65AMPS: MODERN EQUIPMENT WITH VINTAGE FLAVOR

65Amps: Modern Equipment with Vintage Flavor

One of the things that helps make a great recording studio is the equipment. Sure, the talent is important, from the recording artists to the producers. But having a great space with high-quality equipment helps ensure the final product is something to be proud of.

We put an emphasis on providing artists with the best available space and equipment at Madison Records, and that includes amps by 65Amps. This company, founded by our friends Peter Stroud and Dan Boul, manufactures amps that provide a clean, clear, vintage sound with the quality and versatility today’s artists want.

65Amps was born from necessity. Peter, a professional guitarist who has played with Sheryl Crow for about 17 years and has also played with Don Henley and Sarah McLachlan, was looking for an amp that would sound great at a lower volume. “Loud amps tend to interfere with the front-of- house sound, making it hard for the guy who is mixing out front to have control of the overall sound,” Peter said.

He teamed up with Dan, a trained musician who also brings business experience from years in the IT industry, and they designed and built a tube amp that would provide the vintage sound Peter was looking for in a reliable, versatile product.

“Dan and I were inspired by the guitar tones of bands from the mid-60s, The Who, the Beatles, and the Kinks,” Peter said. “There were already amp companies who focused on the sound from the later 60s, that overly distorted sound, but we wanted something clear and bright.”

Rather than copying what was already on the market, the pair came up with their own design, based on the amps they loved: big box, Marshall and Fender. “When Dan and I get inspired, we come up with a design and have a team that helps flesh it out and build it. We really worked together hand in hand at the beginning,” Peter said.

In our studio we are using some of the amps made by 65Amps, including a 65 Empire, one that Peter helped design. Not only are we glad to have the equipment, it’s nice to have Peter around as a friend and mentor, with his years in the industry and vast experience. And from what Peter says, the admiration is mutual. “I really admire how Tanner and Wyatt have launched this studio,” Peter says. “These kind of studios are rare these days, with so many people recording on apps at home, but it’s nice to have a studio designed with acoustics in mind, with a nice console, good equipment, and talented engineers.”