Amps

END OF THE LINE - SELMER SOLID STATE AMPLIFIERS
 1965 to 1979

Selmer Advertisement from March 1975.

Solid-state technology appears to have been introduced into the Selmer range around the second half of 1965 with the introduction of the Taurus 60watt combo amp (later known as the Saturn 60 Reverb), which looked similar to the Zodiac and Thunderbird of the same era. This was soon joined by the small 5watt Mercury combo for a year or so. Following the disappearance of these first attempts in solid state technology around 1969-70, three simple 15 and 30 combo models were produced for a few years from 1973 onwards.

A short-lived professional-level solid state amplifier heads and cabinets were introduced at the Frankfurt Trade Fair in Spring 1973, but these were superseded  a year or so later by a less-sophisticated and hence lower-price range of slimline solid state amps and cabinets which remained in production for several years, being phased out in 1979 when the production of all Selmer amplifiers finally came to a halt. The Norlin company who now owned Selmer UK had made the decision to replace all Selmer-made amps with the solid-state "Lab Series" amps sourced from the USA.

Problems with reliability on the earlier models, together with the inevitable performance comparisons with Selmer's own valve amps, and those of their many competitors during the 1970s, led to the Selmer solid-state gear not being very successful. Perhaps this is why very few Selmer "Trannies" are around to-day.

COMBINATION AMPLIFIERS

Selmer Advertisement from May 1974 featuring the Compact 15SS Combo

• MERCURY 5 COMBO AMPLIFIER (1968 to 1969)
  The replacement for the valve powered Little Giant, with 5 watts output through an 8" speaker. Two inputs were available, each with a separate volume control, but with a common tone control. A tremolo equipped variant was also available for a further 4 guineas. This little practice amp seems to have only been produced between 1968 and 1969 during the Black/Silver Period.
  
  
• SELMER TAURUS 60 COMBO (1965 to 1968)
  Selmer's introduction into Solid State amps with 60 watt power output, through 2 x 12" speakers. Two channels with two inputs per channel. Both tremolo and reverberation controlled individually on each channel. The amp was equipped with a chrome swivel-back stand, fitted with castors. Introduced into the Selmer range in September 1965 as the  blue/black Taurus 60 (initially without swivel-back stand), it changed its appearance, and its name to Saturn 60, in September 1968 during the black/silver period. The Saturn had disappeared by 1970.
  
  
• SELMER SATURN 60 REVERB COMBO AMPLIFIER (1968 to 1970)
  See above.
  

• SELMER COMPACT 15SS COMBO AMPLIFIER (1973 to 1979)
  A simple solid state 15 watt amp, fitted with an elliptical speaker. Single volume and tone control, plus two input sockets. Initially introduced in mid-1973 with blue control panel. Later versions still in production during the mid-1970s, although with revised electronics.
  
  
• SELMER COMPACT 30SS COMBO AMPLIFIER (1973 to 1974)
  A short-lived solid state 30 watt amp using a similar concept to the valve-drive Compact 30SV. Two 12" speakers with volume, bass and treble controls controlling the single twin-input channel. Introduced around 1972 and soon discarded for the new Super Reverb 30/30SS combo brought out in late-1974.
  
  
• SELMER SUPER REVERB 30 (SS30) (1974 to 1979)
  A 30 watt output amp replacing the above Compact 30SS, equipped with two 12" speakers. Two non-switchable channels, with simple volume, bass and treble controls. Reverb fitted to second channel. Produced from early-1975 onwards, and initially described in the catalogue as the "Super Reverb 30"..
  

AMPLIFIER HEADS, SPEAKERS, & PA EQUIPMENT

Selmer Solid State Advertisement from April 1973.

• SELMER L&B 100 "LEAD AND BASS" (1973 to Autumn 1974)
  This head unit was presumably intended to eventually take over from the old valve driven Treble and Bass SV models, but in fact the popular SV range of T n' Bs continued to run in parallel with Selmer transistor amps until the demise of all the Selmer amps in 1979. Probably best to let the 1973 catalogue entry speak for itself - "A new solid state amplifier developed with working groups road managers in mind. May be switched from lead to bass on either channel. With a lead cabinet can be used for the whole range necessary for lead or rhythm guitar, and with a bass cabinet provides all the depth and tone required. Illuminated front panel. Two inputs for each channel, including... independent treble, bass, middle, presence, volume, reverb. Rear socket for external echo".
  Two types of speaker cabinet were available for use with this amp. The Lead 100 Cabinet was fitted with 4 x 12" speakers. (Perhaps a touch of the Marshalls here!). The Bass 100 cabinet was equipped with a single 18" unit, and was fibre glass lined internally. The catalogue states that this cabinet had been developed from the Goliath cabinet, which it presumably was intended to replaced.
  
  
• SELMER PA 100 (1973 to Autumn 1974)
  A solid-state alternative to the valve driven SV unit also appeared in 1973. Certainly, for a year or so, the two alternatives seem to have been produced in parallel. Interestingly, in 1974, the solid state version was much more expensive at £188 than the valve SV model at a bargain £109.50!
  100 watts output, with six channels each equipped with volume, treble and bass controls. A single reverb depth control was fitted, acting on all channels, as was a master volume. Two Selmer PA 60H speaker cabinets were recommended for use with the PA100 amplifier. Each cabinet contained three 12" speakers plus a horn unit.
  
  
• SELMER SL 100 SLAVE AMPLIFIER (1973 to Autumn 1974)
  Slave amps were very much in fashion in the 1970's for boosting the outputs from PA amplifiers and even guitar amp heads. This was the first occasion that Selmer produced such a unit. It was equipped with two input channels with two input sockets, a volume slider and rotary bass and treble controls for each channel.  
  
  

Selmer "Slimline" Solid State advert from September 1975.

• SELMER LEAD 100 (Autumn 1974 to 1979)
  Selmer introduced a second range of solid state amps in Autumn 1974, and came up with slim looking amps which presumably were intended to offer a much cheaper alternative to the above 1973 range. This range provided separate amplifier heads for Lead and Bass. Twin channel with individual rotary controls per channel for volume, bass, treble, and reverb. 
  
  
• SELMER BASS 100 (Autumn 1974 to 1979)
  Rather strangely, this bass amp was equipped in exactly the same manner as the Lead amp, with reverb on both of the two channels! Hmm.... 
  
  
• SELMER PA100 MIXER (Autumn 1974 to 1979)
  A dramatic change in style and capability from previous Selmer PA amps, this new 100 watt amplifier was combined with a 10 channel mixer, with volume sliders for each channel! Reverb was ialso included i the package.
  
  
• SELMER POWER 100 SLAVE AMPLIFIER  (Autumn 1974 to 1979)
  A simpler unit than the previous fully controllable twin channel slave, with now just one input with a single rotary control for input level.
  
  
• SELMER PA 100  (c1979)
  A later model to the above unit, this could well be the last PA 100 model produced before Selmer's demise

September 1973 Selmer advertisement for their new range of solid state amplification. At the bottom of the script is a paragraph stating that this gear was used in the "new Rock & Roll musical - GREASE", which opened at the New London Theatre on 26th June 1973.

Norlin's replacement for the Selmer amplifiers - the US-built "Lab Series", introduced into Norlin's UK catalogue in 1978.