Hiwatt SA212

1973 50watt "Custom Built" SA212. 4 hole with brilliant and normal channels. Individual volume for each channel and Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, and Master volume. My amp is in excellent condition (thanks to vinyl cover I assume) and even has a hole drilled in back plate with no apparent purpose! there is a switch to to change line voltage to 120/220V (BE CAREFUL THERE) and 2 extra 1/4 output for external speaker and line output. These are marked with black 'sharpy' permanent marker as was supposedly original. Custom made indeed! Since this is an earlier production of this model, I believe (along with some other knowledgable technicians) this was not unusual for basically limited production amps. Remember, everybody was playing through 4-12 stacks back then!
As a dedicated HIWATT player for over 25 years, this is without a doubt the most practical and useful amp I own. I had to write this review after reading the previous report concerning the versatility and sound of this gem. You wanna talk one trick pony, read the reviews on my Marshall JCM 4104 combo. Great amp, but it only does one thing; 80's Buttrock crunch. Nuff said! This HIWATT defines quality, reliability, and MOST importantly........transparent tone.
Are HIWATT amps for everyone?..NO! These amps are clean, powerful, reliable and don't really sound like anything. Have you seen a modeling amp that "claims to recreate HIWATT sound?") i'll tell you what they sound like; Pink Floyd (David Gilmour) The Who (Pete Townshend) U2 (the Edge) Jethro Tull (can't remember name;) etc.
This is the SHIT, if you want an amplifier that doesn't color, mask, or make excuses for lousy, sloppy playing. Hey dig this...... it AMPLIFIES YOU! Ouch! Better practice more or get more pedals!

I play a early 80's Les Paul standard w/ Seymour Duncan antiquities, 1971 Gibson ES 335, several Fender Strats, and a Ric 360-12 with toaster tops. This amplifier reproduces the tone and character of each guitar with accuracy and authority. No "amp agendas" and it doesn't care if it is single/humbucking. It sound like, well, whatever is plugged into it.
I have been playing for 40 years, and I play all styles.
when I buy a guitar amp, I just want something that is reliable, neutral sounding, and LOUD! My sound is gonna be defined by technique, instrument and pedals/effects. There are alot of great amps out there, and you can spend a fortune on boutique gear, but Hiwatt and some others were making "quality hand-wired" amps 30 years ago. You can still buy them for around a grand if you know what to look for! This amp is very quiet, pretty heavy, and looks OK I guess.

Bullet Proof! HIWATTS can have issues with only 2 things I know of.
1. Standby switches tend to wear out. Probably underrated for load requirements.
2. Tube sockets may eventually wear out from extended heat. Especially vulnerable in combos where the tube is upside down and the heat rises into the amp chasis/tube socket itself.
The wiring on these things is designed to last 50-100 years. NO BULL!
When they say Military spec wiring, this is no joke! Ask any amp repairman out there if they have worked on a HIWATT and listen. These are the standard by which all the pretenders are judged by! At the peak of there production in the 70's, they were producing around 30 amps a MONTH! On the issue of tubes. I think the Svetlana's are probably the closest thing to original Mullard EL34 for HIWATT.

WHAAAAAAAAAAA. Oh yeah, there is a few companies out there trying to make a buck on the name, and they look like they have a fairly good copy of the original. But iff you are interested, the HIWATT amp story is amazing. Probably the most PIMPED guitar amp name in history! UGLY UGLY UGLY

I am an obvious HIWATT fan, but as a player of 40 years, I know there are alot of great amps out there. I own 3 HIWATTS, an old Ampeg VT-22, a couple of older Marshalls, and recently bought and sold a Vox 120 watt valvetronics modeling amp with 16 amp models and 10 effects (or was it the other way around?) The amp with an identity crisis.
The amplifier issue is a killer....I am as guilty of GAS as the next fool, but when it all comes out is the wash, I just want a solid, reliable tool that lets me create without dictating what I sound like by virtue of some unique tonal characteristic. We all know what Marshall, Mesa, Fender sound like. How about an amp that is a blank canvas! Dave Reeves was a genius when he created this animal!

1975 made in england. the only features is the chassis is wired neat and the amp has a nice clean sound. if set for distortion it is harsh and unpleasant like a doberman pincher biting your sack, this is partly due to the fanes which sound best clean. cool looking overpriced vintage amp. 100 watts is way too loud, so is 50 watts in most clubs with a pa. if you're not playing outdoor arenas then this amp will not be your friend.

sounds best clean, this aint' a marshall. this 100 watt amp will stay pretty clean dimed and will have your ears ringin in no time. not a versatile amp, if all you have is a cord between your guitar and amp you will be able to do classic rock at deafening volume levels that would drown out john bonham and thats it. you'll need another $1000 for effects for this 1 tone classic.

the chassis is built very well, ashame it does not make it sound better. the cabinet uses butt joints and is weak, i had to re-glue mine. crappy wood skids holds chassis in cabinet and it creaks when you pick it up. this amp is so heavy it feels like it's nailed to the floor, this is a collectors amp not a players amp. the bias supply is going to run most tubes too hot. easy to work on, but if you modernise it for reliability you have modded it and lose re-sale value.

i quickly tired of the 1 trick pony and sold it. a 100 watt, 100 pound combo with 1 handle ? too loud to use at a club and too heavy to carry it. this amp would be better suited as a keyboard amp, too hifi sounding. i did like the fact that i sold it for alot more than i paid for it. at least it looks cool.

I.ve owned my Hiwatt 2-12 combo since 1980 and have been quite pleased with it.When soloing using a Les Paul Deluxe it cuts through everything with clarity and clasic crunching tone. Having paid only $395 for it , I feel as though I got a helluva deal.The only complaint I have is the pots get scratchy when it's not used regularly. It does lack the bells and whistles of other amps. But you can have all the pedels and modelers you want but you'd be hard pressed to get the pure tube sonic beauty a Hiwatt can deliver.

I play Strat's, A Les Paul Deluxe, an RD artist, a SG and all sound great with the combo. The single coil guitars like Strats are really bright and cutting on the high end, but thats a typical no matter what amp you use.

Other the the scrachy pots, I've yet to need service of any kind. I've never replased a tube and only replaced the original Fane speakers with Celestions because I felt they were more even in tone then the Fanes.Mostly in the lower freq's.

Never needed pro service here. Cleaning dirty volume and tone potentiometers is easy enough to do myself when needed.

If this were stolen or destroyed I couldn't afford to replace it.The price i've seen these going for blows me away.When the wild fires got close to my home in California, the Hiwatt and gibson's were the first thing I evacuated. Wife?...what wife :D

Manufactured 1977 with Dave Reeves at the helm. Two Goodman 12 inch drivers, four inputs, cane grille. This combo was previously owned by a Brit who at one time had the largest collection of Marshall and Vox in the world. Paid top dollar for mine, but worth it as this combo is extremely rare and my example is near mint, almost showroom condition. The chassis features are virtually identical to a vintage DR504 head so that means 50 watts with a pair of EL34 output valves and a few ECC83 bottles in the preamp section. As with all original Hiwatts, there is no such thing as channel switching or an effects loop. I use this amp when I need stinging in your face rhythm tone and volume, or need output distortion without dragging around a Plexi half stack. I rate it a five in features ONLY due to it's lack of channel switching. Other than that, every useable tone can be dialed in with some simple tweaking - clean, mean and scream. One thing is for sure, this amp plays best when it is allowed to breathe!

I play Les Pauls, teles and strats through this amp and it does justice to all three types of guitars. It covers most styles of music equally well and shines on classic rock. The amp is quiet and makes little noise on it's own with the guitar cord disconnected. The best way I can describe the tone is "in your face". Tons of output tube distortion with all the gains maxed. Nice & loud too. As I mentioned in the features section, many different tones can be dialed in with a bit of patience.

I have used this amp on many occasions at live gigs and it has never quit. This amp is built just like other Hiwatts of the same era, British naval mil spec point to point wiring. It has Svetlana EL34 outputs installed now with no problems.

Never tried to seek official Hiwatt support.

I have been playing guitar for 26 years and this amp is part of my collection. I also play vintage Marshall and JMI Vox. This piece has a character all it's own. If it were lost or stolen? There is no SA 212 that exists today in the same excellent condition as mine so I would just plug into one of my other amps. I love this amp because of the build quality and sound. It's much dirtier than any DR103 but can also clean up nicely. I wish it came with a roady. Pretty damn heavy.
I rate it an eight overall due only to the price of the amp. The build quality and sound is a "ten".