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jazomir View Drop Down
Old Croc
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Joined: 20 November 2006
Location: Sunderland UK
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Points: 1759 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazomir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2009 at 2:30pm
I cut my teeth on these in the early seventies. Here is a picture of a version of the WEM Festival stack  (there were several versions with differentHF driver combos):


and here is it's baby brother, the ubiquitous WEM 4x12 column:


Don't expect too much of them - they're a 40 year old design utilising 40+ year old HiFi speakers. Build quality is OK, but sound wise they aren't  a patch on modern cabs a fraction of their size. Originally driven by WEM 100Watt slaves and WEM Audiomaster mixers - both of which were primitive and unreliable.
Here are some more photos for you -  WEM Audiomaster mixer:


WEM PA100 mixer amp :



and finally, a typical WEM PA electronics setup comprising: WEM Audiomaster, WEM PA100, WEM PA Slaves, WEM Copicat tape echo unit:




I can smell the smoke from the amps from here 36 years later!!!!







Edited by jazomir - 26 October 2009 at 3:35pm
For sidefills, can we have two enormous things of a type that might be venerated as Gods by the inhabitants of Easter Island, capable of reaching volumes that would make Beelzebub soil his pants.
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Static Age View Drop Down
Old Croc
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Joined: 14 November 2005
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Points: 1652 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Static Age Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2009 at 5:37pm
Thanks Jazomir.
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burningbush View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 May 2009
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Points: 5885 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote burningbush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2012 at 3:58pm
<undead threa>

Check this...



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WEM-Vintage-Speakers-Bins-Cabinets-Cabs-/200839109936?pt=UK_ConElec_SpeakersPASystems_RL&hash=item2ec2f19d30
music is the message
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jbl_man View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 January 2005
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Points: 11308 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jbl_man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2012 at 4:06pm
They look enormous for what is probually a 150 watt cabinet.There is a chrome-dome 15" in the bottom part,i wonder what driver that is? Celestion powercel maybe?
Be seeing you.
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burningbush View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 May 2009
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Points: 5885 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote burningbush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2012 at 4:25pm
I used to play on a homemade 1X1"/1x12"/1x15" version.  OOh, my back!
music is the message
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jazomir View Drop Down
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Joined: 20 November 2006
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Points: 1759 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazomir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2012 at 5:11pm
It always amazes me the variety of gear that WEM made - I know that Charlie Watkins had several factories and loads of people (160+?) working for him, but the company's output both in numbers and varieties was mind boggling. After 40 odd years, I still keep seeing new boxes - I know he made custom/one-off stuff for customers, but I'm really suprised how much of it is still around and the sheer variety.
For sidefills, can we have two enormous things of a type that might be venerated as Gods by the inhabitants of Easter Island, capable of reaching volumes that would make Beelzebub soil his pants.
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burningbush View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 May 2009
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Points: 5885 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote burningbush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 October 2012 at 5:25pm
Yep, just when you think you have seen it all, another set turn up.
music is the message
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fordlltwm View Drop Down
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Joined: 22 November 2012
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Points: 60 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fordlltwm Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2012 at 11:54am
Anyone got an idea on what a pair of 4 * 12" WEM columns would be worth? My boss at work has a pair that he keeps threatening to sell (second hand shop with a slightly hoarding owner), apparently they're ex Hawkwind, but I'm uncertain as to whether that provable or not.
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burningbush View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 May 2009
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Points: 5885 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote burningbush Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2012 at 12:16pm
Hawkwind?  Open them up, could be something stashed inside LOL.  £50-80 seems fair for them.
music is the message
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jazomir View Drop Down
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Joined: 20 November 2006
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Points: 1759 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazomir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2012 at 12:17pm
Originally posted by fordlltwm fordlltwm wrote:

Anyone got an idea on what a pair of 4 * 12" WEM columns would be worth? My boss at work has a pair that he keeps threatening to sell (second hand shop with a slightly hoarding owner), apparently they're ex Hawkwind, but I'm uncertain as to whether that provable or not.
Propbably worth putting in a museum, not for using - really, as I said earlier, they are very outdated and even putting new drivers in them wouldn't do much good. If they are ex-Hawkind they are probably from 1970-71 when I used to follow them and you could probably scrape a couple of ounces of resin from each cab so thick was the smoke at their concerts!
For sidefills, can we have two enormous things of a type that might be venerated as Gods by the inhabitants of Easter Island, capable of reaching volumes that would make Beelzebub soil his pants.
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odc04r View Drop Down
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Points: 5469 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote odc04r Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2012 at 12:46pm
Hah, I was back in Trowbridge for a mates charity night with a bunch of standup comedians. There was one of those WEM columns in each corner of the social club. Could hear about 50% of what was said as an estimate.

I offered him a pair of Res1 for gratis as it was a benefit and I was coming down anyway but he said not to worry, silly bugger. Not many people seemed to care though.
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Robbo View Drop Down
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Joined: 05 December 2005
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Points: 4297 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2012 at 2:53pm
Don't know if anyone realises that there were a lot of different models in the WEM 4x12 column range---starter was the "A" column which was a low power full range cabinet---these are the reason why everyone thinks that all WEM speakers sound crap---then there was the "B" column which was really heavy and again full range drivers which actually sounded rather good and this model tended to be the most popular among the pro bands of the day as they certainly used to go a bit-----then there was the "C" column which contained bass only drivers, this was supposed to be used with the really slim horn loaded HF cabinet and they again sounded crap without the accompanying HF cabinet.
The full range cabinet pictured above was available with cheap drivers inside but still sounded pretty good but the same cabinet was available factory loaded with all Electrovoice components throughout and these sounded superb---I saw the Cliff Bennett band once using just a pair of them a side without any subs and the sound was spot on back in the day.
In the seventies most of the top touring bands like Slade, Sweet, Raymond Froggatt all had their own WEM PA systems which used to comfortably fill 3000 seater venues--then all of a sudden companies like Entec, Showco and Tasco appeared and everyone started hiring bigger systems in for tours which in the main were JBL based cabinets and components with a few Gauss here and there as well.
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