Hiwatt Tremendous Leeds 150 Head | Evaluation

MSRP: (UK) £1,299 / (US) $1,499

The Hiwatt Tremendous Leeds 150 Head delivers highly effective amplification with the hallmark of British tone. Recognized for its sturdy 150-watt output, this amp head gives each clear punch and roaring overdrive, full with a 3-band EQ and grasp quantity controls. Designed for bigger phases and severe quantity, the Leeds 150 is good for gamers seeking each readability and depth of their tone. Nick Jennison opinions.



The enduring British amp model Hiwatt is greatest identified for its high-end, all-valve amplifiers – particularly the stadium-filling cleans which powered gamers like David Gilmour and Pete Townshend, together with principally anybody who performs Stoner or Doom. Plug right into a DR103 (or any of its derivatives) at an considerable quantity, and you will see what the fuss is about – these thunderous amps are true forces of nature.

So why do not we see extra gamers utilizing Hiwatt in comparison with different British manufacturers? Apart from a considerably bumpy historical past, I feel it is principally a query of entry. What number of gamers begin their journey with an inexpensive solid-state Marshall, Orange, or related, and simply hold going with that model? You’ll be able to’t precisely ask your mother and father for a four-grand Tremendous-Hello (and matching cab) for Christmas, three months after your first guitar lesson…

Enter the brand new Hiwatt Leeds vary: an inexpensive line of solid-state amplifiers with the long-lasting Hiwatt look and tone, however at a value level that is inside attain for gamers on a finances – and on the prime of the road is the mighty Tremendous Leeds 150. This 150w firebreather (and its even greater brother, the Tremendous Leeds 300) is a two-channel, three-sound amplifier with a stunning Hiwatt clear, paired with two overdrive circuits starting from raucous to world-ending. Every channel has its personal three-band EQ and quantity, together with a grasp quantity and real spring reverb.

The clear channel does the “Hiwatt trick” in addition to any amp I’ve performed – that trick being by some means having unimaginable high-headroom sparkle whereas nonetheless being flattering to fuzzes and overdrive pedals. These qualities are normally mutually unique, however I’ve but to play a Hiwatt that did not excel at each piano-like cleans and pedal-friendliness. The low finish is especially spectacular – it is breathy, percussive, and three-dimensional in a method that solid-state designs normally aren’t, and I feel this may very well be all the way down to the large transformer lurking contained in the amp. Huge iron equals massive lows!

The distortion channel is equally spectacular and something however delicate. Acquire 1 has a bubbly, glassy bounce that is a number of enjoyable to play and would represent a “high-gain” channel on most different amps. Acquire 2 isn’t just extra acquire, however extra aggression, greater lows, and a tougher really feel, together with a “contour” management that sculpts the midrange from a vocal, ahead lead sound to a tone so scooped it might make ’90s Kerry King blush. To be trustworthy, it is greater than a bit a lot, and all the most effective tones are within the final quarter of the knob’s journey, with all of the usable ones within the first half. Nonetheless, should you want a more-Dime-than-Dime riffing tone, you will discover it right here. What stands out on this channel is the enjoying really feel: it is instant and articulate, however with a joyous bloom within the lows that fills the room at even modest volumes.

Different options embody an results loop, an aux-in for jamming to your favorite backing tracks, together with a headphone out on the entrance and a DI output on the again. These should not speaker-emulated, however that is not essentially a nasty factor. Analogue speaker sims are normally a bit garbage, and leaving the DI output uncooked will enable customers to file their guitars direct and apply their very own IRs of alternative after the very fact.

The Hiwatt Tremendous Leeds 150 is a really mighty-sounding amplifier with a price ticket that steals tonal fireplace from the gods and places it within the palms of each participant. In case you’re after an inexpensive, sturdy, and dependable amp with killer acquire and clear tones – and sufficient energy to flatten cities – it is a nice alternative.

For extra data, please go to:

britampco.co.uk/hiwatt/