New member with a specific interest

[colinr]

Hello GAB! I'm glad to have found you.

I'm not a professional musician but I am a very keen amateur.

I play guitar not particularly well - I'm a decent rhythm player - and enjoy songwriting and home recording on a very small computer set up.

I am by no means a gear expert, though I find the stuff fascinating and mysterious!

I've joined specifically to ask a question about an amp I have from a company called PMS Systems or Professional Music Services, from Bristol, UK, which has so far baffled Google!

I look forward to looking around and learning more and hopefully to talking to some of you fine people!

Thank you,

Colin.

[Marc G]

you have pictures of the amp?

[BroSlinger]

Never heard of them, but Welcome!

Pics would be awesome

[colinr]

I do have pictures, and as soon as I've worked out how to post them, and checked that I've been here long enough to earn the privelige to post them I will share them with you!

Some information in the meantime:

I have a friend who is a sound engineer and a bit of a gear geek. He has helped me set the thing up again recently and though he's never heard of the company he says:

It looks like a 70s amp. He goes from the tolex cover for the dating.

The info on the back panel of the head is simply: "Power Unit 075" "output 8ohm" "240v, 50hz, 5a" "distributed by PMS Ltd, Bristol, England".

It has four inputs - at a guess, two are some sort of "brighter" input. Each pair of these has a vol, treble and bass and reverb control. There's also a master volume and master reverb and input for two footswitches: "muff" and "rev". It's a spring reverb, and doesn't seem to be working at the moment - shame! Otherwise it's a lovely sounding amp, though rather large for my little home.

The cab is big and he tells me it is original and "belongs with" the head. It's got a black cover cloth with small silver squares marked in thread. The frame is wood. At some point a hole has been drilled in the bottom to stand it on a pole, there are screw holes for a "top hat" fixture. He says the front panel reminds him a little of an Ampeg visually and the knobs are the same as used on Marshall amps.

A decent bet is that this company was some sort of promotion company who stuck their own branding on the gear they used, or maybe even made their own. I've gone so far as to contact the local history library in Bristol and they can find no record of them.

I don't think it's likely to be rare or valuable and I have no plans to sell it, this is just for my own - and now my friend's - curiosity.

And that's it for now. Photos hopefully to follow. Many thanks in advance for any help you can give!

[BroSlinger]

If you host pics on something like IMGUR, I don't think you need privileges to post pics.

Does it have tubes? Does it weigh a ton?

The info you posted makes it sound like a 70's solid state head like a Sunn/Acoustic/Ampeg/Kustom.

Could still be a great amp even if it's not tube. My acoustic 150 was my main amp for a long time. I gigged with it, and it was LOUD.

[ajaxlepinski]

Welcome to the fold brother - this is the best guitar/amp forum on the interwebznet!!!

[colinr]

thank you for all the welcomes, I appreciate it.

Trying photos now:

[colinr]

[BroSlinger]

Yep,

see my post above. It's a big, ugly solid state 70's amp. I mean that in the best way possible. I'll bet it's insanely loud. I'll bet it sounds killer with pedals.

Other than that, I've never heard of it. I doubt you'll find much info on it.

Google "pre menstrual syndrome amplifier"

BTW, get a real speaker cable. You're going to blow up the amp using that chintzy patch cable. It's not made to handle speaker level voltage/current.

[ajaxlepinski]

BTW, get a real speaker cable. You're going to blow up the amp using that chintzy patch cable. It's not made to handle speaker level voltage/current.

[colinr]

Hey, thanks, Broslinger, I appreciate the help.

I will get a proper cable in there. It's been sitting in my parents' house for years and I've finally got around to ridding them of the bloody thing - it is big, and it is very heavy!

I can't say I've ever had the opportunity to play it at anything approaching real volume. It sounds really nice just clean, and surprisingly good even at low volumes. Truth be told though - although my friend helped me out with a few little tricks and a bit of work - it probably needs some proper work doing on it.

The Great Mystery of the Professional Music Services company of Bristol remains a mystery!

[Devin]

I'm guessing it has a built in fuzz circuit, judging from the "muff" footswitch jack?


I'd try plugging a random footswitch in there and see what you get - that might sound very cool

[BroSlinger]

I'm guessing it has a built in fuzz circuit, judging from the "muff" footswitch jack?


I'd try plugging a random footswitch in there and see what you get - that might sound very cool

I was thinking that as well

[itchyfingers]

Welcome Colin!

I'm not going to be any help, I've never heard of that company, or seen that amp, bit it sure looks cool! That tolex and back panel remind me of a 70s Sunn Beta Bass that I had.

[colinr]

Wow, thank you for all this help - don't tell anyone I said so, but you chaps are easier than GearSlutz to deal with!

I'll have a go with a footswitch. My more expert friend is bound to have something lying around - he should be on this forum, he and his friend/colleague are absolute gear nuts, but he's not online! - and it's funny that you mention basses, itchy, he reckons the cab looks like a bass cab.

[BroSlinger]

You don't need a footswitxh to activate that jack.

Stick a plug in. It might activate it.

If not, touch a wire from the tip on sleeve on the other end of the cable.

[Mamberg Jr]

I don't have 3rd party hosting with photobucket rip

[colinr]

Ah, sorry Mamberg Jr, I hope I haven't jammed up your servers or something.

Thank you again for all the help with my mystery amp. I'm going to explore it more using your wisdom.

This is now probably of purely academic interest, but if anyone every comes along again with a PMS or Professional Music Services/Systems amp then... well, you never know!

I heard back from Bristol libraries, who searched telephone directories for me (for free - please support your local library service!) and:


"1967, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1976 no entry under PMS or Professional… or classified.

1978 Professional Music Services, Musical Instrument service, 145 Clouds Hill, St George tel; 555694

1980 Yellow pages; advert PMS The P.A. and amplification specialists.
Disco units
Amplification and PA Systems
Accessories etc
New and used equipment
Sales, Hire and service.
Guitar and drum renovation
Part exchange and credit terms."

It doesn't give me any technical details but does at least confirm that the company existed for a couple of years. I may go further if I think of anywhere else to look.

Have good days my friends!