Supro is an American
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
, currently owned by Bond Audio, a manufacturer of
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ...
s.
[ Formerly, Supro produced ]musical instruments
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
as a subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a ...
of Valco
Valco was a US manufacturer of guitar amplifiers from the 1940s through 1968.
Apart from its original products, Valco also commercialised electric and acoustic guitars and basses through its subsidiary companies.
History
Valco was formed ...
. The brand entered into disuse after the closure of Valco in 1968, being later revived in 2013.[History]
on Supro website, 28 Oct 2019
Range of products currently commercialised under the Supro name includes electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
s, basses
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass ...
, amplifiers
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost th ...
and effects units.
History
Supro was basically the budget brand of companies such as National (then merged with Dobro
Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson (guitar company), Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar.
...
to form "National Dobro") and later, Valco
Valco was a US manufacturer of guitar amplifiers from the 1940s through 1968.
Apart from its original products, Valco also commercialised electric and acoustic guitars and basses through its subsidiary companies.
History
Valco was formed ...
, which would take over those brands. Valco was notorious for manufacturing its guitars with components (especially bodies) provided by other manufacturers.[Supro guitars and amplifiers]
By Michael Wright on Vintage Guitar
Supro was also a premium brand of amplifiers,[ being also the first to produce a combo amp with reverb.][ Supro amps built from the 1930s to the 1950s were regarded for their sound for rock records.The guitars that Chicago built]
by Chris McMahon on Premier Guitar, October 17, 2013
The brand was revived in 2013, having reintroduced a line of vintage guitars and amplifiers since then.["Reviving a legendary brand"]
on ''Music Trades'', Feb 2017
Rights to the Supro name were acquired by Absara Audio, parent company of effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ...
s manufacturer Pigtronix.[Absara Audio Acquires Supro Trademark, Plans Reissue Amps]
on Vintage Guitar The rights to Brand were bought from its previous owner, Bruce Zinky. Zinky had owned the brand during many years, designing amplifiers for Fender.[How Defunct and Vintage Brands Get a Second Life]
by James M. Brill on Reverb, Mar 15, 2017
To help its expansion, Absara built a new production facility in Port Jefferson Station, New York
Port Jefferson Station is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Brookhaven, in Suffolk County, in New York, United States. The population was 7,838 as of the 2010 census.
History
The area now known as Port Jefferson Station w ...
, starting with a vintage line of US-made Supro tube amps. Zinky was retained by Absara as design engineer, collaborating with the company on the modern designs of Supro amps.[
In 2017, Supro entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Jam Industries to market the brand in North America. Managed by Joe Delaney, the brand experienced massive growth in sales and notoriety with major product launches such as the Black Magick series, pedals and guitars.
In 2020, Supro was purchased by Bond Audio.
]
Gallery
File:Hohner Acoustic & Supro Resonator At The Folk Festival (Takoma Park, MD).jpg, resonator guitar
A resonator guitar or resophonic guitar is an acoustic guitar that produces sound by conducting string vibrations through the bridge to one or more spun metal cones (resonators), instead of to the guitar's sounding board (top). Resonator guit ...
File:Dan Auerbach playing at MSG.jpg, Supro guitar
File:Singing Michelle Malone @ Virginia-Highlands Summerfest.jpg, Supro Dual Tone
File:Shake ! @ Virginia Highlands Summerfest.jpg, Supro amplifier
See also
* Valco
Valco was a US manufacturer of guitar amplifiers from the 1940s through 1968.
Apart from its original products, Valco also commercialised electric and acoustic guitars and basses through its subsidiary companies.
History
Valco was formed ...
References
External links
Official website
{{Guitar brands
Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States
Guitar amplifier manufacturers
Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States
Musical instruments brands