NAD: sound city hiwatt conversion head.

[Ben79]

Surely brightness is easily rectified with cap changes/switches?

[GAS KING]

I would think so..........I suppose it all depends on what I find out.....which hiwatt it's modeled after, if one at all......what differences that exist in the build.

If it's just a few tweaks and done....I'm all for that.......
If it's something more, I may consider an overhaul to a standard classic Hiwatt circuit.

[GAS KING]

It's a mess, and beyond my abilities.
The seller was willing to accept the return, or refund $150 to keep it.

Taking the refund.
I'm sending it off to a tech to be gutted and rebuilt as a true 70s Hiwatt.
Fuck my wallet, my GAS, and my brain.....but at least I'll end up with EXACTLY what I wanted in the first place (for less than a real hiwatt), and not have to worry about build reliability.


It's going to be a monster though......since it'll be like an early Hiwatt 4 input DR.......120w via 6 EL34s.

[GAS KING]

Now the 3 month+ wait begins. done deal.

Probably going to be entirely too loud.....a DR123. *oof*

[D.o.S.]

[GAS KING]

His work looks good too....

[skullservant]

Awesome!

[theavondon]

Oof.

[GAS KING]

Well. resolution. finally.
got the amp back Friday.
Jammed on it for a little while over the weekend.
Will have to spend more time with it and see if I can dial it in better.
**stealth edit: probably should give it time before I post my impressions**

Will post pictures when I can in the near future. Doubt I can do clips, since my recording computer is shite.

[Hacken]

I have a Sound City 120. It´s bright and has no gain at all. It fattens up a bit when you push the volume past 6 (1 o clock) and starts to fart out a bit in the low end when you are close to 10 on the volume.
Good to play with fuzz or any dirtbox that sounds good on it´s own. Eq-ing can be a bit tricky because the eq section is active, but that just means you got to fiddle some to get what you want. I think i usually set mine for bass: 4 mid: 6 treb: 5 with the channels bridged, presence at some level where it doesnt add too much hiss and pierce your ear drums.

[GAS KING]

Cool.
I'll keep that in mind if I ever get a stock SC120.

one I got is an early hiwatt circuit......only thing sound city left are the transformers and chassis.

[GAS KING]

[GAS KING]

purple. yes.

At first I wasn't overly digging the tone. solo, in my basement.
Had a chance to try it with the band.......whew! sounded really good.
Kinda fit our mix perfectly. I'm typically the tighter brighter mid focused tone.

I had struggled with other amps....... in that, I cut real good in the mix, but when the other guitar player stopped playing (big fat fuzzier tone) and I continued on.........my tone was sorta wimpy and weak.
this amp changes that.
Just pure power. Growling power.

I'm really happy it worked out. I think it shall become my main gigging amp.

[Fuzzy Picklez]

Woah looks good! I've always wanted to get my hands on a Hiwatt of some sort, but they're so expensive!
Worth it?

[GAS KING]

Well.....I suppose that depends on your needs and wants.....if it's worth it.
The quality is usually there.....in a hiwatt type amp.
Both build and components.

I have a Trinity Triwatt....which is much more affordable and manageable in volume. Gave me a taste of the hiwatt tone without the financial commitment.
I may part with it....now that I have the 120.

Overall.....I personally would definitely say that it's worth the admission to get tone like this.