| Ian | ||
| Hi Andy , beat this , at 16 my Dad went guarentor for me to by a HH VS Musician on hp , its never failed , and always fills the room on any Gig . Its played at every Butlins , Pontins and most Clubs in between soul,country,rock n roll you name it ive played it !!!! {i know sad isn't it}.. I have never even tried other amps, never needed to . Any chance you guy's may find the backing to re issue these classic amps ????? Cheers Ian | ||
| Jan | ||
| hi andy, thanks for running this page. in 1980 i bought a wood surrounded HH micro-30 at steinway shop in hamburg, germany. the sales guy warned me that it's a keyboard amp and i won't have fun as a guitar player, but he was wrong ;-) it did go up in flames 2x but i manged to get i repaired and still enjoy the clean sound of it. cheers jan | ||
| Neil from Canada | ||
| Hey Andy nice web site!! I guess i'm a HH die hard amp user , i watched Bill Nelson from B-bop deluxe and i had to have one ... it took me almost 20 years to get my, hands on a vs musician combo .... Mmm a long time ,, in Canada hard to find .. but now its my main amp beside a new Traynor YCS50 I just seem to get a very good sound from this HH amp every one thinks its a valve amp , i play blues r&b classic rock being half tech and half musician i have a good understanding with electronics and there is more to this amp then credited!! 1- the finger response is so ,, tube like that there iis no difference !! 2- it has that exact brit tone ,, for solid state that is so hard to design. I rate the VS Musician the best amp design for 1975 to 2009 really you cant get better then Best! And i think if more musicians had the chance to play one ,, they all would agree My HH vs musician is a 1978 ver. and i built my own foot switch I will try to post a utube video for all the HH fans Keep up all the good work !!!! thanks Neil Weiher Manotick Ont Canada | ||
| Colin | 04/02/2008 | |
| Hi again Andy here's a story for you!!! About 12-15 years ago I installed (as part of a system) 2 x V800's into a Sainsburys staff canteen come social club in Charlton London, about 2 years ago i was asked if I would like to buy the system back as it was no longer in use, when I went to the site I was told (to my utter disbelive) that the system had never been turned off!! the really amasing thing was the V800's were both still working ok but one of the fans needed changing because it was a bit noisy but it still worked, for the last 2 years they've been in a live music pub in lewisham (where I live) and both still worked 5-6 days a week up until a few weeks ago when they were replaced with some nasty QSC stuff! One of the other engineers from JW Parkers still had a full set of circuit diagrams for the entire HH & Harrison range, as he is now about a thousand years old (and deaf) and proberbly no longer needs them I'll see if I can contact him and get them for you and you can upload them to the site, the one comment from the speakerplans site was "Great the got all the specs" so there is a fair bit of interest! Regards Colin. P.s if I can be of any help at all please mail me!! | ||
| Colin Taylor | 12/02/2008 | |
| Just had a look at you site & I'd like to say it's so nice that not everyone has forgot HH, I worked for Johnny Parker (Jw Parker sound systems) in the old kent road for many years and installed/sold loads of HH kit & still think some of it was way ahead of it's time keep up the good work! I've posted a link on the speaker plans website so other vintage audio junkies can visit!!! Regards Colin M Taylor. | ||
| John McGuigan | 14/02/2008 | |
| Hi there, Just had a look at your site. HHamplification.......... jeez does that bring back the memories. i still use a vs musician 100watt head as my back up amp on stage...... believe it or not i have had to use it often as the marshall all valve thing i have have is "too delicate" to be rough handled.... my hh is 28 years its senior and still louder.... and i believe better! keep up the good work..... must mail your site addy to my valve head friends who totally rubbish my amp..... they have a lot to learn all the best John McGuigan Glasgow | ||
| Maurice | 15/05/2008 | |
| Dear Sirs, Please find attached to this email message, picture of current HH users - The Fabulous Man Group. In picture:- HH VS musician 212 combo (behind Doug - guitar) HH footswitches - Reverb on/off, Valve Sound on/off HH effect pedal - Clockwork Concubine (flanger) HH Bass Baby 150w combo (behind James - bass/vocal) | ||
| David Walsh | 23/05/2008 | |
| 8 V 8s!!!!!!! Now that is a site to be seen!! Super noise!!!!!! Yeah, the V8 is clean for such a big old brute. I was told my two began life in Queens Belfast. One of them has a sticker inside saying she is 30 years old. I love how well sounding they are with more than 2 speakers being fed from it; it just adores the need to drive more. Will be running 4 speakers from her tomorrow, two new JBL's and two reconed DS 15's so it will be fun for sure. Maybe you can set up a HH gallery of examples in use today, I'd be glad to send in snaps of mine at work. Are your sets working still? | ||
| Wayne | 10/07/2008 | |
| Hi, I thought I would send you a couple of pics of me playing with “Ronald” my HH VS Musician 212 Reverb. I have just bought a 412BL cabinet, next time I play with that I will drop you a couple more. It’s great to see the HH amps being used and in some cases sought after. I have used “Ronald” (named after the stenciling that someone had put on the back when I acquired it!) for 20 years now. Have had money a few times for the ultimate Marshall stack, but “Ronald” is the only amp I have had any desire to play with. Cheers Wayne Houchin. | ||
| Keith Pattison | 05/08/2008 | |
| Hi Just looking at your great site. I used to sell HH amplifications for about 7 years. The most reliable stuff we sold - hardly ever had any returns I notice that there aren't any pictures of the tape loop echoes. One used a short loop, like a Watkins Copycat. The other a continuous tape housed in a clear box where you could watch the tape worm around. Great to see pictures of the IC100s - wished I'd bought one of the combos Keith | ||
| Patrik J | 14/08/2008 | |
| Hello Ive just the superb V800 amp, i just gotta say WOW! Its truly awesome, though a bit on the heavy side (as it should be in my opinion). My question is though, is there a possibility to get a user manual? Not that it need one, just for the fun of it. Maybe in PDF or something? That would just be too cool! Thanks in advance. Patrik J Sweden | ||
| David | 29/08/2008 | |
| hi there andy, just to say it's great to see so much info on hh in one place. i've spent so much time trawling maj's site and forums! my "rig" is a 250w bass machine head from the early 80's(i believe; big plastic chunky corners) with a matching 215 bl cabinet recently fitted with a pair of brand new eminence speakers. i've also just acquired a 1973 ic100 head that we're going to run our hammond through via a vox 15" cab. if i gave you serial numbers, would you be able to confirm age of equipment? maybe a page of links to bands old and current that used hh gear?? thanks again and keep up the good work. dave | ||
| Maurice Gilbey | 01/09/2008 | |
| Andy; I worked at HH In the seventies testing the amps and cabs -Wow what a job that was. Although I work and live now in Texas I am still in contact with my old H/H Pals and one of them has IC100 Combo to this day! I have real good memories at Bar Hill and have one photo of me and some lads playing at a rare HH Company gig. Speak to you soon Maurice Gilbey | ||
| Maurice | 03/09/2008 | |
| Andy; Great to hear from you and that someone who never worked there is so interested - Good on you Mate! Don't know about the equipment that you are referring to as I had left by then on these brand items. When I achieved my Degree I left HH to tour abroad with the Troggs and other bands. Getting to live in the USA is another story! I know that the Design Engineer around my time was called Steve Marcoum . I left around the time that they had released the P73 Piano (used by Stevie Wonder) and Tiger PC. These were both disasters and that's what brought down HH -What a Shame! I worked in the Test Dept and QC.and it was the Job to have in the seventies. Mike Harrison (MD) was a great guy and would give me a lift into work some mornings in his Mercedes Benz .He was a talented design engineer to come up with ideas that he did as the Electro luminescence panel and Valve sound modules and the Loudspeakers Technology at that time .The last I heard he was still making power amps. I will send a photo of me playing at HH company gig-once I PDF it. Also I will get in contact with my mate (Ex HH ) in Chelmsford to email you. Let's keep the correspondence going. Maurice | ||
| Martin Halls | 05/10/2008 | |
| Hi AndyJust spent around 3 hours !!!!!!!!!!!! looking at the HH website Even burnt my dinner !!!I think it is fantastic It is your website ?I still have most of the H/H gear that I had before I did sell a IC100 to a french guy on ebay who thought it was the best thing he ever used Kind regardsMartin (France) | ||
| Gordon (California) | 24/10/2008 | |
| Hi Andy,Great to see a site like this. I have a Studio 60 bass amp that I have been dragging around for years. Bought it in new condition out of a garage in Orange County California. There are so many things that this little bugger can do. Awesome amp. I set it aside for years and spent a lot of money and time putting together bigger, more expensive rigs and have recently realized some things. After playing a loaner Demeter rig worth thousands complete with huge Demeter tube amp, Demeter optical compressor and Demeter preamp that I like the sound of my combo more than all the other rigs I've played through. It has all the punch and any tone combination I could want with the sweepable eq. In a recent rehearsal, I pushed the Demeter aside and plugged a Aguilar 1 15 cab into the speaker out in the back of the combo just to see what the difference and WHAMMO! Tone for days. Even the guitar player went on and on about the sound. Imagine that.Gordon | ||
| Martin Hall (France) | 01/01/2009 | |
| List of H/H users 1 Buzzcocks 1978 Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldnt have http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRE79bxfMtY&feature=related 2 The Specials 1979 A Message to you Rudy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGDQ85Dg-ss&feature=related 3 The Specials 1979/80 Too Much Too Young http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxHcx7FO8nI&feature=related 4 The Undertones 1978 Teenage Kicks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAtUw6lxcis&feature=related 5 The Skids 1979 Into The Valley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9udxbvHiqGw&feature=related 6 The Skids 1980 Working for the Yankee Dollar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsqFdzZpUms&feature=related 7 Big Country 1983 Fields of Fire ( On The Tube ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeX5cRjvFR0&feature=related 8 Marc Bolan T Rex 1973 Jeepster http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k60jFZwhEEE&feature=related 9 T Rex 1973 20th Century Boy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4OZ6Gs-5vc&feature=related 10 Doctor Feelgood Roxette http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jmIYyskDM8 11 Doctor Feelgood 1975 Back In the Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HwljOnBWbg&feature=related 12 Be Bop Deluxe 1976 Ships in the Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGs5z8CaKX0&feature=PlayList&p=1669C04123EA23CB&playnext=1&index=62 | ||
| Derek (Canada) | 14/01/2009 | |
| Hi, Just wanted to say thanks for the web site, I now have some info about my amp. I've been playing with my ICS 100 for over 25 years now...rock, metal, blues, surf rock etc...still love this old amp of mine...just put some new 12 inch speakers in it and the young guys at the store thought it was a tube amp after hearing it. ...the classic HH green glow... always cool! Derek Podorieszach (Canada, Québec city) | ||
| Leif | 16/01/2009 | |
| hey just been looking at the web site. I bought my Power Baby in 1980 and loved it to bits 'til 2002 when it decided to stop working. I couldn't bear to part with it and eventually found a local electronics wizard who nursed to back to good health. Shoot! I'd forgotten how lovely it sounds! And LOUD! My effects peddle is in the cupboard and it's just the guitar, jack lead and the combo again. Great site: the old quality gear shouldn't be forgoten. It was so nice to see the flyers: brought back so many memories!! I'd forgotten there was a "Super Sixty"! Leif Keane | ||
| Pete | 16/01/2009 | |
| Hi, I would just like to say great website. It's good to see that there are still some H||H die hards still out there! I own several VX power amps and often see VX, V and M series amps still getting a nightly thrashing in night-clubs. Two of my VX450s are powering my home cinema system as I type... it's not surprising that VXs where (are) widely used for powering monitors in the broadcast industry, they really do get the best out of good quality speakers. I have done an A-B test with a Yamaha P series amp vs. H||H VX900. The Yamaha had a slightly higher power rating but my VX900 gave a comparable SPL with a cleaner sound and fuller base. The poor Yamaha's powersupply was audibly struggling to provide enough power for bass. It's good to see some Unit System 3s still working. It has been a long time since I have heard one but I seem to recall that they provided a fair bit of punch for their power rating. The CD400s where easy to pop if you weren't too careful though. Do you still use your H||H rig? if so what for? Regards Pete | ||
| Leigh | 23/02/2009 | |
| Leigh Comment : well my names Leigh im 22 years old, and at the age of 16 i started Dj'n for a local nightclub called the Planet. Playing all Rock and Heavy Metal music, i stuck this out for a while and decided i wanted to go at it alone and be a DJ available for all occasions and events. I was limited to what i could buy as i had not long left school, but i saved every penny including my paper round money and eventually i managed to muster up £150. I started looking for Speakers that were inside my price range but nothing came up. After a few weeks my friend told me her dad had some old speakers sitting in his shed doing nothing, so i decided to contact him about them. They were an old set of HH speakers, very tatty looking and a bit damp from being stould in his shed for such a long period of time. No questions asked i decided to buy them. Ive been DJ'n now for 6 years with these same HH speakers , not once have they ever failed and not once have i had a bad comment. People are always remaking me on the sound they kick out. This must have been the best £150 i have ever spent. Long Live HH, | ||
| George | 11/11/2009 | |
| What an incredible website! I have to chip in and tell you that I bought the HH VS Musician the same year they came out and I only sold that amp a few years ago, but know for a fact it's still being gigged to this day. A solid performer in every way, it never let me down and I've played all over the country with it, pubs, clubs large events, all weathers, all environments. It's been roadie'd constantly over the years I owned it and will no doubt still be around in 10 years time, at least. The amp has a unique sound I have to say, very 'vintage' by today's standards, and it makes my instruments sound so much better than my Marshall or Fender or Vox ever did, so that says it all really. These amps deserve to re-manufactured for sure, so bring it on guys! :) George. (Glasgow). | ||
| Allan | 23/11/2009 | |
| Hi Andy, Great site, nice to see all that HH goodness online! Thought I’d send a pic of a band I was in about ’85 - ’86 called ‘Never The Ring’. We used a couple of HH amps at that time, couldn’t tell you the model no’s but the bass combo was a 1x15, ported at the bottom and is still one of the best bass combos I’ve used, just had a lot of character and a really nice midrange with a the bottom that end was punchy without getting murky. Really suited the music we were playing which was original, sort of ‘indie rock’ with a lot of slapped bass (if you can imagine such a thing)! The amps were always present in the rehearsal rooms we used and we also gigged with them often, never found out what happened to them when the place shut down but I wish I’d bought the bass amp – although saying that storing it may have presented a problem, I’d forgotten what a large beast it was. Good luck with the site and hope you can use the pic (as I remember I’d taken the amp along that night but the guys doing the sound wanted me to use another one which was already set up). A good few of the guys on the Basschat site have some fond memories of their HH gear as well. This may come through as a second post, I sent another but I’m not sure if it got to you. All the best, allan | ||
| Alan | 28/12/2009 | |
| Just found your site and I think its great you are keeping the great name of HH alive. I used to work at J W Parkers throughout the 80's as did Colin ( who was the T boy and gofer) . I also ran a fairly large sound system for the time using 2no. S500D amps as the main power source. (500 watts per channel into 2 ohms). These fed 4no. custom built folded horn bins loaded with HH 1500b drivers, and 2no. HH pro 200 mk1 cabinets, 2no. HH mini horns(RCF drivers) and a pair of RCF large flared horns. These were fed from a Citronic Stereo Hawaii console and ADC sound shaper Graphic ( Both still in the loft somewhere) The volume and sound was excellent and was used for various events featuring radio 1 and capital DJs at the time. The system was moved on around 1992 when marriage was imminent though |I still look back fondly on those days, The HH amps and speakers were extremely reliable although the S500d,s were prone to sending DC current down the speaker lead causing one of the best pyrotechnic effects of the day but which also had the effect of curtailing the show!. It was because of this they were discontinued in favour of the V range. Luckily enough I did not suffer any burnouts but I did see a photo of a CDC stack courtesy of Trevor Missen after an S500D burnout. I now have only one HH piece of kit, an MA80 pa amp. I have had this for around 20 years and it is still working fine. Though not very powerful it sound great when slaved through another amp. Keep the good work up and if |Colin reads this I have'nt got your number any more though you can get minethough Johnny Parker or Ray Stacey. | ||
| John | 06/01/2010 | |
| Hi Andy I've just found your site and I'm very pleased to see so many many fans of HH gear. I have a VS musician and an MA-100. I've had the MA 100 since the early 80s and picked up the VS in the early 90s. They had a few faults when I bought them. The guys at MAJ have been great for spares - my MA 100 just needed a new front panel and one side handle to restore it, and the VS has had a speaker re-coned. Should anyone be interested, I've discovered a common failure on VS's. The 741s (particularly in the reverb) deteriorate, leading to a hiss that gets louder as the amp warms up. I've replaced 741s in two amps with the same fault. I now have sockets on the PCBs so I can change them easily. Otherwise, extremely reliable. The MA-100 doesn't get used now, but I couldn't part with the VS - it is my main amp for gigging. It has a distinctive grunty sound that cuts through the sound of the two other guitarists in our band. I can send you some pictures of them in use (including a VS stack), and our demo CD (mostly covers - we are a pub band), where you can really hear the VS being put to work. Just give me your address if interested. P.S. my wife says this is "anoraky". Regards, John Cassells | ||
| Loretta | 25/02/2010 | |
| Hi Andy, Just been looking at your site, I have used HH AMPS and speakers a lot in bands that I was the lead singer in, I still have HH speakers, I recognised Maurice Gilbey who also emailed you from a band we were both in called Niteshift back in 1986 & 1987, lost contact after that, I hope he sees this as it would be nice to hear from him again, all I know is he is now in Texas and married, would be nice to have a catch up!!! Loretta. | ||
