Acoustic (Amps)

Acoustic is an amplifier brand name of Acoustic Control Corporation of Thousand Oaks, California. The company was founded in the late 1960s by Steve Marks and his father - initially working out of a shack on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The company became known for its powerful Acoustic 361 bass stack, Acoustic became a popular bass amp brand in the 1970s and 1980s as larger venues demanded amps with more power. The majority were solid state amplifiers but there were a few tube amps as well. Acoustic Control Corporation went out of business in the 1980s, but returned in 2007.

Source: Acoustic Amplification website (13 May 2022)

Trickfish

Trickfish Amplification was founded in 2014 by Richard Ruse. Ruse has previously worked for SWR Engineering, KRK Systems and JBL Professional. Ruse was joined by designer Mike Pope and his business partner David Yates who worked on the electrical engineering side. The acoustical team was made up of Ruse and systems Engineer Anthony Fregoso, another ex-employee of JBL Professional. Trickfish specialises in amplifiers. preamps and cabinets for bass players

Source: Trickfish Amplification website (5 May 2022)

Udo Roesner

Udo Roesner was one of the founders of AER. More recently he has teamed up AER engineer Thomas Mattiussi to found MARco-labs in Germany and France to develop the Da Capo 75. The DaCapo 75 is a 75 watt acoustic amplifier with analogue preamps and a Class A/B analogue power amp and 6 built in effects.

Source: Udo Roesner Amps website (4 May 2022)

Tagus

Tagus solid-state amplifiers and cabinets were made for a couple of years from around 1973 to 1974 by PAS Electronics Ind, in Toronto, Ontario. They had a distinctive blue Tolex covering and were distributed by B&J.

Source: Tagus catalog 1974

Isuzi

Isuzi is a guitar and ukulele brand distributed in the UK.

ProFormance

Pro-formance was a brand name of the Scottish Musical Instrument Retailers Association, used between 2004 and 2014 for electronic tuners; cables, microphones, amplifiers; public address systems; headphones, Bags, stands and carry cases.

Blue Rock

Blue Rock is an affordable amplifier brand, made in China and distributed in the UK. Typically these are solid state practice amplifiers for bass or guitar. The brand was launched in 2005 by Kencraft Ltd of Cardiff, UK - owner of the Hudson, Black Mountain and Black Mamba brand names. Kencraft Limited was associated with Cranes Music Shops of South Wales, UK and their house brands were originally set up by George Ösztreicher an original founder of the Tanglewood Guitar Company and a director of Kay (Guitars) the USA based manufacturer and distributor. This brand was discontinued before 2015.

Valeton

Valeton is a Chinese effects pedal brand. The team behind Valeton had been producing designing and building products for other brands for 10 years before coming together as a single company, with a new catalogue of original designs. The range includes affordable effects pedals, multi-fx processors and amplifiers.

Source: Valeton website (14 March 2022)

Nobels

Nobels is a German guitar effects and audio electronics company founded in 1985 by Bernhard Kurzke. During the 1990s they developed an affordable range of effects pedals, plus programmable multi-effects, MIDI foot controllers, good-sounding practice amps and “Little Helpers” (small inexpensive splitters, A / B switches, loop-in paths, MIDI switchers, DI boxes for the pedalboard). The first effects pedal series was made from 1993 to 20003. They have also made OEM effects pedals for other brands - e.g. the Washburn Rhino pedals were made by Nobels. Circa 2022 their range is focused on their successful Nobels ODR-1 overdrive pedal, available in standard, mini and software-plugin form.

Source: Nobels website (25 March 2022)

ISP Technologies

ISP (Intelligent Signal Processing) Technologies is an audio products company active since the early 1990s. Using various audio signal-processing technologies they develop state of the art sound systems as well as guitar and bass gear including amplifiers, speakers and effects.

Source: ISP Technologies website (23 March 2022)

Chord

Chord is a brand name of UK consumer electronics & musical instrument distributor AVSL Group. Launched in 2010, the Chord music brand covers everything from guitars and percussion to amplifiers and stands, with a multitude of accessories such as cases and covers, tuners, pick-ups and metronomes.

Source: Chord website (14 March 2022)

ASI

ASI was a brand name of Audio Sound International - a company based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They sold amplifiers and Sustainiac electric guitars (made in Korea, Taiwan & Japan) equipped with the Sustainiac sustainer pickup system. The Sustainiac pickup was developed in the late 1980s by Maniac Music Inc. of Indianapolis.

Source: Maniac Music website (17 February 2022)

Radial

Radial Engineering was founded in 1996 by Peter Janis. Janis had a background in music and pro audio industry having worked for TMI for 10 years before starting his own company. He took over Canadian cable company, Cabletek in 1991 and renamed it JP Cabletek Electronics Ltd. in 1992. JP Cabletek imported various brands including Presonus, Audix Microphones, Hafler, Microtech Gefell, Mogami cables, Jensen Transformers and Sonex acoustical products. Over the next few years the company grew to making custom snakes while Janis decided to expand globally. He chose a company name that could be easily translated into many languages (Radial Engineering) and a logo that represents the inside of a quad cable, in 1996 he launched the first Radial product, the Radial JDI. In 2022 Radial employed over 100 people and produced a range of pro-audio gear including: direct boxes, splitters and audio interfacing devices.

NUX

NUX is a brand name of Cherub Technology Co.,Ltd. introduced in 2006. They produce a range of music electronics products - of interest to guitarists are their: effects pedals, amplifiers and wireless systems.

Source: NUX effects website (15 February 2022)

Foxgear

Foxgear is an effects brand launched in late 2017, as a joint venture between two Italian effects brands: Gurus and Baroni-Lab. Manufacturing is done in Guangdong, China.

Source: Foxgear website (14 February 2022)

Darkglass

Darkglass Electronics is a Finnish firm specializing in pedals, amps and cabinets for bass guitarists.

Source: Darkglass Electronics website (13 February 2022)

Caline

Caline Technology is an electronics company based in Shenzhen City, China. Their products include: Effects Pedals,Wah Pedals ,Tuners, Portable Power Supplies, Isolated Power Supplies, Pedal boards, Amplifiers, Guitar Straps & Wireless Audio - sold under the Caline and Scuru brand names.

Source: Caline website (13 February 2022)

Artec

Artec is a brand name of the Artec Sound Company, Ltd, a Korean maker of guitar electronic products.

Source: Artec website (13 February 2022)

AMT

AMT (Asia Music Technology) was the brand name used by AMT Electronics from 1991 until 2001. The company has its origins in Russia in 1982 when Sergie Marichev began building effects pedals, and then eventually electronic drum kits, and even MIDI instruments. In 1987, when private enterprise was permitted in Russia, Marichev launched his Asia company. In 1991 it was renamed Asia Music Technology company (AMT) and it was renamed again in 2001 to AMT Electronics.

There is also an AMT classical guitar brand - made in Asia. It is unclear whether this is related to AMT Electronics or not.

Source: AMT Electronics website (13 February 2022)

AMT Electronics

AMT Electronics has its origins in Russia in 1982 when Sergie Marichev began building effects pedals, and then eventually electronic drum kits, and even MIDI instruments. In 1987, when private enterprise was permitted in Russia, Marichev launched his Asia company. In 1991 it was renamed Asia Music Technology company (AMT) and it was renamed again in 2001 to AMT Electronics.