WEM 4×12 PA columns were used by hundreds of bands back in the 1970s (including my own). They usually contained 4 Celestion G12 drivers but I have also seen them with Goodmans drivers and the pair currently in my collection have Peerless drivers.

If you look at pictures or videos of big concerts and festivals from the 1970s, chances are you will see some of these 4×12 columns somewhere on the stage. The video of the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park not only shows lots of WEM columns but you can also see Charlie Watkins himself, sat at the side of the stage.

The first set of columns shown below were added to my collection in March 2017. I can’t be 100% as the labels are missing but I’m fairly sure they are “A Super” columns. As you can see from the pics, they contain standard Peerless 12″ drivers, as used in many WEM PA cabs and I believe they are twin cone drivers. Each driver would be rated at around 15-20 watts so a pair of these cabs would normally be used with a 100 watt amp.

The pictures further down the page show a pair of cabs that I used to own but I no longer have them. These cabs were fitted with Celestion drivers but I’ve also seen 4×12 columns fitted with Goodmans Audiom drivers which meant that each cab would have been capable of handing well in excess of 100 watts.

The 3 different models of the 4×12 column are described in better detail in the WEM catalogue, an extract of which can be seen at the bottom of this page.

 

In November 2023, I manage to acquire a very tatty pair of 4×12″ columns which I did some refurbishment on before selling them on. You can see the details of the refurbishment if you follow this link – WEM 4×12″ Columns Refurbishment