BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE
The brand plays on
Richard Lawn explores the roots of British manufacturer, HH Electronics, and its development into a global brand together with Headstock stablemate, Laney Amplification
L–R: Adam Groves, James Laney and Lee Wrathe in front of their live stage in Halesowen THE ROLLCALL OF PRO AUDIO BRANDS ORIGINATING IN the UK is unrivalled. Following the birth of the Beatles and the British invasion of pop culture, the electrification of pop and rock music led to a rapidly emerging cottage industry of backline, synthesiser, mixing console and loudspeaker producers. As record sales soared and concert audiences grew, the erstwhile musicians and experienced stagehands who founded these enterprises went on to become pioneers and experts within the fields of broadcast, studio recording and live sound. Mike Harrison was one such entrepreneur. Global events in 1968 included the assassination of Martin Luther King, the Vietnamese Tet offensive and the release of the Beatles’ White Album. In the village of Harston near Cambridge that same year, Harrison founded HH Electronics. Together with Malcolm Green and Graham Lowes, he designed and manufactured the TPA and MA ranges of solid state, studio-quality amplifiers for an increasing number of recording and broadcast studio requiring higher SPL outputs. The hits kept on coming for HH in the 1970s, most notably with the advent of the iconic IC-100 amplifier and its unique, highly distinctive green electro-luminescent lit front panel. Musicians of the day including Marc Bolan of T Rex powered their electric guitars with the 100W RMS. Spurred on by this success, Harrison and the team developed the 412BL quadruple 12-inch speaker cabinet. Sales growth led to growing pains and a relocation to Bar Hill in 1975, where HH extended its range of sound reinforcement EQ. The MA100 five-channel mixer amplifier with a switchable spring reverb took a world tour together with the IC100L and Valve-Sound Bass. Innovatively designed to emulate valve amplifier distortion, the V-S Musician 100W guitar amplifier incorporated a V-S circuit encased in a block of resin to prevent copying by competitors.
In addition to demonstrating commitment to musicians by adding electric pianos and tape echo machines to its MI portfolio, HH widened its offerings beyond the stage to develop larger PA systems during the following decade. Studio and live mixing consoles ranging from an 8:2 configuration to a 24:8:2 footprint rolled out. With the development of dual concentric loudspeakers, concert sound systems including the Piezo series wrote themselves onto the international touring circuit riders. Led by acoustician Ed Forme, HH Acoustics loudspeakers were produced inhouse at the new Huntingdon headquarters with cast magnesium alloy frames to match the quality of the amplifiers and speaker cabinets. With an ever-increasing demand for high-power events and applications, HH duly delivered with the S500D and the V-series including the V800 MOSFET amplifiers. By 1989, the economic and manufacturing landscape had changed, leading to HH Electronics’ acquisition by another British wholly owned company. Operating within the Headstock Group today, Laney Amplification had been founded a year prior to HH Electronics by Lyndon Laney in the industrial and musical heavy metal heartland of Birmingham. As bass guitarist for Band Of Joy featuring a
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