Product: WEM/Watkins Clubman MK8 112 Combo
Price Paid: 300 (mint condition) (sterling) used
Submitted
05/01/2004
at
09:05am
by
James
Features
:
No Opinion
Made in 1970/1/2 at a guess. All valve, hand wired circuit with 12" (Elac?) horseshoe magnet speaker. Apparently it is rated at 5 watts!, but it is very loud, much louder than my 72 Fender Silverface Champ, which is rated at 6 watts. At maximum volume the Clubman is as loud as Fender's Blues Junior and it is a real hand wired valve amp. Single channel, 2 inputs. Controls are Volume, Bass, Treble-on/off and that's it. Cab measures 19"H x 15"W x 8"D. All very simple. Very clean and pure. No hum or hiss. No features, so I usually use Boss DS1 and reverb pedals and an Ibanes volume boost, although it is a good amp for any style because the standard signal is so unadulterated. In my view the clean on this amp is better than Fender's clean. This is the ideal little amp for the studio. I believe that THIS AMP IS SUPERIOR TO THE FENDER CHAMP. I have a 72 Silverface Fender Champ and previously owned a 74 Silverface Vibrochamp. The WEM Clubman MK8 is at least the Champ's equal across the higher sonic ranges, but clearly beats it for bottom end - the usual complaint of Champ owners. Of course, Fender amps look much more attractive ....
Sound Quality
:
10
I own lots of different guitars. My favorite through this amp is my Gibson 335 or my Ephiphone Paul with P90s. Creamy and lush, with singing highs when I want them.
Reliability
:
10
This amp is 35 years old. I have owned it for about 4. It had a slight hum, so I changed the valves - did it myself - simple! Now very quiet and sounds nicer too.
Still in excellent condition both internally and externally after 35 years. Has been checked over by my tech, so I would use it at a gig without backup, but I don't.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
35 years old. I understand that advice is still avaliable from Charlie Wattkins? at WEM.
Overall Rating
:
10
Been playing since 73. I work within the music industry and own and have access to lots of different gear.
I love the pure sound of this amp. It is an excellent amp to use as a starting point in the studio, because you can add any effect you like to the sound to get that particular sound you are after. Why have a high gain amp or an amp with lots of effects, when most pros use a pedal board for effects? MOAN: In Britain we have had some fantastic world-beating products - Concord (gone) Rolls Royce (now a BMW) BSA, Triumph and Norton motor bikes, Celestion speakers (now Chinese rubbish) Clarks shoes (rubbish made anywhere but UK) and WEM amps to name but a few world beating products. They have all gone. Why?
