Bandito Amps: The Online Mag for Tube Amp Lovers
Volume No. 4, May 2009

What's New for May 2009 Trinity Amps Rocks the House with the new Triwatt

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This month we ponder the question: What do you get when you cross a Hiwatt amp with a bottle of Moosehead Canadian beer? I don't know but don't stand behind it when it lifts it's tail! Naw, just kidding my beloved readers. Let's get this party started by looking at what the Bandito believes to be the benchmark new boutique amplifier from Trinity. The stylish and hot guitar spankin' Triwatt amp head from Toronto, Canada. No bs boys and girls, a raw piece of tone flesh in a swamp full of aligators and A-holes. "Baby, break down and take me in, breakdown and take me through the night." Breakdown for me Tom Petty and your venerable Heartbreakers. And here we have a heart breaker of a different color. A wet dream for the blues riff tickler. A pound of boiled beaver for the rock jockey. And a massive choronary for the high cholesterol chip dippers at the barn dance. Hot darn Bocephus! I gotta have me one of these Triwatts cuz I'm lookin' to bust some heads and kick some caca.

Yeah!! Let's take a look see, ya'll.

Here is the double bitchin' Trinity Triwatt tube amp. A smashing piece of work with it's soul based in part, off of the highly sought after Hiwatt. Read the informative and entertaining interview with Trinity Amps founder, Stephen Cohrs, by simply clicking on the Tube Amp Heroes button.

"Hey, Bandito, stop messin' round with that darn ampleefer and help me up this hill," Laetitia pleads

"Not now Lady, Leeky, or whoever you are! My hands are full carrying my real baby, my new Trinity Triwatt. Now stop your whining and don't get no funny ideas. I only gave you those flowers because the groupies at the gig were throwing them at me, their lovable Bandito."

Here you go bandits, the real home run hitter from the 70's the Hiwatt DR 100 .... Smokin'

Hey you guys! This chick wrote me and said she REALLY wants her picture in the Bandito mag and she promised to give me her red Gibby 335 to make the deal happen. So, here you go babe. I think she said she's in a Canadian indian tom-tom group and her name is Linda Crowfoot or something like that? I don't know cuz the Bandito is getting forgetful. Sorry my devoted readers.

The New Trinity Triwatt

Trinity Amps now offers a new amp based on the classic design originally pioneered by HIWATT. This new offering has a preamp inspired from the early "4 Hole" and David Gilmour's of Pink Floyd legend, "3 Hole" versions, where there are two bright channels inputs and a third which links the two channels together for that classic HIWATT sound, reminiscent of Pete Townsend and David Gilmour.

Key points about the Design:

Big Hiwatt DR clean tones and breakup at more ear-friendly levels
Vintage style early '70s 103 preamp (with cathode-follower)
Three-inputs - Normal, Bright and Link, like Dave Gilmour's 3-input amps
Switchable 80s' "Biacrown era" high-gain OL/Lead mode, with Overdrive control
Early Hiwatt style 12AT7 phase inverter, with 12AX7 option for increased drive
Solid State rectified, fixed-bias, 22 Watt 6V6 power stage, based closely on Hiwatt original
Switchable 6V6 or KT66 operation with External Bias Control and Test Points
Transformers closely based on original Hiwatt Partridge transformers for definitive tone.
Compact physical format and cabinet

The amplifier is a dual channel design and straight-forward amplifier with a built in "channel jumping" Link input. It has an all-tube signal path design with a solid-state rectifier. Fixed bias operation is utilized for the output stage. This amp uses a pair of 6V6's in a push-pull configuration using "negative feedback".

The dual channel preamp with its variety of tone controls is coupled to a 6V6 or KT-66 capable power section. The tone controls allow the player to attain an excellent array of complex tones. If you’re looking for classic mid 70's HIWATT sound at more ear friendly volumes, then this is the amp for you!

Trinity TRIWATT Overview

The TRIWATT was designed by Trinity Amps to capture the classic HIWATT sound without the usual classic ear-bleeding volume levels. It is closely based on an early '70s style HIWATT DR, but utilizing either 6V6 or KT66 power tubes for more usable power output. Furthermore, it has the 3-input configuration used by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, plus an Overdrive stage, as found in early '80's "Biacrown era" HIWATT Lead amps.

Bright channel - perfect right out of the gate. The entire travel of gain knob yields usable tones. Bright is AMAZING from zero to dimed, with lots of subtle colors in between. This channel really cuts through the mix.

Normal channel - has usable gain from the bottom all the way to the top, and lots of subtle shades of clean and semi-clean from around 10 o'clock to 3 o'clock. This channel is important because it's where most people will probably spend most of their time. The tone, is big and more detailed.

Link - is like jumping the two channels on a 4-holer. There are infinite shades of tone possible by blending the two channels' volume controls. The actual "sound" of the link inputs is subtly more scooped-mid and sparkly, giving one set of knob settings two slightly different tones.

Tone Controls - Treble, Middle, Bass, Presence - these are less like "boost/cut" knobs and more like "real" tone controls. They do a lot to the tone in a very subtle way. With Fenders/Marshalls extreme settings can get painful. TRIWATT never gets painful. Presence in particular is very authentic - rather than boosting a high treble, it opens up or extends the top end of the tone to add "air" to the sound. TRIWATT EQ knobs are in very similar places when compared to original HIWATT amps, dialed in to similar tones.

Master Volume - turning the master down isn't a tone killer like in some amps. The tone is not compromised when the master is under around 11 o'clock. IF you set the OD up appropriately (see below), even with the MV way down - 7 or 8 o' clock, it still sounds huge. This control sounds big, quiet, and it it sounds big loud!

Overdrive - This control may be the reason someone who owns arguably a Hylight-era HIWATT 4-holer, would want the TRIWATT. This is where the TRIWATT "art" lives - a . Pull out the Overdrive control and you get the extra gain stage of a Biacrown era HIWATT Lead amp (push the knob in and it's out of the circuit). This gain stage naturally gives you more gain and more distortion, as well as more compression. So, for rhythms as well as leads, it's incredible! If you have to play lead, bring up the bright/normal gain stage and starve the overdrive gain and the tone comes forward is more dynamic and bigger. Turning up the Overdrive, with an LP and humbuckers reveals big metal tones, yet rolling back the guitar volume and playing more gently yields delicate, transparent, sparkling cleans with the Overdrive still on. And you can imagine all the shades in between!!!

Guitars - The TRIWATT can handle many guitars with aplomb. Tele, Strat, Danos, Ric, Les Paul with P90's for the single coils, and Les Paul, SG, Seymour Duncan hot-rodded Fender Cyclone for 'buckers, PRS Mira in both 'bucker and single mode - have all been tested with this amp, and every guitar sounds GREAT. Also, HIWATTs are known for taking a lot of pedals really well. The TRIWATT does not disappoint in this area either.

Product Specs

Our Custom amplifiers are built using point-to-point wiring utilizing turret board construction for service and reliability. High-quality tubes, coupling capacitors and resistors are selected for maximum tone, performance and reliability. The custom power transformer and output transformer are closely based on original HIWATT Partridge transformers for definitive tone and use vintage grade steel laminations. They are made in the USA.

When you purchase a TRIWATT several options are included in the price: Tolex Covering: Classic HIWATT Black or Green, Red, White or Purple Levant or Black Elephant, Black Mesa Wrinkle Piping: Classic White or Silver or Gold Handle: Classic Chrome Strap or comfortable Leather "Dog-Bone" style handle Other Tolex, and hardware are available and priced upon request. The TRIWATT head version weighs in at about 20 pounds.