Randall Amplifiers

History

After graduating from community college in Santa Ana, California, Don Randall worked as a salesman for a radio supply shop, where he met Leo Fender, who was operating a nearby radio repair shop.

Randall went on to serve in the Army Corps of Engineers, the Signal Corps, and Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, he took a job as general manager of Radio & Television Equipment Co., a wholesale distributor of electronic components and discovered in 1946 that Fender had begun making a few lap steel guitars and small amplifiers. In 1946, Randall suggested that Radio & Television Equipment distribute Fender's guitars and amplifiers.

Finding commercial success, the Fender Sales Corporation and Fender Electric Instrument Company were established in February 1953, with Randall in charge of sales and distribution. Randall subsequently became vice president and general manager of the Fender Musical Instrument and Fender Sales divisions of CBS.

In 1969, Randall left to found the Randall Amplifier Company in Irvine, California.

Randall sold the company in 1987. In the mid-1990s, it was purchased by U.S. Music Corporation.

Partnership with Fortin Amps (2011 - 2015)

In December 2011, it was announced by the head of Fortin Amplification, Inc. that they would be teaming up with Randall amplifiers to design a new tube amp line based on the Fortin Meathead amplifier. Endorsee Kirk Hammett currently has four of the prototypes, one which he used for the Big 4 show at Yankee Stadium and concerts in India. It was also announced that they will be addressing their current amplifier line, both solid state and tube.

In April 2012, Randall Amplification Brand Director, Joe Delaney (a.k.a. Joetown) introduced Mike Fortin as an exclusive design engineer for Randall Amplification. As the founder of Fortin Amplification, Inc. he has become well-known worldwide for his high gain amplifier designs. His first priority was to design a new multi-channel, 150 watt Kirk Hammett Signature Model Head, and a range of high gain, all tube amplifiers to be manufactured in North America. The new Fortin designed series of Randall amplifiers replaced the discontinued MTS Series.

The collaboration produced a series high gain tube amplifiers such as the 667 and the Thrasher and several signature models. In addition to the Kirk Hammett signature models, Randall released the Ultimate Nullifier EN 120, a signature amp for Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian in 2014. Randall and Fortin also collaborated with The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund and designed a signature amp based on Englund's Fortin "Natas" amplifier called "Satan."