Austin Tone Factory
Austin Tone Factory was born from a lifelong connection to music, electronics, and the Austin music scene that shaped me.
I grew up in Austin during a time when the city felt alive with music in the 1980s and 1990s. The feeling of experimentation and inspirations was everywhere from the clubs, the guitar shops, the rehearsal rooms, and in the community of musicians who were constantly creating something new. Maybe that was just the 80s LOL.. I started off working at Austin City Music, taught guitar at Hill Country Music, and played venues such as the Backroom, the Black Cat, and Steamboat. I was also part of Austin’s hair-metal scene where I honed my shred chops and was trying to find my own sound alongside countless other musicians doing the same.
Those years were magical. As a young kid a trip to Ray Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music, Musicmakers, South Austin Music, Austin City Music or Guitar Resurrection was more than a shopping trip. These were places where musicians gathered, traded ideas, discovered new equipment, and became inspired. These stores gave me inspiration to be something more than I was. The owners of these stores were also so supportive. Ray's larger than life smile and demeanor was always welcoming. Bill at South Austin Music. That man was a one man shop and he was ALWAYS willing to help and find the right gear for you. Steve at Music Makers, Dave, Tim, Bruce, Lane at Austin City Music. These guys were all instrumental in shaping me as a musician. This path took me to a career as guitarist in the US Navy Band and for that I'm extremely grateful.
What I want from Austin Tone Factory is to bring back that feeling of connection, fearless independence and experimentation that Austin had. I want to remind guitarist that our job is to be original and not a clone. The guitarist of the early days had nobody to copy their tone, download their patch. These early players had a vision and they went with it. That is the spirit I want to get back to. I want to inspire your inner rebel, kill that clone mentality and hopefully watch you become the next new voice in the guitar conversation. Gear is cloned which is fine. Guitarist should not be clones.
Our pedals are built to capture some of that spirit. When you play one of our pedals I dont want you to think it's just an effect. I want you to look at that pedal and feel your rebellion. Let that pedal be a beacon of independence and strip away the fear of conformity or that you are missing some weird black magic voodoo. You be you.
Austin has changed, but that feeling does not have to disappear.
Austin Tone Factory is my way of bringing some of it back.