Watkins Electric Music
Encyclopedia
Watkins Electric Music (WEM) is a British
company known for manufacturing musical instruments, guitar, bass and PA
amplification and the CopiCat tape echo machine. The company was founded in 1949, initially as a record shop in Tooting Market, London, by Charlie Watkins
and his brother Reg Watkins. Two years later the brothers moved to a small shop in Balham, London and began selling guitars and accordions.
In 1967-1968 The Who
used the WEM (Watkins Electric Music) Audiomaster five-channel mixer and multiple WEM 100-watt transistor PA amplifiers chained together as their sound system. In the concert movie Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
(1972), the band is shown using WEM PA equipment as it performs in the ruins of an ancient amphitheatre
in Pompeii, Italy.
A scaled down version of the company still operates, focusing on accordions and a new handmade version of the CopiCat tape echo units. The firm continues to be run by Charlie Watkins, 61 years after founding the company.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
company known for manufacturing musical instruments, guitar, bass and PA
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
amplification and the CopiCat tape echo machine. The company was founded in 1949, initially as a record shop in Tooting Market, London, by Charlie Watkins
Charlie Watkins (audio engineer)
Charlie Watkins is a British audio engineer and musical instrument maker, and is notable for pioneering loud PA systems for outdoor rock festivals...
and his brother Reg Watkins. Two years later the brothers moved to a small shop in Balham, London and began selling guitars and accordions.
In 1967-1968 The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
used the WEM (Watkins Electric Music) Audiomaster five-channel mixer and multiple WEM 100-watt transistor PA amplifiers chained together as their sound system. In the concert movie Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii is a 1972 film featuring Pink Floyd performing six songs in the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy. It was directed by Adrian Maben and recorded in the month of October using studio-quality 24-track recorders without a live audience.The performances of...
(1972), the band is shown using WEM PA equipment as it performs in the ruins of an ancient amphitheatre
Amphitheatre of Pompeii
The Amphitheatre of Pompeii is the oldest surviving Roman amphitheatre. It is located in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, and was buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, that also buried Pompeii itself, and neighbouring Herculaneum....
in Pompeii, Italy.
A scaled down version of the company still operates, focusing on accordions and a new handmade version of the CopiCat tape echo units. The firm continues to be run by Charlie Watkins, 61 years after founding the company.