Carlsbro

Any british guitar player, who work from late 50th to nowadays, know Carlsbro trademark and use this amplifiers many times. Carlsbro have a long history and is one of the oldest british companies who produce musical instruments. This amplifiers brand became a part of british popular culture. Carlsbro company was founded in 1959 by Stewart Mercer. He started to produce and sale guitar amplifiers and cabs for touring musicians or clubs. This well-priced but reliable equipment was very popular and became a classic in several years. In addition to guitar amplifiers Carlsbro started to develop and realize professional audio installation projects. Also company enlarged its retail network. Stewart Mercer understood the musicians needs and offered them serious sounding amplifiers for small budget. Carlsbro products dispersed throughout the world from factory in Nottinghamshire (20 000 sq. feet of production facilities). In 1968 Carlsbro became a one of the main technical suppliers for british bands, clubs and concert halls.

In middle 90th Stewart Mercer died and his company lost positions on market. Twice, in 1996 and 2001 Carlsbro changed owners. Last owner Andrew Bishop was experienced manager and stopped the fall in sales, but UK based factory was unprofitable and in 2009 company went bankrupt. The reason was that Carlsbro move production to PRC too late. But the same year chinese company Soundking bought Carlsbro trademark (Soundking also owns british brands Cadac и Studiomaster).

Musicians and distributors worried that new Carlsbro amplifiers would be featureless clones with old label, but it not happened. Now Carlsbro catalog include classic “Golden Age” tube amplifiers from 60-th and 70-th. Any guitarist from student to professional musician can find perfect amp in wide production line. Carlsbro offer different models of tube, solid-state, DSP amplifiers and cabinets for guitar, bass or keyboards. Also company produce full line of professional sound systems and components: active and passive mixing consoles, reck-mount amplifiers, compact and full size PA-systems, line arrays and accessories.

Carlsbro amplifiers known as a British classics like Rolls Royce, Triumph or Norton. In different years this amplifiers was used by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Oasis. Famous guitarist Bill Nelson have own signature limited edition series of Carlsbro amplifiers. Another well-known guitar player - Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy, Motorhead), who used Carlsbro on Jailbreak album recording.

www.carlsbro.com