Jimmy Page and Hiwatt…. TIME TO SPILL THE BEANS!!!

[crossroader]

Wasn't he dabbling in the Harry Joyce stuff on that Black crowes tour?

I wonder if the Harry joyce amps have any of these features, or if they're just more Hiwatt.

That's a really good question. I was watching Ten Years Gone over on youtube.com a little while ago and saw the HJ amps Page is using. The tone he gets in that video sounds pretty darn killer too!

 

[Skydogfan81]

Stunned!

:nut

 

[les strat]

This is the closest Page live tone I have heard yet. Great job!!!

I say do a run of these without the Hiwatt logo and sell em!!!

 

[Elhorch]

That's a really good question. I was watching Ten Years Gone over on youtube.com a little while ago and saw the HJ amps Page is using. The tone he gets in that video sounds pretty darn killer too!

The Harry Joyce amps are/were used by Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, If i'm not mistaken, JP was using a Tonemaster and the Petersburg. But I'm pretty sure JP wasn't using the HJ's.

 

[SFK]

The Harry Joyce amps are/were used by Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, If i'm not mistaken, JP was using a Tonemaster and the Petersburg. But I'm pretty sure JP wasn't using the HJ's.

You are correct.

 

[Wilko]

ah, that's it. I just remeber the Harry Joyce stuff showing up on both sides of the stage. Thats' why I though Page may have "dabbled"

For those following at home, Harry Joyce was an original Hiwatt man. Legend has it, he was the mil-spec circuit layout master. Probably built Jimmy's custom amp, no?

 

[MrNugget]

Ed,

I have to tell you this: It's glad that people like you, with such a great love for music, guitars and their hobby in general, are putting such effort up, to let us take part of it. You're a great guy, let me tell you this, and an awesome player, technician, Zep guru!

This amp is what I want... I've lusted for a vintage marshall for years now, but since I had the DVD with the RAH concert, I always had it in the back parts of my head: "Marshall is good, yes, but this concert sounds soooo good! And he's got a Hiwatt...."

Yesterday, I got some serious Hiwatt GAS, and saw that some builder here in germany (max weber) is making some damn nice DR103 clones for a little part of the money I would pay to get a Metro or any similar fine boutique amp. Now YOU are to blame! I WANT A HIWATT! I don't care if it's hard to get this tone you got there in your clips out of a stock dr103, some of it has to be there, so I need it. Fat, juicy, clean with volume rolled off, clarity.. awesome.

Oh and btw. Montreux is one of my favorite shows ever and '69 - '71 my favorite zep live era. Listened to 2 different sources of blueberry hill yesterday and now this thread.. Shining anyone?

Great thread, amp, clips, player, project. Way to go

 

[crossroader]

The Harry Joyce amps are/were used by Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, If i'm not mistaken, JP was using a Tonemaster and the Petersburg. But I'm pretty sure JP wasn't using the HJ's.

Ahh...ok...thanks for pointing that out. I had assumed that Page was using the Joyce amps.

 

[kharrison]

Simply amazing stuff. This amp is beautiful, and the sound is dead on if you ask me. I have looked at all of these pics before and never really noticed the Hiwatt. I knew he played one at some point, in fact I thought that in one of the scenes on HTWWW the French TV show clips you can see what I always thought was a Sound City head on the top of the Marshall 4x12's. I always just ASSUMED he always played Marshall. This is great, I wonder why he stopped using this amp:hmm

 

[Wilko]

This old 50 watt w/4x12 can get a pretty nice gritty tone without too much trouble. Sometimes a little use of the master volume is nice to keep it in check.

Right now it has yellow jackets and a pair of EL84s. absolutely no headroom and a tone similar to Ed's clips.

I've gigged it dimed and it is so sweet and full. ah I always loved Hiwatts.

Now I just need to learn how to play!

Ed A is the man. I remember a couple of years back he was learning and perfecting the Allman Bros thing...

 

[mrhappy]

Great post Ed A! That's a VERY cool amp and thanks for all of the interesting info!!!!!:applaude

 

[Ed A]

Ed,

I have to tell you this: It's glad that people like you, with such a great love for music, guitars and their hobby in general, are putting such effort up, to let us take part of it. You're a great guy, let me tell you this, and an awesome player, technician, Zep guru!

This amp is what I want... I've lusted for a vintage marshall for years now, but since I had the DVD with the RAH concert, I always had it in the back parts of my head: "Marshall is good, yes, but this concert sounds soooo good! And he's got a Hiwatt...."

Yesterday, I got some serious Hiwatt GAS, and saw that some builder here in germany (max weber) is making some damn nice DR103 clones for a little part of the money I would pay to get a Metro or any similar fine boutique amp. Now YOU are to blame! I WANT A HIWATT! I don't care if it's hard to get this tone you got there in your clips out of a stock dr103, some of it has to be there, so I need it. Fat, juicy, clean with volume rolled off, clarity.. awesome.

Oh and btw. Montreux is one of my favorite shows ever and '69 - '71 my favorite zep live era. Listened to 2 different sources of blueberry hill yesterday and now this thread.. Shining anyone?

Great thread, amp, clips, player, project. Way to go

Thanks.... Well before you go buying one of those DR103s you really might want to play it first, because in my opinion they really sound nothing like RAH or mine.... There seems to be so much interest in this amp, maybe Eric would build more.... it wouldnt hurt for me to ask...

 

[riscado]

Thanks for the info on the choke Ed, by the way, nice playing... congratulations on the research and nice new amp, and congratulations to mr Eric too for a job well done.

 

[William Payne]

Thanks.... Well before you go buying one of those DR103s you really might want to play it first, because in my opinion they really sound nothing like RAH or mine.... There seems to be so much interest in this amp, maybe Eric would build more.... it wouldnt hurt for me to ask...

Thats a cool clone , So that clone was just a one off? Im sure it wouldnt be hard to get a wiring diagram and a gutted dr103 and somebody could make clones of this clone

 

[fjminor]

This is a great thread. Enjoying all the history and photos. Thank you Ed and Eric for sharing this Amp with us. You both have the chops and tone that I really enjoy listening too. I for one would be the first to line up for a clone of this bad boy.....:salude :wail :dude:

 

[riscado]

Ed, I won't be asking you for any aditional photos, or schematic or anything of that sort, I realize you guys put a lot of hard labour and research into that particular amp, and I enjoy and respect that quite a bit.

I'd like to ask you one question however if you could reply, if not it's ok I'll understand. Would it be possible for you to tell me the way the signal is feeding the tonestack? Is it a plate driven tonestack (like hiwatts are) or is it a cathode driven one (like most marshalls)?

I ask this because I'm seeing 5 triodes are used for the preamp (plus the phase inverter), which makes me wonder how the tonestack is fed and also since it's a one channel amp it must have a lot of gain.

any way very cool it definetly sounds diferent than what I'm used too when thinking hiwatt and you definitely nailed page's tone, as far as I'm concerned, you can call it a day as far as getting that type of tone.

 

[kharrison]

Thanks.... Well before you go buying one of those DR103s you really might want to play it first, because in my opinion they really sound nothing like RAH or mine.... There seems to be so much interest in this amp, maybe Eric would build more.... it wouldnt hurt for me to ask...

Tell me where to send my check:jim

 

[zorglub!]

Ed, simply amazing, you are my hero!

 

[jakeddy]

Finally got to listen to the clips. Ed, those are the closest to the original recordings I've ever heard.

 

[lpnv59]

Great sounds on the clips Ed. What does the balance knob and switch jack do? I saw LZ on 9/9/71 at Boston Garden. He had 2 Marshalls SL's and one of those Hiwatt heads. IIRC the Hiwatt top sat on an Orange cab. ANd didn't JP go back to using a Hiwatt along with his old AC30 for the Physical Graffiti sessions?