King Music Imperial

[tony honda]

I'm looking for information about the King music amplifier, type Imperial.1970-1980? thanks

[Chuck H]

I can't turn up even one other example from this brand with *oogle searching. Though I've seen what I think to be the same unusual slanted metal baffle at the tubes in the back before right here on this forum. Looks a bit clunky cosmetically so I'm thinking small builder/manufacturer. Knob and switch layout look to be "Marshall" 1959 type clone with a master volume. The IEC AC input socket in the back dates it to a later era (unless that was added). But I'm sure I've seen this layout and that slanted metal plate behind the power tubes before in a different and also obscure brand in a thread here. Hopefully another member with a better memory than mine will recognize it too and chime in.

EDIT: It may also be a "store brand" amplifier made by the unknown manufacturer in question above and "King Music" was/is a retailer.

[tony honda]

thank you when the owner returns from abroad, maybe I'll get more information

[nosaj]

Don't ya think a builder who was proud of his work would at least center his logo and not use a Hiwatt type font?
nosaj

[Enzo]

I have to admit, it looks home made to me. I see no legends on the panels. Chassis almost appears to be repurposed.

[g1]

Looks like some kind of Hiwatt knock-off to me, including the font, knobs, and metal heatsink/shield plate.
Chuck H , is that slanted or just triangular sides?

[J M Fahey]

Just Another Marshall Clone.

Thousands of them around.

As of cosmetic choices, be my guest.

Brazilians say "Taste is like an ass, everybody has his own".

And I do see labelling and frames on the front panel, just very low contrast, say silver lettering (raw metal?) over light cream background.

Might even be the result of over enthusiastic cleaning with some strong solvent which wiped silkscreen ink away.

Sometimes (black?) ink semi dissolves and smears panel big time (think lipstick written labels smeared by finger pressure) so it has to be fully wiped away with clean rags and fresh solvent.

That often leaves bare metal behind.

I have seen it many times: when I silkscreen my panels sometimes they are ruined for various reasons: an area gets not printed (didnīt push squeegee uniformly or hard enough) , it gets smeared, spiderweb type ink threads form which fall over panel, unexpected ink drops, etc. so panel is set aside and later wiped off for rescreening.

When wiping "bad" ink off, I often see this.

And yes, King Music might be the shop, and Imperial the actual brand or model.

IEC connector is an obvious add-on, you can still see the old square hole there; speakon connector even more so, quite unusual in a Guitar amp, even more on a tube type one, but built-in flange covers earlier holes.

[Chuck H]

Just Another Marshall Clone.

I actually think g1 has it with the HiWatt clone. The square "indicator" lamp threw me off and I guessed Marshall.

IEC connector is an obvious add-on, you can still see the old square hole there; speakon connector even more so, quite unusual in a Guitar amp, even more on a tube type one, but built-in flange covers earlier holes.

I see that now. And...

I totally agree. Just an amp with no provenance. It's value depends entirely on the quality of the components, how it performs and how it sounds. And even then that would only be of value to someone that likes it. So, not "collectible" or "vintage" in any marketing sense.