It was early 2020 when my intent to work more in my new home studio became a necessity. A couple of years later, I agreed to track some emerging artists with their guitar amps. I quickly learned that a garbage amp with nice electronics feeding it is still a garbage amp and that the benefits of managing artist expectations cannot be overstated. I tried borrowed amps and DI-into-amp plug-ins, but none of those results inspired me. I continued searching for a better way to track electric guitar for my clients, and I knew that I would suffer until I found it.
Then, in October 2025, a new product got my attention. I read that Milkman Sound founder Tim Marcus had launched a version of his pedalboard-based guitar amp, The Amp 100, in collaboration with Benson Amps' founder Chris Benson. The curiously named result is Benson The Amp. I reached out to Tim for info, and he shared the full story with me, highlighting the Benson influence on the project and contributions from Keeley Electronics founder Robert Keeley.