1963 Watkins V-Front Dominator

V-Front Watkins Dominator valve (tube) amp in fully-restored condition and excellent working order.

Dating from around 1963, it's just been serviced and sounds great - sounding louder than you'd expect from a 17w twin, this iconic amp is a real gem. Don't be fooled by the staid looks - not as cool as an 18w Marshall maybe, but this amp can snarl and growl with the best of them. The tremolo is really nice - plenty of depth and no thump.

It was in a sorry state cosmetically when we acquired it - it had had many indignities forced upon it, including being painted black. Many hours were spent carefully removing the thick black paint in an attempt to save the original covering, but eventually it became apparent that this was not feasible. Much time was then spent preparing the cabinet for a full re-cover by John Beer at AmpFix (who manufactures the reissue Doms). There were some mishaps during the re-cover process which left dark lines and marks on the smart new turquoise finish, but overall the end result looks stunning. The internal workings of the amp were given a thorough overhaul to bring everything back up to original spec. The amp is all-original internally aside from out-of-spec or failing electrical components that were replaced as required; the valves were all replaced. The original 10" Elacs are present, undamaged, and working well, though we've found that these amps can really shine with modern drivers fitted.

It's a lovely vintage amp and has been much-enjoyed in the studio, but it's now time to pass it on.

This is a UK 240v mains-powered model and will require a step-up transformer for operation in countries with 110-117v mains supplies. The UK plug will be removed prior to shipping to countries with 240v mains supplies, unless otherwise requested.