WEM Control ER-15 (my project amp)
- modman
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I was so lucky to be able to pick up a small 15W WEM head. It sounded already good before, but changing most of the old caps for new high-end caps did away with some high end sizzle and gave me much mo' bass.
I found the schematic, will make notes about the actual values found in the amp when I can find back my notes.
Did pay much, came with a speakerless pick a bass cab, but I'm testing it now on two 80s stock Fender speakers in series (needs 16 ohm)
Here's the WEM history by the man himself:
http://www.wemwatkins.co.uk/history.htm
Dedicated WEM site with pics and schematics
http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/britamps/watkins.html
Some pictures of my unit
edit: added some missing pics
I found the schematic, will make notes about the actual values found in the amp when I can find back my notes.
Did pay much, came with a speakerless pick a bass cab, but I'm testing it now on two 80s stock Fender speakers in series (needs 16 ohm)
Here's the WEM history by the man himself:
http://www.wemwatkins.co.uk/history.htm
Dedicated WEM site with pics and schematics
http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/britamps/watkins.html
Some pictures of my unit
edit: added some missing pics
Last edited by modman on 13 Oct 2007, 13:47, edited 1 time in total.
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- modman
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Saw some people on ebay claiming to have paid 80 EUR for this head, if you believe them. At the other end of the scale I found this one at $1700 AUS
http://www.grouseguitars.com.au/wemdualten.htm
I forgot an action pic - samples after the weekend probably.
http://www.grouseguitars.com.au/wemdualten.htm
I forgot an action pic - samples after the weekend probably.
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- Goop_buster
- Solder Soldier
Thats one cool amp you have there modman. Congrats
80 EUR sound almost ridiculously low. It must be worth a lot more.
80 EUR sound almost ridiculously low. It must be worth a lot more.
- bajaman
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Yum Yum - Mullard EL84 tubes too
bajaman
bajaman
Hello modman,
I got exacly the same amp! It is humming a little, but does a nice sound. Too sad it just works with 15 Ohm, because I would like to use it with my small 1x12 8 Ohm box. What I love most is its weight and size; just like a handbag
I got exacly the same amp! It is humming a little, but does a nice sound. Too sad it just works with 15 Ohm, because I would like to use it with my small 1x12 8 Ohm box. What I love most is its weight and size; just like a handbag
- modman
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Hi Holgar,
I still profoundly crazy about it myself. Mine had some hum and very subtle crackling in the top registers. After I recapped channel 1, sound improved noticeably. It also was considerably louder than before so hum decreased by nature.
I rewired the 12" speakers of my old Fender solidstate in series to make it see 16 ohms. The amp really like that, but not evident, want to go for a 1 x 12" eventually, but haven't looked around for a replacement speaker.
Do you have the head or also a pick a bass cab?
thanks for chiming in!
modman
I still profoundly crazy about it myself. Mine had some hum and very subtle crackling in the top registers. After I recapped channel 1, sound improved noticeably. It also was considerably louder than before so hum decreased by nature.
I rewired the 12" speakers of my old Fender solidstate in series to make it see 16 ohms. The amp really like that, but not evident, want to go for a 1 x 12" eventually, but haven't looked around for a replacement speaker.
Do you have the head or also a pick a bass cab?
thanks for chiming in!
modman
Please, support freestompboxes.org on Patreon for just 1 pcb per year! Or donate directly through PayPal
Hi modman,
it is too sad, I do not have the original cab. When I bought this amp, I wanted to mod it to a 18w Marshall. When I am informed correctly, Jim Marshall copied this little amp to make his own produkt, like he did it with the Bassman design too ...
But I am too busy with tweaking my Metro 50w and the stompboxes beside my real work.
Regards Holgar
it is too sad, I do not have the original cab. When I bought this amp, I wanted to mod it to a 18w Marshall. When I am informed correctly, Jim Marshall copied this little amp to make his own produkt, like he did it with the Bassman design too ...
But I am too busy with tweaking my Metro 50w and the stompboxes beside my real work.
Regards Holgar
- flood
- Resistor Ronker
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hey modman, i had one of these. bought for about €175, sold it for €225, and immediately regretted it. i loved the tone of that little bugger. not too many features... but that was something i liked about it. oh, it absolutely sang when overdriven. i doubt i'lll find it that cheap too soon...
i now play another oditty, a 4XEL84 italian steelphon guitar/bass amp. this one set me back about €90, and sounds pretty decent. it has an oversized OT, and i can't turn it up much like i could do on the control 15.
i would suggest that you hang on to that for a while. it's a keeper. i don't know about collectors value, but WEM watkins do not go cheaply on ebay germany.
i now play another oditty, a 4XEL84 italian steelphon guitar/bass amp. this one set me back about €90, and sounds pretty decent. it has an oversized OT, and i can't turn it up much like i could do on the control 15.
i would suggest that you hang on to that for a while. it's a keeper. i don't know about collectors value, but WEM watkins do not go cheaply on ebay germany.
- bajaman
- Old Solderhand
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slightly off topic but relevant to this thread.
I was given a TRIX of London - possibly late 50s valve amplifier.
it was obviously designed for hifi - a three position rotary switch selects mag PU, ceramic PU, and radio. it has a volume control and a treble and bass control also.
Someone had rescued it from going to the dump - landfill etc., and sold it in a recycling centre for $5!!!!!
I removed the metal cover and there was 2 x EL84 output tubes, 2 x ECC83 preamp tubes and an EZ81 rectifier tube. I removed the bottom panel and observed a very neatly laid out wiring scheme - all wires bent at right angles and carefully laid out.
After first testing the tubes, I powered the amplifier up and observed a rather sad oscilloscope picture of the output waveform into my 8 ohm dummy load.
SO ( and here is the point of this ramble) , I measured the voltages on the 5 x TCC .05uf 350v waxed covered coupling capacitors - every one of them showed leakage - ( a capacitor is supposed to block DC voltage - 250v DC one side and 0 volts on the other side), some showed as high as 20v DC on the input grids of the output tubes, wher i was expecting to fin 0 volts (cathode biased) - no wonder the amp looked and sounded sick.
I replaced them with suitable .047uf 630v dc film types and it made a huge difference, but still there was something wrong, so i replaced the cathode bypass capacitor ( 130 ohm cathode resistor), which was a 22uf 25vdc Dubilier type, with a 220uf 63vdc electrolytic and the scope picture showed another marked improvement. I plugged my guitar in to it, and although the radio input was a little quiet, (needs another gain stage) i was blown away by the AC15 style tone I was getting from it.
MORAL of this story - if it is over 30 years old, replace ALL the coupling capacitors and electrolytics, before you shell out money on tubes - your ears will thank you for this
bajaman
ps: if anyone is interested I can post some gut shots
I was given a TRIX of London - possibly late 50s valve amplifier.
it was obviously designed for hifi - a three position rotary switch selects mag PU, ceramic PU, and radio. it has a volume control and a treble and bass control also.
Someone had rescued it from going to the dump - landfill etc., and sold it in a recycling centre for $5!!!!!
I removed the metal cover and there was 2 x EL84 output tubes, 2 x ECC83 preamp tubes and an EZ81 rectifier tube. I removed the bottom panel and observed a very neatly laid out wiring scheme - all wires bent at right angles and carefully laid out.
After first testing the tubes, I powered the amplifier up and observed a rather sad oscilloscope picture of the output waveform into my 8 ohm dummy load.
SO ( and here is the point of this ramble) , I measured the voltages on the 5 x TCC .05uf 350v waxed covered coupling capacitors - every one of them showed leakage - ( a capacitor is supposed to block DC voltage - 250v DC one side and 0 volts on the other side), some showed as high as 20v DC on the input grids of the output tubes, wher i was expecting to fin 0 volts (cathode biased) - no wonder the amp looked and sounded sick.
I replaced them with suitable .047uf 630v dc film types and it made a huge difference, but still there was something wrong, so i replaced the cathode bypass capacitor ( 130 ohm cathode resistor), which was a 22uf 25vdc Dubilier type, with a 220uf 63vdc electrolytic and the scope picture showed another marked improvement. I plugged my guitar in to it, and although the radio input was a little quiet, (needs another gain stage) i was blown away by the AC15 style tone I was getting from it.
MORAL of this story - if it is over 30 years old, replace ALL the coupling capacitors and electrolytics, before you shell out money on tubes - your ears will thank you for this
bajaman
ps: if anyone is interested I can post some gut shots
- modman
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Oh, Baja, don't make me hungry for more, because a friend send me this link
http://www.kapaza.be/Muziek_en_instrume ... erker.html
he wanted 250 EUR, I have a gut pic, but too late to upload now.
It's an Italian guitar brand that used to build for Vox too, but I find no info on this one at all.
http://www.kapaza.be/Muziek_en_instrume ... erker.html
he wanted 250 EUR, I have a gut pic, but too late to upload now.
It's an Italian guitar brand that used to build for Vox too, but I find no info on this one at all.
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- bajaman
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I will take some photos and post after the wekend then
bajaman
bajaman