Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 02:20:13 PM
Home Help Search Login Register
News: Ceriatone Forums are up and running!!!
 
Guests please register
Note: If you want to help you can donate to keep the forums alive.



Do you want to advertise on this forum ? Send me a private message.



Amplified Parts
+  Ceriatone Forum
|-+  Ceriatone
| |-+  Hey What?!
| | |-+  So, what does a Hey What sound like??
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2 Go Down Print
Author Topic: So, what does a Hey What sound like??  (Read 32335 times)
yagoo nana
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 20



View Profile
« on: September 23, 2008, 05:24:44 AM »

I see that the Hey What is a Hiwatt clone, and I am curious how they sound.  Where do they fit in compared to the classic Fender & Marshall tones?
Logged
wyatt
Guest
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2008, 06:09:57 AM »

The classic Hiwatt designs are known to be bright and tight with a ton of clean headroom and power available. 

Because of their high headroom, they do feature a Master Volume, which let you get some overdrive at a volume that won't tear a fan's head off at 15 feet; this OD is also very tight, very even and focused and a little too preamp derived for my tastes. 

Probably the most famous users are David Gilmour, who uses his mostly as a clean canvas for his effects, and Pete Townsend wh used Hiwatts from pretty much the post-Tommy era until the original breakup. 

Personally, I find them a little too, for lack of a better word, generic.  They famously had military-spec wiring that maybe consider the cleanest and most professional wiring job of any vintage amp, but the design just seems to lack the organic character of, say, a Marshall or even Vox. 


« Last Edit: September 23, 2008, 06:11:48 AM by wyatt » Logged
yagoo nana
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 20



View Profile
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2008, 07:11:12 AM »

Thanks for the info.  Quite an interesting amp, especially as a pedal "platform".  I may well add one of these to my wishlist  Wink
Logged
JD0x0
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 298


Happy Hour Hero


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2008, 04:09:57 AM »

hiwatts have amazing cleans (better  than any fender and the OTS IMO) and when you open them up they get such a pleasant overdrive tone. Im in the process of getting my bright channel turned into a normal channel so i can use it with an A/B/Y box on my hiwatt.
Logged

It's true i've lost my marbles and i can't remember where i put them.
ampkits
Administrator
Sr. Member
*****
Offline Offline

Posts: 325


View Profile
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2008, 03:32:06 PM »

Hello,

  The Hey What family will be bigger soon with more of the classic models coming in. Including the JP model.

  There are just too many of em, however, for me to add all.

Thanks!

Nik
Logged
polifemo
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 2


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2008, 08:54:02 AM »

No reports about thier tone yet  Cry

Someone MUST know!
Logged
JTM1979
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2009, 04:06:35 AM »

The Hiwatt sound is Clean like a great Blackface fender, with less coloration, but punchy and aggressive like a Marshall.  It however is more dynamic due to its cleaner sound (higher sensitivity).  Think of playing ACDC totally clean and really enjoying it!

The Ceriatone Heywhat is more like an original Hiwatt of the late 60s/early 70s where as a 'Hiwatt brand Hiwatt' is not what it used to be.  The real choices are a Ceriatone or a Reeves.  The dude doing the demo on the NEW Hiwatt above video has a pedal in front of that amp he isn't showing u, a Hiwatt does not have that much gain.  The 1972 demo is very close to the Heywhat, its the best online demo I could find while researching this amp.

I have the Ceriatone 504 version (50watt) and it easily keeps up in clean volume with my Marshall JTM45 blasting its face off thru a 4x12.  The 103 is only 3db louder, which just barely enough to notice.

IMPORTANT: This amp does not work well thru just any speaker type.  Nasty, bright sounds thru Celestion GH30s, Greenbacks, V30s, not that I was expecting these to work.  I went with 4 Webers: Fane Crescendo speakers.  It sounds amazing.  Clean is great and can handle a medium amount of breakup.  Pink floyd to the Who, you got it.  Old Fanes are hard to come by, save yourself the trouble and go with some Webers.  The Cresendo was specifially recommended to me by my cabinet builder instead of the other Fane reissues by Weber such as the 'Thames' or 'Axis'.  The Axis handles more gain, and the Thames is less sensitive than the Crescendo.  The Crescendo is the Middle ground and best for cleans, medium gain. After all, you don't really want a Hiwatt for lots of gain anyway.  Having said this I can get all the 'WHO' vibe out of mine I could have asked for.

I have heard a lot of great things about Reeves, but there is nothing I could imagine changing about the Heywhat 504 I got from Nik.  I got a half power swtich as well, it allows the preamp to be driven a little harder, great for more gain.  The channels sound great slaved, but it is not neccessary like on a 4 input Marshall.  AMAZING VALUE, Nik you are the MAN!!!
Logged
Kerzeck
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 24


View Profile
« Reply #7 on: May 07, 2009, 04:03:38 AM »

That's a fucking amazing first post.

 Chair Dance
Logged
side effects
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2009, 12:06:43 PM »

hey Guys...am a big gilmour fan...so thinking of buyin a heywhat 503 maybe combo...reeves are great  also for that original 70 tone but lots more expensive...

I got a few questions for JTM 1979...you own a heywhat 503 right? is it a 2 channel amp? by slaving the channel you mean mixing the 2 channels with a short jack right? sorry but english is not my forte...also can you get a line out and effects loop ? does it need one or are these amps just best with pedals in front?

grazie
Logged
JD0x0
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 298


Happy Hour Hero


View Profile
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2009, 05:43:58 PM »

no slaving is basicly a preamp out so you can use "slave amps" but only have to adjust 1 set of EQ

its a two channel amp Bright channel and Normal. both with separate inputs
Logged

It's true i've lost my marbles and i can't remember where i put them.
Like Stee
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 1


View Profile
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2009, 05:19:18 AM »

hey Guys...am a big gilmour fan...so thinking of buyin a heywhat 503 maybe combo...reeves are great  also for that original 70 tone but lots more expensive...

I got a few questions for JTM 1979...you own a heywhat 503 right? is it a 2 channel amp? by slaving the channel you mean mixing the 2 channels with a short jack right? sorry but english is not my forte...also can you get a line out and effects loop ? does it need one or are these amps just best with pedals in front?

grazie

It sounds like JTM 1979 is talking about linking the normal and bright channel, not running a slave amp as JD0x0 explains.  As JTM 1979 said, you can link the channels, but you don't have to like on a Marshall.  Gilmour's signature HiWatt has one input for each channel then a separate linked input that acts like linking them with a patch cable.  I just received my Hey what DR504 today and plugged it in.  It sounds incredible at any volume.  And I would disagree with JTM 1979 about speakers.  It may sound more like the classic Gilmour sound with Fanes, but I'm running mine into a Greenback equipped 4x12 and it sounds absolutely stellar.  I don't think this is an amp that requires an effects loop.  It's got way more headroom than a Marshall.  If you're looking for the classic rock overdriven tube amp sound get a plexi.  This amp is best with a fuzz pedal in front of it.
Logged
side effects
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4


View Profile
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2009, 07:05:09 AM »

thanks a lot now is all much clearer....well am envious....was planning to get a combo  heywhat 50 with2x12 but don't know if nic can give me the weber fane crescendo soo....what you think better order just the head then get a cabinet but really what are the best speakers for this heywhat....some one says the purple speakers in the reeves are the best

ciao
Logged
JD0x0
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 298


Happy Hour Hero


View Profile
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2009, 03:20:51 PM »

the webers are great speakers. i would probably mix a ceramic fane crescendo with an alnico axis 12(the other weber Fane)
Logged

It's true i've lost my marbles and i can't remember where i put them.
side effects
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 4


View Profile
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2009, 02:31:27 PM »

hey thanks,

obviously there is a good reason to mix the 2.....what is the main difference between ceramic and alnico? excuse my ignorance

ciao
Logged
JD0x0
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 298


Happy Hour Hero


View Profile
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2009, 03:41:55 PM »

Ceramics are a bit louder and slightly harsher. Ceramics are also usually a bit "punchier" Alnico magnets are a little less loud(which you may want/like especially with a loud amp like a hiwatt) and when you push them hard they compress and get a fatter sound. but alnicos are also more expensive.

that being said the Axis and Crescendo are two different speakers even if you have the same magnet. Mixing them would give a great balanced hiwatt-y sound. Bright yet plenty of bass and punch, but it shouldnt get "harsh"

i think Pickmaster used one with his OTS and really liked it
Logged

It's true i've lost my marbles and i can't remember where i put them.
Pages: [1] 2 Go Up Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.12 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!

CeriaTone Forum is not afiliated with Ceriatone Amplifications. The CeriaTone and name, logo and related trademarks and service marks, owned by CeriaTone. , are registered and/or used in the U.S. and many foreign countries. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names referenced in this site are the property of their respective owners.