Simms-Watts 100 Head

this is an absolutely killer amp. Very loud and proud. Hardwired amp from UK

This amp has a really incredible sound. Even on it's slightest crunch,exumes an authority all it's own. It sounds absolutely amazing ,and I have had an half-room packed with vintage amps.
Any great 60's and 70's sound is possible with this amp.
From Who to Pink Floyd to AC/DC,this amp just has the balls to do it all. Loads of power,low-end,presence,brilliance,sustain. I give it a 12 out of ten,it's just such a beautiful amplifier with loads of taste in the tone department.

this amp is built with the highest standards.

Simms-Watts Super AP 200 Pow. Made in England around `70. Said to put out an easy 350 watts @ 8 ohms before clipping. Two channel one normal and one bright. There are 4 inputs 2 per channel and a combine switch so you can use both channels without resorting to a Y jack. Each channel has a volume, treble and bass. You could play guitar through this thing as it has a master volume with a presence control. But it really shines as a bass amp. I play through both channels. This is the best bass amp I have ever had the privilege to use/own. Beautiful Ampeg like growl and nice strong lower end tone. High tones bite right through, no need for any tweeters! The power is unbelievable. I use it through a `70's Ampeg SVT 8 ten cabinet (4 ohm) and I have a Samic 5 string bass with active electronics and p/j pickups. Unreal head room. I have never tried to run this monster wide open and can't think of a situation where you could! The tube compliment is 3 12AX7's and 4 KT88's. The extreme power comes from the very high voltage administered to the KT88's plates, around 550+ volts. Transformers are the size of your head and there is a solid state rectifier. The power transformer has multiple voltage taps ranging from 100 volts to 240 volts. I did think that I would run 120 volts to the 100 volt primary for even more power, but chickened out! There is just no need. Safer too. Physically, the AP 200 is quite a bit larger than the 100 heads, which surprised me. I would have thought that a small company such as Simms-Watts would use the same chassis for all these type of amps, but nope. The 200 is all around larger. Nothing beats a great hulking grunting boulder of an amp that is louder than everything else and it is just idling!

This amp has a very wide range of tones available. And the versitility can be had, it seems at any volume. I have not tried to make it distort but I am sure it would by creativly playing off the channel volume with the master volume. I believe the AP stood for all purpose so this thing was probally intended to use in stadiums and other such venues for all instruments. Simms-Watts also made a PA 200 Super, which is basically the same amp but with 6 channels and more pre amp tubes accordingly. I have seen pictures of an AP 200, and it has no channels, just a volume but otherwise the same ilk as the aformentioned AP 200. Probally intended as a PA power amp.

I have not gigged with this amp. However, in the past I have used a Simms-Watts PA 100 with a single 15" 8 ohm speaker in a part time band and had little trouble. In fact, one evening playing a dance two of the output tubes (EL34's)started arcing so the amp was farting and crackling and making all sorts of funky racket. So I yanked out the offending lamps, turned up the volume and played out the night no problem! I see no reason why this AP 200 would not be just as reliable. It is built like a tank. The only thing that may be better built is a Traynor amp from the same period.

These guys are long since out of business. Schematics are available on line and any competent tech can service and modify these any way at all.

Been playing for 45 years off and on. Been in several bands. Currently for amps I have a `64 Ampeg B15-N, the Simms-Watts, a Traynor Bass Mate combo, a TOA 6 channel mixer amp and a Riviera 1 X 12 10 Watt combo. Cabinets include a SVT 8 X 10, GBX 4 X 10, a Garnet 2 X 15 double folded horn cabinet. Also there is a Yamaha 16-4-2 board feeding a Accuphase 350 watt power amp for the mids and highs and a Crown PSA-2 for the bottom end. The crossover is an active Yorkville Sound (Traynor) Elite. There are two Hamblin custom made P/A speakers each housing a single 15", two 5" and a bullet tweeter. These can be mounted on stands. Several Sure Mikes, 57's and 58's.
In the past I used Traynor Bass Masters (2), Ampeg V4-B, Sunn 2000-S
SWR Studio 250, Simms-Watts PA 100 and probably a few I can't remember. Probably the closest thing to the Simms-Watts 200 was my old Sunn. But it was only close. All these amps were wonderful and I kick my ass every day for letting them go. However, The Simms-Watts Super AP 200 Pow is by far my favorite.

Front: normal and brilliant channels, each volume, treble and bass + master volume + presence. Back: 2 speaker inputs, Ohm selector, fuses and power.
100 W british head, very loud, built early 70's. Marshall style head, no modern master volume. Variety of tones through very interactive controls at both channels, especially when both channels bridged. From blues, classic rock, rock'n'roll, jazz to hard rock.

INCREDIBLE !!! THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD A CHANCE TO PLAY. I have had tons of gear in my 30+ years of active playing and studio works, and just recently had a chance to see this one for sale in the local music shop. Honestly, didn't know a lot about, something little, but never got around to play it. Immediatelly my dream came through. All these years playing great amps and always kind of feeling I haven't found the best thing. Finally I have found it with this baby, and for relatively fair price, less than I'd need to pay for good vintage Marshall or Vox.

Words cannot describe the sound this amp delivers, and it feedsback unlike any other amp I know, so nicelly, smoothly and controlable. A lots of power, but plays nicely at the lower volumes as well, breakes incredibly at around 5. This is like you have two worlds in one amp, you can get this Vox/Fenderish sounds and best Marshall gain. Certainly I haven't been able to find any other amp before which suits my musical preferences as much as this one. And important, it works with single coils and humbuckers equally well.
Very best sound I have ever had.

I don't know as I have it only a couple of months. It works with no issues at all and it is over 30 years old. Looks like it will do another 30.

They are out of the business.

Amazing. It took me 30 years to finally get it and I am happy like a baby. Guys, go out there look for this amp and steal it, if you have to. You'll never have better reason to risk a jail.

Hello people! Thank god i've finally got on the net and found some info about this amp as i believe i have the very one that most of you are talking about.I know it's early-mid seventies and comes with a simms watts 18" bass speaker cabinet!! very big! i was sold it as a bass amp,pa system. very very loud! unfortunately i think my local electronics shop killed the valves by replacing a trickle fuse with a straight through one??? anyway,took it home,plugged it back in and blew the valves.ever since then i have had the old beauty stored in my garage,would gladly sell it to anyone with serious offers.(for collection only,seriously too big to post!!) i paid #100 in the late 80's. would be very sad to see it go but if someone can fix up and use it then you have my blessings!
Cranleigh,Surrey,UK

It is an early 70's British amp produced in London with normal and brilliant channel, two inputs each and each with volume/gain, treble and bass tone controls in preamp section. Power section has master volume and presence working for both channels. Built like a tank, looks like a Marshall or Hiwatt heads. No overdrive channel, but there is a number of nice pedals at the market for this purpose. Standby and main switch at the front plexy panel and two speaker outputs, 7.5/15 Ohm switch speaker selector, two fuses and power connectorat the rear panel. Inside, at the power transformer is the 110/200/230 V selector. All tube amp with 3xECC83 and 4xEL34, hand point-to-point wired, 100 W pure British power.

INCREDIBLE BRITISH SOUND. The amp is very loud, but dead quite, perfect for giggs and studio works. Very good sound already at the low volumes. This is a very clean british sound which distorts nicely at the higher volumes into the creamy natural overdrive, with gain to the max., espacially if you split two channels. Don't let them full you with saying that brilliant channel sucs. Definitelly their amp needs a technician or good spaekers. Both channels are very usible and sound great. I also had that crappy thin sound at the wrong cabinet, but bring a decent guitar speakers and you'll not complain. This is a 100% Vox AC 30 TB sound with more power and even more body. Very dinamic respond to the pick attack. Beautifull warm and full sound. Each guitar plays nice through this baby and the only thing it doesn't do is heavy me(n)tal. Using different pedals one can get anything emaginable.

This amp is a working machine. I cannot emagine anything could happen to it. You are safe with this one.

Unfortunatelly they went down in 1976. and their support is not available today. But any technician can maintain your amp without any problem.

I play guitar for 30+ years and own(ed) a lot of vintage guitars and amps. Right now I own 70's Simms-watts, '67 Vox AC30 TB, '61 JMI Domino, '53 Fender Tweed Deluxe, 2001. Fender Twin Amp, '64 Supro Super Model 1606, '65 Gibson Skylark, '63 Kalamazzo Model One, '64 Alamo Capri, '63 Wem Vestminster, 50's Selmer Truvoice, '65 Hohner Orgaphon. All nice tube vintage amps for giggs and studio works.
I have recently bought Simms-Watts and I can tell you that I have decided to sell my '67 Vox AC30 TB and finance some other gear. With this amp I have 100% Vox tone (for small money) and perhaps even bit more. If you ever have a chance to see one, try to steal it, if possible. This is the most undervalued amp I have ever seen. The reason is because they died too soon to get known.

as previously stated, the brilliant channels are fairly pointless, but the main thing is the pure volume and warmth all the way up... as it's an early 70s amp there's no reverb and very limited eq, but that's what pedals/preamps were made for. i've found it to be very versatile - sounds great through a couple of distortions or just clean...

mainly using a fender strat. the amp only distorts/feeds back when you want it to, so hurray for that. it's very, *very* loud.

i got mine for #100 and it looks as though it's been battered about a bit, but no technical problems. well, i could clean the pots, but that's just picky.

:(

i generally run this alongside a marshall shredmaster, boss super-feedbacker, boss eq and danelectro tremolo (which is an awesome but poorly built pedal) for all my mid-fi needs. i've also run an MC303 groovebox through it and it sounds as crisp as any DI attempt.

i'll be very very sad if my s-w100 dies. would definitely pay GB#400 if i saw one around and i had the money. highly recommended.

I got my Simms Watts 100 watt head out of a dumpster and repaired it myself, it was made in England in the early 70's and production stopped soon after. It's all valve, 3 preamp valves and 4 power valves. It is rather clean aounding but you can get a sweet overdrive by setting the preamp gain to full. It's got 2 channels each with two inputs. The "Normal" channel has, volume, bass and treble control while the "Brilliant" channel has the same as Normal with an added presence control. The EQ in this amp is completely passive, but effective non the less. Each channel is then fed to the power amp stage for which there is a Master Volume control. This amp is seriously loud!! I use it for bass in conjunction with a 400 watt 2 x 15 cab. I drive the preamp stage hard to get a real dirty bass sound....similar to Jean Jaques Burnell(Stranglers) and Dave Simms(Jesus Lizard). It's a basic amp but sounds better than anything I've ever played through owned.

As far as reliability goes, it's an old amp and things can go wrong, but I'd spend thousands servicing this one before I'd considder buying another amp

If you get a chance to pick one up. Do it!

Very loud 1970's BRITISH 100 watt all valve amp(this is the version with 3 ECC83 pre-amp valves and 4 EL34's). It has 4 inputs although the 2 brilliant channels are useless. This was constructed in England and is amazingly loud! I find the EQ also useless but matched up with a vox valve pre-amp has all effects, equalization and distortion needed. Also more usefully has 2 outputs to run 2 cabs. I frequently gig it with my band and no matter what venue, its loud!

Quite sadly i'm using a Fender strat copy and a very metal like Yamaha Pacifica, I'm too poor. Also using the Vox Cambridge 30 as a pre-amp was very succsesful creating 2 channels, Tremelo, reverb, all EQ. Great sound just with 8 valves!

Blew a resistor on the Standby switch a few times, think its faulty or overheating as i have very low impedance speakers in a vintage VOX cab, also 1970's. Recently new Marshall golds bought all round, EXPENSIVE.

Too good to survive, just like Mullard!

I NEED SOME MORE SPEAKERS! Think theyre bass or something. Only been playing 2 years or so. Other band members use new valvestate LANEY. When will they learn?
Fantastic value for the price i got it. Probably spend upto #400 for it, if i had that sort of money.

Early 70s amp.

This amp rocks. It is super clean. More like a Selmer than a vox and certainly not like a marshall at all. It has 2 channels, a good range of EQ available from the tone and presence controls. Only thing it lacks as far as I am concerned is a reverb.

Using a strat and a Gibson clone, coupled with an overdrive pedal this amp pushes out some serious blues tone. Without the OD, I can get some really fender vibes.

Very old, all valve, Point to point hand wired. This thing is built like a tank but has so far been totally reliable. The only thing to go is the little power light. Just needs a new bulb.

The company made some great products, but they have gone now. No support. Still, there are schematics for this amp available and a good tech would easily understand what needs doing where in the even that something went wrong.

If you want a true valve sound, with a real warmth and do not mind that this amp does not have reverb and more modern gadgets, then I say go for it. Assuming you can find one! These amps are rare. Last seen on the Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust' tour!