'67-'68 Hiwatt amp - Entwistle's?

[Mr_Martin]

Maybe this can help you:

John Entwistle Gear | John Entwistle Bass Gear | Whotabs

 

[nysbob]

If that's NOT the real deal, someone has gone to great lengths to make it look like it is. Killer amp either way.

I'm pushing 60 and gigging either an SVT or V4B head every night...plus the JBLs.

 

[lowend1]

If it is what we think, I don't know if I'd gig it. Some may say that the amp was made to be played - and that's true - but its true function now is as a piece of history. Find a nice cab for it - any one of the boxes that JAE used would be appropriate (but I'd do a Hiwatt 4x12) - and give it a place of honor in your home. Maybe even find a "correct" bass to share the display. Include a framed Live At Leeds on vinyl somewhere, too. Have it appraised and insured. You can still play through it, but you won't have to worry about it taking a dive on the way in or out of a gig. Or, worse yet, somebody stealing it.
.

 

[Paul LF]

That's pretty f'n cool! I love me some Hiwatts (can't afford 'em, though ) and being it's the Ox's, that's even better. Another thing, you know you listed to "Live At Leeds" with the stereo panned to the bass side, didn't you? It's probably a bassist's tradition (at least over 40 years old,) like using Peavey Mark IV head at one point in your playing time or another.

 

[10cc]

Ride it don't hide it!

 

[callofcthulhu]

If this is the amp from that show, I honestly don't know that I could ever part with it. That would pretty much make it the Holy Grail. Maybe I could build a temple around it for bassists to come and worship...

This was my first instinct as well.

I would come worship at that shrine.

 

[Korladis]

If it is what we think, I don't know if I'd gig it. Some may say that the amp was made to be played - and that's true - but its true function now is as a piece of history. Find a nice cab for it - any one of the boxes that JAE used would be appropriate (but I'd do a Hiwatt 4x12) - and give it a place of honor in your home. Maybe even find a "correct" bass to share the display. Include a framed Live At Leeds on vinyl somewhere, too. Have it appraised and insured. You can still play through it, but you won't have to worry about it taking a dive on the way in or out of a gig. Or, worse yet, somebody stealing it.
.

I don't think instruments are really meant to be "enshrined."

I would at least record with it, and use it for gigs where I was more confident in the venue's safety.

 

[96tbird]

Here's the thing. I am at a bit of a loss with what to do with it, though. It's not something I could gig with anymore. I don't even have a cab that it could run without clipping. I kind of don't feel right about just sitting on it, either.

What would you do if you had it? Curious about everyone's thoughts.

I run an amp disposal company. Send it to me and I'll take the worry out of your life.

 

[cfsporn]

If I were you, I would sell it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Before you all flame me, think about this. If this is the Live at Leeds amp, they would no doubt pay a small fortune for it. With the money, you can by a new Hiwatt DR400, not have to worry about clipping, not have to worry about running out of steam, and most importantly, not have to worry about your drummer destroying a piece of musical history when he sets his drink on it. You have a better amp that is more reliable, lighter (I think?), louder, and most importantly, REPLACEABLE!!

 

[fenderp63]

That's not a bad idea, but if I were to try to buy a newer replacement, I would go to the Hi-Tone folks, who have been incredibly helpful in my pursuit of the lineage of this amp, and who seem more bent on (re-)creating the true vintage Hiwatt sound. Anyone interested should check out their site.

According to best assessments (mostly from Clayton at Hi-Tone): not a SC L100, but an early bona fide Hiwatt, custom made for JE by Dave Reeves, and similar in design to a CP 103, with caps modified for bass. I need to get some photos of the date codes from the pots to narrow down the actual birthday. One thing I had thought of doing was to try to get in touch with Bob Pridden. He may know something that could help.

I think you are all seeing my dilemma. Such a problem to have!

(and I have my own 'drink spilled' story for this amp... not the drummer, but my sister!)

 

[Paul LF]

That's what I love about this site. I never heard of Hi Tone until you just mentioned it, now it will be something else I have to check out and probably GAS over, considering the connection. I was originally thinking about Reeves amps in connection with the Hiwatts and didn't know about these. I take it the Reeves family has nothing to do with Reeves amps anymore?

 

[azwhofan]

If it were me (and I wasn't going to use it live or at home), I would sell it at auction and turn around and donate the proceeds to John's family.
Have you tried contacting Steve Luongo? You could post a pic to his twitter account and blow his mind https://twitter.com/drumcrusher

 

[will33]

Wow, that would be badass if it really is Entwistle's amp! Keep a good thought and remember that they all had to go somewhere, so why not Oregon?

And here all this time I thought YOU had the most legit, baddest ass, mojo'd amp on the block!




I still do.

 

[will33]

If it were me (and I wasn't going to use it live or at home), I would sell it at auction and turn around and donate the proceeds to John's family.
Have you tried contacting Steve Luongo? You could post a pic to his twitter account and blow his mind https://twitter.com/drumcrusher

Something like this seems a cool Idea.

In all seriousness, if it is indeed an Ox amp, I'd keep it and play it until the day before I died, then do something cool with it like that, rather than leave it to the kids to let go at an estate sale so they could buy more video games or end up giving the proceeds to Mastercard to cover some equally useless, self-indulgent "thing".

 

[cfsporn]

If it were me (and I wasn't going to use it live or at home), I would sell it at auction and turn around and donate the proceeds to John's family.
Have you tried contacting Steve Luongo? You could post a pic to his twitter account and blow his mind https://twitter.com/drumcrusher

You are a good person.

 

[JimmyM]

And here all this time I thought YOU had the most legit, baddest ass, mojo'd amp on the block!




I still do.

LOL! Yeah, mine's pretty badass, but hey, Doug Ingle of Iron Butterfly vs. John Entwistle...Doug's not even a bassist

 

[nysbob]

I know you've had this for quite a while, but I've got to ask....

How in hell did you acquire it?

 

[will33]

LOL! Yeah, mine's pretty badass, but hey, Doug Ingle of Iron Butterfly vs. John Entwistle...Doug's not even a bassist

Yeah, but there's that whole Innagadadavida thing. I think it might be ingrained deeper in the culture than any Who'ism, except for maybe "meet the new boss, same as the old boss". Can't argue with that one.

 

[cfsporn]

Yeah, but there's that whole Innagadadavida thing. I think it might be ingrained deeper in the culture than any Who'ism, except for maybe "meet the new boss, same as the old boss". Can't argue with that one.

Or the 45 second "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

 

[D.M.N.]

Not to rain on any parades here, but I'm not sure where the "it's the Leeds amp" idea came from. The Who's equipment has been pretty thoroughly documented, and the pictures from Leeds show black fronted Hiwatts behind Entwistle, labled "THE WHO" on the face plate (first turning up in late '69). However, a modded Sound City L100 badged is seen behind Entwislte on the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (featuring chickenhead knobs and no badge, SC or Hiwatt), and are seen behind Pete on a number of dates, including the Isle of Wight. Actually, in the Isle of Wight photos, the amp looks VERY similar to this one, especially if you take note of the silver fronted knobs. Another unbadged SC L100 with these same knobs can be seen behind Entwistle in photos from European tours during '67. This isn't to say this isn't spec'd similar to the Leeds amps, as these SC L100s were converted to CP103, which were the same circuit in the Hiwatts at Leeds. It's also not to say this didn't come out of The Who camp, it very well looks like it did, I've never heard of any other band using the modded SC's badged as Hiwatt.


And as far as not being able to gig it, I would gladly take it off your hands and keep it alive and kicking on stages.

Leeds:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/equipment/bass/19700214_leeds_jae.jpg

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/equipment/bass/19700214_leeds_jae_023.jpg

Amsterdam, '69:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/bass/19690929_amst_15.jpg

Isle of Wight:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/69_iow_rig.jpg

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/69_iow_dr103.jpg

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/69_hiwatt-sc-amps.jpg

1967:

http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/images/bass/67sf-f_sc.jpg


Edit: not sure why the photos aren't showing up when posted, they are when I wrote it, so I'll include the links