Another Burns of London, Amplifier on my bench for repair ...

[pdf64]

There was a pair of 10" Elac alnicos in a friend's V front Watkins Westminster I repaired a few years back.
Those awful black Hunts moldseal coupling caps had failed, totally open circuit, no audio could pass.
He found it for free, it had been left in entrance lobby of his block of flats
Once those caps were replaced it sounded great. The 1958 multi section can cap was still working fine and he was skint, so it stayed in.

This is the same model https://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/brit...ter/west5.html

[Helmholtz]

Tell that to Fender Champ, Bassman, VOX AC30 , Sessionette , and thousand others

With a Tweed BM or an AC30 I have my controls on the amp's top, so I can easily see and adjust the knobs during a show.

[Chuck H]

Tell that to Fender Champ, Bassman, VOX AC30 , Sessionette , and thousand others

Well those amps are sort of "back of the top" mounted. You could still adjust them looking from the top. I've seen only a couple of instrument amps that actually had rear facing controls. And I can't even remember their brand or model.

[Jon Snell]

There was a pair of 10" Elac alnicos in a friend's V front Watkins Westminster I repaired a few years back.
Those awful black Hunts moldseal coupling caps had failed, totally open circuit, no audio could pass.
He found it for free, it had been left in entrance lobby of his block of flats
Once those caps were replaced it sounded great. The 1958 multi section can cap was still working fine and he was skint, so it stayed in.

This is the same model https://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/brit...ter/west5.html

That's what I call a propper amplifer. Very serviceable.

[g1]

Well those amps are sort of "back of the top" mounted. You could still adjust them looking from the top. I've seen only a couple of instrument amps that actually had rear facing controls. And I can't even remember their brand or model.

I was wondering if you were maybe supposed to play standing behind this amp.

[J M Fahey]

I wonder what it is ...
[
Fully transistorised, (very modern) germanium transistors throughout ...

More to follow.

Those speakers seem to be rebadged ELAC, very popular "cheap but good" option way back then, much used by WEM and VOX and certainly others.
Celestion were *expensive* and fitted only to top line equipment.

[Jon Snell]

Side Note: That mains voltage selector switch looks to be a simple easily accessible toggle switch. WAAAY too easy to switch by accident, IMO.

The 120/240 switch is only accessible after removing the back from the cabinet.
Can't do that by accident.

[pdf64]

Well those amps are sort of "back of the top" mounted. You could still adjust them looking from the top. I've seen only a couple of instrument amps that actually had rear facing controls. And I can't even remember their brand or model.

Ive seen early 60s Harmony amp, H306 maybe, with a sloping, rear facing control panel.

I think the idea was that the amp was used at the front of the stage, like PA speakers are nowadays, then the open back cabs acted as monitors for the performers.
The multiple inputs allowed the combos to be used for several instruments and vocal mics.

Viewed in that context, the designs make perfect sense

[Chuck H]

Greg and Pete. I thought the same regarding the amp being at the front of the stage and the open back acting as a monitor. That might explain the Fender adaptation to the up facing controls at the rear of the top. You could then use the amp either in front or behind you so both options were now available to the player. Albiet a little less perfect for either. But I'd wager this was the case.