40 years of design engineering By James Brown

We’ve created hundreds of musical products all focused on channeling the sounds we musicians hear in our heads. We craft cutting-edge amplifiers and gear that enables artists to break boundaries and electrify their performances. Unleash Your Sound with Engineering Mastery By James Brown

Musical gear By James Brown inspires creativity, since we know every note an artist plays counts, and the gear can’t get in their way. With my dual experience as a gigging musician and an engineer, I get the unique struggles you face.

My mission? Creating high-quality amplifiers and gear that connect with every artist—whether they’re rocking a bar gig, lighting up an arena, or are working through their very first lesson.

I’m here to push the envelope, ensuring your sound is not only powerful but also unforgettable. Let’s redefine the norm and create something extraordinary together!

Contact

Services

Design engineering By James Brown combines 40 years of engineering experience with heavy emphasis on his musician’s creativity.

We help craft cutting-edge amplifiers and gear that enables artists to break boundaries and electrify their performances.

Design for Manufacturability

All design work By James Brown involves insuring manufacturability using simple product design.

I specialize in turning your wildest ideas into reality with designs that are not only visually stunning but also easy to manufacture, and repeatable accuracy in a lesser-skilled manufacturing environment.

I know how to streamline production without sacrificing sound quality.

Consulting Engineering

Need a partner in your musical journey?

With 40 years of industry know-how, I’m here to help you navigate the complexities of product development—whether it’s crafting a groundbreaking amplifier or tackling compliance hurdles.

Let’s make your vision explode into reality!

Artist Signature Product Development

Artists can often be a challenge for engineers to deal with, but I’ve developed communication skills needed to liaison between product teams, engineers and artists to make sure that there’s not too much “feature creep” or slippage to the price goals of the product.

Knowing these different languages is an important part of my toolbox, and I can help keep all parties happy.

Problem Solving

I thrive on challenges. With a creative mindset and a wealth of experience, I can dive into any of the unique problems that emerge in musical product development.

Whether it’s a technical glitch or a design roadblock, I’m your fresh set of eyes, ready to turn obstacles into opportunities.

About Us

Consulting engineering By James Brown isn’t just about engineering your products; we transform visionary ideas into legendary musical gear. My journey started at Peavey Electronics, where I designed iconic amplifiers like the original 5150 for Eddie Van Halen. With a rich tapestry of experience across engineering and design, I’m committed to elevating the art of sound.

And it’s not just about making gear; I’ve also shared my passion for engineering as an educator, inspiring the next wave of innovators. Let’s create something that resonates with the soul of music.

Here’s just a few companies and products I was involved in designing:

Peavey Electronics(1986-2004)
5150 and 5150II (Eddie Van Halen) amps, Classic 30, 50, 100, Delta Blues, JSX(Joe Satriani signature) amp, Triple XXX, VTM, Ultra, Rockmaster preamp, and many solid state amps including the TransTube amps.
Kustom Amplification(2004-2011)
‘36 and ‘72 Coupe tube amps, Double Cross tube head, numerous OEM products
BadCat (2012)
Cougar series of import amps
Schecter (2013)
Hellwin amplifier(Synyster Gates signature)
Amptweaker Pedals(2009-2020)
Created the brand, and designed over 30 original-design pedals including TightMetal series, BigRock Pro, FatMetal Pro, TightDrive, TightFuzz, DepthFinder, SwirlPool, PressuRizer, and Bass versions
EVH/Fender Amplification(2019-2025)
Principal Design Engineer for the EVH 5150 Iconic series, 15w/40w/60w combos, 412 and 80W head, 15W head, all in 6L6 and EL34 versions, co-engineer on Fender Jack White signature Pano-Verb

© 2025 EVH Brands, LLC. EVH, EVH logo, 5150, WOLFGANG and ICONIC are registered trademarks of EVH Brands, LLC. The unique stripe designs are copyrights (1978, 2023) of EVH Brands, LLC. All rights reserved.