Animalbeats Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 I've come across a page of WEM vintage columns with 10" drivers. I'm hoping to pair them with Selmer treble and bass. Do you think they'll be suitable for bass speakers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 [quote name='Animalbeats' timestamp='1423874523' post='2690086'] I've come across a page of WEM vintage columns with 10" drivers. I'm hoping to pair them with Selmer treble and bass. Do you think they'll be suitable for bass speakers? [/quote] Good evening, Animalbeats (or may we call you 'Animal'..? ), and ... [sharedmedia=core:attachments:167528] From my distant memory of WEM columns, I think I'm on fairly safe ground in saying that these will be as useful for bass amplification as a pair of yoghurt pots connected with taut string. They were 'reasonable' (but no more...) as voice-only PA columns, back then, but would hardly cut mustard nowadays in that role, except for a very enthusiastic and meticulous for detail Pink Floyd tribute band (other '70s bands are available...). Sorry if this is harsh news to you, and I could be wrong (but I doubt it...). Nice idea, but there are 10" speakers and 10" speakers; all are not made equal. Hope this helps; subject to correction, completion and/or contradiction from others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 In my first gigging band we used to lay a pair of these across the front of the stage as vocal monitors, and fed with a 100W HH slave they used to do a fairly decent job of letting us hear the vocals. But I'd agree with Dad - they're probably not up to providing the bottom end for bass, although I've got to admit I never tried. Mind you my favourite 'bass' cab of all time has been a Marshall 4X12 guitar cab, so what do I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Please don't. In the olden days speakers had paper voice coil formers and the coils were held together with lacquer which melted when the speakers got hot. The power handling was really low. The WEM columns I repaired years ago had Goodmans drivers in, good for the time but this was 1970. They were designed to work with the WEM amp which was the first commercial solid state amp in the UK AFAIK to produce 100W, this was 45years ago and I don't suppose they would handle that now. It may be sentimental on my part but it would be a shame to destroy something that has survived that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 This was Ten Years After, a free concert in Hyde Park, 1968. Quite 'state of the art' at the time; note the full stacks. The columns were strapped to step ladders. If your columns are in good nick, they are museum pieces. Please treat them as such..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalbeats Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) But I, I, I saws them at Live in Pompeii......on the video.... Edited February 14, 2015 by Animalbeats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fitzmaurice Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 [quote name='Animalbeats' timestamp='1423874523' post='2690086'] I've come across a page of WEM vintage columns with 10" drivers. I'm hoping to pair them with Selmer treble and bass. Do you think they'll be suitable for bass speakers? [/quote]Back in that era they would have used generic musical instrument drivers, good for guitar but not for bass. Using enough of them they would be tolerable, just as the original '69 SVT was tolerable. But they had to use two 8x10s to handle the 300w head. BTW, I saw [i]Ten Years After[/i] the summer before last, but without Alvin Lee it wasn't the same band I saw back in 1969 at a farm in upstate New York by any means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) Is this what you're aiming to emulate..? [url="http://coub.com/view/11w1ns06"]http://coub.com/view/11w1ns06[/url] Edited February 14, 2015 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalbeats Posted February 14, 2015 Author Share Posted February 14, 2015 No,but it does have a papery sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 If you disconnect the tweeter (if present, I think there were a few different models of these), they may turn out to be very nice guitar speakers. Talking of WEM columns. I went to a night a couple of years ago which had a couple of different retro-minded local bands, using period backline and PA. The bass was through a Selmer Goliath rig and the PA was a pair of WEM columns with some sort of valve amp. It was an interesting experience hearing that when I'm used to more modern setups, and it really didn't do much for the clarity of the vocals. I'm not sure I would go that route myself, but I'm glad that somebody does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the memories Dad, Ten years after in Hyde Park. crazy isn't it when you think how this silly game started. We were still using a pair of these Ten years after that with a 6 channel Wem mixer too. Not great but would love to be able to gig them again now in a retro 60's band. Edited February 14, 2015 by deepbass5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 (edited) I used to go to the Hyde park gigs. Saturday afternoons, a few beers first in The Tabard at Turnham Green, jump on the 88 bus and then see John Mayall, Jeff beck Group and many others. What a time. ps I thought WEM sounded pretty bad in comparison to the other gear available at the time. I wouldn't expect it to sound even that good now. Edited February 14, 2015 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subthumper Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 It's well worth researching the speakers as you may be surprised at their value if they're working. The columns if in good condition are becoming collectable so best bet is sell them and get something you want that will do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animalbeats Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 There doesn't seem to be a high re-sell price. I'm interested in taking the chance tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomBass Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1423876102' post='2690093'] Good evening, Animalbeats (or may we call you 'Animal'..? ), and ... From my distant memory of WEM columns, I think I'm on fairly safe ground in saying that these will be as useful for bass amplification as a pair of yoghurt pots connected with taut string. They were 'reasonable' (but no more...) as voice-only PA columns, back then, but would hardly cut mustard nowadays in that role, except for a very enthusiastic and meticulous for detail Pink Floyd tribute band (other '70s bands are available...). Sorry if this is harsh news to you, and I could be wrong (but I doubt it...). Nice idea, but there are 10" speakers and 10" speakers; all are not made equal. Hope this helps; subject to correction, completion and/or contradiction from others. [/quote] Upgrade those inexpensive yoghurt pots to some Müller Lights, and you will be sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 [quote name='Animalbeats' timestamp='1423881887' post='2690116'] But I, I, I saws them at Live in Pompeii......on the video.... [/quote] Are you sure they are PA columns Roger Waters is using? They look more like WEM Bass Cabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregBass Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 (edited) My first gigging band used "a pair" of WEM colums. I think it actually sold as a 6x10 column that split into two parts for transportability. No way would they have handled bass duties - it's really not worth the risk. Edit to add this link: http://forum.speakerplans.com/wem-columns_topic31135.html Just look at the speaker chassis - it is clearly not built for heavy bass use. Edited February 16, 2015 by GregBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 If you like the style of them, why not remove the old drivers and install more modern ones? It wouldn't be particularly cost effective and you'd have to do some research into what models would work well in a small sealed box.. Might be a ball ache or it could be fun, depends on how far you want to go really? My experience of WEM cabs in that they're solidly built and will put up with a hard life. My two 1x15 are still alive and kicking. One has a '90s HH speaker and the other I use as a low frequency enclosure loaded with a JBL 2225 and neither flap or distort even when worked hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmcnamara Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 There's a fascinating article in the February edition of Sound on Sound where Charlie Watkins: that is.... 'Mr WEM' talks about the problem of bass amplification and speaker development amongst other interesting stuff. (My second guitar amp was a Wem Dominator Mk 2...wonderful back in the 70's). All the best Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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