The Last Bass Outpost

Gear Discussion Forums => Bass Amps & Effects => Topic started by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 12:18:57 PM

Title: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 12:18:57 PM
 So this had been sitting at a local store for months even came and went a few times, I walked in today and it's back again must be a sign. They wanted $1,000 they took $850. :) This is a great addition to the wall of sound. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/HiwattLead100.jpg)
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: jumbodbassman on April 26, 2013, 12:30:31 PM
hate you!!!!    :mrgreen:

enjoy.    One of these days i will have to get a hiwatt!!!!

Selling anything in the present wall???
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 12:54:30 PM
 A few things have to go. Fane era Hiwatt Bass 100 this amp is not hand wired and was built from parts a employee spirited away. Acoustic 406 cab, Peavey T-20 and a few other odds n sods to offset the cost.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: lowend1 on April 26, 2013, 02:16:14 PM
Scott, whose name is on the ID tag? Could be a Sterling, Fane or (less likely) a Biacrown. If it's a Biacrown, that's a good thing. Anything else, and things get a little dodgy. Many, but not all, of the Lead series amps were built with the tubes mounted to the PCB instead of the chassis.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 02:35:38 PM
 My ignorance of Hiwatt history may be showing  :-[ I bought this without really researching it (something I would only admit here) I have a Fane era Hiwatt, seems quite different. I put a deposit down today, I could back out if I like. I was going to pick it up tomorrow.................... I think I'll do a little research in the mean time. Wish I'd snapped a pic of the back.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Highlander on April 26, 2013, 02:39:03 PM
Go back and get the SNo and check with Mark Huss...
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 02:41:10 PM
Thanks Kenny!
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 03:09:44 PM
its Biacrown serial # 16379 I checked with the shop VERY reputable.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Highlander on April 26, 2013, 03:17:37 PM
(serial Hiwatt addiction...) ;D
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 04:00:19 PM
Kenny when I was young this stuff was sooooooooooooooooo hard to find, not to mention expensive! I bought my first 2150 in '79 it sat in the store for years. I foolishly sold it in '89. I have been trying to build a "real" Hiwatt rig ever since.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: lowend1 on April 26, 2013, 05:34:46 PM
its Biacrown hand wired phew! serial # 16379 I checked with the shop VERY reputable.

Biacrown heads are typically a mix of mil-spec and PCB construction - neater than the average Marshall, but not total artistry like a Hylight-era amp. Transformers are probably not Partridge - I think my Biacrown 50-watt combo has Drakes, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Still loud as stink, though. Yours has the second variation of the "OL" (overdrive lead) circuit, with the separate knob labeled "Overdrive". Model # might be OL103. Much more gain on tap that in a regular DR103.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 26, 2013, 07:55:33 PM
  Thanks for the info so I did ok then ?
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: lowend1 on April 26, 2013, 08:45:59 PM
I was a little worried that you got one of the later ones - $850 would have been too much in that case - but for a Biacrown it's pretty much on target. Let's see what greets you when you pop the chassis out.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Chris P. on April 27, 2013, 05:09:26 AM
I used to have a similar one, called Bass 100. Four EL34's and also the rectangular 'Marshall' on/off and standby switches. Nice amp, not PTP, but very nice!
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: drbassman on April 27, 2013, 07:53:45 AM
Hey scott, you gonna sell a Hiwatt 100?  I am interested.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Hörnisse on April 27, 2013, 07:40:16 PM
Nice score Scott.  I went to a local Pawn Shop the other day and they had these 2 examples.  I know nothing about these so I'm just assuming they are asking way too much!  (they are also posted on CL)

http://austin.craigslist.org/msg/3680558459.html

http://austin.craigslist.org/msg/3680899251.html
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Highlander on April 28, 2013, 08:51:23 AM
200 and 400 (HI) watts - 400's are fairly scarce so the value is possibly right if old - you would need to know the age to verify the value of the 200... Scott has a 200 (ex Slade) - old Hiwatt's are beautiful amps and are dual purpose - they perform as bass or guitar amps

Mark Huss' site is the best for info and can give you the age from the serial number, and verify forgeries - the lower the number the better - my DR103 is SNo 831 and that's a 1970 build...

http://hiwatt.org/ (http://hiwatt.org/)
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: lowend1 on April 28, 2013, 10:52:18 AM
I would be extremely surprised if both of those amps are "real" Hiwatts, and not one of the reissue brands (Music Ground, Audio Bros., Fernandes). While the reissue amps are usually good quality, I don't think that they command anywhere near the price of an original Hiwatt. I also find it noteworthy that with the wealth of Hiwatt dating info available, there is no year mentioned on either amp, nor are there any rear panel photos - which would tell you right away whether or not they were the real deal.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on April 28, 2013, 12:53:50 PM
 Those two on cl seem a little high though The 400s can go  for that kind of money mine is a '83-'84, last of the last.
Title: Re: CL Hiwatts
Post by: Psycho Bass Guy on May 03, 2013, 12:11:07 AM
They're both latter-day Hiwatts, maybe even homebrewed. Those look like Marshall head cases with the piping added. Those prices are ridiculous, even for Craigslist.  Even IF those have Partridge transformers (which they almost certainly don't) the asking price would have been optimistic ten years ago; today it's laughable. ...but that's also a store using Craigslist for free advertising.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: Dave W on May 03, 2013, 06:49:55 AM
Yeah, it's a Cash America pawn shop.
Title: Re: NAD Hiwatt Lead 100
Post by: godofthunder on May 03, 2013, 08:34:33 AM
Well I have had a chance to run this with my rig and it sounds fantastic! Maybe not from the most desirable Hiwatt era but a great sounding amp at a very fair price. Next another 2150 cab ;) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v102/godofthunder59/Hiwattwallofsoun2013.jpg)