How close is this to the original "Dominator"?

[LeeMo]

http://www.wemwatkins.co.uk/

Scroll down toward to bottom.

LeeMo

[RossH]

If "this" means the 18 watt then...pretty close...

http://www1.korksoft.com/~schem/bargain ... inator.pdf

~ Ross

[zaphod_phil]

http://www.wemwatkins.co.uk/
Scroll down toward to bottom.

If you're talking about the amp in the add, by their own admission, it looks like the answer is not much. Apart, from that no one will really know how different it is without getting one on the bench.
However, I'm pleased to see WEM/Watkins back in business!

[RossH]

I should have read closer. I thought that was an original ad. Yeah, it looks like it is only "based on" something. It may only be some clobbered version of the early dominator hardly recognizable in its end state. Quad tubes, drive channel, effects loop, hi-fi quality trannies...where is the dominator? I would love to hear/see one. Hmm, maybe it is the new 36 watt competitor.

~ Ross

[stevesuk]

It is actually Charlie Watkins business.
He started 'Watkins Electric Music' which is WEM in the 1960s.
He has a proud history and did all the sound systems for the big British festivals e.g. Isle of Wight, Stones in the Park etc, he was a big innovator in large PA systems and built huge systems of several thousand watts. Obviously being the 60s they would have been basically valve powered. The man deserves lots of respect and I am sure his amps are genuinely as close to the ideal between new and old.
I had a couple of WEM amps in the 60s and they were virtually hand built, but as valve amps were so common they were thought of as second rate, just like Selmer. Everybody wanted a Fender or later in the 60s, Marshall.
Most fifteen year old kids like me had to put up with a Red and Cream Selmer that stank of cats' urine when it warmed up and a Hofner guitar.
I also remember the group getting a valve operated Watkins Copicat valve echo chamber on Hire Purchase, I think we had to cough up 1 shilling a week each (a lot for apprentices in 1965). That cut the volume and muffled the guitar so much only the singer could use it. No PA's so he had to go through the Bass amplifier.

As Ronald Wood esq. wrote ' If I knew then what I know now '

Steve UK

[zaphod_phil]

Yes, much respect goes to Charlie Watkins and I'm very pleased to see him back in business. But this new Dominator seems to be very different from the originals - apart from the shape of the cab of course.