moosers
Published on 01/03/10 at 17:25
The Hiwatt Lead 100 is an electric guitar amp head delivering a hundred watts of power. The amp is tube based with 1/4 inch inputs for each of the two channels, although there are different versions of the amp that are configured slightly differently. There is also a standard 1/4 inch speaker output to send this to a speaker cabinet.
UTILIZATION
The configuration of the Hiwatt Lead 100 is pretty easy to follow, but there is still enough going on here that you have a lot of control over your sound. I find that getting a good sound from the Lead 100 is a cinch as it really has a great inherent tone. The parameters are easy to follow as they are pretty standard amongst guitar amps. On the version of the Lead 100 that I have used, it has parameters for overdrive, normal volume, bright volume, bass, treble, middle, presence, and master volume, so as you can see the parameters aren't anything out of the ordinary.
SOUNDS
As the name states, it is probably suited best for lead tones, but works well for rhythm as well. Overall the sounds are pretty outstanding on the Lead 100 as I feel it cuts through very well. The tones are generally rich and full of life, regardless of the guitar that I'm using with it, but I usually use a Fender Strat or Jazzmaster with the amp. For recording, I have used the head with a variety of different cabinets, but as long as you have a decent one to use the amp should do its job well...
OVERALL OPINION
The Hiwatt Lead 100 is a very respected guitar amp head, and for a good reason. This amp can really crank and has a killer tone to boot. For lead guitar tones it doesn't get too much better than the Lead 100 in my opinion as it has a certain richness paired with sustain that sounds awesome by my ear. The price is reasonable for an amp of this quality, but still isn't cheap, although it does depend on which exact version of the amp you get. Overall, the Hiwatt Lead 100 is a great sounding amp head that should be checked out by anyone in the market for a high end guitar amp head.
UTILIZATION
The configuration of the Hiwatt Lead 100 is pretty easy to follow, but there is still enough going on here that you have a lot of control over your sound. I find that getting a good sound from the Lead 100 is a cinch as it really has a great inherent tone. The parameters are easy to follow as they are pretty standard amongst guitar amps. On the version of the Lead 100 that I have used, it has parameters for overdrive, normal volume, bright volume, bass, treble, middle, presence, and master volume, so as you can see the parameters aren't anything out of the ordinary.
SOUNDS
As the name states, it is probably suited best for lead tones, but works well for rhythm as well. Overall the sounds are pretty outstanding on the Lead 100 as I feel it cuts through very well. The tones are generally rich and full of life, regardless of the guitar that I'm using with it, but I usually use a Fender Strat or Jazzmaster with the amp. For recording, I have used the head with a variety of different cabinets, but as long as you have a decent one to use the amp should do its job well...
OVERALL OPINION
The Hiwatt Lead 100 is a very respected guitar amp head, and for a good reason. This amp can really crank and has a killer tone to boot. For lead guitar tones it doesn't get too much better than the Lead 100 in my opinion as it has a certain richness paired with sustain that sounds awesome by my ear. The price is reasonable for an amp of this quality, but still isn't cheap, although it does depend on which exact version of the amp you get. Overall, the Hiwatt Lead 100 is a great sounding amp head that should be checked out by anyone in the market for a high end guitar amp head.