Hi-Tone carries the living legacy of the golden-era Hiwatt amps, even retaining key figures like Mark Huss and Glynn Reeves (son of founder Dave Reeves). Their attention to detail results in the same meticulous craftsmanship and sound quality found in the original late-’60s to early-’70s builds.
This HT-50 is part of their JP series, indicating a take on the infamous “Jimmy Page Mod” used on classic Hiwatts. Here’s what Hi-Tone has to say about it:
"The JP uses a different approach than the other amps. The back end of the preamp is mostly normal, including the tone stack, but the front end has a cathode follower driving a Balance control that is controlled by footswitch (like the rare SAP amp does). This effectively acts as a second footswitchable volume control, and allows boosting the signal when desired. We have taken a few slight liberties with this amp, for example, making the Presence control function as per normal, and electronically switching the Balance instead of sending the guitar signal out to the footswitch."
The amp is in excellent shape, with minor signs of previous wear.