The Hiwatt Leeds GO40 is a Hiwatt amplifier. Close alternatives include the Hiwatt DR504 Combo 1x12 and the Strymon Iridium. It pairs well with the Xotic BB Preamp and the Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz.
Hiwatt Leeds GO40
Hiwatt · amplifier
The Hiwatt Leeds GO40 is a 40-watt all-tube guitar amplifier from the Hiwatt Leeds series. The Leeds series is Hiwatt more accessible product line, providing British tube amp character with Hiwatt voicing at more accessible price points than the flagship hand-wired Custom DR series. At 40W the Leeds GO40 provides stage-capable output for small-to-medium venue performance.
What stands out
“The Leeds series is Hiwatt more accessible product line, providing British tube amp character with Hiwatt voicing at more accessible price points than the flagship hand-wired Custom DR series”
— from the listing
“The Hiwatt Leeds GO40 is a 40-watt all-tube guitar amplifier from the Hiwatt Leeds series”
— from the listing
“at 40w the leeds go40 provides stage-capable output for small-to-medium venue performance”
— from the listing
“A practical stage amp for players who want British Hiwatt-character tone”
— from the reviews
“40W provides adequate stage authority for smaller venues”
— from the community notes
- british
- stage
- tube
- top end
- punchy
- bright
- clean headroom
- crunch
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Hiwatt Leeds GO40 is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Pedals that stack with the Hiwatt Leeds GO40
Xotic BB Preamp
Xotic
30% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Xotic BB Preamp's smooth balances out the bright tone
Goes in front of the amp
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
28% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → fuzzy)
Into a high headroom tone, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz brings a pull toward fuzzy that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Browne Amplification Gritador
Browne Amplification
28% matchclean platform takes the driveA clean, high-headroom stage takes on dirt it can't generate by itself. (high headroom → mid-forward)
Into a high headroom tone, Browne Amplification Gritador brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing
Goes in front of the amp
Origin Effects MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive
Origin Effects
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Origin Effects MAGMA57 Amp Vibrato & Drive's own voicing points at Marshall-style amps, and Hiwatt Leeds GO40 delivers it
Goes in front of the amp
SahBro? Audio Ross Kempressor
Sahbro Audio
16% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
What SahBro? Audio Ross Kempressor brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around
Goes in front of the amp
Walrus Audio Fable
Walrus Audio
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Walrus Audio Fable in Hiwatt Leeds GO40's effects loop, clear of Hiwatt Leeds GO40's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Binson Echorec Delay
Binson
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Binson Echorec Delay in Hiwatt Leeds GO40's effects loop, clear of Hiwatt Leeds GO40's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Beetronics OV-LE-Uva
Beetronics
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Beetronics OV-LE-Uva's own voicing points at a clean amp's front end, and Hiwatt Leeds GO40 delivers it
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Hiwatt DR504 Combo 1x12
Hiwatt
75% similarityShared character: punchy, bright, stage
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium 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
Soldano SLO
Soldano
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Mojotone Blackout British Combo Kit 18W 1x12
Mojotone
65% similarityShared character: full
Hiwatt Park P18
Hiwatt
58% similarityShared character: punchy
Fender Blues DeVille
amplifier
53% similarityShared character: high end, bright, stage
Blackstar CV10 Carmen Vandenberg Signature 10-Watt 1x12"
Blackstar
52% similarityShared character: small venues, punchy, bright
1950s Fender Twin
amplifier
51% similarityShared character: punchy, bright
Blackstar S1-45
Blackstar
49% similarityShared character: full, stage
Bogner Barcelona
Bogner
48% similaritySimilar voicing: bright, high headroom
See all alternatives to the Hiwatt Leeds GO40 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Hiwatt Leeds GO40?+
The closest matches in character are the Hiwatt DR504 Combo 1x12, the Strymon Iridium, the Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp.
What pairs well with the Hiwatt Leeds GO40?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Xotic BB Preamp, Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz, Browne Amplification Gritador — Xotic BB Preamp's smooth balances out the bright tone.