Amps

SELMER LONDON ELECTRONICS - MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

GUITAR EFFECTS UNITS, EFFECTS PEDALS & VOLUME CONTROL PEDALS

• 1940s & 50s SELMER VOLUME CONTROL FOOT PEDALS
  Three different types of foot pedals produced in the 1940s and 50s for controlling the volume of amplified instruments including guitars.

• 1959 SELMER TREMOLO EFFECTS UNIT
  Probably Selmer's first attempt at producing a stand-alone effects unit. This was controlled by a separate footswitch.

• Mid-1960s SELMER BUZZ-TONE PEDAL
  An early solid state "distortion" unit, which Selmer introduced at the September 1966 British Musical Instruments Trade Show.

• 1967-71 SELMER FUZZ-WAH PEDAL
  Introduced into the Selmer catalogue in September 1968, and described as being "suitable for use with both guitar and organ". A Wah-Wah Pedal without the Fuzz effect was also offered.

• Early 1970s SELMER SCINTILLATION REVERBERATION UNIT
  Produced for a short time in the early 1970's, this spring-based effect was introduced to compliment the various "SV" Series amplifier heads that did not incorporate built-in reverb. The example shown is one of two recently (2003) discovered, still in their original factory packings - and unopened!

KEYBOARDS, ORGANS, & ANCILLIARY EQUIPMENT

• THE SELMER CLAVIOLINE ELECTRONIC KEYBOARD
  The French-invented Clavioline was a small keyboard which packed into the separate amplifier unit for transportation, and which was intended for use as a supplementary unit to a piano. This keyboard was used intensively by small dance bands in the UK throughout the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's, and also was the distinctive lead instrument on the Tornado's "Telstar" hit back in 1962. It was made under licence and distributed in the UK by Selmer London from around 1952, in competition with the JMI (Vox) Univox keyboard.

• THE SELMER PIANOTRON PORTABLE KEYBOARD
  By the mid to late 1960's, Selmer were offering more sophisticated portable keyboards for band use. This Pianotron is owned by Des Abbott, who played it back in the 1960's with his band, The District Line. Also included on the page are catalogue scans of  the Pianotron and also the Capri Electronic Organ.

• THE SELMER CONCERT, MINSTER, & LINCOLN ORGANS
  Three examples of electronic organs made by Selmer in the 1950's for use in churches and in the home.

• THE SELMER-LESLIE SPEAKER CABINET
  A 12" speaker cabinet for use with Leslie organs, employing a moving baffle in front of the speaker to produce the "Leslie Rotating Speaker Sound"

• THE SELMER-LESLIE COMBINED AMPLIFIER & SPEAKER
  Selmer imported Leslie Organ parts during the 1960's/70's, and assembled the organs under licence for sale in the UK. For a short period in 1967/68, they produced a combo amp for use with the organ. This produced the famous Leslie rotating speaker sound, but by means of a moving baffle in front of the speaker; not by actually rotating the speaker. We understand that one of these units was supplied to the EMI Abbey Road studios for use during the Beatles recording sessions.

MICROPHONES

• SELMER RSA/TRUVOICE MICROPHONES

TAPE RECORDERS & RECORD PLAYERS

• 1957-59 SELMER TRUVOICE TAPE RECORDING MACHINE
  It would appear that Selmer-Truvoice made tape recorders in the late 1950s. This is particularly evident from the appearance of the cabinet covering and control panel. This machine was based on a high-quality Collard tape deck, with amplifier, speaker, and case produced by Selmer Truvoice. One unusual feature of this machine was the provision of an input for a microphone, my which means one could sing along through the built in amplifier to the tape being played. Many thanks to John Beer for finding this rarity.
  
  In the 1960 Selmer Electronics catalogues, a different tape recorder is listed - the Saba Automatic. This seems to have been a "bought-in" machine with no features that would hint of Selmer Truvoice having constructed it, and so my guess is that Selmer's attempt at building tape recorders only last for a short period during 1957 to 1959.

• c1959 SELMER TRUVOICE/FIDELITY RADIO RECORD PLAYER
  Selmer obviously had some sort of association with the Fidelity Radio company in the late 1950s. This record player has the logos of both brands on it, and there are several features that point towards Selmer Truvoice having played a part in its construction, including the obvious resemblance of the amplifier-speaker section to the S-T Little Giant guitar amplifier and the maroon/cream vinyl covering. Even the ventilator slots at the rear of the player are of a type fitted by Selmer to the guitar amplifiers made at that period. The extension speaker for this record player uses a Little Giant-style cabinet.
  
  A Fidelity Radio advertisement from April 1959 is shown on the link which, although being for the Fidelity Argyll tape recorder, also offers un-badged Selmer Truvoice Little Giant guitar amplifiers for sale.
  A blue covered, but otherwise similar Fidelity-badged record player together with its "Little Giant"-style extension speaker cabinet has now been added on the link.

SELMER-SELCOL PLASTIC GUITARS

• SELCOL PLASTICS "JUNIOR BEATLE" GUITAR
  Selcol was an associate company to Selmer, who were displaced in late-1968 from their factory in Braintree, Essex in order to make way for the relocated Selmer amplifier production facility. Prior to being closed down, Selcol made plastic garden furniture and toys - an interesting example of which is this plastic guitar which helped to satisfy the demand for "all-things-Beatle" in the UK during the mid 1960's.

• SELCOL PLASTIC "RED JET" ELECTRIC GUITAR
  And another plastic guitar made under the Selco trade-name. This one is owned by Des Abbott in the UK.

MISCELLANEOUS

• SELMER "HOFNER" PRE-AMP FOR USE WITH OLD DOMESTIC RADIOS
  A small transistor gadget introduced for a short time in 1964 that allowed guitarists to plug their instrument into the back of a domestic valve radio or radiogram in order to save the expense of purchasing a dedicated guitar amplifier.
  
  
• THE SELMER VARITONE OCTAMATIC AUDITORIUM
  A combo amplifier produced for use with a SAXOPHONE!! A special pickup was supplied, which was attached to the sax, together with a small control consul fitted with volume and tone controls. That is why there are only the tremolo controls actually on the amplifier unit itself.

EXAMPLES OF AMPLIFIERS PRODUCED BY THE HENRI SELMER COMPANY IN THE USA

• SELMER U.S. BUILT "GENERAL PURPOSE" COMBINATION AMPLIFIER.
  We have been taken unawares by Brandon Tinianov who has sent us pictures of an amplifier manufactured by the Henri Selmer company in Indiana, USA. This would appear to be a general purpose amplifier, intended for use with "phonographs" and "recorders" as well as with "microphones" and "instruments". Henri Selmer USA were a completely separate company to the Selmer company in London, England with different product lines and management.

• SELMER U.S. BUILT COMBINATION AMPLIFIER
  An even earlier US-built amplifier that probably dates from the 1940's. We can only conclude that this and the above amp were built for the parent Selmer Paris company for distribution in the US. They are not really from the same ancestry as the UK Selmer amps on which this website is based. Nevertheless, they are very interesting. Thanks to Dave Huyck for supplying the photos of his amp.

• 1940's(?) SELMER U.S.-BUILT COMBINATION AMPLIFIER
  And another example of an early amp built by/for the Henri Selmer, Paris company in the States. Again, any information on this old amp would be gratefully received.

Advert from "Melody Maker" - June 1969.

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