FANE GUITAR LOUDSPEAKERS History and Heritage FANE was founded in 1958 at the birth of rock and roll by Mr. Dennis Newbold and Arthur Faulcus.

The first two letters of their name formed the new brand: FANE.In the early 1960s with the advent of electronically amplified musical instruments FANE took the decision to specialise in high quality loudspeaker manufacture.

In the early '60s FANE started supplying Selmer, Watkins/WEM and a little later to a young man, Dave Reeves, who went on to found Hiwatt. He first used FANE in a big way in his Sound City amps but it was Hiwatt that really forged the FANE reputation.

Historic Batley factory: Manufacturing Area of Pressed Metal Parts FANE became quickly established as the largest UK manufacturer supplying more than 75% of all speakers used by UK manufacturers at this time including the top British amp makers Hiwatt, Jennings, Selmer, Sound City, Watkins/WEM, Vox and Laney.

They equipped their cabinets with FANE and with it the signature to iconic British tone.  Once Pink Floyd, The Who, Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues were linked to Hiwatt, they established and grew Fanes reputation at the same time. By the early '80s FANE was probably the biggest speaker brand in Europe.

Then in 1989 everything changed. Historic Batley factory: One of the Loudspeaker Assembly Floors FANE at that time were being run by Arthur Barnes who had started working at FANE in 1966 and worked through the ranks to become Managing Director. Barnes really drove the company forward and was responsible for its great success throughout that era. The family that owned the shares of the company at that time sold FANE to new owners and the new parent company got into financial difficulties in 89 although FANE as a company were very successful. Once again the company was available and Barnes attempted a management take over.

Unfortunately he wasnt successful and it was the end of an era. Historic Batley factory:Electrostatic Paint Spraying and Stoving facilities within the Metal Assembly Floor In March 2007 Arthur Barnes, with his sons Neil and Mark, finally were able to buy the business that he had started working in so many years before. Barnes  tracked down and hired some of the original employees that had been there in the 1970's and had worked with him until the 1980s. The lady that winds the voice coils is the same person that was making them 30 years ago which is one way to get the fabulous original FANE sound!He built a new factory in Yorkshire only 15 kilometres from the original factory in Batley, Yorkshire and still working with the original suppliers, making FANE's speakers chassis in Sheffield and the same British manufactured cones from the original Hiwatt speakers of the 70s.The result is the original tone from this fantastic era of British music legend. Faithful to the original blueprints and manufactured in exactly the same way as the original FANE speakers 40 years ago, a music legend is re-born!

The new FANE Guitar Speaker Factory in Wakefield UK Fast forward to the modern era and a new generation of guitarists are selecting FANE equipped Hiwatt for their unique tone. Current artists include The Killers, Coldplay, Oasis, The Kooks, U2, The Zutons and many more. source: pictures and words with friendly permission of FANE International Ltd.