The Marshall Sound Vs The Hiwatt Sound 

Marshall Hiwatt would be a brilliant name for the town sheriff in a half cool B-movie ! 🤠

The Marshall definitely sounds more compressed. The Strat into the Hiwatt was magical.

I played a show with my old 2203…. The next day I played one of my Hiwatts. My buddy who came to both shows came up to me after the second show and said “Holy crap, that Marshall sounded GREAT tonight”…. He hadn’t been able to see from where he was standing that it was the Hiwatt that night :)

The Marshall is definitely recognizable as the tone a lot of people are going for. But the Hiwatt sound, although less common, offers a refreshing alternative to explore.

The both sound amazing with any guitar but this video makes me appreciate how a Les Paul and Marshall is "the sound".

I've really been getting into Hiwatt recently... I've built a couple of DR504s in the last month and I gotta say, the Hiwatt sound is awesome!

Martin Barre used HiWatt when they first toured . He now uses Soldano and a single 12" Bare Faced speaker . His tone with the PRS is MONSTER !

I love Hiwatt amps and Fane speakers. The first time I got to play a real Hiwatt rig was few years ago it blew me away. The highs were all sweet, not a harsh tone in the rig, perfect for a Fender guitar. I have a bunch of old Marshalls, can't go wrong there, but that Hiwatt was really special and a treat to experience, very different. I loved it.

Both sound great. I'd be curious about how much the speakers are influencing the sound. Would love to hear the Marshall into the Hiwatt cab and vice versa.

Woah! Best demo I've seen in a long time. Absolutely fascinating hearing the different sounds you get with the various combinations. Nice choice of copyright dodging licks too! 😉👍

I loved the sound of both of these amps with all the guitars you played. Each tone was different, yet equally excellent. I would want both in my arsenal. Great playing throughout. And good recording too. Thank you.

Ah one the best demo of both amps and playing! Excellent Johan!!

thank you for doing this. I've been curious about the vintage hiwatt vs marshall for a long time. the high end frequencies that seem to cut through on the hiwatt is so great and really defines maybe the main difference between the two. so great.

Another great video. Two of my favorite amplifiers. Both are great in they're own way. Thank you Johan. Cheers from Hawaii. Darrell

Great job Johan, thank you! Two real classics tested in different contexts - combinations of instruments, tons, and riffs. For me, it is the Gibson R9 that shines with both amplifiers and combinations. Really impressive that you, despite your usual life activities, find time/energy and record, film, and edit all this ... Thank you again.

I really like on the Hiwatt that when you clean up, it retains its heaviness. Anyone who digs the real deal Hiwatt dr103 thing has to check out the new production Sound City Master One Hundred or Master 50 with its matching cabs (they have fane speakers). Fryette makes them and they have nailed a consistent dr103 sound. After checking a half stack out, I am selling gear and saving pennies!!

I had a Hiwatt DR504 in the 80s - and quite a number of Marshalls. The Hiwatt sounded crisper and always delivered a lot more of acoustic pressure. You really have to crank a Hiwatt up if you want some smooth distortion. Then, it's awfully loud!

I'm also a huge Marshall tone guy, but love the Hiwatt sound as well. For my tone, I lean Marshall, but from the first notes you played I could tell which artists used each. So distinctive and punchy (Hiwatt). Page and Townsend knew what weapons to deploy for their sonic assaults. God Bless and Merry Christmas 🎄🎸👍

You did a great job with the video playing through each amp with different guitars and you can really hear the difference!! I like the Hiwatt better its more clear up top!! Fantastic video loved it!!!

Would love to have seen a cab switch here, with the Marshall going into the Fane loaded cab and vice versa. The character of the Fane speakers plays heavily into the "Hiwatt sound" - in my opinion. My first ever amp, back in '83, was a Laney AOR 30 combo that had a Fane speaker in it. Still have it. When I die, I'm hoping God will let me play through Gilmour's Pompeii rig with all those Hiwatt heads and WEM cabs.

Marshall is creamier... Love the Hiwatt presence though. Thanks for your videos Johan, always amazing.

All combinations sounds amazing, however that Strat in particular just sounds ❤‍🔥👌 Great demo Johan!

Big fun as always, thanks Johan!

to me, there hasn’t been a rock n roll band since the hives that have done it better, thanks for showing them love. both amps are 10/10, excellent video as always johann!

Great character with all three SG, Strat, and LP together with Hiwatt. I understand why guitarist use those combinations. However, with LP and Marshall it feels just like at home (and with Strat and Marshall it feels like at home and experienced), just something there that's impossble to replace. Very good and very interesting demo, Johan. Thanks!

Looking forward to every new upload from you!

Really love this clarity you get in the Hiwatt ! I can hear Townsend in some part of the "live at Leeds" at the beginning.... thank you, I just wanted to hear more about Hiwatt ... have a gret Christmas ;-) !

Being a large Who fan, this is as revelatory as when I first heard Beatles guitar parts being played on the rear mid-60's Vox UL amps on Steve Walsh's (also great) channel. The cleaner examples were the most spot on and "a-ha!" moments. That "Breathe" made me smile. It's just THE SOUND! It just fascinates me how these particular mix of frequencies and voicings are so identifiable that they can really take over the sonic character no matter "who" is playing thru them . Thanks so much for your work!

Thank you for the A-B test, it's much appreciated! I preferred the Hiwatt sound in a few cases, but most of the time Marshall felt like home to my ears.

Speakers are helping to make a big difference, but even through the same speaker I think we’d hear the Hiwatts with a little scoop while the Marshalls have that high mid bump, especially with greenbacks. Hiwatts as a blank canvas for pedals, Marshall with your volume knob

Tis the season for this comparison. Nice work Johan. It would be so nice if I lived somewhere that I could play through rigs like these. I'm actually lucky that I can even rock my little ac10. Some people can't even do that. Oh how I miss being in school and having access to auditoriums.

Two great amps each winning multiple rounds in this amp fight. Great video.

Great raw sounds from both. Technique can’t hide with these amps. Great songwriting tools.

The Les Paul through the Marshall hit me straight away although I really like the LP through the Hiwatt too. For me, the ideal tone would be to blend the two for a fuller sound which retains the classic crunch but still has the open, lifting Hiwatt sound.

Alex Lifeson from Rush was a noted Hiwatt user back in the 70's. He probably got the idea from Pete Townhend, who he was a big fan of. You can totally hear why people use the LP into a Marshall. That is the sound of the 70's right there. I liked the Hiwatt as well, it's just different. Ideally you'd record both and mix to taste :-)

Im a Marshall guy, but I love listening to Hiwatts. Check out the Kinks, One For the Road, great full bodied Hiwatt tone that tour.

Bigger difference than I thought. Thanks for this video!

Amazing videos... Just like me personally want to see/know thank you Mr. Segeborn for content!

This was an awesome and very necessary comparison! Thanks! Now I need a Hiwatt emulator lol.

Hi Johan thanks again. Excellent vid (as usual) showing how Guitars and Amps interact. I like the Hiwatt sound (it's clarity and tone) given what I play and what I like musically. Both do the trick depending on what works for people's sonic taste. Have a great Festive Season. Hear you in the next Vid Pete (Oh yeah also abig fan of those two Swedish Bands.)

The HiWatt with the strat is my fave by a mile. The SG through the Hiwatt is great too. I really need to get a low watt one to put next to my marshall studio. great video!

Townshend’s classic live tone was actually a Hiwatt CP103, a circuit designed for him based on his old Sound City Mark1. It’s quite different from the classic Hiwatt DRs. It had four inputs, with a volume for each input, master volume, and bass and treble controls only.

Great vidéo Johan ! You made both amps sound great with any of these guitars . It is really a surprise for me about the Hiwatt amp . I bought one of these ( With Fane loaded cab )in late 70's and was frustrated :harsh , no crunch and the MXR distortion plus ( pedal of the time ) sound terrible through it . I traded it in 1982 for a 1972 Marshall Super Bass head and a new world opened for me : pedal friendly , sonic heaven ! I still have and use this wonderful Marshall head but your video made me realize how great is the Hiwatt sound !

I own that exact 1973 50 watt Marshall head and I am here to say that the Hiwatt sounds killer.

Sweet always used Hiwatt amps & sounded great.

Great comparison! It's funny...that 1st gen of Marshall amps were based on the tweed Bassman circuit (w/ Brit tube compliments), which Jim Marshall & amp designer Ken Bran geared toward Pete Townshend's wish for more power (and also resulted in the short-lived 8x12 cab!), but Townshend apparently didn't care for them much & only used them briefly (too much gain maybe?). Anyway, Johan's comparison here reveals the more high-headroom, somewhat closer to Fender-y characteristics of the Hiwatt, vs. the gainier sizzle of the Marshall. Great stuff!

Hi Johan. Gledelig Jul. I particularly like the crispy texture of the SG guitar on the Fane speakers. The Les Paul guitar through an early Marshall with greenbacks and Pulsonic cone is indistinguishable I have chased for years, due to your presentation from Pleximasters collection. 🎉

John, thanks for doing this a/b comparison. In fact, thanks for all your videos. I’ve enjoyed them all. While I’m not a huge KISS fan as an adult, I am an absolutely GIGANTIC fan of Ace Frehley’s “Alive” tone. God, what a perfect tone. Your video on chasing down that tone was excellent. This comparison was very revealing. It’s quite difficult to put our perception(s) of sounds, in this case amplified guitar tones, into accurate descriptions using words. As artists, we begin to use words that are not universally understood by artists and non-artists. Example - EVH described his early tone as “the brown sound.” Stop and really think about that description. To some of us it makes perfect sense. To non-musicians or even non-guitarists it’s likely “nonsense.” Anyway, I really enjoyed this comparison video. Two British amp giants and several guitars and several styles of music. I saw Styx live in the “Crystal Ball” era and/or later on, I believe, and recall they were using Hiwatts and just coaxing a very wide range of highly musical tones from them. They sounded just phenomenal live. The same, of course, can be said for Gilmour in Pink Floyd. Are Hiwatts more versatile and produce more useful tones than Marshalls? The other thing that those of us that have played live at high or at least “higher” (than club level) stage volumes is that ALL amplifiers have different characteristics when played at arena or stadium stage volume level than rehearsal or club level. There’s more interplay between the instrument itself and the sound waves coming out of the speakers. I just hear more versatility from the DR103 and higher wattage Fanes. Having said that, I own a Marshall YJM-100 full stack but I do NOT nor have I ever owned or used a Hiwatt DR-103 or any Hiwatt. I think I need to rethink that. I do like my Fractal Audio Hiwatt patches and IRs. What do you guys that play through both amps think? I feel more towards Marshall JMP-100’s, 50’s and JTMs as “one trick ponies” whereas the Hiwatts sound more versatile.

I’ve always played Marshall’s but this reminded me how much I love the Hiwatt sound.

Nice comparison. I'm a huge Marshall fan, but I also love Hiwatts. I have vintage examples of both...just 1 Hiwatt, as they are rare. I've always described the tones as the "Marshall growl" and the Hiwatt bark".

First time I'm so torn between two amps - and I'm a big Marshall guy. Both amps and speakers sound incredible. Riffage too 💪🏽

Just wonderful. Any serious enthusiast should want to aspire to both.

Thanks now I really miss my 1978 DR103 and bottom cab but I do have Boogies to cheer me up

I am a die-hard LP>Marshall guy but that strat>Hiwatt combo seems to have that "My Generation" tone going on that I love! To me, the LP works with the Marshall and the strat works with the Hiwatt. Got to have them both.

Many thanks for comparison they sound great , there's definitely no better or worse. Once you're at this level it's all personal choice, I always liked the Oranges of this vintage, but Brian likes the Vox's, but wasn't most of the Floyd stuff recorded on a small Fender? . Still once it's gone through a zillion pound mixing desk, using Neave pre's and speed up & slowed down & looped round again who knows especially when half of the tracks were recorded straight into the desk . But thanks again. PEACE AND LOVE TO EVERYONE ❤❤.

Both sounded good, yet very different. Robert Fripp (King Crimson) also used a Hiwatt. Thanks for the audio tour of these Amps and how they sound with different guitars/pickups. 😎

I used hiwatts for years amazing tone!

That was great! I read once that PT used a ES355 through a Hiwatt for Pinball Wizard. loved both amps. Would love to hear a Tele through both. You LP through the Marshall was my favorite.

that's more or less the impression that I've always had playng both amps, and I unmistakeably lean on the marshall side, let alone that usually the 1959 would sound even bigger than the 87. Great video as usual btw.

Both great amps. Not too different from each other but the HW has it over the Marshall for brightness and more clean headroom, but you WOULDN'T kick EITHER out of bed! Rockin'! \m/

Excellent video

Hi Watt were beautifully built amps. Gilmore used Fender twins at times on US tours!! He got his sound from petals through a very clean amp.

Excellent sounds and recordings! Would love to hear what it would sound like to switch the cabs around to see how those speakers compare

I'm a big pedal guy so I'm inclined to the Hiwatt, both sound fantastic though! thanks for the shootout as always. Sweden has so many great bands, there's garage punk band called Randy, they have a record called Human Atom Bombs which is fantastic.

Great A/B which shows each amplifire naked!!!!! I myself have used MK Marshall Superlead heads for the best part of 40 years (I am a session musician so I do play live a lot & they are perfect for me!!!!!!!!I use a simple pedalboard which comprises of - Dunlop Wah, Boss TU2, MXR Phase 90, Ibanez Airplane Flanger, Keeley Ibanez TS808, Ibanez CS9 Analogue Chorus, 2X Boss DD2'S & Hardwire Reverb. Everything runs into the front of the amplifire as these don't have effects loops!! I run 2 for a wet/dry setup live & I use a Radial Slingshot A/B/Y splitter!!!!) My fave's are 50 watters!!!!!!! I mostly use 75 watt Celestion 12" in my base (flat front) 4X12" 'S !!!!!! The Hi Watt's sound OK & I have a few friends who use them & they sound great for them (but not me!!!) so they are great amp's too!!!!!!! I have never liked all those Peavey 5150,Meas Boogie's & any of the other high gain stuff!!!!! I use simple pedals & low & behold EMG pickups are what I love (my pickups in my main session guitars & what I use for more things than anything are Jackson Dinky's (USA Custom shop models!) loaded with EMG 89 Bridge, 2x SA Middle & Neck HSS & I first saw Reb Beach use this set in his then Ibanez Voyager sig models!!!!!!!!!! Again not everybody likes EMG's but whatever anybody likes is perfect for them!!!!

I appreciate the video. Now that I have the guitars, the Marshall is more the sound I like. Both sound great.

I used both amps at different times/stages - I prefer the Marshall sound more, but the Hiwatt would just take any pedal configuration without any fuss whereas the Marshall would be limited when gain stacked, albeit with fuzzes that would be thick on the low end. Both amps are stunning though, so it was great to hear them back to back 👍

I don't know what Ronnie Wood had in his Hiwatt cab for speakers back in the day, but I have always loved the tone he got from his Strat playing with Rod. Another good comparison would be to use the purple back FANE speaker's with the ported cab, fully loaded 4-12. The Les Paul almost always sounds healthy through a Marshall. A vintage P90 Junior through either amp would be fun and interesting too. Thanks Johan 👍

For me, the HiWatt had the edge for humbuckers and single coils.There was extra top-end which you could roll off if you wanted a creamier sound. However, adjustment of either amp's tone controls would get you a great sound.

I'm not a musician but I' am soon 68 years old and I' have seen a lot of concerts and listened plenty of diffferent kinds of music. All I am allowed to say is that Hiwatt is for me better for power chords playing than Marshall. But opposite Marshall is THE amp for hard and metal and even hard blues or boogie. Hiwatt has been largely also used by progressive bands such King crimson. In the same way, we could say that Acoustic Amps were mostly dedicated to fusion and jazz rock for instance. And Selmer and Wem the great contributors to the early days. Amps are however the way of the building of the identity and the power of sound. In this way we just can tell that different great compagnies have elaborated the great kaléidoscope of the music we love. Thanks also for this video.

The cab with the fane speakers sounded really cool - hifi even. 😊

Amazing job demonstrating the tonal characteristics of these two amps. I am curious how the amps would sound if you played the Marshall through the Crecendo speakers and the Hiwatt amp through the Greenback speakers.

I once had a 200w HiWatt head in the early 80s- went through a 70s Marshall quad box which was underpowered for the amp, but what a glorious tone at any volume with Strats or LPs

Very cool video

Probably they would be perfect to mix together 😊

Both sound great! Ive got a '73 marshall jmp and a '67 4x12 so its almost like having my rig demonstrated by a legend. Id still love to hear you try a THD Flexi 50 in Marshall setup ...maybe one day eh lol ..great channel m8

Hey Johan, i alwsys loved your videos. To me you are a serious reference point when it comes to peak guitar sounds. I often use techiques you discussed when i record. I just wanted to wish you a lovely christmas and a great new year.

So much more detail and clarity from the HiWatt. Can be a little hard work sometimes but just fantastic amps.

Best Hi-Watt rig I ever heard was a strat playing through a 100 watt head sitting on a Traynor (now known as Yorkville) bass reflex (single 15 + horn- normally used as FOH PA.) cab. That guitarist from 1977 still regrets losing that kit, when I brought up the topic a couple of years ago. Stick a Mesa cab under that Marshall for really impressive tight tone that cuts a bit more.

Brilliant demo as always, but for me the best tone was at 6:00 with the stereo reverb produced by the pair of Carlsberg cans 😉

I like all sounds. Just great in separate ways.

That Hiwatt tone is glorious!

Hello, great video.

I'm loving the Hiwatt!!

The Marshall have a more compressed "compact" sound, aside from more clarity the Hiwatt sounds wider and have more frequency. I would pick Hiwatt for rhythm, Marshall for lead. If I were to pick only one, I'll pick the Hiwatt and stick a pedal in front of it for versatility.

The Strat with the Marshall sounded really good, i guess that you used the "normal" channel instead of the "bright" one, as it gave the Strat the body that it needs. Great demo!

They both have a great sound ❤being more of a super strat fender and Marshall fan boy i would still like a hi watt in my stable 😀 unfortunately as we know these old products are bringing a price thats just out of reach for some of us but I keep my eyes 👀 open for a good deal 😊

Both great sounding rigs!....can I add to the list of Hi-Watt users, the late great Tommy Bolin . Never forgotten. ❤💜

A great follow up video to this would be to swap the cabs and hear the Hiwatt through the greenbacks and the Marshall through those "crescendo" speakers. I am sure they will still sound different but a significant part is the cab and speakers and it would be interesting to hear what it sounds like once you dial the amps in to work with the different cabs.

Some killer tones here❤6:55🔥

For what ever reason I personally prefer the clarity of the Hiwatt. Not that I don't like the Marshall but ... Joan thanks for this super comparison of two historic Amps 🥰

The love for both amps is something else, weather i plug my 68 sg special into my 73 DR103S or my 71 superlead it just sounds right. I hope sometime in my life ill get some purple back fanes thats a huge key tone for the hiwatts

It would be interesting to see some comparisons of both heads through the Green Back cab and both heads through the Fane cab.

Soundtrack of Our Lives is an awesome band, I didn't know they used Hiwatt !

Nice to hear you play some The Hives! The Strokes, Albert Hammond Jr. plays HiWatt too!

I didnt know i was a Hiwatt guy, or at least those speakers!.... my favorite sounds are my wife's moaning and laughter and the Hives guitars live. I saw them in 2008 and to this day it remains the best concert of my life. Those guitars sounded greater than life, like fire sounds!! a sound ill never forget, i can't forget. It was 1 hour 20 mins of a constant explosion, commanding and dangerous!! Like animals throwing me to the floor...anyway, thanks for the vid!!

Great comparison...would've been nice to hear a little piece of "What I like about you" when you were playing the Strat through that Hiwatt

All Them Witches guitarist Ben McLeod recorded his guitar parts through Hiwatt amps during the recording of their 220 release Nothing But The Ideal, and his tones are amazing. Oh, and they recorded at Abby Road.

Thanks for the video. I think another approach would be to switch up cabs with the different heads. Greenbacks are known for their lower, woody tone, and would like to hear the Hiwatt through them.

Both sound great, sounds like the Hiwatt has more NFB, it would be interesting to swap cabs to hear the difference.