Sound City

Sound City

Also known as: Sound City Amps, Sound City Amplification

Unclaimed

Sound City is a guitar amplifier brand with roots in 1960s London, where the original Sound City music shop — owned by Dallas Arbiter — began producing instrument amps and sound reinforcement gear in 1967. The early Mark series, including the 'One Hundred,' became associated with high-powered British tube tone and was adopted by players such as Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Jimi Hendrix. ...

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Sound City is a guitar amplifier brand with roots in 1960s London, where the original Sound City music shop — owned by Dallas Arbiter — began producing instrument amps and sound reinforcement gear in 1967. The early Mark series, including the 'One Hundred,' became associated with high-powered British tube tone and was adopted by players such as Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Jimi Hendrix. The designs shared lineage with what would become Hiwatt, as many of the early circuits were built by Dave Reeves.

The brand was revived in 2017 by Neal Ostberg and amp designer Steven Fryette, with production based in the United States. The reissued lineup includes the Master One Hundred and Master Lead 50 heads, along with lower-wattage offerings like the SC30 and SC20 combos, and matching SC412 and SC212 speaker cabinets. The amps aim to preserve the voicing of the original 1960s designs while updating construction for modern use.

Sound City amplifiers are known for their clean headroom, power-tube saturation at volume, and the characteristic British high-wattage sound tied to classic rock recordings of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Sound City has 23 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Guitar Amplifier Heads, Combo Guitar Amplifiers, and Bass Amplifier Heads. Their gear is featured by 26 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Metal, and Electronic. Notable users include Jus Oborn, Stephen Carpenter, and Jimi Hendrix.

Artists Who Use Sound City

Jus Oborn uses 2 Sound City products

Jus Oborn

Singer, Guitarist · Electric Wizard

Stephen Carpenter uses 1 Sound City product

Stephen Carpenter

Guitarist · Deftones

Jimi Hendrix uses 1 Sound City product

Jimi Hendrix

Guitarist · The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Frank Iero uses 1 Sound City product

Frank Iero

Guitarist, Bassist · My Chemical Romance

Peter Hook uses 1 Sound City product

Peter Hook

Singer, Bassist · Joy Division

John Deacon uses 1 Sound City product

John Deacon

Bassist, Composer · Queen

Justin Trosper uses 1 Sound City product

Justin Trosper

Singer, Guitarist · Unwound

Pete Townshend uses 1 Sound City product

Pete Townshend

Singer, Guitarist · The Who

Chris Shiflett uses 1 Sound City product

Chris Shiflett

Guitarist · Foo Fighters

Greg Ginn uses 1 Sound City product

Greg Ginn

Guitarist · Black Flag

Nick DiSalvo uses 1 Sound City product

Nick DiSalvo

Singer, Guitarist · Elder

Rick Nielsen uses 1 Sound City product

Rick Nielsen

Guitarist · Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

Tommy Bolin uses 1 Sound City product

Tommy Bolin

Guitarist · Deep Purple

Devin Yuceil uses 1 Sound City product

Devin Yuceil

Singer, Guitarist · Delta Sleep

Tom Petersson uses 1 Sound City product

Tom Petersson

Bassist · Cheap Trick

Ben Ellis uses 1 Sound City product

Ben Ellis

Bassist, Audio Engineer · Swervedriver

Cheetah Chrome uses 1 Sound City product

Cheetah Chrome

Guitarist · The Dead Boys

Mark Thomas Baker uses 1 Sound City product

Mark Thomas Baker

Guitarist · Orchid

TotorRo uses 1 Sound City product

TotorRo

Guitarist, Bassist

Matt Bigland uses 1 Sound City product

Matt Bigland

Guitarist · Dinosaur Pile-Up

Community setups featuring Sound City

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yoshi_h

yoshi_h

Gear IQ 1734

skytimesfive

skytimesfive

Gear IQ 603

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