West Laboratories

West Laboratories

Also known as: West Labs, West Amplifiers, West

Unclaimed

West Laboratories is an American amplifier brand founded by David W. West, who began building amps for local guitarists out of a hi-fi shop in Michigan in the early 1960s. The company moved between Flint, Okemos, and Lansing, Michigan, and produced its best-known line of tube guitar and bass amplifiers between roughly 1966 and 1972. The core lineup consisted of three heads: the 50-watt Avalon, ...

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West Laboratories is an American amplifier brand founded by David W. West, who began building amps for local guitarists out of a hi-fi shop in Michigan in the early 1960s. The company moved between Flint, Okemos, and Lansing, Michigan, and produced its best-known line of tube guitar and bass amplifiers between roughly 1966 and 1972. The core lineup consisted of three heads: the 50-watt Avalon, powered by a pair of EL34/6CA7 tubes; the 100-watt Grande, with two 6550s; and the flagship 200-watt Fillmore, driven by a quartet of 6550s.

West amps were largely hand-built, often as custom commissions for individual players, and the company also produced solid-state power amps (the J500 and J250) alongside its tube heads, as well as speaker cabinets. The brand's loud, punchy voicing made it a favorite of hard-rock players in the late 1960s and early 1970s, most notably Grand Funk Railroad, whose guitarist Mark Farner and bassist Mel Schacher relied on Fillmore rigs for the group's signature wall of sound. Original West cabinets and heads from this era have become sought-after vintage pieces.

After the original company wound down in 1972, David West revived the West Laboratories name in 2005 to build a new generation of amplifiers distinct from his vintage designs. West continued building amps until his death in 2015. Surviving examples of both the vintage and later-era amps circulate on the used market and remain a subject of interest on vintage-amp forums.

West Laboratories has 4 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Guitar Amplifier Heads and Combo Guitar Amplifiers. Their gear is featured by 2 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock. Notable users include Mark Farner and Mel Schacher.

Artists Who Use West Laboratories

Mark Farner uses 1 West Laboratories product

Mark Farner

Singer, Guitarist · Grand Funk Railroad

Mel Schacher uses 1 West Laboratories product

Mel Schacher

Bassist · Grand Funk Railroad

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