A Spalding music-studio owner is sending his own handmade guitar distortion pedals to musicians around the world after turning a long-standing interest in guitars into a new creative business.
Sam Loose has owned N/A Studios in Spalding for the past ten years and has worked in the music industry for twice that length. His work at the studio helped spark an interest in guitars, which has now led him to design and build a pedal of his own.
Designed and assembled in Spalding
The pedal is being produced by hand at Sam’s Spalding studio. He designed it himself, while the artwork was created by a Spalding-born artist. Each unit is hand-soldered and assembled locally.
“To my knowledge it’s the first time this has been done in Spalding; they’re all hand built here and completely to my own design,”
Sam said the project grew from a partnership within the arts community in and around Spalding. He believes the pedal highlights creative work in the area that can be easy to miss.
“It demonstrates the wider cultural and creative community in the area that people may not be aware of.”
He said his childhood experiences of live music in Spalding also influenced the project. Sam recalled attending gigs in town pubs every Friday and Saturday while growing up, but said closures can make it seem as though music is no longer active locally.
He said music and musical companies continue to operate in Spalding, even if that activity is not always obvious.
From studio work to electronics
Building the pedal required Sam to learn electronics, despite having no previous background in the subject. He began studying circuit schematics and identified similarities and building blocks that could help him create the sound he wanted.
“I never had any background in electronics, but once I started looking at schematics I noticed similarities and building blocks that I could use to create the sound in my head,”
The sound was intended to reflect the influence of Black Sabbath, a band Sam listened to extensively while growing up, while adding a more contemporary element.
“I was really aiming for something that captured the essence of the Black Sabbath sound that I listened to so much growing up, but trying to put a bit more of a modern twist on it.”
The response from guitarists and other musicians has been positive, according to Sam. He said pedals have already been sent to France, Canada, the United States and Israel.
“It has been received very well by guitarists and musicians in general. Units have been flying off to France, Canada, USA and Israel to name a few.”
The project adds an international dimension to the work taking place at N/A Studios, while keeping the design, artwork and assembly connected to Spalding’s music and arts community.