The Specimen Products brand was born in 1981 when student artist Ian Schneller began using the name for his sculptures. Schneller began making instruments in 1984, first for himself and then for friends; before long he was selling Specimen Products stuff to local musicians. Specimen moved around several interesting Chicago locations during its lifetime: an old lamp factory, a Salvation Army Building, a storefront on Division Street and its current location in a large industrial space on Chicago's westside.

During this time Schneller has produced numerous Specimen Products custom instruments and amplifiers as well as doing guitar repair work. As a result of repairing design flaws in his customers' equipment, Schneller became convinced that a minimalistic approach with uncompromised structural fortitude is the way to go in product design.