Watkins/WEM is England's original manufacturer of amplifiers. Their 1954 Westminster guitar amp was five years ahead of Vox, and a full decade prior to Marshall's debut. It's easier to list early English rockers whose first amp WASN'T a Watkins, than to name the countless British Invasion musicians who first gigged on Westminster, Scout, and the more famous Dominator combo amps. The Watkins Copicat Tape Echo is a milestone product, with a sound which some enthusiasts still prefer to that of any other similar unit ever made. Watkins/WEM amps are not common in the United States, outside of recording studios, and in the collections of amp tone aficionados. The aggressive, snarling guitar sounds of Watkins combo amps are belied by these small units' kitschy, almost cute aesthetics.



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