INSIDE NEWS > Page 14 TNAG Global Acquires Norman’s Rare Guitars > Page 15 MI Industry Reacts to Latest Tariff News > Page 18 The Music People’s Founder Passes Away
Oregon-based boutique tube amp maker found itself at the center of the conver- sation. For a company founded in 2019, the recognition created a shift in how tube amplification is thought of in 2026. “Geoff Metts from Five Star Guitars told me that he was nominating me for Best in Show and so my first reaction was just huge gratitude,” said Eddie Wang, owner and builder. “I’ve put a lot of work into trying to figure out how to do things differently and better and push the boundaries of tube amp design. It was very humbling, but also very wonderful to be recognized for that.” PUSHING TUBE AMP DESIGN While Eddie Wang Instruments is still con- sidered a young company, Wang himself is anything but new to the craft. With 25 years of amp-building experience under his belt, he said his intention has always been rooted in making tube amps feel more like an instrument. His beginnings are in the cello and acoustic world, so he translates that to designing tube amps that feel like playing an acoustic instrument. “Playing a lot of tube amps, you don’t really have that feel, that responsiveness that you get from playing acoustic instru- ments,” Wang said. “What sets mine apart is that while a lot of current and former tube amp companies have copied designs from the ’50s and ’60s, I personally don’t believe that tube amp technology peaked in the ’50s. From an engineering perspec- tive, the way I see it is that whenever you have criteria that you’re trying to meet, there’s always going to be trade-offs. If you don’t need to solve for huge volume, well now I can solve for something else, which is making guitar amps more musical and more expressive. What sets my amps apart is that my focus is on trying to bring back that acoustic feel, that expressiveness that sometimes goes missing in a lot of tube amp designs.” One of the centerpieces behind Eddie
At its first major NAMM recognition, Eddie Wang Instruments took home a Best in Show award. The win reflects the company’s focus on ground- up circuit design, acoustic-inspired cabinet engineering and a commitment to amplifiers that respond like instruments. — By Kimberly Kapela Eddie Wang THE FUTURE OF TUBE AMPS ISN’T LOUDER
F resh off its first Best in Show win at The 2026 NAMM Show, Eddie Wang Instruments has no plans to slow down.
Over NAMM weekend, amid the blur of signature launches and legacy brands flexing decades of heritage, the Portland,
12 I MUSIC INC. I APRIL 2026
Powered by FlippingBook