The history of rock music cannot exist without two key elements: the guitar, of course, and amplifiers. These towering, glowing walls of tubes and speakers project the waves and sounds that build and carry great music to the audience. Here we dive into the Hiwatt DR103 of the Small Faces, the tool of English guitarist Ron(nie) Wood…

When Ron(nie) Wood joined the Small Faces to replace Steve Marriott in 1969, the band was transitioning from “Small Faces” to the more straightforward “Faces.” This Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 amp was built for the band by Dave Reeves in 1969 in a workshop improvised in his home in New Malden, Surrey, when Hiwatt was still a small, artisanal company. Each amp was then designed, crafted, and assembled entirely by hand. On several sides, it bears the stencil markings “Small Faces”, confirming its prestigious origin — to which we can add the British band Krazy Kat, also marked on the amp. Though little-known today, Krazy Kat toured in the 1970s with Genesis and Peter Gabriel. This amp is richly documented and represents one of the many chapters in Ron(nie) Wood’s career, who later became a member of the legendary Rolling Stones.

Born in an era when sound had to be loud to be heard, this Hiwatt 100 is simply a roaring beast — a historic stack and a true piece of British music history.