I think a Hiwatt clone might be in my new future.

[passfan]

Here is a link to the "California" Hiwatt I cobbed together for my brother. It will go loud and clean or loud and dirty. It's got the best 80's rock tone ever made.

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=

[rsalinger]

Wow... 'tis a thing of beauty. Oh, yessiree!

Low parts count. Nice, no nonsense lay-out and lead dress.
Twisted pairs, all over. 90 degree crossings. Likey, likey!

This one was signed-off by Harry Joyce. I like his newer amps, too (made under the "Harry Joyce" moniker). Marc Ford, Black Crowes et al, whorships at the alter of Harry... and he always gets a great tone.

Cheers,
Rob

DUCKDUCKGO.COM image:

[Bear]

Why skip the iron? To go generic or to go MM? Aren't those Heyboers the ones Mark Huss spec'ed?

[selloutrr]

The quality.. I guess a better word is purity of metal used in the original partridge iron gives it a smoother richer tone. With all the recycling and reused metal in this day and age even the best are still watered down. However if new is what you want it's an easy way to get up and running.

Though the new production A / B to vintage is something you can hear.

[Bear]

The quality.. I guess a better word is purity of metal used in the original partridge iron gives it a smoother richer tone. With all the recycling and reused metal in this day and age even the best are still watered down. However if new is what you want it's an easy way to get up and running.

Though the new production A / B to vintage is something you can hear.

So hunt for an unrusted Sound City donor, then? (I see lots of rusty lams on Partridges in gut shots -- I would want a visual before laying out significant cash.)

[selloutrr]

I'd have to cross reference part numbers to be sure that the Soundcity is the same iron used in hiwatt. The other issue you may run into is the Soundcity are built on boards so the transformer leads may not be long enough to make the mil spec point to point runs without adding on to them.

If you want to go the route of a soundcity. The '68 Model 100 is the closest to a hiwatt and commands Hiwatt prices. Next would be the 120, which I believe is a larger iron.

Partridge is still in business you may want to contact them directly and see if they still keep the line card on file.

Attached - 1994 DR103 reissue owner's manual and a layout for building an early '70's Hiwatt

[Koop]

One of my first builds was a Trinity Triwatt. DR103-styled preamp tied to a 6V6 based poweramp. It did the Hiwatt thing at a far more sane volume level. As has been said, they're bright (but not in a bad way - I find Marshalls to have more "peaky" stuff going on) and tight. Fabulous rock and roll amps.

I've been in the same room as a DR103 wound up to 10 - I think I felt it rearrange my DNA.

I recently built one of these. Love it! Great tone at reasonable (but still loud) volume.

[fltundra]

I've been in the same room as a DR103 wound up to 10 - I think I felt it rearrange my DNA.

So true!

I recently got a hold of a friends Hiwatt FL112 (DR103 combo) Had a blown speaker and needed two sockets and cap job. Waiting on power tubes.
I will try to post some Video clips when i get her buttoned up.
Gene
https://picasaweb.google.com/GeneMeacha ... directlink[/quote]

[sliberty]

I've had a 1972 Custom 100 since I was about 17 or 18. It is th best sounding amp on the planet to me. But, it is also frighteningly loud. I've repaired a DR504, and while it was very close, it wasn't quite the same. You know-it's that thing 100 watters can do that 50 waters cannot.

If you play in places where a 100 watt amp makes sense, then go for it. Just make sure you are using 200 watts worth of speakers. My amp ate my 4x12 Marshall cab for lunch!

[cpollack]

I've never been able to figure out the purpose of V3b (just before the PI) on a HiWatt. What does it do?

[diagrammatiks]

it's a dc coupled long tail pair using fixed biasing.

early hiwatts had v3b as the direct coupled driver for the voltage reference.

later hiwatts use v3b as an external voltage reference for the phase inverter bias.

[cpollack]

[quote="diagrammatiks"]
later hiwatts use v3b as an external voltage reference for the phase inverter bias.[/quote]

Thanks! It was indeed the later ones that were confounding me. Just a voltage reference, that makes sense. I'm curious as to why they'd do it that way, but there are many ways to skin a cat.