Hiwatt Maxwatt HD 200 Head

First of all, this amp is brilliant. I've been dying to get my hands onto a Hiwatt for years, and with their new Maxwatt series, it's financially possible. It's solid state, but don't let that fool you - you get a really crisp and responsive sound out of it. Comes with 3 channels - 1 clean and 2 dirty. There's also reverb. Hiwatt are famous for their well made, simple amps, and this is no exception. The reverb and channel switching are foot-switchable and the effects loop has individual level controls (which is really nice). Two parallel speaker outs for the possibility of running two cabs. Believe me, that would be WAY too much sound! This thing is an ear killer!

I am playing this through a 4 x 12 with vintage Eminence speakers. It sounds amazing! I mainly use only the clean channel. For a solid state amp, it is amazingly responsive and crisp. The EQ really effects the tone, making this amp very versatile. Incredibly loud!! With the master volume sitting between 2 and 3, I'm already drowning out the drummer in a small room. I play with a 2009 USA Standard Stratocaster and a 1967 Gibson SG Standard and they both sound amazing. With the Strat I get Pink Floyd type clean sounds and with the SG I get The Who type grit. Perfect. The two distortion channels sound great, you can get a killer thrash metal sound, but that's not really my taste. But it's defiantly there! This is the perfect amp for pedals. I use a Tube Driver and a ProCo Rat and I've never heard them sound better.

Although they are made in China, Hiwatt are famous for their military-grade construction. This thing is SOLID! It's pretty heavy, but it's SOLID. I'm sure it could survive falling out the back of the van on the highway. I've gigged with it a bunch of times and I've never had a problem. I can see it lasting a loooong time.

I've never had to deal with them. This thing is made really well so I doubt I'll ever have to.

I've been playing for about 12 years and I've owned many amps (both solid and tube) and I still have a bunch of them. For smaller gigs and practice I'd leave this at home (only because it's pretty big and super loud!) but for medium to large size gigs it is always there behind me. I play in a blues-folk-pysch-rock band and I love this amp. The only reason I would replace it would be for a British made Hiwatt. I'm a musician, so I can't afford one. Maybe one day...

Try one of these. You'll love it.

Solid State, 200 watts, 3 footswitcheable (footswitch not included) channels: clean, distortion 1, distortion 2, footswitcheable reverb (also not included), headphone jack, 1 input jack, send and return separated with the possibility to select the level of each one, NO FX.

I'm not aware of the years this is, I think it must be 07 because of the serial number.

I love the fact that it it's not an FX amp. I just wanted a guitar amp, and that's whta this is. I've played with it in large outdoors and small/medium indoor sets with it and it worked fabulous in the outdoors one. This is definitely not a small places amp, it's too loud!

I mostly play a 2003 Fender American Telecaster with stock pickups with an old zoom 4040 fx processor but sometimes i just like to plug the guitar direct in the amp and play, it really sounds great.

The three band equalizer on the clean channel it's not great, i wish i could a brighter sound, it tends to be deep but if you try for a more edgy sound it sometimes loses body.

The overdrive channel is really great for a solid state, you can get a really heavy distortion (maybe not enough for metal) and a nice really sharp overdrive playing with the two channels.

I would gig without a backup, i've done it. It's a trust-worthy amp.

The only problem i've had with it is that the people from the mail service broke the little wheels and i had to remove them becuase the weight was taking it's toll on the fractured wood.

no opinion.

In the 4 years i've been playing (18 now), I've only owned solid state amps. I've played in tube amps and I can't say it has the warm tone of an old fender, but it sounds really good. It has a very clean, deep sound when used whit the matching cabinet. I do not recommend the overdrive channel when plugged to a smaller amp 'cause it sounds just awful (i did that before i got the cabinet)

The overdrive channel I could compare it with a marshall's, I really enjoy the crunchy fat tone of the hiwatt.

The head is heavy and really large, but it's not impossible to move around.

This is just a guitar amp, not an all-in-one gadget, but for the price i think it's the best one you can buy to get loud, clean, deep, crunchy or whatever you wish. It is a versatile amp.

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UPDATE ****

Ok, i have now played my first "difficult" gig with this amp, small stage, lots of lights etc.. and it failed miserably, its not a gig amp.
As a practice amp its great, and might suit a more brash style of player. Live it is awful, it feeds at the slightest jag of volume, cant be controlled and sounds thin and watery. In the bedroom and practice environments its still really good.

AS BELOW

AS BELOW

It's a shame that it doesnt perform at all in a live gig situation. It actually made me want to give in and go home, all my guitars just sounded thin, watery, trebly and rubbish.

Sorry....

all features you can get from hiwatt webside.
It's very flexible... all you need, except the head'phone output is a little ...

Distortion sucks, but what can you get from a solid state amp?
But the clean channel is wonderful, I would say like the old tube heads. I got the first note from floyds shine on and....
here it is THE PINK FLOYD SOUND. Amazing.
Don't buy aN expensive old DR 103 or so , this thing does the same, so the Amp gets a 10

It is very large, but o.k.

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I've been plyaing for 15 years , I ply in a Pink Floyd Coverband, called Pigsonthewing. I got a 76 fender strat, a 90ies fender strat,
200 watts 2x12 fane speakers, I use Sovtek Mig 50 and an old Hohner tube amp.
Thi s Hiwatt is as good as the Sovtek.