1963 Watkins Dominator V, (Used)

The Watkins Dominator V from circa 1963 is a distinctive V-front valve combo amplifier that became a foundational design in early British rock amplification. It features a dual 10″ speaker configuration housed in a striking wedge-shaped cabinet, and is estimated to deliver around 17 watts RMS of output.

The amplifier’s circuit typically consists of three ECC83 (12AX7) preamp tubes, two EL84 output tubes, and an EZ81 rectifier tube, driving its two Elac 10″ Alnico speakers. There are two separate channels (microphone and guitar) with the guitar channel including tremolo functionality.

One of the most iconic features of this model is its V-front cabinet design, which angled the two speakers outward to provide broad dispersion of sound. This layout, along with its compact size and tube configuration, allowed it to capture the attention of early ’60s British guitarists and influenced later amplifier designs.