Kustom Amplification
| Private | |
| Industry | Amplification |
| Founded | Chanute, Kansas (1964) |
| Founder | Charles A. "Bud" Ross |
| Headquarters | Hebron, Kentucky, United States |
| Products | guitar amplifiers |
| Parent | Hanser Music Group |
| Website | www |
Kustom Amplification or Kustom Electronics is a manufacturer of guitar and bass amplifiers and PA equipment and accessories. Since 1999, Kustom has been owned by the Hanser Music Group headquartered in Hebron, Kentucky, which also owns Michael Kelly Guitars, B.C. Rich Guitars, Traben Bass Company, Spector Bass, Diezel Amplification, and Premier Percussion.
"Kustom" was a brand and trademark of Ross, Inc., a company founded in 1964 by Charles A. "Bud" Ross in Chanute, Kansas. The main selling point of Kustom amplifiers was their unique appearance: Ross, Inc. was the first to mass-produce amplifiers covered in roll and pleat, popularly referred to as "Tuck-And-Roll" naugahyde, similar to hot-rod automobile upholstery popular at that time. The amplifiers featured solid-state circuitry instead of vacuum tube-based designs so common in the 1960s.
Ross, Inc. operated in a factory in Chanute, Kansas. The company produced several models of guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, organ amplifiers, Guitars, Basses, and keyboards and P.A. systems. There was also a line of guitars with DeArmond pickups in a variety of colors, including the infamous Pink to Green sunburst that fans have affectionately named "Watermelon Burst." In an original promotion Kustom gave away "Kustom Kats" with the purchase of an amplifier. The Kustom (The Nauga, or Naugie) Kats were from the same Uniroyal Naugahyde that Kustom used to cover their products. The original Kustom amps came in a variety of colors including Red Sparkle, Blue Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Cascade Sparkle (teal), Charcoal Sparkle (grey), Silver Sparkle (white), and Flat Black (which contained no glitter). Eventually the company branched out to produce organs, drums, microphones, and guitars.
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