Born in California in 1957, my Dad soon moved us to El Paso, Texas where I grew up in the west Texas desert. Dad was an Army trained electronics technician and repaired TVs and radios on the side. He built Heathkits and worked on cars. He could repair anything. I was very interested in hi-fi stereo equipment in high school. I moved to Kentucky at 17 and graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1980 with a BSEE.

I went to work for an old power resistor manufacturer in northern Kentucky and worked in that industry for 17 years. I learned a lot about running small businesses and sheet metal design, stamping and coiling as most of the products were power resistors packaged in custom indoor and outdoor enclosures. I earned two patents for stamped grid resistor designs and left the business as President of the company in 1998.

I had become very interested in playing electric guitar in the 90s so I started Allen Amplification in 1998. I have designed a dozen tube amp models over the years and always offered them in kit form to support the DIY hobbyist community. I designed a full line of transformers for my amps which I offer for sale and have been an Eminence Speaker dealer for many years, too.

I have been repairing and modifying vintage Fender® amplifiers during that time which has been my greatest education in the amp business. Thank you Leo Fender for your wonderful amp designs and the rock solid eyelet board platform you built them on. How many consumer products have lasted so many decades and inspired so much music? I still have the same passion for this business that got me started in it 20 years ago.