Pedals that stack with the Hiwatt Custom 20/40 'Studio/Stage' Head

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)

The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in

Goes in front of the amp

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)

The high headroom tone has headroom to spare — Beetronics Swarm leans it toward fuzzy to fill it in

Goes in front of the amp

clean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → mid-forward)

Run Marshall Guv'nor into that high headroom platform and it finally leans toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Into Hiwatt Custom 20/40 'Studio/Stage' Head, Origin Effects MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps

Goes in front of the amp

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (high headroom → compressed)

Universal Audio 1176 Compressor leans toward compressed, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Goes in front of the amp

Into Hiwatt Custom 20/40 'Studio/Stage' Head, Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe is right at home: it's built around Marshall-style amps — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Into Hiwatt Custom 20/40 'Studio/Stage' Head, Dunlop MXR M299 Carbon Copy Mini is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop