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German music supply manufacturer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hughes & Kettner is a German manufacturer of instrument amplifiers, cabinets and effects boxes.
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Amplification |
Founded | Neunkirchen, Germany (1984 ) |
Founder | Hans and Lothar Stamer (CEO) |
Headquarters | , Germany |
Area served | Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australia |
Key people | Hans and Lothar Stamer |
Products | Amplifiers |
Website | hughes-and-kettner |
The company was founded in Neunkirchen in 1984 by two brothers, Hans and Lothar Stamer, and moved to St. Wendel three years later.[1]
It is cited as a "long and good standing reputation as a maker of solidly performing tube amplifiers".[2]
In 1989, Hughes & Kettner offered the first realistic speaker emulation device, the Red Box, providing the sound of a speaker without needing a microphone.[3] In 1997, the company designed the Rotosphere, a tube-powered effects pedal simulating the sound of a rotary cabinet, similar to a Leslie, but in a much smaller form factor.[4] It has been used by guitar players but also by some keyboard players, such as Jon Lord.[5] In 2011, Music Radar named the Rotosphere as one of the best modulation and filter pedals of all time.[6]
The company is actively producing new models, both tube and solid-state amplifiers. In 2020, the company released the 50W Spirit Nano amplifier head, which combines a transistor amplifier with a Red Box Leslie simulator.[7][8] The era 1 and era 2 are general purpose amplifiers that are suitable for acoustic guitars and microphones.[9]
Notable users of Hughes & Kettner products include Rush's Alex Lifeson[10] and Kiss' Tommy Thayer, who have signature amplifiers by the company (The TriAmp MKII Alex Lifeson and the Duotone Tommy Thayer).[11][12] Marillion's Steve Rothery is a longtime user of the Rotosphere and prefers it to other Leslie simulators.[13]
Other Hughes and Kettner users are Joel Stroetzel who has used the company's Rotosphere,[14] Adam Dutkiewicz,[15] Joe Bonamassa,[16] Peredur ap Gwynedd who uses a GrandMeister 36,[17] Nuno Bettencourt,[18] Tony Macalpine,[19] Michael Wilton and Allan Holdsworth.[20]
Hughes & Kettner made a custom rig of steampunk styled guitar amplifiers for Rush's Time Machine Tour in 2010.[10]
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