Wharfdale Amps???

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AlterlifesonAlterlifeson Frets: 475
edited December 2018 in Amps
Just seen these posted by Andertons. They sound alright to me. Pretty good for not a lot of money. Designed by someone from Marshall/Vox it looks like.



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  • King85King85 Frets: 631
    edited December 2018
    Yeah I saw this too. The bundle for the head and cab for £350 I think it was seems decent.

    Realistically we'd need more than one video to get a true idea of of they're any good or not though.

    Story behind them is quite interesting though.
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  • longjawlongjaw Frets: 420
    They're bloody hideous.
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  • JasonJason Frets: 1102
    tFB Trader
    They were launched a few years back at NAMM (maybe 4/5 years ago, possibly longer)

    Steve worked at Vox and Marshall (both based in MK), but I believe now lives in China, where Wharfedale are based, they sound pretty good,very good for the money, they did the Brit sound well, cosmetically they needed work.

    I think they were also called Albion Amps for a while.
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16000
    Remind me of some old girlfriends......horribly ugly but they do the business
    Had one 5 years ago bought very very cheaply secondhand
    Verdict.......perfectly good for 70s ,80s rock British sound but lacking definition
    higher gain channel is very grainy 
    Unless they have changed the item the original speaker is worse than crap
    swap the speakers out and it's a decent enough amp for rock.
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  • They seem very vintage-sounding, which is absolutely not my thing at all. I can see how they may appeal to some, but...the reality is that there's not really anything there that would make me choose them over a Jet City (except perhaps a more sensible loop, although we don't even know what the specs are there), and they're at exactly the same price point.

    I think Andertons missed a trick...I strongly suspect that the only reason they didn't sell was the way they look. They could've rebranded them with basketweave baffles and charged another £100 to cover the cost, and sold the lot in hours.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    They seem very vintage-sounding, which is absolutely not my thing at all. I can see how they may appeal to some, but...the reality is that there's not really anything there that would make me choose them over a Jet City (except perhaps a more sensible loop, although we don't even know what the specs are there), and they're at exactly the same price point.
    I think the exact opposite! They don’t sound ‘vintage’ at all, they sound ‘modern’ in a very dated way - something that was fashionable ten years ago, but far removed from the simpler, more genuinely retro sounds being used now. And they look the same, if not worse.

    Yes, they’re cheap - because Andertons bought the whole stock for marginally more than the scrap value and just need to make a profit on it. What happens when they run out of spares? Are they well-enough made to be repairable at component level, or will they need unobtainable replacement PCBs? Hard to say...

    I’d far rather buy a Jet City.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • I've had 2 of these, both the later branding "Albion".  I had a 1x12 35w and a 2x12 50w.  Amplification and controls in both were excellent.  Can't vouch for the speakers as I only used them at home.
    Steve Grindrod was chief designer at Marshall for many years and then MD/Designer at Vox......he must know his stuff !
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  • teradaterada Frets: 5113
    Blimey they're ugly
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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    I bought some of this gear about 8 years ago when they did the rebrand to Albion and knocked it all out for peanuts just after Xmas. I got a 50w head, the 35w combo and two 2x12 cabs for just under £600. @Dominic is right about the speakers - all mine have been changed - but the amps are sturdy and better put together than most Marshall stuff for similar prices.

    I've just put my combo in for a service as it's had a fair amount of use, generally as a power amp and speaker for my Kemper at small gigs/rehearsals. Excellent fx loop and very loud. Even used it for bigger gigs with one of the 2x12's. Paid for themselves several times over, even with replacing the speakers, and been totally reliable.
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  • joetelejoetele Frets: 947
    Always liked the Wharfedale speakers for hifi separates, but couldn't have one of those amps sat around no matter how good a bargain they are. Really not a good look. I think they'll be reduced further over time, mainly because of the looks - there's nothing very neutral about the appearance...
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  • CirrusCirrus Frets: 8481
    edited December 2018
    I wonder if the gain channels are anything like the Grinrod designed Vox "CP" series - they weren't that popular but I thought they sounded brilliant!

    Kind of ironic that those wharfdale guitar speakers are so poorly thought of given that they are primarily a speaker company. It was the same deal with the CC series AC30s; the cheaper ones had wharfdale speakers and they were not looked on fondly.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31367
    Cirrus said:
    Kind of ironic that those wharfdale guitar speakers are so poorly thought of given that they are primarily a speaker company. 
    Like many other brands, it's just a front for cheap Chinese tat these days. I was foolish enough to buy four Wharfedale powered PA cabs about three years ago (hey, they were great in the 70s!), they were cheap, nasty rubbish and all of them died. 
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  • drwiddlydrwiddly Frets: 911
    I am wondering where these came from though. AFAIK they stopped making these under the Wharfedale brand about 8 years ago. Did Andertons buy a container load that's been sitting in the docks at Shanghai since 2010?
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  • kreggskreggs Frets: 64
    drwiddly said:
    I am wondering where these came from though. AFAIK they stopped making these under the Wharfedale brand about 8 years ago. Did Andertons buy a container load that's been sitting in the docks at Shanghai since 2010?
    Yeah I think they did. In the video they say the stuff was sitting round for a long time and the boxes were  a bit crusty but the gear inside was fine
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  • teradaterada Frets: 5113
    kreggs said:
    drwiddly said:
    I am wondering where these came from though. AFAIK they stopped making these under the Wharfedale brand about 8 years ago. Did Andertons buy a container load that's been sitting in the docks at Shanghai since 2010?
    Yeah I think they did. In the video they say the stuff was sitting round for a long time and the boxes were  a bit crusty but the gear inside was fine
    Apart from the ones hey say they’ve ‘fixed’. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    Cirrus said:

    Kind of ironic that those wharfdale guitar speakers are so poorly thought of given that they are primarily a speaker company. It was the same deal with the CC series AC30s; the cheaper ones had wharfdale speakers and they were not looked on fondly.
    Wharfedale made good *hi-fi* speakers. The brand has been Chinese-owned for a long time now though, and they still make lower-end PA gear, but although the passive speakers are fine the active cabs are best avoided as p90fool says. Likewise I would not bank on long-term reliability and repairability with these amps even if they sound good.

    While it's true that Celestion also made good hi-fi speakers and PA speakers, you still wouldn't want to hear a guitar amp through them. They're a totally different thing from guitar speakers.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    Ah Whardale - found in the home of 1960s Amateur HiFi and Radiograms everywhere...


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  • RockerRocker Frets: 4941
    When was the last time someone at your gig said "Oh I like your amplifier..."

    An amp is an amp.  How it sounds is the most important question.  Followed by servicing and backup.  Looks don't even enter the equation.  And the price hardly matters especially if it is real world price.  There is very little difference between £350 and £700 if the latter price gives the sound you want and if it lasts for a long time.  Do you remember how much your amp cost?  I don't and I am hardly the only one....
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

    Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    I must be shallow then ‘cos looks matter to me. And those look awful.
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  • martmart Frets: 5205
    If you can’t tell whether it’s a Fender or a Gibson, then it’s probably a Wharfedale.
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