I have a Hylight era DR-103 - THE classic Hiwatt... actually Stephen was going to use it as reference for his design!!

Anyway, all the cliches are true - really loud, lots of clean headroom, yada yada...
The thing I like about Hiwatt is the flavour of the tone. Clean it is like no other - it's not really hi-fi or lo-fi, it doesn't really sparkle or chime... it's TOUGH. As in tight, forward, big... AUTHORITATIVE. There's a pissed off cockney Brit in there somewhere, but he's never un-polite. Kind of like an irreverent intellectual! LOL! When it breaks up (and different from Chris' experience above, I can get mine to drive without too much ear bleed), it's more of the same authority. It's the kind of amp that if it's in the context of another amp, you'll notice the Hiwatt first... but this isn't because tonally it's really out in left field - it's very "meat & potatoes"... but really expensive sounding and exquisitely prepared meat & potatoes... comfort food for developed tastebuds as it were...
Does this make any sense?? Hope so...
Hard not to LOVE a Hiwatt.

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Brent Bodrug
Producer-Engineer/Songwriter
www.slyfichapel.com