Urgent: Hiwatt DR504.. what's going on with this?

[fred]

I have a chance to trade for this amp tomorrow, but something is bothering me.

How original is this thing?

All the 4-hole 50 watt heads I've seen have the two power tubes mounted in the two center-most positions and not the outer-most.
Also, in the two inner-most power tube slots there appears to be some sort of connections going on there.
I also notice the cement wire-wounds on the tube sockets which I am not sure Hiwatts of this era came with.

What I know: it dates to 1977. It's very loud, it's very clean. It was maintained by Matt Romasco for many years.

[fred]

Here are some pictures:

[g1]

Those resistors could have blown long ago, and I wouldn't necessarily expect them to be replaced with originals, so no big deal there. Bad tubes can take those resistors out. Or they may have just drifted in value and were replaced with generic type.

Are those some kind of test points (bias?) that have been added to the inner socket holes?
Once again, no big deal depending on how original you need it to be (for valuation I expect).

[vintagekiki]

... ...

How original is this thing?
One image (see links) speaks more than 100 words.

https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?95386-New-(old)-Hiwatt-DR504

https://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?158102-Fair-price-on-late-1970s-Hiwatt-DR504-Custom-50&styleid=7

https://hiwatt.org/pix.php?p=DR504_guts

https://www.google.co.uk/search?&q=504+site

Also, in the two inner-most power tube slots there appears to be some sort of connections going on there.
These are hand made derived measuring points

[ATTACH=CONFIG]54742[/ATTACH]

I also notice the cement wire-wounds on the tube sockets which I am not sure Hiwatts of this era came with.
The value and power of built-in 1k/ 5W wire-wounds resistors are correct but these are not the original Hiwatts resistors.

[olddawg]

Be aware of what these are. Loud and clean is an understatement. I had a 1973 made one that I bought new as a kid thinking I would get instant Who... I got rid of it for a Marshall. The HW just wouldn’t break up. My bandmate played bass through a 100 watt one that he bought at the same time. It was great for that. He still has it.

[vintagekiki]

Loud and clean is the law.
Only one is Pete Townshend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMS47w8hAZ8

[fred]

Thanks for the responses!

I got the hear this amp. We had the master at about 2:00 (3/4 of the way) and volume past noon somewhere with a Les Paul in the low normal channel and it's extremely in your face midrange punch.
The cabinet was a Bogner loaded with some type of Celestions but still sounded really good with this amp. I understand that a Hiwatt prefers "stiff" speakers.
Hard to describe the sound, but as I was fiddling with the controls I'd be talking and then I couldn't her myself talk. Then I'd yell, and I couldn't hear myself yell. Yes, loud. But very different from a Marshall loud. I've heard people throw around the term percussive to describe it and I would tend to agree.
That Isle of Wight clip kind of nails what I was hearing actually.

[vintagekiki]

Hiwat has a very massive tone. Tone color satisfied even the greatest gourmet (of course they know how to play)
Treble is like Fender, bass massive as Marshall and middle precise as vintage Boogie MK I.
Of course, the overall impression is contributed by an adequate 2 x 412 box, and the guitarist's hand.

[J M Fahey]

The Isle of Wight video starts with Loud and Clean Hiwatt.
And then at 2:30 he goes back, near the amps, and steps on some nasty distortion pedal.
Anybody trying to get that sound from Guitar + Hiwatt alone will get .... ummmm .... frustrated.
Just sayin´

[vintagekiki]

The battle does not beats the rifle at the hero, battle beats the heart in the hero.
Various pedals are used to cover up the imperfections of musicians.

What the man does.
Only guitar, cable, clean Fender with reverb hall and heart in the musician.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDOIL5OqvYs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwAFPdSKAHM

[Helmholtz]

The Isle of Wight video starts with Loud and Clean Hiwatt.

I was there amongst around 600,000, saw the concert and was overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Who. I always thought they were the most dynamic and powerful rockband I ever saw. The only other festival's act that came close was Chicago. Also great Gallagher's The Taste and a band named Heaven. The performance and sound of the J.H. Experience however was disappointing, nevertheless I am still a huge Hendrix fan (as were Pete Townshend and Terry Kath). Three weeks later during my stay in London he was found dead. Oh well.

Sorry for distracting.

[fred]

Not a distraction at all! Thanks for sharing the memory.
From the clips I've seen The Who would have been an incredible act to see live. I had a chance in the 80's to see them but alas I couldn't afford the tickets.
My how times have changed!

[Helmholtz]

I had a chance in the 80's to see them

Don't think they would have been the same without mad Keith Moon.

[shortcircuit]

Don't think they would have been the same without mad Keith Moon.

Saw them in the 80's , on their first "last tour ever" with Kenny Jones on drums , they were impressive ,but agree he wasn't Moonie.

[fred]

Okay, just downloaded a copy of Live at Leeds on my iPhone. Now I need a Hiwatt...and p90's. good Lord.