The famous Hiwatt SA20 Custom 20 circuit pushed to the next level with a switchable 40W output section. The same spanky, chimey cleans and grinding overdrive with extended volume and Headroom. Add a footswitchable boost and lush, long-decay spring reverb and you an extremely versatile, unique, and formidable full-range amplifier.
Unlike the powerful Hiwatt amps, which design maintains a pristine clean sound at high volumes, the Studio/Stage asks you to push its gain control all the way to 12 o'clock to reveal a rich and natural drive sound at a manageable volume.
Just beyond the clean tone breakup where the sweetspot is, it feels easy-to-play, inspiring and delivers immediate playing pleasure. It's a plug-and-play model which keeps the signature Hiwatt sound and accentuates the character of each guitar it's played with.
Its distinctive style depends on the instrument it's playing and generously rewards the extreme EQ settings necessary to get the most out of the whole thing. It's so effective that it's almost an instrument in its own right.
Like other Hiwatt amps, it features Harry Joice's distinctive military-grade wiring. It also features the brand's beloved Partridge™ transformers and is hand-wired in England.
- Footswitchable Transparent Boost via Push/Pull Gain Pot
- Sparkling Cleans via Bright Switch
- Independent Hi and Low inputs. Versatile and intuitive, perfect for bringing life out of dark pickups or taming shrill high end in bright pickups.
- Push/Pull Gain potentiometer providing extra preamp gain at a touch.
- Volume for any gig — Switchable wattage allows switching from 40W down to 20W for smaller venues and practice spaces. Furthermore, this gives the option of more clean Headroom in the 40W ’Studio’ mode, or natural tube breakup in the 20W ’Stage’ mode.
- A fantastic Pedal platform, with natural tube saturation and True-Spring Reverb on tap when you have to leave your board behind.
- Original Partridge spec English transformers.
- Meticulously hand-wired to Harry Joyce’s exacting military standards.
- GB Proudly manufactured in the Hiwatt Custom Shops.
Wattage: Switchable — 40W or 20W
Channel: Single Channel
Inputs: Hi, Low
Output: 2 x 1/4" Speaker Out
Preamp Valves: 3 x ECC83 (12AX7), 1 x ECC81 (12AT7)
Output Valves: 4 x EL84
Impedance: Switchable using Impedance Selector on the rear panel — 4 Ω, 8 Ω, or 16 Ω
Voltage: Switchable using World Voltage Selector on the rear panel — 100V, 115V, 230V, or 240V
Controls:
Master Volume
Reverb
3-Band EQ shared by both channels — Bass, Treble, Middle
Gain (Pull potentiometer for Boost)
Standby — On/Off
Mains — On/Off