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Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:15 pm
by draelyc
wyatt wrote:Except that's not the Hiwatt that closed it's doors.
MusicGround owns Hiwatt UK and the UK/EU rights to the Hiwatt trademark. The Hiwatt trademark rights have been split for decades.
hiwatt.com and the North American rights to Hiwatt is owned by Fernandes Guitars. Fernandes has started and ceased production of Hiwatt's multiple times always using a OEM manufacture to make the amps.
As noted, Hiwatt has gone through multiple changes and been shutter over and over again in the last 30 years. Sometimes, the brand would be used to make pretty good (but never great) RI's of their old amps, other times the brand would be used to sell shitty generic middle-of-the-road amps. Hiwatt has been nothing but brand equity for decades.
This is why Reeves has cornered the market on quality repros of classic Hiwatt models. These days NO ONE ever actually buys a new Hiwatt to get legendry Hiwatt tones, they always bought vintage (which are still
reasonable) or bought a Reeves, Ceriatone, or similar.
Holy wow... didn't know that. Sadder.
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:03 pm
by lespaul6
man... wonder who is next? The price for UK made amps/speakers etc in this country is silly with the exhange rate, yet they must sell to us over here to stay alive to some extent
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:22 pm
by ovid9
I would kill for an old Hiwatt or high quality clone.
That would be awesome.
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:17 pm
by FastRedPonyCar
Granger amps here in Birmingham builds a KILLER hi watt clone. Reasonably priced too.
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:43 pm
by Jp77
That sucks to see them go under, especially when they were uk made amps and classic. A band I saw a few weeks ago had one of the newer hi-gain 100 heads and it sounded pretty killer, although different then classic hiwatt as name implies. Was considering building a hiwatt type build, the triwatt by trinity amps seems really cool being it has options for classic hiwatt and biacrown era but at a lower 25 watt range.
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 12:02 am
by Mesa/Kramer
Suprised Fender, or some other company would'nt buy the company
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 1:55 am
by draelyc
Mesa/Kramer wrote:Suprised Fender, or some other company would'nt buy the company
Or Disney...
Re: HIWATT Amps ... RIP
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:15 am
by GRANKOR
wyatt wrote:
Except that's not the Hiwatt that closed it's doors.
MusicGround owns Hiwatt UK and the UK/EU rights to the Hiwatt trademark. The Hiwatt trademark rights have been split for decades.
hiwatt.com and the North American rights to Hiwatt is owned by Fernandes Guitars. Fernandes has started and ceased production of Hiwatt's multiple times always using a OEM manufacture to make the amps.
As noted, Hiwatt has gone through multiple changes and been shutter over and over again in the last 30 years. Sometimes, the brand would be used to make pretty good (but never great) RI's of their old amps, other times the brand would be used to sell shitty generic middle-of-the-road amps. Hiwatt has been nothing but brand equity for decades.
This is why Reeves has cornered the market on quality repros of classic Hiwatt models. These days NO ONE ever actually buys a new Hiwatt to get legendry Hiwatt tones, they always bought vintage (which are still reasonable) or bought a Reeves, Ceriatone, or similar.
thanks for the info, I never knew that
