Amplifiers
Mark Wentling is the CEO and President of Ashly Audio in upstate New York. As an engineer Mark established himself within the industry as a creative and passionate contributor to such companies as MXR, Fender and the Music Man. The amp products he worked on in those early days continue to...
Ken Kantor is the president of ZT Amplifiers and the inventor of the compact amp technology used in such products as The Lunchbox and The Club. His long career in music began when he was about ten years old and built his own tube amplifier. Ken wrote, played and recorded his own music and along...
Benny Englund was a rock and roll singer as a teen when he fell in love with the music industry! He toured with groups as a roadie and sound engineer. He also worked for a time for a few record companies and traveled with groups such as the Hollies with Graham Nash and the Rolling Stones. Benny...
Kerry King has become a regular artist that NAMM member retailers could meet during the trade shows. His career as a guitarist led to a number of product endorsements and several opportunities to provide feedback and design ideas for amps, guitars and accessories over the years. In 1981, Kerry and...
Gary Hanser grew up in the music industry. His grandfather formed a small music store and distribution business in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1924. Since that time the company has expanded, and with the guidance of Gary and his brothers, Hanser Music now includes such lines as Kustom, B. C....
Dolores Crooks remembered her husband working in the garage at all hours of the night on a new sound he was after. He tooled his own guitar amplifier and took it down to country dances to show it off to the musicians. Before long performers such as Chet Atkins and Speedy West were not only buying...
Howard Durbin was hired by RCA following World War II and worked within the engineering department on improving the phonograph record. He was assigned to the team that addressed unbreakable 78s and later on the team that developed the 45 record and still later the Red Seal LP. He attended the...
Bob Rissi was the founder of Risson Amplifier Company, which produces Made-in-America products based on Bob’s own designs. He began designing amplifiers in 1960 when he was hired by Leo Fender himself. He later worked at Rickenbacker before forming his own company in 1971. In addition to his...
Bob Hackett worked for Ampeg on the company’s amplifiers. As a professional bass player, Bob was able to provide vital feedback in the design and sound of the bass amps for Ampeg. During his time at the company he worked with several other key engineers and employees including Roger Cox. Bob...
Gerald Stanley is without question one of the pioneers in pro audio, working as product engineer for Crown International for several decades. Over 45 patents have been issued to him over his 45 year career with Crown. Gerald began working for Crown International, located in Elkhart, Indiana, in...