Built in the early 1960s by WEM / Watkins, these two amps are quite rare, as only eight were ever made.

Few have contributed as much to the technology behind rock & roll as Charlie Watkins and his company, WEM. His guitars and amplifiers launched the careers of many British guitarists in the 60's and 70's. Notable users of Watkins / WEM amps include Pink Floyd, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Hendrix. Charlie's amplifiers quickly became the mainstay of the early British 'Beat Boom;' in 1963/64 these particular amplifiers were made on special order from Hessy's Music Shop in Liverpool - the shop that the sold the Beatles and many other 'beat bands' their instruments. Hessy's was also a meeting place for many bands throughout the years until its closure in 1995.

Frank Hessy originally ordered 50 of these amplifiers but only 8 in total were made, making these incredibly rare indeed, only 5 out of the original 8 are known to exist! They both work and are in original and unrestored condition. These amps are great pieces of 'beat band' history and are highly sought after.

This item is currently in the possession of the consigner, in the United Kingdom. If the winner of this item resides within the United States, they will only have to pay the cost of shipping from New York City. If the successful bidder wishes the item to be sent to them from the United Kingdom, however, they will only have to pay the cost of shipping from that location. Dependent on the location of the winner, either option will be available.