distortion effects

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Distortion_pedal

Gurus

The Gurus brand was founded in Italy in 2013 by Guglielmo Cicognani. GURUS started with a small range of pedal effects and tube amplifiers - the amps could interface with smartphones, tablets and PCs. In 2014 the Gurus SRL company was formed with 2 new partners: Chicco Bellini and Alberto Pagani. The company focus shifted more to effects pedals and accessories.Cicognani left the company in 2017 (around the time of the Foxgear launch which moved GURUS production to China) - to focus on continuing to make effects and amplifiers in Italy.

Source: Guglielmo Cicognani website (14 February 2022)

Fulltone

Michael Fuller started Fulltone around 1991 while working as a Session Guitarist, a Composer, Performer, and Electronic Tinkerer. People started calling him asking for his effects pedals after he was featured in Guitar Player Magazine as one of the winners of their "Ultimate Guitarist Competition" competition. Fulltone effects use True Bypass switching or their exclusive "Enhanced Bypass TM" (OCD V2, WahFull) with L.E.D. status indicator in all their pedals. Fuller also provided these bypass switches to other pedal makers. All Fulltone pedals were designed, hand-built & tested at their shop in Southern California.

Fulltone closed their California factory in 2022 when Fuller admitted it had become unprofitable. He planned to move to a large ranch near Nashville with a recording studio and make use of his large collection of vintage guitars.

Source: Fulltone website (14 February 2022)

Empress

Empress Effects Inc. is a guitar and bass effects company based in Ottawa, Ontario. The company was founded by Steve Bragg and their effects are renowned for sophisticated digital control, preset storage and MIDI integration with analog technology. Empress Effects started in 2005, after Bragg had graduated from  Queens University with a degree in electrical engineering. His friend commissioned a tremolo effects unit with a unique set of features. By the time he had made it his friend no-longer needed it but Steve sold it at a local used instruments store. The store liked it so much that they ordered 10 more and Empress Effects was born.

Source: Empress Effects 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)

Studio One

Studio One was a brand name of Red Tree Music Inc a musical instrument distribution company. Red Tree Music was established in 1973 by Austin Lempit in Mamaroneck, New York. They began importing instruments (from Korea) using their own brand names: Studio One for electric guitars and effects and Alton for acoustic guitars and banjos. Lempit had to sell the business in 1978, due to a divorce, and the new owners dropped the Studio One brand name and started using the Zapp brand name instead. They also changed suppliers - some of the Zapp guitars were decent quality Japanese made instruments. Some of the electronic products - such as Zapp or Studio One practice amplifiers were cheaply made in the USA. Red Tree Music stopped trading in the early 1980s.

Wren

David Wren has been building guitars since the mid 1970s.  He started out as an apprentice with Jean-Claude Larrivee in 1973. During his time with Larrivee he was able to work with other talented luthiers including Grit LaskinLinda Manzer, Sergei de Jonge, Tony Duggan-Smith and George Gray. He started his own workshop in 1977 and for the next 10 years produced around 20 instruments per year. He focused on acoustic guitars ranging from his original Concert body style to Orchestra Models and Dreadnoughts, as well as hand carved archtop jazz guitars.

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