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HOLDEN WASP 200w SLAVE

smo

smo

Nov 3, 2005
2,584
970
A Sandgropers' City, Australia
#1
Hi all,
Just thought I'd share......

I got this around 3 months ago through eBay - and the courier dropped it. Dropped it good.
Anyways, I got the insurance pay-out and fixed it up.
Here's the finished item.

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And here's some Amp porn

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I've got absolutely NO IDEA how old this amp is, as there are no identifying features.
The company has gone out of the biz' - so the serial isn't any good either.

Does anyone have a clue as to its' age?
Or has anyone ever played through one these?

smo
 
#2
I nearly bid on that m'self.
Taking a wild stab at a vague recollection from something said in passing at a party once, it's early 70's. So considering the trim, that'd make it a Belmont.
Beware that NZ amps don't do that round vowelly tone very well.

Lastly, is it PC to call something a slave nowadays? Indentured servant perhaps?
 
#3
A belmont?
I hadn't heard that. When I took it to my amp guru to fix it - he said he'd actually worked in the plant making these things in the first place. He just couldn't recollect what year etc.....

He did say that this one is the high gain model - and has a far higher output than the other Slave model in the same appearance.

Yeah - I like SLAVE - it's what I call the apprentice's at work;)
 
#4
smo said:
A belmont?
Click to expand...
Holden, early 70's, plain vinyl trim; Belmont. Geddit?
smo said:
He did say that this one is the high gain model - and has a far higher output than the other Slave model in the same appearance.
Click to expand...
If you decide you want to lower the gain, trace the schem; shouldn't be hard as there's not a lot in there.
smo said:
Yeah - I like SLAVE - it's what I call the apprentice's at work;)
Click to expand...
LOL. I miss when you could haze the new apprentices. Y'know send them to the store for a 'long wait' or a tin of tartan paint. But now you'd damage the poor little dears' self esteem.
 
#6
rodl2005 said:
That'd be "A HQ" - BELMONT were the "cheapo" models of the current line IIRC. Went -sort of:- Statesman-Top o' the line, Premier- top o the line for "normal folk", Kingswood-Normal for "normal folk"(See "Kingswood Country"-TV SHOW) Belmont- for poorer normal folk! :-)
Click to expand...
Aren't HQ's still available new in Tas?

Leave yer money in the fridge.
 
#9
No your not the only one. A friend of mine has a non slave version with 6 tubes (EL6??) thats 300w. I use in on and of when we jam, but it rarely gets out for a gig as its sooo heavy and he's really anal about his gear. He also has the two matching 4x12s. Quite an in your face rig, but Im more of a modern tone kinda guy

P.S. I didt see anyone pissing on fords yesterday...........
 
#11
Alexander Eddy said:
P.S. I didt see anyone pissing on fords yesterday...........
Click to expand...

I'll pay that.........reluctantly.;)

Alexander Eddy said:
No your not the only one. A friend of mine has a non slave version with 6 tubes (EL6??) thats 300w.
Click to expand...

Cool - that sounds sweet......I'll bet there aren't many of those floating about.
When I spoke to my amp guru regarding HOLDEN / WASP - he said they kinda used whatever parts they could source cheap. So towards the end, they ended up using KT88's and 6550's for everything - even guitar amps apparently.:eyebrow:


Link Removed
For anyone whose curious, I stumbled on this the other day;
It's the "Australian and NZ valve amplifiers for guitar and P.A. 1930's - 1970's." But there's plenty of bass stuff too.
It's a pretty cool website - with history, photo's and a bag of useful links if you're into old amps - and fixing them yourself.
It has an area devoted to the Holden Wasp amps - aswell as one of my other fave oldies - Eminar.
 
#12
smo said:
I'll pay that.........reluctantly.;)



Cool - that sounds sweet......I'll bet there aren't many of those floating about.
When I spoke to my amp guru regarding HOLDEN / WASP - he said they kinda used whatever parts they could source cheap. So towards the end, they ended up using KT88's and 6550's for everything - even guitar amps apparently.:eyebrow:


Link Removed
For anyone whose curious, I stumbled on this the other day;
It's the "Australian and NZ valve amplifiers for guitar and P.A. 1930's - 1970's." But there's plenty of bass stuff too.
It's a pretty cool website - with history, photo's and a bag of useful links if you're into old amps - and fixing them yourself.
It has an area devoted to the Holden Wasp amps - aswell as one of my other fave oldies - Eminar.
Click to expand...

The sad thing is that I too am a Holden man, Bathurst was a let down!

Im jamming at my mates house on Saturday - Ill get some pics if I can remember and post them
 
#14
smo said:
Link Removed
For anyone whose curious, I stumbled on this the other day;
It's the "Australian and NZ valve amplifiers for guitar and P.A. 1930's - 1970's." But there's plenty of bass stuff too.
It's a pretty cool website - with history, photo's and a bag of useful links if you're into old amps - and fixing them yourself.
It has an area devoted to the Holden Wasp amps - aswell as one of my other fave oldies - Eminar.
Click to expand...
Great site, thanks.
 
#15
I have played one of these. My church has one and the matching 2x12 cabinet. I learnt to play through it!

The one that I have used is slightly different in that it has 2 channel preamp. Not sure what the valves/tubes are - i think they are 12au7? but could be wrong. The power amp has 4 Kt88's - it think that makes it about 200 watts?

Anyway, it's built like a tank and has taken some abuse over the years and is still going strong. I guess that means it should be called a Ford amp rather than a Holden.....;):D

i won't mention bathurst......:D
 
#16
Brendan100 said:
it's built like a tank and has taken some abuse over the years and is still going strong. I guess that means it should be called a Ford amp rather than a Holden.....;):D
Click to expand...

But it says Holden on it right? Call it a Ford if you like, but if you do it'll crack a head quick-smart.;)

All the same - glad to know I'm not the only one with one of these amps. It's a real shame they stopped making these around the mid-seventies, cos there's very little information available on them, never mind a complete schematic or replacement parts.....
That web-site I listed above is about the only place I've found anything useful so far.


Mine has actually been modified a little.
It has four inputs - instead of the normal two.
One of those inputs has a healthy damper (I forget the resistor size) but it's good for ~20dB - in case one of my bandmates has amp trouble:help:
There was also another input on the rear of the chassis - which I chose to disconnect - as 5 inputs may start a little hummmmm.
I still may disconnect another two if I get noise issues, which (so far) I haven't.
Other than that, I believe it's fairly normal.


Thanks for the replies and input here fella's!
smo
 
#17
very cool to find out other people have them aswell. again - the holden that we have has 2 channels with 2 inputs for each channel. The 2 channel's have different controls, one just has bass treble and master volume - this channel sounds a lot thinner - almost like it was designed for guitar. The second channel has bass, middle, and treble controls. it also has a presence control and a master volume. Not sure when this amp was built.

In christchurch NZ there were a couple of companies making amps - one company "Jansen" even went as far as building almost exact replica's of fender bassman's. Or so i have been told.

We have a jansen amp at church but not sure what model it is - from memory i think it has 2 6l6 power tubes/valves and the preamp has 2 12Au7's and a 12AX7. Would be great to find out more info about this one aswell if anyone can provide anything?
 
#19
rodl2005 said:
I'll take 'em to my tube amp tech/guru(who actually LOVES what he does & it shows in his work!!!) he may know more. He's been working on tube amps since 1975 AFAIK. & holds AUS & NZ amps dearly!!!
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Yep - so does my bloke.
He reckoned that they were heirlooms in waiting, and that anyone who sells a handmade point-to-point tube amplifier was very foolish indeed. (but his language was a bit more colourful of course...)

Jansen - there's a section devoted to them too in that website I listed, take a geez....they look pretty cool.:cool:
 
#20
smo said:
that anyone who sells a handmade point-to-point tube amplifier was very foolish indeed.QUOTE]

Yikes!!!!! My ol' Eminar I sold was-of course- handmade & P To P.:bawl: I just wasn't getting the tone I needed outta it & it wasn't getting used.:( Pity......was a nice old girl...like the ones on the Elandz site-with the GOLD face & sliders..except mine had 6 x 6CA7's instead of 4!!!!
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