About

I started playing the guitar in 1986. It all started when I saw the music video for Van Halen’s “Jump” in 1984. Even at 10 years old, I immediately recognized the undeniable magic that was Eddie’s guitar playing. That was the spark that started it all for me. I knew that guitar would be in my future, and nothing was going to stop me.

I spent many incredible years writing, recording, and performing music in a number of bands with my very talented friends. When I hit roughly 40 years old, I started chasing tone. Being mostly a metal/rock guitarist, I became tired of the same stale tones I was getting out of my old equipment. I began trying and collecting several different kinds of amps. They were like candy to my ears. Do you ever get a new guitar, amp, or piece of gear, and it all of a sudden makes you play differently? You hear and feel a different tone, and your fingers automatically start to play something that fits the tone you would have never thought of before. This was happening to me all at once, like I just broke out of “tone” jail. I wanted to know how these different amps work. What gives them their tone? How do they function? And could I improve the tone of something by servicing or changing an amp’s tubes or circuit?

I began watching YouTube videos non-stop on amp safety, repair, biasing, modding, restoration, and even electronics. I read several books on these topics, but I just couldn’t get enough. I began putting what I’ve learned into practice by servicing my own amps and making small mods. After some time, this knowledge and experience gave me the confidence to build my first amp from scratch. There were some things I still needed to learn, but I’ve always learned best by actually doing so, so I made the leap of faith. I started building a clone of a 1974 Fender Bassman 100. I chose that amp because I owned a real one that I could use for reference, and I wanted to make several mods to it for practicing and learning without risking changing or damaging a real vintage amp. Today, I wouldn’t recommend starting a first amp build with something as complex as a 100-watt Bassman. Start small and simple. Since then, I have made an 8-part series on How to Build a Guitar Tube amp, where I walk you through this process step by step.

My first amp build was a success. However, it took me a lot longer to get there than if I had started with something smaller and simpler first. I made mistakes, lots of them, but I learned from those mistakes. The key to success was not giving up. I had to go back to the drawing board several times, watch more videos, and research more info, but eventually it all came together and turned out amazing. The feeling it gave me to be able to play through an awesome-sounding amp that I built with my own brains, hands, and time was more than rewarding. From then on, it became a passion. I had the confidence I needed to put the pedal to the metal and launch into a truly rewarding journey of amp building.