Sarno Music Solutions
Sarno Music Solutions
Also known as: SMS, Sarno, SMS Sarno
UnclaimedSarno Music Solutions is a small, family-run builder of boutique musical instrument audio gear based in Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. The company was founded by Brad Sarno, who handles all of the circuit design, layout, wiring, assembly, and testing himself, with everything built by hand in the USA at a home shop. The "SMS" initials also reference Brad's grandfather, and the "Soluti...
Sarno Music Solutions is a small, family-run builder of boutique musical instrument audio gear based in Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. The company was founded by Brad Sarno, who handles all of the circuit design, layout, wiring, assembly, and testing himself, with everything built by hand in the USA at a home shop. The "SMS" initials also reference Brad's grandfather, and the "Solutions" in the name reflects the company's origin building custom electronics to solve specific problems for working musicians.
The brand first developed a following in the pedal steel guitar community, where products like the Steel Guitar Black Box tube buffer became a go-to tool for preserving tone through long cable runs and rack setups. From there, SMS expanded into six-string guitar and bass gear, most notably the SMS Classic Tube Preamp — an all-tube preamp with reverb inspired by the preamp sections of classic blackface-era Fender amps, offered in standard and Jerry Garcia–voiced versions. Their pedal lineup includes the Earth Drive overdrive, the Solar Flare distortion, the Doozy Boost, the Space Dust overdrive, and the FreeLoader buffer, alongside tube preamps such as the Revelation and V8 Octal.
Sarno gear has drawn a following among players across pedal steel, jam-band, and session scenes, with reported users including Bob Weir, Nels Cline, Andy Summers, Brent Mason, Paul Franklin, Buddy Emmons, Steve Kimock, and Jeff Tweedy.
Sarno Music Solutions has 1 product cataloged on Equipboard, including Buffer Pedals. Their gear is featured by 3 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Folk, World, & Country, and Blues. Notable users include John Mayer, Jake Cinninger, and Brendan Bayliss.
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