Been thinking about Hiwatts lately, and worked up a comparison of their tone stacks, compared to the more familiar Marshall. The results are here:
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Hiwatt bass amps
- Thread starter Big chicken
- Start date
Hi guys
We have a new Hiwatt thread!!!
Hiwatt
no zombie infos!!!!!new amps to get GAS and tubestubestubestubes.....
greetings
Wise(b)ass
Sorry I will pay a bit more attention to the date on the thread next time
Is the difference between the Hiwatt & Marshall an influence of power supply too?
Help me see why the Hiwatt is so open and hifi compared to the Marshall.
My experience with Superbass 100 & Superlead 100 is this. The Superlead with actual ‘57 P with Rotos into 4x15. The Superlead was clear and had highs and great mids. Lacked bass. The Superbass had a colored bass sound that was more a coating and muddied the mids.
Help me see why the Hiwatt is so open and hifi compared to the Marshall.
My experience with Superbass 100 & Superlead 100 is this. The Superlead with actual ‘57 P with Rotos into 4x15. The Superlead was clear and had highs and great mids. Lacked bass. The Superbass had a colored bass sound that was more a coating and muddied the mids.
Well, everything contributes, sometimes in ways that are too subtle to measure on a scope, but I strongly suspect, after delving into the schematics and running some simulations, that the major contributors are the tone stack, the phase inverter, and the negative feedback circuit, as well as the placement of the tone stack further forward in the signal chain. Yeah, they used different transformers, and various other components, but don't believe that those are the components that make a Marshall sound like a Marshall and a Hiwatt like a Hiwatt.
Every component has an impact on the way that an amplifier sounds. 
True -- AND the way it FEELS!
This is whence comes that indescribable, unquantifiable mojo that even distinguishes on example from the same builder to the next.... However, at the macro level, there are certain combinations of components and topologies that can be identified as what generally makes a Tweed sound like a tweed, a Blackface like a Blackface, a Vox like a vox, etc.
This is whence comes that indescribable, unquantifiable mojo that even distinguishes on example from the same builder to the next.... However, at the macro level, there are certain combinations of components and topologies that can be identified as what generally makes a Tweed sound like a tweed, a Blackface like a Blackface, a Vox like a vox, etc.
Every component has an impact on the way that an amplifier sounds.
godofthunder59
Life is short, buy the bass.
- Feb 19, 2006
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- Endorsing Cataldo Basses, Whirlwind products, Thunderbucker pickups
I have 2 mid 70's DR201 amps and a mid 70's DR405. 2 of the heads came from forum members. I am going to replace the power tubes. WHAT brand is going to hold up the best and sound the cleanest ?
I would recommend JJ KT88s. If you're in the states Eurotubes does a good job of burning them in and matching them. Tubes carry a 6 month warranty.
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The TAD EL34B-STR are supposed to be good for high plate voltage. They are a bit pricey. I have a DR201 running EL34s as well, and the plates are running 711V. I think mine has current production Mullards.
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The last set of TAD EL34B-STRs I ran in an amp were extremely stable and perfectly matched. This was in a Matamp GT120.
The Mullard EL34s I have in the DR201 have drifted a bit so the matching is right at 15%. The TADs are less expensive than the Mullards and I think they are probably a better tube for high voltage applications.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
The Shuguang EL34B do look identical to the TAD EL34B-STR. There are quite a few claims that the TADs are made to a different spec using different materials...I have no idea if there is any truth to it.
I rolled the dice and replaced the TADs I had in my Matamp GT120 with Apex matched Shuguang EL34B. Results: The plate current on the TADs were perfectly matched after many hours of use. The matching on the Shuguangs was barely within 15%, but they seem to be holding up fine so far. I have a large collection so I haven't put a lot of hours on them.
I am pretty sure I would have gotten many more hours of good service out of the TAD. Unfortunately the Matamp's tranformers put out too much voltage on US mains. Several of the capacitors were pushed over their rating and started to swell up, and some of the plate load resistors were getting noisy. Unfortunately, in the process of repairing the amp I made a mistake that ganked the TADs.
According to the Tubestore the TAD tubes are rebranded Shuguang EL34-B. The guy said they hold up very well and they have had good feedback on them. I use the Shuguang 12ax7-b preamp tube in my Marshalls. Tomarrow I will be ordering 14 Shuguang EL34-b. 2 are for spares. all will be matched for late breakup.
That may be the source that convinced me to try the EL34Bs in my Matamp. So far my only disappointment is the tolerance on matching is pretty loose. But, out of 14 matched tubes, you should be able to find 6 that are very closely matched. Please let us know how things turn out.
If your interested, the hottest tube in my DR201 is biased to 22mA with 711V on the plates. My guess is the amp was set up for extended tube life.
I agree the Shuguang 12AX7B is a nice tube. Great if you're after OD.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
