Ark Amplifiers technically started up in late 2005 but the story of these amps is older.

"I had a prototype box sitting around for seven or eight years waiting for money." says Bill Compeau of Ark Amps in Michigan.

The prototype didn't see the light of day until a friend of Compeau's, Matt Schellenberg, an artist then living in Budapest, sold his property in Hungary and financed the company. Schellenberg, however, didn't necessarily want to start with amps.

"I had one amp waiting for a way to get going," says Compeau. "He wanted to do guitars first but I thought that would be a rough go of it."

One of the first amps was a custom made for Gordon Kennedy. It was the same amp Compeau had sketched on a napkin in 1997. For a couple of years, that amp was their only circuit. A designer who lived close by, Randy Fey, designed four new chassis; the first one he brought to Campeau is now Ark's model C amp. Ark Amps works so fast that their website is virtually never up to date with all the new offerings, but you can always email for new amps. The C was, in fact, the first but there are also A and B models. The logic and explanation of how and why the C came first eluded me in our conversation, so I just accept it as fact. You should too. Another thing you should accept is that these amps are something all their own. They are not knock-offs; the circuits, the looks and the sound are all unique.

As an example: the B model is a 6v6 non-master volume circuit that starts as a cross between a Tweed Deluxe and a Black Face Bassman, but then Compeau adds in a couple more vintage amps.

The C is a 15 watt amp, however, "it is loud enough to gig with. Master volume works well," Campeau says. "People who argue against master volumes have never heard our amps. What is cool is the one knob tone stack -- if you turn left it gets thicker, if you turn right, thinner and brighter."

No need to fiddle around with multiple knobs. If you are skeptical, know that Compeau was as well until he started playing with it. The amps are versatile and complement any number of different guitar styles. Trace Adkins uses one of their amps playing a Tele. Gordon Kennedy, uses his with a '59 honeyburst Les Paul. In fact, his amp was made to match his guitar.

"Every guitar I have played through that circuit sounds great," says Compeau. "It doesn't put a heavy personality of its own into the music. You heard what the guitar is more than the amp."

When asked why someone should buy one of his amps Compeau has a simple reason:

"So I can make money and build some more," he says.

He says that when he finalized the circuit, he lost sleep over it. Not from worry, mind you, but from sitting up playing through the amp.

"My favorite setting is the lowest." he says. "There is a little Van Halen in there at this setting despite this not really being a 'metal' amp. It is very tube-y. What surprises me is how good it sounds clean. Take a good Bassman and an early JCM, Fender body with cool crunch and incredible gain."

And with the bottom input it is like using a tube screamer. As we noted before this is a unique circuit, not a copy of anything. They wanted to go over the top with both circuit and looks; the amps are masterpieces of design and works of art in addition to being functional.

Ark Amps also use dynamic thermal tempering on the hardware, pots, jacks etcetera. Don't know what that is? Neither did I until Compeau enlightened me. It is a process of computer controlled cold and heat cycling that aligns the grains of the metal used in the amp's hardware. It takes them from a scattered pattern and aligns them so the electrons glide in a more straight flow. There is also a higher heat tolerance.

When at a recent show in Nashville the guys at a distribution company in the next booth overheard the prices they charged and whispered. "You guys are not charging enough". Compeau is not so sure of that.

"You have to watch what you charge starting," he says. "People are not going to buy it based on a magazine ad. They will want to play it."

When I comment that these amps just look too nice to play live, Compeau bristles a little.

"What is ironic is that people will bring an expensive guitar on tour," he says. "What gets more of a beating? a guitar or an amp? Guitars always get damaged. An amp just sits there."

Ark are working on their first line of bass amps -- the design will feature a top-mounted hole that an electric upright's stand could be inserted into. The sound would then project from the electric in the same way it would from an acoustic upright. The cabinet would, in turn, give resonant feedback into the bass like an ebow.

"If you were loud enough you could probably get infinite sustain," says Compeau.