Vintage UK Amp - help me ID this thing! (update: Mystery solved)

[mjet]

This amp has been given to a local friend of mine for servicing but we can't figure out anything about it. Guessing 1970s. Entirely possible that the logo slapped on the front is a custom or one-off as I couldn't find any records of CPM Sound Equipment. Font on the back panel is similar to HiWatts, Roosts etc of that era. Partridge transformers. Any ideas?

[beauzooka]

I don't have any answers for you but it looks awesome!
Could be Laney or Sound City too. How does it sound?

[mjet]

No idea - it's being delivered to a friend's workshop next week. I can't help but think that the diamond logo between the inputs is a key clue but I can't find anything that has it. The lettering is too professional for a one-off home build, surely...

[NoiseNoiseNoise]

Could it be a Carlsbro? The internal layout looks a bit similar to my Top 50.

[mjet]

Top 50s (at least the old ones) all had yellow panels, if I recall correctly.

[NoiseNoiseNoise]

Top 50s (at least the old ones) all had yellow panels, if I recall correctly.

You are correct. Mine is a yellowface. I was just guessing.

[NoiseNoiseNoise]

Ah, NOT a Carlsbro. I thought it may have been one of these but it's not.

[mjet]

SOLVED! It's a Nolan with a new badge/logo applied. Here are photos that I found on an Irish ebay-like site, for reference/comparison.

Nolan Amplification

Nolan amps were made in London Hammersmith in the late 60’s and ceased production the in the mid to late 70’s by small company founded by Pat Nolan who was a former amp tech with Selmer Truvoice.

Many of the amps produced were copies of Blackface and Tweed Fender circuits with an EL34 output section.
In 2008at Harmony Central Forum one Nolan’s workers, Frank, stated the following “I used to build Nolan Amps, for Pat Nolan in Holloway Road London during the late 60’s and early 70’s, I designed for Pat his first 6 channel 100W PA amp. ..it may be after the time I was with Pat. Is it hand wired, in the early 70’s we started using printed circuit boards. I left Nolan Amps and went to Midas Audio (mixers) … The colours of the amps and cabinets were Black or Orange, Celestion speakers were used.”

How to identify, tell date of manufacture

According to a former Nolan Amplification employee, Amps made prior to 1974 had their circuits laid out on red turret boards, while those made after 1974 used white or lighter colored turretboards as well as PC board construction.

[Source including images of 100 watt Nolan head: Shawn Jeffcoat, USA email 8/2/2012]

According to VintageAmps.com bulletin board “..
The business moved to Forest Hill in about 1973/4, close to the station, where it occupied small, cheaper premises.
Most of the amplifiers made were FLAME and NOLAN combos and were a straight copy of the Fender combos”

[MechaBulletBill]

Cool!

[NoiseNoiseNoise]

Another forgotten British amp! How they pile up.

[mjet]

Another forgotten British amp! How they pile up.

I see these (and others like it - Kelly, Roost etc) amps go all the time on eBay UK for a song. Invariably, they are collection-only. I frantically check the location to see if it's worth sending someone for it, and they're in far-off places (Northern Wales, Scottish Highlands, Devon etc) which unfortunately would require sometimes more than the amp selling price to collect. Frustrating!