"Andre Jute"
"Phil Allison"
Recently, I found a great old amplifier. It was made in Britain and
imported into the US by British Radio Electronics, Ltd. Here are
pictures of it and ads about it.
http://public.fotki.com/farleybob/williamson/
It has two chassis and when I first saw them from a distance, I
thought they were a pair of QUAD II's. Then I thought they just
knocked off the QUAD look, but the amp was released in Sept. 1952,
which I think predates the QUAD.
** Only just.
It does lead to an interesting question though, about the casework
chronology and provenance. We all know that casework is tiresome,
timeconsuming and expensive, and no less so for manufacturers than for
DIYers. Considering the connection between Walker and Williamson, and
the fact that Acoustical was rooted in contract work, it seems to me
exceedingly likely that this amp was built for the distributor by
Acoustical in Huntingdon. (Acoustical was Peter Walker's company; it
was not called QUAD then; QUAD was the Quality Unit Audio, not a
suitable company name!).
** I read " QUAD " was short for " QUality Amplifier Domestic " ?
In the QUAD (that is, first series, after the QUAD.12 and before the
QUAD II) promo/operating booklet, it is categorically stated that
Acoustical did "all metal work, finishing" etc in-house under the
supervision of the AID department (whatever that may be).
** AID = " Acoustical In-house Design " - surely ?
Hey, Phil, don't you miss the "authoritative* views of Pinkerton on
QUAD? Rolling on the carpet!
** Mr Pinkerton's copious jottings never approached the reputation of his
famous namesake - the Pinkerton Men.
Just another Mr Plod, with ambitions above his station, really.
....... Phil