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solid state amplifier heads and cabinets were introduced at the Frankfurt Trade Fair in Spring 1973, but these were superseded  a year or so later by a less-sophisticated and hence lower-price range of slimline solid state amps and cabinets which remained in production for several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

 

 

AMPLIFIER HEADS, SPEAKERS, & PA EQUIPMENT

Selmer Solid State Advertisement from April 1973.

 

Selmer "Slimline" Solid State advert from September 1975.

 





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.







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