender & Marshall amps. This is the amp that delivers at
100% for all applications.

A British Tank!

The support is gone. Find a good amp tech!

I sold my first DR504 to my best friend 8 years ago.
Since then I've been playing thru my old amp from time to time since we share a rehearsal space. In 8 years I've gone thru, 2 JTM 45 clones, 1 Bluesbreaker, 1973 Super Lead, 50 watt Plexi, 4 Fender Bassman's, 3 Bandmasters, 1 Matchless Clubman, 1 Tophat Super Deluxe....etc & there's many more.
Yeah, I have a problem.. That being said I picked this Hiwatt up & it's going nowhere. This will probably be my last amp I review on HC.
My Esquire & Lp Jr love this amp. The tone that bounces around in my head when I think of killer tone is always a Hiwatt.
From AC/DC to Uncle Tupelo this amp is the answer.

'77 DR-504. It has been modded with an effects loop, but I have yet to use it. Four inputs, normal and brilliant volumes, bass, treble, middle, and presence controls, master volume. Inputs can be jumpered, just like an old Marshall, for a richer sound. No reverb, and none is needed. Voltage selector on back as well as a speaker ohm selector. It's a versatile amp. You can play British invasion, country, rockabilly, (with a delay pedal), alternative with it. You could probably play speed metal on it with a distortion box in front.

This amp likes trebly guitars, equipped with P90s, mini humbuckers, De Armonds, toaster tops, etc. It's great for clean tones. Dig in or turn up and it produces an edgy, hard distortion. It's great for chords and arpeggios, every note is distinct. If you want to hide your sloppy playing and only want to play power chords, stick with a Marshall and churn the sludge. This Hiwatt is good for lead, too. It has good sustain, screams and cuts through the mix. When I first got it, noise was a problem, but replacing the tubes has quieted it down. I play it through a Reeves 2x12 with Vintage Purples.

It burnt out a fuse when I first got it, but no problems since. The 30 year old filter caps are still going strong. The retainer ring around one of the fuses is broken, so it dangles inside the cabinet. The nut on one of the inputs is missing. I would bring my other Hiwatt head as a backup.

N/A. Look on plexipalace.com for help. Schematics are available at hiwatt.com and mhuss.com.

I've been playing the guitar for many years. I gravitate toward Fender, Magnatone, and Hiwatt. Marshall is the enemy! I wouldn't mind owning a JTM 45 Offset, though. Those are sweet! (Of course they are. They're a rip off of a '59 Bassman!). The only feature it lacks is a bias control. So buy matched tubes and what you get is what you get! Reverb isn't necessary, just get a delay pedal. What I love about it is the crystalline highs and the ballsy crunch it has.

Early 80's.
1 channel of course.
Great Tone!

This Amp worked great for me in my No Depression/Alt-Country phase in the mid 90's. Sounded very nice with my SG Standard & SG Junior.
I could never really get the amount of crunch I needed out of this amp.

Killer amp for clean/dirty & that's it.

For Hard Rock or Punk Rock unless you get a Mod done expect to put
a pedal in front of it for more Overdrive.

Try a Barber LTD, or if you're on a budget a DOD 250 or YJM 308!

Since it's 20 plus years old you'd better find an Amp tech that lives close to you. They don't cost much to fix, but you may not have a problem for a couple years & next thing you know it's been in the shop 3 times in 3 months.

They are well built Amps, maybe not as Road worthy as you'd expect.

NONE!

I've been at the Rock thing for ever. These are great Amps. They sound great with P90's & Humbuckers. Single coils thru a DR504 would be a Trebly nightmare. Everyone that gives this Amp a 10, I'm sure feels it deserves a 10. Looking back on when I used this amp the most I think my old Sovtek Mig 50H had the sound I was looking for.
If you can find one of these Amps they are worth checking into. I think a was amazed I actually owned a Hiwatt & didn't pay attention to the tone due to Hiwatt Name.
Since going thru my British Amp phase of about 15 years, I honestly feel Hiwatts & Marshalls in most cases under-perform & don't meet expectations over the long haul.

Biacrown-era DR-504 from 1981. Two inputs (one split channel Normal and Bright). Normally I think you can footswitch between the two using and A/B but mine has been modded so the two inputs are jumpered together to mix the two at the Bright input, but using an A/B with this mod does not work (when both are plugged the Bright input cuts out in volume) so I can either plug into Normal (clean) or Bright (mother-of-all-overdrives). The regular Bright setting, however is inaccessible like this so I'm not sure this mod was a good idea (read: sacrilege!).

Features are few on this amp, just how you would generally like it. If you want features, buy a Mesa/Boogie Road King. If you want simplicity at its best, buy Hiwatt.

That said, in some circumstances a switchable effect-loop would be nice just to add a good compressor and a little reverb.

ABSOLUTELY INSANELY AMAZING. In any scale and from any area of your fretboard, you get clear, thick, beautifully harmonic tone. Single notes as well as chords ring out perfecly, no matter if you want a dry jazz sound, a buzzy blues sound or a roaring Black Sabbath Vol.4-era heavyness. Modern metal? Why the hell not?! The louder you set it the better it sounds with amazing round bass (it can sound slightly harsh at low settings, but this is NOT a bedroom amp, though I do have mine in my bedroom ;).

MILITARY SPEC...Hello!

Find the amp guru in your area (and a backup!).

Well, other than the 100-watt DR-103, I think I would never need another amp. I know many amps and have owned several good ones, but I've never owned an Orange OR-80 or Vox AC30, or Marshall Plexi for that matter. Actually, I've never heard that Road King I suggested earlier. But really I don't need to; (other than the stupid mod) this one is PERFECT.

This is a 1974 4-input(2-brilliant, 2-normal) 50 watts, 2-EL34 power tubes. This amp is only as versatile as you are. It will take your collection of pedals and allow them to sound the way they were intended to sound. It's a source of thick, clean, clear, power. EQ it to your tastes, run your favorite pedals straight into the front, jump the channels if you wish, and have a blast. If you choose to plug straight into it, you will have huge, thick, clear tone- your guitar will sound like a really big version of itself, but you will not have a lot of flexibility other than your playing technique and the guitars volume knob. This amp will overdrive if you set it right, push the preamp volumes a little harder than the master, send a high output pickup in. But it will be LOUD! If you can handle the volume of this amp overdriving, you will find out that it is the most incredible, pleasing, overdriven sound you will ever hear. Put in some ear plugs someday when the wife is away- and crank it up. WOW! You will never appreciate distortion from a hi-gain type amp again. The raw power and articulation of a raging 1970's Hiwatt is the best guitar tone I have ever heard. TRY IT!

My style is one of constant change. I could never find the right amp for me before this Hiwatt. It will change with me- all I need to do is adjust what pedals I put in front, or my choice of guitar and pickup, or the way I run the amps settings, and it will do what I need it to do. I have used virtually every guitar and pickup out there through this thing. My personal favorite sounds come from my Strat with EMG-SA's and a 81 humbucker at the bridge. These pickups are relatively sterile (read- clean slate) sounding, but they are clear, clean, and strong(a good match for the Hiwatt). This setup allows me to run various pedals into the front of the amp without the sound ever becoming muddy. Some of my favorite pedals to use with this head are my Maxon AD900 analog delay, my vintage Rat, my Menatone King of the Britains, my Speedster Overdrive, my ZVEX SHO, and my H&K Tubefactor. With this setup, I can literally nail the tones I have in my head exactly. Huge, thick, clear, chimey, articulate clean tones, powerful chest shaking overdrive, and everything in between. Listen up folks- if you want to buy an amp and stick with it for the rest of your life- buy one of these! Make sure it is a Dave Reeves\Harry Joyce (Hylight Electronics) era. Point-to-point wired, military spec, etc. Their have been many people posing to be Hiwatt- and confusing the general public about these amps. Fernandes owns the name Hiwatt currently in the US DO NOT BUY from them. If you cannot find a vintage Hiwatt- look up Reeves Amplification. They are making copy cat Hiwatt amps that you can get here in the US- and doing a hell of a job of it. I played through a few of their amps and they are damn near identical sounding to the vintage Hiwatts. Also- I called Reeves and spoke to them and they were very polite and helpful.They are already developing a reputation of having tremendous customer service. But- ideally you'll be able to find one of these vintage Hiwatts in good shape-ready to rock. If so- BUY IT! You will not be disappointed. This is the best amplifier ever made. That's all there is to it.

Can I depend on it? It's 30 years old and still going strong. I think it will last another thirty years if I take good care of it. Just make sure to have a trustworthy amp tech check it over once in a while and make sure all your caps, etc. are good to go. Bring spare tubes in case you blow one- duh. If you can afford a backup- buy a second one of these!

SEE ABOVE. Hiwatt as they were in the 1970's no longer exists. Do not go near Fernandes products which bear the name Hiwatt. You will regret doing so. If you must buy an amp from a company with great customer support- look into Reeves Amplification and you will be getting the next best amp to a true 1970's Hiwatt, plus all the customer support you could ever need. Seriously people- buy a Hiwatt. I've played so many other amps and wasted so much money on other gear. Buy a Hiwatt and you will never need another amp. Go see for yourself.

Best amp ever made. That's all there is to it. If you don't like this amp, there is either- something wrong with your version of the amp, it isn't a true Hiwatt, or there is something wrong with your playing ability. This amp certainly cannot hide your flaws. It will display them for all to see. Be prepared for that.

I'm not quite sure what year my DR-504 is I'm pretty sure it's mid 70s It's a 4 input model I play country,rock and blues it don't matter what you play these amps let you hear you It has no bells or whistles they don't need anything else I used to have a DR-103 100 watter but I only used it two or three times as it was so loud asuming the 50 watter would be more controlable was my reason for buying the 504 lol they're almost as loud as the 100 watters

I have 4 gibsons a les paul standard,a junior, a melody maker and a 335 and a tele they all sound great these amps suit any style as they let you shine through the distortion is not as bone crunching as a lot of high gain amps hoever if you have the balls turn these up to 7 or 8 and stand BACK now thats a wonderful sound

this amp has never let me down it has the original mullard tubes If I could afford another one I'd buy one today

these's not much to say here I lived in Germany for a long time and know of two guys over there who love to work on these amps Thomas Reussenzen in the Frankfurt area and Heinz Weller in Augsburg

I'v been playing 35 years I own three Fender amps I would love to have a hiwatt 4x12 box but they are really hard to find so I bought a Fender tonemaster 4x12 for it with celestion vintage 30's What a tone I seen the WHO in England in 72 thats where I first saw and heard hiwatts It's sonething you would never forget

1977 made, one of the last 4 inputs, basic features, everything what i need, great tone controls, very sensitive in comparison to old Marshalls

This is the best guitar/bassguitar/keyboard etc. amp i have ever heard. Every guitar will sound like it should, depends on quality and type of guitar.
This amp produces incredible fat, LOUD!!!, clean and musical sound, it is most touch sensitive from all amps. It can sound very agressive with shocking growl and crunch. Ideal amp for old style 70s progressive rock, hardrock, alternative music.
I have searched fairly long time for my ideal sound and now i have found it with this Hiwatt amp.
Thanks to Dave Reeves!

Hiwatts are most reliable amps, no problems, despite i have its original tubes in it. They are classic British top-quality handmade products! (its terrible to see today all those Marshall, Mesa Boogie cheap plastic shit in comparison to this precisely handwired amps) Good old 70s!

No need with Hiwatts.

The best, but be prepared to practice more with your guitar, because Hiwatts are extremely natural sounding - no compromise - what you play bad, Hiwatt will show bad too. They are fairly hard to overdrive. (in insane loud volumes)
This is the amp, which i will always use and to which i will always turn.

This is not a feature laden amp. It's simple- and that's what gives it such impressive tone....no unnecessary wiring to destroy the purity of your signal.

I have used this head with various speaker cabinets..Marshall and Mesa 4X12's, Bogner open back 2X12's, an old Fender Showman 1X15 cabinet, and it sounds amazing through everything. I have also used Strat's, PRS, and Les Paul's through this head. My favorite guitars for this head are my strats, but the others sound great as well. Sound quality wise...you can't beat the thick pure sound that this amp will give you. Ten all the way. There is no better.

This amp has been hanging on for over 30 years. It still rocks, although I have had it completely cleaned up and overhauled recently. I also added an effects loop so that I could add effects without destroying my initial signal through the preamp. But yeah...it is amazingly reliable!

No need for this. Wouldn't mess with Fernandes who currently owns the Hiwatt name in the US. Fernandes sucks hardcore.

This is the best amp for my tastes! It does anything and everything you ask it to do. It loves overdrive and distortion pedals, and with the addition of the FX loop, it loves the Reverbs and Delays, etc as well. I'm keeping this one forever!

This is a 1979 two channel, 2-input head. It doesn't have a lot of features, but the ones that matter are awesome! The EQ section really does an excellent job.

I use a PRS McCarty Indian Rosewood. This guitar really shines with the Hiwatt. The warmth and precision I am getting out of this amp\guitar combination is what I've always longed for. This amp really lets your individual style of playing shine through. You will learn things about your playing if you buy this amp. You might say to yourself, "I was attacking too hard" or "I wasn't playing dynamically enough." I have had to adjust my picking technique significantly to play through this amp because I can clearly hear the angle of the pick. If you side swipe it or hit flat you will hear the tonal change projected. It's like someone stuck a Neumann microphone inside your guitar somehow and plugged it into a power amp and into a speaker cabinet. That's my way of saying that it really amplifies the acoustic sound of the instrument and you can hear the wood more clearly than on any amp I've ever played. I was using this head with celestion Vintage 30's, but I recently purchased a 2x12 Reeves cabinet loaded with Fane speakers....and it sounds so much better. It's tonal bliss. If I ever see another one of these....I'll buy it. That's it.

It's been plugging away since 1979. I've had it for only a short while, but it sounds brand new 25 years after it was born. That seems pretty damn reliable if you ask me.

Don't call Hiwatt......call Reeves amps....they'll help you out over there.

I've played guitar for 12 years, and I have never been happier. After having this head, I think Marshall and Mesa suck. Even my beloved Vox AC30 is several steps down. The only other amp I have that I will keep in my collection is a 1974 Fender Dual Showman reverb. Between this amp and that one....I will be happy forever.

A 1971 Hylight made Hiwatt custom 50 head. Model number is around the first 2000 models ever produced. Two channels with a high an low sensitivity input each, tone controls for each channel plus bass, middle, treble, presence and master chickenhead knobs. On the back it's a voltage selector and a selector to match the cabinets impedances. That's it. And that's what I like about it. Not too many options to get distracted with, no channel switching - you just have to plug in and play. As I play in a wild rhythm and blues rockband without a bass I need a solid vintage tone that cuts through and has the right deepness soundwise and is direct sounding as can be. After a long liasion with AC 30s with a constant wish to get more kick out of my amp and always finding the vox a bit too shrill - I accidentially stumbled across Hiwatt - and loved it. The 50 Watts are more than enough power for me - I hardly turn master more up than the 7 o'clock mark - and thats pretty damn loud. This amp looks dead cool and sounds so as well - no trademark soundcolouring here. Just straight amplification that'll show the characteristics of of your playing and of the guitars and pickups you use - a bit mercyless, but once you're used to it you'll love it even more for that.

I play two Tele Thinlines (one with Singlecoils, one with Humbuckers, both with a set of Seymour Duncan replacement PUs). As a long term Vox Ac 30 user I always complained about the missing bottom end when I had to change to the teles due to an injury in my back (and sadly had to sell my jazzmaster which became too heavy to use regularly) but had no idea what amp would give me what I was looking for. Then I got introduced to a Hiwatt custom 50 during a recording session - and loved it rightaway. Its a very versatile amp with a very effective tone control. You can achieve anything from deeply bassy to piercingly trebly and everything in between. Even at maximum clean settings it still sounds warm and thick - but you can have it sounding thin and shrill by just tweaking the eq as well.
The crunch factor depends largely on the guitar and pickups you use. I get a good breakup sound with my teles but with a P90 equipped SG it rips a lot more. You won't get any serious distortion ot of it, though. That's important to know. It will give you a certain amount od crunch - but everything else you'll have to achieve with a pedal.
What I really have to say is that you cannot stress enough how important the right speakers are to use with Hiwatts! They are designed to be used with Fane speakers - and this for a good reason!! I had a Hiwatt Box with very old and flubby Celestion G 12 30 H speakers in it and got a more marshall-like sound, which never satisfied me. When I got tired of luggin the heavy 4 x 12 monster around, I got me a newly made Hiwatt 2 x 12 Box via Musicground UK - and couldn't believe it!
It sounded fatter, more balanced, punchier and almost boutique-like!
So if you can, try Fanes out first for your Hiwatts before settling on anything else. After Mesas, Music Mans and Voxes I have found everything I ever wanted in this amp: Clarity yet crunchy, very punchy and direct sounding and always very musical, not technically sounding. It might take a while to figure out the full potential the amp has to offer - but isn't it like with the records we love the most: We like those the most we have to let grow on ourselves instead of instant short-term pleasure? What more can you ask for?

Hiwatt is synonymous for reliability. Equipment smasher No.1, Mr. Pete Townshend of the Who used them not only because of their enormous sound! Look inside a Hiwatt and you'll know what a quality construction is. Military spec! Best components that are built super-tidily together. The term point to point wiring was invented with Hiwatt. It is said that the sheer quality of these amps is unmatched to this day. And I agree. To be on the safe side I keep my Hiwatt head in a flightcase for touring, though, and change the tubes regularly to keep my sound fresh - but I do not expect any troubles with this amp (like I experienced with my 2001 marshall-built Vox that must have been a monday model as it used to let me down everytime I needed it badly...). If the highest rating for all amps is a ten, Hiwatt is a 12!

Adam and Justin at Musicground UK (the home of the REAL Hiwatts - which is definitely NOT Fernandes, which is important to know for all US Hiwatt heads!) are the best guys to deal with. They helped me out even with the most stupid questions from my side, answered very quickly and were helpful in every way! Double thumbs up for these guys. Support is as good as the quality of their amps.

I've been playing for almost ten years now and surpassed a lot of amps in search of the right tone and feeling. I like my amps to be punchy and direct-sounding on stage to actually hear and feel what I'm playing. So finally I'm happy with Hiwatt. I'd buy another one if my got stolen. The purity and simplicity plus the great sound and feel is what I really like about Hiwatts. Plus they look dead cool, too. I think I wouldn't want it to be anything other than it is. It's a great amp, with a great punchy sound that is superbly built. You can totally rely on it on stage, which is an important thing as it keeps your mind focussed on your show. The price paid is not cheap, but worth every cent. You can spend a whole lot more money on something not even close quality-wise.