Building the better mouse trap…..I mean guitar pedal…
I grew up listening to the illustrious sounds of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and other monumental bands of the 1960s and 1970s. The first album I purchased with my allowance was “Axis: Bold As Love” by Hendrix…….I wore the shit out of that album! At age 12 I began my guitar lessons spurred on by those legendary guitarists and the pursuit for the ultimate tone began! I had to use my allowance to pay for the lessons and a cheap axe but was not deterred. An after school job helped fund my guitar, pedal and amp purchases which culminated with a ’69 Strat and a ’64 Deluxe…………alas for those days of yore when they were affordable!
My family was from Poland so their resourcefulness rubbed off and I learned at an early age how to use tools and fix things. I would help my father and grandfather with painting, carpentry, and fixing anything around the house. My first car was a 1970 Chevy Nova with a V8 so working on muscle cars became an additional addiction along with guitar playing. My father was an electronic technician who worked on radios and TVs so he showed me around my vintage Marshalls and Fenders as tube technology was part of his expertise. I practiced guitar incessantly and would learn anything I could get my hands on. My brother reminded me of a particular day when I was 14. I stayed home from school with a cold. As he left for school I asked to borrow his Rush “All the World’s a Stage” cassette tape. When he got back from school I had learned “2112” in its entirety…….quite the productive sick day!
As a teenager I read about all the great guitarists and their gear so would go search out and try everything I could find. Always comparing and contrasting the sounds I was absorbing. This was the stage of developing my ear for audio. I was never quite satisfied so the quest continued…….
In college I studied Classical guitar and Electrical Engineering. Eventually focusing on getting my engineering degree. As I learned more about circuit theory I started doing mods to pedals and amps. These frustrating yet eye-opening days helped me further develop my ear and the awareness that the equations are important but your ear is the final crucial test!
After graduating with my degree, I worked for some big audio companies where I learned more about amplifier design, reducing noise, grounding, fixing EMC/EMI issues, transient response, and other important parameters that contribute to reliable and superior sounding audio products. Finally, I decided to make my own products and start my own company based on positive feedback from local players who were digging my tone when my band played out.
I offer to you the culmination of my life’s work and passion………hope you enjoy these products as much as I enjoy them!