Yamaha Guitar Group Inc., the newly formed U.S. subsidiary of Japan-based Yamaha Corp., acquired the Ampeg brand from LOUD Audio LLC, a portfolio company of Transom Capital Group.
The addition of Ampeg to Yamaha Guitar Group’s portfolio alongside the Yamaha and Line 6 brands adds an iconic selection of bass amps, cabinets and pedals to the solutions already available to bass guitarists through Yamaha bass guitars and Line 6 wireless and modelers, stated Yamaha.
“We couldn’t be more excited,” said Marcus Ryle, co-president of Yamaha Guitar Group. “Ampeg is arguably the most recognized bass amp brand in the world. They can even be credited with having invented the first bass amp. We are honored to take the baton in continuance of that legacy.”
Ampeg’s history dates back to New Jersey in the 1940s, the same decade that Yamaha started making guitars. In the early 1960s, Ampeg was the first company to incorporate reverb into a guitar amp and in 1969 it introduced the most powerful amplifier ever made, the 300-watt SVT, Yamaha stated.
“There is enormous respect for Ampeg within Yamaha,” said Shoji Mita, Yamaha Guitar Group co-president. “Both Yamaha and Ampeg have histories in the guitar market that stretch back over seventy years, so we see the two brands as great companions for one another. We intend to maintain the outstanding quality and commitment to tone that the Ampeg brand has long-exemplified.”
Both LOUD and Yamaha are working carefully to ensure a smooth transition. Ampeg operations will be headquartered in Calabasas, Calif., at the Yamaha Guitar Group, Inc. offices.
“We are enjoying the opportunity to work so closely with Yamaha Guitar Group on this hand-off,” stated Alex Nelson, president and managing director of music gear brands at LOUD Audio. “Ampeg is loved and respected by both customers and by our LOUD employees, so we are happy to see it move into the hands of a company like Yamaha. We are confident that we have found Ampeg the best possible home.”