The Hiwatt Custom DR20H is a Hiwatt amplifier. Close alternatives include the Strymon Iridium and the Soldano SLO. It pairs well with the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz and the ProCo RAT 2.
Hiwatt Custom DR20H
Hiwatt · amplifier
The Hiwatt Custom DR20H is a 20-watt all-tube guitar amplifier head from Hiwatt, the compact head format of the Custom DR series. The DR designation is the original Hiwatt Custom series identifier, designating the David Reeves-designed circuit that established Hiwatt reputation for clean, powerful, punchy British tube amplification. At 20W the DR20H delivers Custom DR voicing in a compact head format suited to smaller stages and studio recording.
What stands out
“The Hiwatt Custom DR20H is a 20-watt all-tube guitar amplifier head from Hiwatt, the compact head format of the Custom DR series”
— from the listing
“punchy british tube amplification”
— from the listing
“At 20W the head provides the Hiwatt character — bright, punchy, clean with massive headroom — in a more manageable and portable format than the DR103 (100W) or DR504 (50W)”
— from the community notes
“A well-positioned compact Hiwatt head for players who want real DR Custom voicing in a smaller, more portable package”
— from the reviews
“A practical compact Hiwatt Custom head for players who want authentic DR Custom voicing at lower wattage”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“At 20W the DR20H delivers Custom DR voicing in a compact head format suited to smaller stages and studio recording”
— from the listing
- punchy
- headroom
- british
- bright
- studio
- natural
- tonal character
- massive
Good for
- Practice
- Studio
Pedals that stack with the Hiwatt Custom DR20H
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
39% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
The LSTR's scooped, sludgy fuzz is a heavier, doomier gain than the Hiwatt's own bright, punchy headroom usually sees.
Goes in front of the amp
ProCo RAT 2
Proco
39% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → low gain)
The RAT's dark, cutting gain contrasts with the Hiwatt's own bright, punchy headroom instead of just stacking more of the same.
Goes in front of the amp
Marshall Guv'nor
Marshall
38% matchclean 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
Catalinbread StarCrash Valcoder
Catalinbread
33% matchInto the Hiwatt's punchy, British headroom, the StarCrash's gritty, surf-voiced tremolo pulse has room to be heard clearly.
Goes in front of the amp
Warm Audio ODD Box V1
Warm Audio
31% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Hiwatt Custom DR20H pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Goes in front of the amp
Catalinbread Teaser Stallion
Catalinbread
30% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (saturated → tight)
Hiwatt Custom DR20H pushes a saturated tone toward tight
Goes in front of the amp
JHS Overdrive/Preamp
JHS Pedals
30% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (saturated → tight)
Feed a saturated signal into Hiwatt Custom DR20H and it comes out closer to tight
Goes in front of the amp
Dunlop MXR Randy Rhoads Concorde Distortion, model RR104C
Dunlop
30% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)
Hiwatt Custom DR20H's bright balances out the warm tone
Goes in front of the amp
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Soldano SLO
Soldano
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Friedman IR-D
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-D recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Hiwatt DR103H
Hiwatt
69% similarity“At 20W the head provides the Hiwatt character — bright, punchy, clean with massive headroom — in a more manageable and portable format than the DR103 (100W) or DR504 (50W).”
Hiwatt Park Custom P75 Handwired 75W
Hiwatt
68% similarityShared character: punchy, headroom, natural
Hiwatt DR504H
Hiwatt
66% similarityShared character: pete townshend, punchy, headroom
EVH 5150III LBX II
Evh
52% similarityShared character: punchy, natural, studio
Fryette PSX-240V
Fryette
50% similarityShared character: tonal character, natural, stage
Bad Cat Cub V EL84
Bad Cat
49% similarityShared character: recording, natural, bright
Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt
Marshall
46% similarityShared character: headroom, studio, stage
1950s Fender Twin
amplifier
44% similarityShared character: punchy, headroom, bright
See all alternatives to the Hiwatt Custom DR20H (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Hiwatt Custom DR20H?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Iridium, the Soldano SLO, the Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp.
What pairs well with the Hiwatt Custom DR20H?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, ProCo RAT 2, Marshall Guv'nor — The LSTR's scooped, sludgy fuzz is a heavier, doomier gain than the Hiwatt's own bright, punchy headroom usually sees..