Standel
Standel
Also known as: Standel Amplifiers, Standel Amps
UnclaimedStandel is an American amplifier company founded in 1953 by Bob Crooks in Temple City, California. The name is a portmanteau of "standard" and "electronics," reflecting Crooks' background repairing radios and hi-fi equipment. The first Standel amp, the 25L15, paired 25 watts of power with a 15-inch Lansing speaker and was originally developed at the request of Paul Bigsby to complement his soli...
Standel is an American amplifier company founded in 1953 by Bob Crooks in Temple City, California. The name is a portmanteau of "standard" and "electronics," reflecting Crooks' background repairing radios and hi-fi equipment. The first Standel amp, the 25L15, paired 25 watts of power with a 15-inch Lansing speaker and was originally developed at the request of Paul Bigsby to complement his solid-body electric and pedal steel guitars. Early adopters included Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and Hank Thompson, giving Standel an outsized profile in country and Western swing circles during the 1950s.
Through the 1960s, Standel expanded beyond amplifiers, building a short-lived line of stringed instruments from 1961 to 1967, including Mosrite-inspired double-cutaway guitars and basses featuring an aluminum casting that housed the pickups, bridge, and tailpiece. The first guitar prototypes were built by Semie Moseley, with Joe Hall producing later models. On the amplifier side, Standel introduced hybrid designs by 1963 and moved to a full solid-state lineup by 1965. After a period of ownership changes — including a 1972 sale to Randall Instruments, which rebranded the amps as SG Amplifiers — Bob Crooks regained control of the Standel name in 1997 and licensed production to Danny McKinney in Glendale, California.
Under McKinney, Standel builds boutique tube amplifiers in the United States, organized into an Artist Line and a Custom Line of combos and heads aimed at professional players. The brand is most closely associated with clean, full-range tone and its historical ties to pioneering country and jazz guitarists.
Standel has 5 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Combo Guitar Amplifiers, Effects Processors, and Delay Effects Pedals. Their gear is featured by 6 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Folk, World, & Country, and Pop. Notable users include Wes Montgomery, Jorma Kaukonen, and Chet Atkins.
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