Henric Hermansson started modifying guitar amplifiers as a teenager in Dala-Järna and now has customers worldwide, including famous musicians and studios. His workshop on the family farm has grown from a hobby into a successful business, despite challenging early years. He emphasizes the importance of both sound and feel in his creations.
Henric Hermansson, from Dala-Järna in Dalarna, began his journey with guitar amplifiers as a 15-year-old amateur. He experimented with components to achieve the perfect sound missing from commercial models – better attack feel when striking strings and clarity in all tones, regardless of distortion level, for a fuller and more aggressive sound.
His modified amplifiers have become highly sought after. Today, both international musicians and music studios purchase his work, and he has customers in over 30 countries, mainly from the USA and Canada. Hermansson can now select his clients and turn down certain jobs.
Success did not come easily. For several years, his wife supported the family while he built his brand in the small workshop on the farm. “We decided in the family that I should go for this, but there was a time when we couldn't even afford pizza,” he says.
Hermansson stresses the feel in the sound: “It's not just what you hear but how it feels that's important.” His dream client is the Swedish metal band Opeth. Despite the unexpected development, he reflects: “It's hard to understand how it got like this, it's amazing.”
The workshop in Dala-Järna, part of Vansbro municipality, symbolizes a local entrepreneur's success in the music industry.