Hiwatt Tube Overdrive pedal

thecolourbox

Hi all, the Internet seems fairly scant on info about the Hiwatt valve overdrive pedal (and that whole series in fairness) other than discussions where people say there is not much info. There are some youtube videos to listen later but I wondered if anybody had any experience of the Overdrive at all?

Perhaps one of the Gilmour afficionados may have tried one, enough to comment on whether it's worthwhile trying one or not. I know this will amuse but I rather like the Hiwatt model on my Digitech GSP modeller but the idea of a hardware unit to act as a preamp either into a clean amp or into a speaker sim is appealing, if it reacts to being boosted or fuzzed. Appreciate it's only 18v so a bit starved, but worth an ask.

For the record I'm not trying to sound like Gilmour, the GSP model sounds brilliantly scratchy but full for garage rock type sound.

On the GSP I basically have it boosted (clean boost on full), and then I think from memory basically everything is on full on the amp model too (maybe a slight mid cut).

I thank you

thecolourbox

Nobody know anything about these? I may have ordered one from Amazon Italy's Warehouse Deals...20% off!

thomasw88

I have one, and also the prototype!

Its a nice pedal.  Definitely not transparent.     the controls work a bit differently to other pedals imo.      There are 2 modes, the first mode seems to massively boost treble/cut bass - and works better as a boost pedal before another pedal.  

The 2nd mode is very fat and crunchy.

It sounds great with a vox amp actually!  

thecolourbox

Interesting, I don't want it to be transparent, I ideally fancied it to try to sound a bit like the Hiwatt model I use on my Digitech modeller. It supposedly will arrive on 1st December, if my Italian language skills are to be trusted. I was hoping to use it as a preamp into a speaker sim - remains to be seen whether or not it works for that but can only give it a go.

thecolourbox

Well it arrived, with a euro plug of course which seriously I didn't expect. So then I had to order an adapter as 18v regulated supplies cost a lot apparently.

It's absolutely ok, just sounds like a drive pedal to be honest, not a bad sound just nothing spectacular. I can see why they don't sell very well as they are big and the PSU is fussy, considering they don't really do anything worth that hassle

JezWynd

I tried the Phaser in that tube range and was equally underwhelmed. It had background noise and sounded very average.