that I had never experienced
before. I could actually feel
the notes, as opposed to just
hearing them. I sat there for
what felt like hours, just playing
and enjoying the sound of my
guitar and amp. The next day,
with a fresh set of ears and
the pedalboard plugged in, I
took it through its paces. This
amp is quite a bit louder than
any 30-watt amp I’ve played,
and has clean headroom even
completely maxed out (Try this
setting at your own risk, it’s
VERY loud). The amp has two
channels, Normal and Brilliant.
The Normal channel has a fair
bit of thump and warmth to it,
and is very even in its frequency
response. The Brilliant channel
is more accentuated in the
high end, and can be a bit too
bright for some. Linking the two
channels via patch cable, and
mixing the two on the control
panel gives you the best of both
worlds, with a detailed high
end, warm and clear mids, and
a deep bass. The EQ controls
are extremely powerful and
versatile, and have a very wide
range of tones on tap. Prepare
to spend a lot of time tweaking,
because almost every setting
on this thing sounds amazing. I
had to purposefully try to make
this thing sound bad, and it was
nearly impossible. The DR-Fs in
the 2x12 cab have an almostnatural reverb about them, and
the sound that comes out of
the amp is accentuated with
punchiness, clarity, and detail
that is mostly in part to these
incredible speakers. They are
very clear and revealing, yet not
sterile or lifeless in any way.
Being the clean headroom
monster that Hiwatts are
famous for, the Hi-Tone is an
amazing pedal platform, taking
boosts, overdrives, distortions,
delays, modulations with
complete conviction. Every
single pedal I threw at this
thing sang, and the Hi-Tone
took what was great sonically
about whatever pedal I chose
and amplified it (as a good amp
should do). There is almost no
coloration, but just that hint of
character added to clean boosts
and transparent overdrives
that makes them sound more
open and warm. Running a
Big Muff through this thing,
you can understand why David
Gilmour continues to use them
to this day. A Strat with a Hiwatt
and a Big Muff is an incredible
combination, and if you’ve
tried Big Muffs and never really
bonded with them, test out this
gear trifecta and tell me with a
straight face you don’t love it.
Words cannot describe how
much I love this amp. Like the
vintage Hiwatts that preceded
it, this thing is a “lifer,” and
will most likely outlive your
guitar, your pedals, and maybe
even you! It’s got tons of clean
headroom, punchy warmth, and
a presence about it sonically
and aesthetically that just fills
up a room. Every note you play
is right there behind you, and
every little detail and nuance of
your playing bursts out of the
DR-F speakers in spades. It is
built incredibly well, and has a
great look and feel that will be
right there behind you on the
stage, in the studio, or wherever
your journeys take you.
WHAT WE LIKE
Incredible build quality and
solid construction. Very warm,
punchy, and clean sound. Insane
amounts of clean headroom.
Very versatile, and can take any
pedal with ease.
CONCERNS
Can be a little too loud for
home or bedroom use. Some
players may not like not being
able to easily break up.
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