Watkins Copycat did Hank Ever use ?

[Twangaway]

I would like a decisive factual statement as to whether Hank ever used the Copycat, live or on records please. As I have a friend who is a friend of Charlie Watkins and he says he was told that Hank used to play the Copycat, and a big argument developed as I said he never did.

Who is right

Dave

[Didier]

As far as I know, Hank never recorded with a Copicat, or used one on a regular basis. He may have played a very few times with a borrowed one when his usual unit wasn't available.

Didier

[Apache1]

http://www.tvsspecialtyproducts.com/page7.htm

Above is a link with what appears to me to be a fact based catalogue of echo units that Hank used from day one.
Also when Charlie Hall produced his EFTP units some years ago now, none of the patch's Charlie produced replicated the
Watkins Copycat. So I think it would be true to say that Hank never used a copycat !
I used to own a copycat back in the 60s, and a great little machine it was, always sounded better with a new tape loop fitted.

[AlanMcKillop]

There's no evidence that he recorded with one, but he did use one. Dave Robbo or Stuart D should be able to confirm.

[Apache1]

Alan ,I think that was the WEM Watkins Shadow Echo (Marvin Welch & Farrar) at Sheffield, not the Copycat.
John

[AlanMcKillop]

That might be the case John, I'm not an expert on Copicats.

[Twangaway]

I thought WEM was the manufacturer of Watkins products, such as WEM speaker cabs, PA's etc and the renown copycat. Am surprised you not associating the two as one and the same. I believe it is initials as trademark, but stood for Watkins Electronic Music or WEM musical instruments

[Twangaway]

Looks like that site of TV3 has it nailed on all matters relating to echo units used by Hank. Fair to say that there is no evidence whatseover of The Shadows using Watkins Copycat for recording, but there is evidence there ( not more than hearsay I would say ) of someone spotting Hank , with the outfit Marvin,Welch and Farrar ( not the Shadows ) using the Watkins Shadow unit, not exactly a copycat at Sheffield Bailey's Club.
For all we know it may have been a standby unit as backup for any failure of his regular unit. I suppose in the early days when his Meazzi proved problemmatic he may have had a Watkins Copycat for backup simply due to wide availability, spares and cost but that would be guesswork. Maybe Bruce could throw some light on these questions ? To answer the original question, of Copycat use in the 60's I think not as the split lid valve version of the copycat didn't come close to the Meazzi in sound, with few heads, wrong echoe patterns, and noisy sound.

Thanks for the link to that excellent site where I also discovered other echo units I didn't know Hank used.

[StuartD]

Hi

It was indeed a Watkins Copycat he used at Sheffield Baileys. His Binson was not working and later he used mine after the Copycat.

Regards

Stuart

[AlanMcKillop]