Bass Emporium Hiwatt

[Highlander]

My amp still lives five miles from where she was born, in Dave Reeves' garage, back in 1970...



(still haven't got round to changing those 1969 capacitors... shame be heaped upon me)

[lowend1]

FWIW (and not looking to fan any flames here, BTW), my 1978 Orange Overdrive 120 has an IEC socket.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

It's possible to add one of those later quite easily, but when it's attached using the same pop rivets as the name badge, that's a red flag.

[birdie]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170628584683#ht_15582wt_1282

Found the above. Some cool pics!

[Freuds_Cat]

The reason my gut said "fake" right away was that Music Ground, the notorious UK counterfeiter, used transformers that look exactly like the ones in BE photo in their buildups of old Hiwatt chassis. As I said in my intial comment last year about amp forgery:

I found the following text on the bottom of the page here: http://hiwatt.org/

Currently the HIWATT name is used by two separate factions:
Hiwatt Amplification U.K. - A subsidiary of the MusicGround group based in Doncaster, England. They own the rights to the name in England and Europe.
Fernandes Guitars USA - A division of Kabushiki Kaisha Fernandes based in Tokyo, Japan. Their products are manufactured in Korea, Japan and the U.K. and they have the rights to the name in the North America, Japan and Asia.
The two now have an agreement in place, and all the Hiwatt valve-based products being sold by both companies are now being sold from a facility in Leeds, England.

I dont doubt your knowledge of these things for a minute, and mine is only a passing interest but isn't what you are saying a bit like refering to a Loud Ampeg as a fake? Just curious, from a laymans pespective it all seems like some very blurred lines. I'm not intending to be provocative, just asking. 

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Let me be clear; Music Ground uses their ownership of the name to produce fake vintage pieces which would have been manufactured years before that company existed. They then hit various forums on the internet talking up new "previously undiscovered" vintage Hiwatt (and other desirable brands') models that just happen to have features that should be anachronisms on amps of that vintage.

[Freuds_Cat]

k, gotcha. Thanks for that clarification. It all starts to make sense now.

[Dave W]

Let's not forget that those fine upstanding Music Ground guys are under indictment in another long running scheme. Indictment isn't conviction, of course, but there's a lot of smoke wherever their company is mentioned.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170628584683#ht_15582wt_1282

Found the above. Some cool pics!

Yep, and the same caveats apply. Those transformers are NOT Partridge. They are made to look like them, but they're not the real deal. Their EIA code of 755 corresponds to Universal Transformer Company, an American company. Partridge is still in business and does not use EIA codes as they are a British company.

Here is a detailed top view of a real Partridge tranny complete with label:


Music Ground appears to have made quite the business out of forging vintage amps from scavenged and copied parts.

[Hornisse]

Makes you wonder just how many fake "vintage" guitars are floating around these days.  I remember reading a long time ago how Ed Roman (we all love him, no?) walked into a room in Japan back in the mid 1990's where they were painstakingly building 50's and 60's Fender guitars.  I know my '72 Jazz and '61 EB0 are real because I've had them for a while.  They are not completely original but I love them anyway.

[Highlander]

1969/70 vintage transformers in mine...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

More info: http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=82300

[Big_Stu]

Let me be clear; Music Ground uses their ownership of the name to produce fake vintage pieces which would have been manufactured years before that company existed. They then hit various forums on the internet talking up new "previously undiscovered" vintage Hiwatt (and other desirable brands') models that just happen to have features that should be anachronisms on amps of that vintage.

I'm going to stick my neck out here & say there's elements of accuracy on both sides here. The trannies AND IEC are correct for a 78 Canadian Hiwatt (I couldn't find a 77 to refer to); BUT the rear chassis isn't. IF it was a Canadian amp, yes they were hard-wired to 115, but Hiwatt still used their standard chassis and rivetted at blanking plate where the mains selector should be.
In Hiwatt circles Mark Huss is generally regarded as the guru on their history & I've linked to this page, for reference.
http://hiwatt.org/pix.php?p=hiwattguts02
IF the spec plate on the one in the OP has the dropped parenthises then I'm afraid it's 100% that it's been "adapted" in some way by MG & that any info written on it should be taken with a pinch of salt. I don't see that on the OP pics but what I do see, call me pedantic, is that the "Hiwatt Amplifier" at the top of the plate is much different.

My guess? It's had a new chassis made in the dim & distant, though not necessarily by Hiwatt or MG.

[Highlander]

Mark Huss keeps a "register" of Hiwatt's on his site that help date the units; he could also help date and age components if there is any uncertainty - he is incredibly helpful - as mine is an oddball model he commented he would even do the repairs/servicing on mine at cost so he could get a chance to look it over; I know it is easy to offer that sort of thing when an ocean stands between us but I believe him to be one of those rare people: totally genuine - he told me that if I'm ever stupid enough to part with mine to please give him first refusal - he recokons it's a one off, although I was told there were six of the style built (similar to a DR103S, but not)...

[Big_Stu]

Mark Huss keeps a "register" of Hiwatt's on his site that help date the units; he could also help date and age components if there is any uncertainty - he is incredibly helpful -

I couldn't agree more. When Scott's ex-Slade Hiwatt first appeared Mark was incredibly helpful is assisting me to find out that it virtually certainly came from the same workshop as my Noddy Hiwatt.
Of course when Dave Hill himself recognised it & happily signed to that effect, that was it!