Is audio equipment just technology? No, it is functional art that improves the quality of the time you spend enjoying your music. You can't plug an audio cable into your brain and listen to music, so the speaker is the interface. So I am always mindful of how the equipment either connects you to your music or puts up a wall.
Bad audio cheats you out of your music; great audio immerses you into the music, giving you the experience of every subtlety, the emotion, the power of the music. I am not interested in making equipment that just fills the room with sound. That is not good enough.
I create for those who seek thoughtful enjoyment of their music, not mindless consumption of music as merely noise to fill the silence. It's satisfying to build a unique relationship between myself and the avid listener based on respect, the spirit of creativity and desire to create something beautiful.
When someone tells me that they forgot they were listening to a stereo because they were so engrossed in the music I smile. That's the ultimate compliment.
Similarly, a guitar or bass amplifier is not just technology, it's a musical instrument. An electric guitar combines the guitar, amplifier, and speaker to create its unique tone. Your guitar may have great tone but a bad amplifier will cover it up, ruining the tone.
That's why I draw on my decades of experience in recording, along with a deep understanding of how amplifiers shape tone. But I do not finish any amplifier until I have collaborated with the guitarist and bassist to fine-tune each individual amplifier.
My passion for guitars and basses, which are my favorite instruments, demands that I don't compromise. Electric guitars and basses offer nearly infinite creative possibilities, which is why I love them.
Although I do make guitars, that's only one-third of the sound. The amplifier and speaker are the rest of the tone. I want control over every aspect of the tone to give the guitarist exactly what is needed. Part of my quest for the ultimate guitar tone is research and experimentation to extend their capabilities.
Ultimately, musicians' artistry is limited by their instruments. So by improving the sound palette and dynamic range of an electric guitar, amplifier, and speaker I'm empowering a guitarist to create new music no one has ever heard before.
How cool is that?
You'll pardon me but this discussion has inspired me. I must go and create something new.
…Kermit Gray
