Ampeg

Ampeg: The Bass Amp Story

In 1946, Everette Hull, an accomplished pianist and bass player, organized a partnership with Stanley Michaels under the name Michaels-Hull Electronic Labs. Their mission was to produce a new microphone pickup that Hull had designed. The pickup was fitted on the end of an upright bass and was dubbed the Amplified Peg or "Ampeg" for short. In 1949, Hull became the sole proprietor and changed the name of the company to the Ampeg Bassamp Company. In 1960, a design engineer by the name of Jess Oliver created a combo amplifier with a chassis that could be inverted and tucked inside the speaker enclosure, protecting the inner workings and increasing portability. In 1969, Ampeg designed the most powerful instrument amplifier ever made. In 1986, St. Louis Music Inc. purchased Ampeg and continued the tradition of making high-quality, musician-satisfying products. In 2005, Ampeg was purchased by LOUD Technologies, who continued to build upon the success of the Classic Series and PRO Series amps. Yamaha Guitar Group, Inc. (YGG) acquired the Ampeg brand in 2018—bringing it under the same roof as Yamaha basses/guitars/amplifiers and digital innovators Line 6. Honoring 70+ years of celebrated Ampeg history and the 50th anniversary of the amplifier that put Ampeg on the rock 'n' roll map, the first thing developed by YGG was the Heritage 50th Anniversary SVT, a product that quickly became one of the most requested amplifiers amongst touring artists and backline companies.