Company founders (and brothers) Hans and Lothar Stamer began producing their own guitar amps in 1984. While the production space may have been small, their aspirations were not. Soon, the reputation of their products for craftsmanship and performance spread, prompting them to expand operations time and time again.

Mr. Hughes & Herr Kettner
When Mr. Hughes, the synonym for the discerning guitar player, and Herr Kettner, the ahead-thinking German engineer, first met, Mr. Hughes was on a tone quest, looking to enrich players’ sonic palette with more soulful means of expression. A glockenspiel’s chime, the snap and snarl of a junkyard dog, the seductive wail of Siren’s song, the thunderous rush of a passing freight train, the howling of a keening jackal, the malevolent grind of a chainsaw biting into metal – could an amp really be made to do all this? Engineering whiz Herr Kettner had his eyes on a very different prize. Envisaging a compact amp that would deliver fully-formed sounds including effects at the touch of a button, he sought to do what has never been done before. And he wasn’t averse to doing better what has already been done. So began an impassioned collaboration that continues to this day.

Our Philosophy – Technology of Tone
From the very start, our focus has been the needs of our users, who challenged us not to be satisfied with standard solutions. Our mission is to deliver the entire package—high-quality tone and hassle-free setup, all tailored not just to satisfy but to exceed the demands of the modern guitar player.

Technology of Tone is what we’ve been about from day one. And since that day, we’ve been living up to our performance promise of making great tone accessible to discerning players. Designed with sophisticated simplicity in mind, our tone-sculpting tools are conduits for inspiration. Plug in, put on unforgettable performances, and relish those magic moments in a guitarist’s life.

But great tone is not alchemy or weird science. It’s a capability built on passion and know-how. Even after all the years marked by so many milestone achievements, that passion burns as brightly as ever.