Is that going to be true moving forward? As I noted above in an earlier post I'm just really curious as to the takes from all brands on the topic - sometimes curiosity gets the better to me!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is that going to be true moving forward? As I noted above in an earlier post I'm just really curious as to the takes from all brands on the topic - sometimes curiosity gets the better to me!
I have played bass through my 504 before and it was interesting.. not quite loud enough. I have 2 2x12’s that I built with reeves purples in them. They hold up but I didn’t get quite enough lows.. it is a little Entwistly though.. maybe if it were 10 times louder.
Sorry, I know this isn't the main purpose of this thread, so I'll show myself out after this, but to your note about the clank knob, isn't that the whole point? With a cab that is more prone to beaming or filtering irregularities, isn't some of your audience actually in the path of that clank that you dislike so much? So while you're off the side, or above and can't hear it, there could still be those frequencies FOH.
With an amp that has more uniform dispersion, you might need to turn down the clank, but at least then the sound you want is the sound you hear, and the sound that's being best projected everywhere. Just my take - happy to be corrected. FWIW despite my cab being of the more hi-fi variety, I assure you that the signal I sent it is appropriately tamed for a more rock-friendly tone!
Again, I'll shut up on the topic and give it a rest... or at least carry it on in a more appropriate venue. Sorry for the digression guys.
I agree with those two statements, and the context of your statement makes me think we're talking about two different things:
.5 alignment is a way to control the dispersion of your cabinet so that it sounds the same in more places on stage.
It's often employed in "full range" cabinets (that strive to recreate "every frequency that comes off my strings") but it's not the same thing.
Think of a good old-fashioned 2x15 cab -- it's going to sound much more consistent on stage if it's standing vertically, rather than horizontally.
Yes, my 410 cabs had tweeters, but .5 Alignment would also be a great way for tweeterless 410 or 412 cabinet to disperse more evenly, so that killer sound you dial in standing right in front of the amp doesn't completely change when you walk over to the drum riser.
Basically, it'd allow Hiwatt to build traditional looking cabinets that behaved better onstage.
I got news for you. That ice pick tone you get from 412 guitarists when you are opposite their cab, you get the bass version in front of a regular 410.
Guys.. please.. not everyone wants to reinvent the wheel. This is the hiwatt thread. I assure you, there is no icepick coming out of my cab. I get exactly the tone I want and everyone can hear it just fine. If someone wants to stand directly in front of my caninet and happens to get a little more high mids.. fine. So what? Please accept that not everyone wants to get into this.. I believe there is a thread or 4 or 5 on this subject isn’t there?
I wasn't aware that many people had experience with .5 aligned bass cabs.
If you've tried them and not liked the results, it's no skin off my back.
But if you HAVEN'T tried a cabinet wired this way, it can be a learning experience.
Anyhow, back to Hiwatt -- gorgeous amps!
If you've tried them and not liked the results, it's no skin off my back.
But if you HAVEN'T tried a cabinet wired this way, it can be a learning experience.
Anyhow, back to Hiwatt -- gorgeous amps!
I brought it up because it is a valid concern for many potential buyers. You brought it out for discusion by expressing an ill informed opinion and now you don't want to talk about it. That's fine.
Anyone @HiwattUK care to comment on .5 aligned boxes? Your mates at Barefaced are selling them like hotcakes.
Your opinion is that my opinion is ill informed.. and yes, it is a valid concern for many potential buyers.. like the ones who are hoping that they stick to the Hiwatt heritage and don’t try to modern things up too much. No need for condescension here.
A vertical 215 sounds more consistent when you walk from side to side but the sound changes significantly with distance from the cabinet. IMHO a 115 generally sounds far superior as long as it can provide sufficient volume and low end, or maybe a pair of 115s vertically aligned with the top cabinet tilted back a bit.
IMHO a 0.5 alignment may or may not be beneficial...it really depends upon what the intent is and how the cabinet will be used. Assuming the amp is used primarily for monitoring, a 0.5 alignment is beneficial if the player moves around and wants a more uniform sound. If the player doesn't move, the beaming of the horizontal drivers can be used to the player's advantage providing they are willing to aim the beam directly at their head, which many are not. This is IMHO and YMMV. (Note. Personally, I love the way my Marshall full stack sounds when I stand right in front of it...the sound is so intimate) Although it would add cost...maybe 0.5 alignment could be an option, or built in and switchable.
Given a "clean slate" I would probably pursue a multi driver design over a 0.5 alignment. As Hiwatt grills typically conceal the speakers no one needs to know. However, I think a brand like Hiwatt will need to draw strongly on its heritage, so it's likely the company will need to produce traditional designs as well. I am sure there will be some fun discussions about which marketing approach to take.
IMHO, This discussion is entirely appropriate as the new company should be curious about what potential customers think.
A DR201 is plenty loud. I have a pair of the Hi Tone 412 clones that seem well respected in vintage Hiwatt circles. Outstanding guitar speakers, but I don't believe these, or the originals, were really designed with T/S parameters in mind. The bass sound is very "vintage."
That looks really nice. I hope they put a fan on it. I have read a few Hylight era 400s were built with 8 bottles but they overheated....and that was in a larger head case. Maybe they should name it the DR505 due to the increased output.
Last edited:
.No need...I already have two Hylight era Hiwatts and the big daddy Reeves. They all work fine with no fan. I wanted a DR405, but the three I found were beat and had fans installed...and the sellers wanted way too much money.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
The hitone cabinets are respected in the vintage hiwatt circles because they are made by the vintage hiwatt circle.. just don’t mention Reeves.. lol. Those Hitones are super nice. I wish they still sold the parts and kits.
Last edited:
I think the fans had been disabled in the DR405s I was looking at, so perhaps a bit of a hack job. I doubt someone would go to the trouble of cutting a hole in the case and splicing in power leads if the amp was not having problems at some point.
I am confident six bottles will work in that size head case because my Reeves 400 does not have problems. Hopefully eight KT 88s in the new DR405 will be fine, but the tubes appear to be very close to the transformer end caps. Perhaps it's an optical illusion. Those are some big transformersdrool!
I hope the amp is awesome, good to go, and enough people buy them to keep them on the market...even if they have to be custom ordered.
Last edited:
IMHO Hi Tone and Reeves are both awesome companies. I have done business with both and I am very satisfied with their service and products.
