Philosophy
We believe in the timeless value of a well-made tool that’s perfectly suited to its application. Music professionals and dedicated practitioners know that the better their equipment is, the less of it they need. This saves them time, money, headaches and backaches in the long run, so they can just focus on making and enjoying music.
Creating the ideal tool requires a careful look at how it will be used. Auburn Amplifiers are configured to match the individual user’s needs, equipment, and goals. Our partnership with our customers continues throughout the life of their amplifier through support, service and upgrades.
We don't post online audio clips of our products because we feel that this now-common practice is unfair to both parties; the listener has no control over how the clips were made and processed, and the provider has no control over how the samples are listened to. Instead, we offer a straightforward 30-day money-back guarantee - even on our custom and semi-custom products - so our customers can truly hear and use their Auburn amplifier with their own instruments and setups without risk.
Our products are hand-made by a modest group of craftspeople who are thoroughly knowledgeable about what they’re making. This enables us to make superior amplifiers and to provide plenty of customization options. True artisanship has become scarce in the modern world, making it even more important. History has shown that cheaper, faster products generally don’t stand the test of time, despite their temporary broader appeal. Our goal is that no Auburn product ever ends up in a landfill.
Knowing that every little bit helps, Auburn’s environmental and social policies are applied in all areas of our operation. We choose low-impact materials, processes, and transportation distances wherever possible. We also screen our materials suppliers for adherence to ethical principles like equal pay and healthy work environments. In addition, we are bucking the trend by bringing more of our manufacturing processes in-house to reduce our carbon footprint and gain even better quality control. Finally, by selling directly to our customers we eliminate the waste associated with distributor warehousing and indirect shipping.
Auburn’s main purpose is to help people make music better. The way we do it brings us the added benefit of getting to know those people.
History
Twentieth century technology
coming home to the 21st.
Auburn Amplifiers was founded in 2012 to create a unifying brand for one-off custom amplifier designs built for a handful of musicians and listeners dotted around the globe. The Auburn ‘Troublemaker’ and its variants found extensive use in performance and recording for keyboards, basses, and harmonicas as well as electric and acoustic guitars. One variant - the ‘Little Wonder’ - was backstage during a 2017 Pat Metheny performance in Budapest. Amazed by the little amp’s simplicity, honesty and musicality, Pat bought it on the spot, later declaring that his ‘Little Wonder’ had become his go-to “when I want to know what a guitar really sounds like”.
In 2019 we decided to develop an all-instrument, high quality tube DI for ampless stages and smaller studios. Two curious things happened when we launched our ‘Stomplifier’ concept on Kickstarter. Despite not reaching our campaign goal, we attracted significant interest, feedback and investment, prompting us to revise our design and develop and test the all-new Solitaire tube DI with a panel of professional musicians representing multiple genres, instruments and regions. We also began to see some of the Stomplifier’s published features crop up in other companies’ products, so we knew we were onto something.
After launching the Solitaire in 2023, we expanded our research to design the compact ‘Elan’ 18-watt tube power amp for instrument or hi-fi use, the ‘Spooky Ghost’ low-power tube guitar head / DI, and the ‘Morningside’ tube headphone amp. We then rounded out our offerings by resuming limited production of the same hand-wired ‘Little Wonder’ combo amp that had captivated Pat Metheny.
Who we are
(propellerhead musicians, basically)
Auburn's Canadian-born founder and design engineer Rob Robson became a musician and electronics hobbyist in the late 1960’s when tube equipment was abundant, using his growing skills to repair and modify bandmates’ gear. Technical studies led to a career in high-reliability audio equipment and recording facilities design, manufacturing and quality assurance. A growing interest in audiophile electronics paralleled the tube renaissance and led to further low-downtime, tonally superior side projects for musicians and audio enthusiasts.
American multi-instrumentalist, mechanical engineer and entrepreneur Ryan Ritter joined Auburn in 2021, adding expertise in physical design as well as familiarity with musician’s needs across multiple genres. The two men met as members of a close community of expat musicians in Seoul, later discovering their common engineering backgrounds and interest in reliable, purpose-built music gear. Ryan plays fiddle and mandolin - two instruments that present sonic challenges few existing offerings could meet.
Rob lives with his wife and three children in sunny Szeged, Hungary. Ryan lives with his wife and three children in the slightly wetter Shoreline, Washington.
Guarantee
We're there for you.
If you're not thrilled with your new Auburn amplifier for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days for a full refund as long as it's in new condition and in its undamaged original packaging.
We also provide a three-year transferable warranty on all our products (six months on tubes). This warranty covers components and assemblies that fail under normal use or due to faulty workmanship. Product repairs and component replacements are handled on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Auburn Amplifiers, and are typically based on the most efficient way of getting your amp up and running again.
If you have to cancel an order after placing your 50% deposit, we will return your deposit less a 15% component restocking fee.