1978: The HIWATT 100-watt Bulldog combo amp offers a challenge to Mesa/Boogie in 1978. These must have been very rare; I can’t find a single one online. Read all about them at this link. The ‘mini-monster’ hi-powered-combo concept was introduced by Mesa/Boogie in the late 60s when Randall Smith modded a Fender Princeton by adding the power supply and output section from a Bassman, essentially making a little tiny (but heavy!) 50-watt combo amp. Curious about exactly how much of a ‘feat’ this was, I actually did this very thing many years ago to my brother’s Silverface Princeton. A decade on, the thing is still cooking. The perfect ‘vintage’ amp for NYC, or any city where you’ve gotta share a taxi to the gig!