DestroyAllGuitars
Member
- Messages
- 728
Dear Forum Members,
I'm trying not to put the cart before the horse so to speak, but
I have news that I think is now timely to share with everyone.
Over the past few months I have been having a steady dialogue
with a Mr. Charles Watkins of WemWatkins fame. I think he is
now at a point where he is seriously contemplating stepping
out of retirement and back to the workbench for a limited time.
Charles Watkins was the inventor of the Copicat, the 1st tube
tape based echo unit, but more importantly his crowning
achievement was a 2 EL84 4 input 2X10" V front 17 watt combo
called the Watkins Dominator. This was the amp of the British
Invasion. On an average day in Charle's shop you would find the
likes of Page, Clapton ,Beck, Harrison, Richards, Wood, Gene
Vincent, Hank Marvin etc.... and later, the likes of Moore, May,
Blackmore etc....
This amp helped define a generation whose music was a mix
of blues and rock, or maximum R&B as one group phrased it.
The Watkins Dominator was the amp most used not only live
but more so in the studio by the many legendary artists
mentioned above. There was no 18watter with such a history,
if you know what I mean. The Watkins Dominator is the sound
you hear on most of the classic British rock albums of the 60's
and early 70's.
Anyhow, I'm posting all this to try and get a gauge of the level
of interest there would be in the possibility of players and
collectors to be able to have one of these amps reproduced
by Charles Watkins himself and purchased directly. I'm in no way
a business partner, but am acting solely as an advisor free of
any charge whatsoever. I have no idea of cost or delivery time
as I've only just gotten to the point where Charles is seriously
considering a trip back in time to his workbench. I would like
to be able to give him as much motivation as possible, hence this
post.
Here is a short description of the Dominator from Charles:
This is the delectable and nostalgic WATKINS "DOMINATOR" My theory was that it would dispense sound equally to left and right. Whether that was true or not I never found out. But nobody cared, anyway. They'd plug their Basses, Rhythm, Lead and Vocals in to its four inputs and give it some stick. This amplifier took the fancy of the day just right. Colourful, reliable and slightly spectacular with a sound that only a couple of raw EL84's in push pull can give. I used to call it 17 watts for want of a better guess. I think it was more like 15 with a theoretical potential of 17.
Below is my email of earlier today from Mr. Watkins:
Dear Cliff,
Suppose you're wondering why I've held on to your E. mail after rather brusquely, perhaps, not attending to your words.
Something keeps buzzing me the way you speak.
So I have to offer you the courtesy of saying that I am beginning to have 2nd and 3rd thoughts about what may transpire to be a lovely trip to the past.
I'll let you know if I can surmount the other problems attending my current situation.
Best regards
Charlie Watkins
(I have omiitted a few personal details from the email out of
courtesy to Charles).
I know that if I could show Charles letters and emails showing
him the recognition and interest he so rightfully deserves, it
would only help to motivate him to make the next step and just
maybe, a good bit of history will repeat itself.
Please feel free to email me your thoughts and feelings as I will
pass them on to Charles ASAP and hopefully supply him with
the motivation to approach his workbench one more time, health
permitting.
I'm trying not to put the cart before the horse so to speak, but
I have news that I think is now timely to share with everyone.
Over the past few months I have been having a steady dialogue
with a Mr. Charles Watkins of WemWatkins fame. I think he is
now at a point where he is seriously contemplating stepping
out of retirement and back to the workbench for a limited time.
Charles Watkins was the inventor of the Copicat, the 1st tube
tape based echo unit, but more importantly his crowning
achievement was a 2 EL84 4 input 2X10" V front 17 watt combo
called the Watkins Dominator. This was the amp of the British
Invasion. On an average day in Charle's shop you would find the
likes of Page, Clapton ,Beck, Harrison, Richards, Wood, Gene
Vincent, Hank Marvin etc.... and later, the likes of Moore, May,
Blackmore etc....
This amp helped define a generation whose music was a mix
of blues and rock, or maximum R&B as one group phrased it.
The Watkins Dominator was the amp most used not only live
but more so in the studio by the many legendary artists
mentioned above. There was no 18watter with such a history,
if you know what I mean. The Watkins Dominator is the sound
you hear on most of the classic British rock albums of the 60's
and early 70's.
Anyhow, I'm posting all this to try and get a gauge of the level
of interest there would be in the possibility of players and
collectors to be able to have one of these amps reproduced
by Charles Watkins himself and purchased directly. I'm in no way
a business partner, but am acting solely as an advisor free of
any charge whatsoever. I have no idea of cost or delivery time
as I've only just gotten to the point where Charles is seriously
considering a trip back in time to his workbench. I would like
to be able to give him as much motivation as possible, hence this
post.
Here is a short description of the Dominator from Charles:
This is the delectable and nostalgic WATKINS "DOMINATOR" My theory was that it would dispense sound equally to left and right. Whether that was true or not I never found out. But nobody cared, anyway. They'd plug their Basses, Rhythm, Lead and Vocals in to its four inputs and give it some stick. This amplifier took the fancy of the day just right. Colourful, reliable and slightly spectacular with a sound that only a couple of raw EL84's in push pull can give. I used to call it 17 watts for want of a better guess. I think it was more like 15 with a theoretical potential of 17.
Below is my email of earlier today from Mr. Watkins:
Dear Cliff,
Suppose you're wondering why I've held on to your E. mail after rather brusquely, perhaps, not attending to your words.
Something keeps buzzing me the way you speak.
So I have to offer you the courtesy of saying that I am beginning to have 2nd and 3rd thoughts about what may transpire to be a lovely trip to the past.
I'll let you know if I can surmount the other problems attending my current situation.
Best regards
Charlie Watkins
(I have omiitted a few personal details from the email out of
courtesy to Charles).
I know that if I could show Charles letters and emails showing
him the recognition and interest he so rightfully deserves, it
would only help to motivate him to make the next step and just
maybe, a good bit of history will repeat itself.
Please feel free to email me your thoughts and feelings as I will
pass them on to Charles ASAP and hopefully supply him with
the motivation to approach his workbench one more time, health
permitting.