Selmer Treble And Bass Revamp Finished Update

[Baxter]

Thats it done and working! I just need to get on and get the speaker cab done now - expect further news in couple of months!
[attachment=130306:IMAG0395.jpg]
before
[attachment=130307:IMAG0490.jpg]
after front
[attachment=130308:IMAG0491.jpg]
after rear

[EssentialTension]

Lovely.

[Balcro]

I love the colour. All the best with that.

Balcro

[fatback]

Love it.

The original makes me so nostalgic though as it was my first amp.

[MOSCOWBASS]

Brings back memories! Had one in the 70's nice sound, especially using both channels in parallel.

[4 Strings]

Wow, that looks great!

I remember when these things used to turn up all over the place at gigs etc. I once did a series of concerts (wouldn't say 'tour'!) with a theatrical outfit and used a T&B 50 with a Selmer 1x18. Wasn't mine, and the owner insisted the cab always remained upright in transport in case the speaker tore away from its suspension.

A utility amp, rather sneered at in those days by little jerks who (like me!) hankered after a HiWatt, but built to the same sort of standards. Would love one now!

[voxpop]

Great job. Looking forward to seeing the cab.
Really love little 50 watt heads. Perfect balance of power and quality.

Edited March 20, 2013 by voxpop

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1363768908' post='2017137']
A utility amp, rather sneered at in those days by little jerks who (like me!) hankered after a HiWatt, but built to the same sort of standards.
[/quote]

Selmer were really far from built to the standard of Hiwatt.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1363780276' post='2017401']
Selmer were really far from built to the standard of Hiwatt.
[/quote]

Really? Ok, you know way more about this sort of thing than I. Certainly less expensive, what was the difference, choice of components?

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1363780500' post='2017405']
Really? Ok, you know way more about this sort of thing than I. Certainly less expensive, what was the difference, choice of components?
[/quote]

Hiwatt wiring was absolute top standard. Design and layout were of high standard also (earthing scheme was a bit questionable but doesn't cause issue if used as designed)

[IMG]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/Incarante/Hiwatt/hiwatt001.jpg[/IMG]

Selmer are bit more geared to being churned out by less skilled labour:
[IMG]http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b69/Incarante/Selmer/P1020625.jpg[/IMG]

[VTypeV4]

I love those old Selmers although the croc-skin ones are my faves..

Baxter, what a lovely job! I'm glad to see another vintage valve amp in tip-top shape.

[4 Strings]

Believe it or not I had croc skin! It was a little Futurama, had an elliptical speaker and I think was 3W! All valve, even had a tremelo. I remember putting the speaker output of a friend's amp into it to overdrive it. It was great, really howled!

I ripped the speaker covering off to reveal the black wood and speaker making it look more 'pro'. I can't remember what happened to it. It certainly wasn't a powerful device but generated lots of complaints from the neighbour.

[VTypeV4]

Selmer Tremolo is the best I've ever used..

I had a Constellation 20 (EL84 powered 2x12") combo that was stunning. The wobble was truly magical on that old thing!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1363782503' post='2017457']
Hiwatt wiring was absolute top standard. Design and layout were of high standard also (earthing scheme was a bit questionable but doesn't cause issue if used as designed)



Selmer are bit more geared to being churned out by less skilled labour:

[/quote]
The Selmer looks like it requires more skill than the Hiwatt.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1363807111' post='2018030']
The Selmer looks like it requires more [s]skill[/s] booze than the Hiwatt.
[/quote]

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1363807111' post='2018030']
The Selmer looks like it requires more skill than the Hiwatt.
[/quote]
I've built a couple of valve amps, but I consider myself still a novice in such things. The Selmer looks much closer to the standard of lead dress I can achieve! Getting things as neat as the Hiwatt requires meticulous planning and more time spent in its assembly. The Selmers are still nice solid, serviceable amps though - it's just that Hiwatt and the like were real premium stuff.

Edited March 20, 2013 by Beer of the Bass

[EssentialTension]

I realise Hiwatt were premium stuff but the Hiwatt wiring looks easier to do while the Selmer is impossible to follow.

[Beer of the Bass]

Each wire on the Hiwatt is cut to exactly the right length, bent at right-angles in precise locations and neatly tied together. The wires in the Selmer are left longer than they need to be and left to lay any old way, which makes the assembly much quicker. The Selmer approach still works and works well in most cases.
I feel I should add, nice work, Baxter. A lot of these old amps have been subjected to all sorts of abuse over the years, so it's nice to see them being kept running. The Selmer I used to own had suffered at the hands of a mobile disco, and had "DISCO" and "MIKE" scratched into the front panel above the two channels! When I got it, they were generally regarded as nasty old tat, quite unfairly IMO.

Edited March 20, 2013 by Beer of the Bass

[Baxter]

Thanks very much gents, it's nice to know the old Selmer still has a place in peoples hearts. For the record it sounds great, nice rounded tone with plenty of power. It was in Flynn Amps in Glasgow who are a top outfit - please look them up, they rate both my valve amps. Stevie Flynn said that the Selmer is an often overlooked gem, and that Selmer were doing dual rectification 30 years before Mesa - whatever that means, I nodded and said "really" - He put a Jensen speaker in my Wem Dominator as the old g15m was pretty well done. He reckoned the WEM 18w amp is a piece of work too, almost identical to a contemporary Marshall.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Baxter' timestamp='1363815325' post='2018217']
... WEM ...
[/quote]
I played in a band many many years ago and had Hiwatt amp and 2x15 while the guitarist was using a WEM valve PA amp with a 4x12, I dont recall the make.

[4 Strings]

This is all clearly from my time as I had a Wem 4x12 too! It was 200W and would take anything thrown at it. I used it with a HiWatt 4x12 (only 100W) and a Sound City style HiWatt 'One Hundred'. My goodness, I wish I was able to have kept it all!

[VTypeV4]

What speaker are you putting it with? Something like this..

[IMG]http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/yy70/VTypeV4/Celcoil4_zps3c55f509.jpg[/IMG]

Not hugely efficient but certainly distinctive, warm and smooth sounding.. In my WEM 1x15 anyways..

[Baxter]

I've got a new celestion that I was going to put in the cab, but I'm so far impressed with the Jensen that Flynn put in my WEM. I think what I'll do is what Flynn suggested, they do a wee modification in the WEM that disconnects the speaker from the amp and allows an external amp to power it. It means that I can bypass the amp if it pops during use and still run the speaker. It also means that I can see how the Jensen sounds with the Selmer before I fork out for it.

[Baxter]

Sorry, I just Realised I never answered the Question VtypeV4, I just took one of those out my WEM last week in favour of a new Jensen. The G15M was old and done, I get an extra couple of notches on the volume before it starts breaking up now! The idea was to make the WEM more useable for smaller pub gigs etc.

[VTypeV4]

Sounds fair to me, I haven't any experience with Jensen speakers but they seem to have a good reputation and I'm sure your man knows where he's at. Hope it sounds great!

I bought the Celestion in the pic to go [i]in[/i] one of my WEM cabs but it had a bit of a coil rub but I re-aligned magnet and it works well now but it's not currently in a cab. I have an HH Invader thats really sweet sounding in one and an Electrovoice SRO / EVM 15-L in the other but I still have the original Goodmans drivers too, one of which is still in good health.