In an industry replete with boutique gear, Benson Amps builds some of the most desirable amplifiers and guitar pedals on the market. Through a combination of hand-crafted construction, specifically sourced components, and unique voicings, Benson has tapped into the zeitgeist of the modern tonal palette. Bensons don’t just rock, they bloom. After all, amps and pedals are an extension of your instrument, which in turn is an extension of your touch and musical imagination. Benson understands this innately, and builds gear that, above all else, amplifies self-expression.
Benson honed his skills and expanded his palette at Verellen amps in the late 2000s. When he founded his own company in Portland, Oregon, he had already zeroed in on the perfect recipe to satisfy his tonal cravings. The aptly named, Monarch, provided the glistening cleans and harmonic overdrive necessary to put Benson on the map. Players and aficionados everywhere were enamored with this 6V6-powered masterpiece.
Ever attuned to the needs of the modern guitarist, Chris Benson set out to create the ultimate bedroom/studio low-watt amplifier. The 1-watt Vinny is one of the purest, most intuitive models ever produced. Despite featuring only 1 EL84, 1 12AX7, and 1 knob, the colors and hues that you can coax out of this thing are unreal. As you turn it up, the sound darkens and saturates, adding a warmth and dimension that compliments its pristine cleans.
In the guitar pedal world, Benson has proved just as successful. His ability to cram huge sounds into small packages is simply uncanny. Their Preamp pedal is the FET-transistor, stomp box version of their 30-watt Chimera amp, and it can serve as everything from a clean boost to a fuzz. Speaking of fuzz, their “temperature controlled” Germanium fuzz and adjacent Germanium Boost are unreal. No company has ever succeeded in taming Germanium this well.
