Benson Amps is a boutique amplifier company based in Portland, Oregon, known for producing high-quality, hand-built amplifiers with a focus on tone and craftsmanship. Founded by Chris Benson, the company has gained a reputation for creating versatile, modern amps that combine vintage-inspired sounds with contemporary reliability. Benson amps are prized for their clarity, warmth, and dynamic range, often favoured by musicians who appreciate both vintage tones and the flexibility needed for modern playing styles.
Benson’s product line includes both guitar and bass amplifiers, as well as effect pedals, all designed with a commitment to quality components and attention to detail. Their amplifiers are known for offering a wide range of tones, from crisp and clean to rich, saturated overdrive, making them suitable for a variety of genres. With a focus on user-friendly controls and intuitive design, Benson Amps has become a popular choice among both professional musicians and audiophiles looking for bespoke sound equipment that provides exceptional tonal depth and character.
Just Pedal Ingredients.
Amps — Amps are where your tone really comes alive, turning your guitar’s signal into sound with depth, warmth, and punch. From vintage valve amps that cook up creamy overdrive to modern solid-state designs with crisp precision, every amp adds its own flavour. They’re the backbone of any setup, shaping your dynamics and feel, and when paired with the right pedals, they serve up a full plate of tone — from clean sparkle to sizzling distortion.. Box. Controlled. Drive — A drive pedal adds grit, warmth, and harmonic richness by gently overdriving your guitar signal, simulating the sound of a tube amp pushed into natural breakup. It works by boosting the signal until it begins to clip softly, producing smooth, musical distortion that enhances dynamics without overwhelming the original tone. Drive pedals are perfect for adding sustain and body to clean tones or giving solos extra bite and presence.
There are many flavours of drive — from transparent low-gain pedals that subtly enhance your sound, to midrange-heavy overdrives like the Tube Screamer that cut through a mix. They can be used to push an amp harder, stack with other pedals, or simply shape the foundation of your tone. A good drive pedal responds to your touch, letting you control everything from gentle crunch to singing sustain just by adjusting your picking dynamics or guitar volume.. Fuzz — A fuzz pedal is one of the earliest and most aggressive forms of distortion, turning your clean guitar signal into a thick, saturated wall of sound. It works by clipping the waveform almost flat, creating a compressed, gritty tone full of harmonic overtones. The result is raw, unruly, and unmistakable — from the sputtering breakup of vintage germanium circuits to the searing sustain of modern silicon designs. Fuzz pedals react strongly to your guitar’s volume and pickup choice, making them dynamic tools for expressive players.
Whether you’re chasing the classic tones of Hendrix and the Smashing Pumpkins or exploring heavy, experimental textures, fuzz remains a favourite for its personality and unpredictability. It can sound smooth and sustaining, or wild and velcro-like, depending on how it’s set up. A good fuzz pedal cuts through the mix while adding thickness and attitude, turning any riff or lead line into something bold and unmistakably alive.. Pedal — Your pedal is like a signature dish for your sound — a flavour-packed creation that transforms the bland ingredients of your guitar into something unforgettable. Each one adds its own seasoning, texture, and heat, turning a simple meal into a feast of tone.
These tasty little boxes sit in a row, like plates on a buffet, letting you mix and match flavours as you play. With one tap of your foot, you can swap sweet for spicy, subtle for smoky, and serve up something completely new. From the comfort food of warm overdrive to the fiery kick of fuzz, from smooth jazz sauce to heavy-metal spice, pedals give players a full menu of options to express their taste. And just like with food — once you’ve tried one dish, you’ll want to sample them all.
Collecting, trading, and discovering new flavours soon becomes part of the joy of being a tone-loving gourmet geek with a guitar.. Stonk. Temperature.
