User:Tonecorral/sandbox

History
Benson Amps was founded in 2012 by Christopher Benson in Portland OR. Christopher got his start repairing and modifying guitar amps at Verellen Amplifiers in Seattle, and later at Old Town Music in Portland. The business moved out of his garage and into a commercial space near the Aladdin Theatre in late 2015. Employees were hired, and the business expanded again in 2018 when the shop was moved to nearby Milwaukie OR.

Products
Benson Amps manufactures high end guitar and bass amplifiers featuring point to point construction and unique finishes. They also manufacture various effects pedals, such as the Preamp Pedal based on the Chimera amp preamp, a Germanium Fuzz, and a Germanium Boost pedal.

Germanium Fuzz Invention
In 2020, Christopher designed a Germanium Fuzz utilizing a new invention called Automatic Thermal Bias, getting the idea after examining a solid state thermostat schematic. The invention regulates the temperature of two Germanium transistors so they are kept at an optimal bias voltage. This invention solved the long standing problem of inconsistent sound from Germanium Fuzz pedals due to voltage leakages and temperature fluctuations of the active components.

Preamp MKII
In 2018, Chase Bliss Audio announced a collaboration with Benson Amps consisting of an overdrive pedal based on the Benson Preamp, but featuring motorized faders, expanded tone shaping options and digital control. The MKII was released in May of 2020.