Tilman Ritter · Dresden
Amp builder. Since 2008.
I build and repair guitar amps in my small workshop in Dresden-Pieschen – tube amps, and power amp modules for Kemper, Quad Cortex and pedalboards. Built the way I'd want them if I were going to use them myself.
The story
Why I build amps.
I'm not a natural musician. Growing up in East Germany, I was sent to violin lessons – and sent home again after one of the exams. Around the time the Wall came down, my school friend Thomas and I started on acoustic guitars, and in the early nineties we founded a band. It's still the same band, with the same people. As a guitarist, I'd call myself solid average.
The tubes came from my grandfather in Leipzig, who tinkered with tube radios in his basement. I trained as an electronics technician, became a state-certified communications engineering technician and travelled the world for a semiconductor equipment company. Along the way I built my first amp – a Tweed Deluxe, in my bedroom – and played it in the band.
On 1 May 2008 I turned the hobby into my job and opened a small workshop in Dresden. Honestly, I knew less than I thought. I really learned the trade repairing amps for a local music store: reading schematics, tracing faults, understanding why amps fail. When the Kemper Profiler came out without a power amp, I started building the Camplifier modules – they kept the company going. The QC Amp Base, the Guitar Board Amps and the QC Amp Base Mini followed.
Since then I've repaired around 1,700 amps and sold around 1,400 units of my own worldwide. Since 2025 the workshop has been at Grossenhainer Strasse 99 in Dresden-Pieschen.
In my own band I play a pedalboard into a self-built Bassman-style head – for our songs, two sounds are enough. Many of my customers need far more: dozens of sounds, quick changes, a different stage every night, or a recording setup that's ready in seconds. That's where modelers and amp pedals really shine – Kemper, Quad Cortex, Helix, Fractal, UAFX and many more. It's great technology, and it makes life on stage and in the studio a lot simpler. My job is to give it the power it deserves: the Camplifier for the Kemper, the QC Amp Base for the Quad Cortex, and the Guitar Board Amps for everything else. Every Camplifier and QC Amp Base is tested with a Kemper or Quad Cortex on my bench before it ships.
The philosophy
Small is the advantage.
A small workshop can't beat mass production on price. What I can do is pick every part myself – proper pots, good capacitors, high-quality transformers – and build what you won't find on the shelf: a master volume, a bias pot, a special mod for your amp.
That's not luxury. It's the one advantage a small workshop has – so I use it.
How I work
Three principles.
01 / Construction
Hand-wired, built to last.
Most of my tube amps are wired point-to-point. Where I do use circuit boards, they're laid out like eyelet or turret boards – sturdy and easy to service.
02 / Components
Chosen, not sourced.
Every part is picked for how it sounds and how long it lasts, not for its price.
03 / Quality
Checked before it ships.
Every unit gets a full function and sound check on my bench. If something is going to fail, I'd rather it happens here.
Service
Built in Dresden, played worldwide.
Shipping
Worldwide delivery.
I’ve been shipping worldwide since 2008 and always look for the most affordable, reliable way to get your gear to you. Due to current EU packaging regulations (PPWR), I’m unfortunately unable to ship to EU countries other than Germany at the moment. Outside the EU, I ship worldwide – including the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, Norway and Switzerland. The shop calculates shipping as soon as you enter your delivery address. Depending on your country, import duties and VAT may be due on delivery, so please check before you order.
Warranty
Built to last.
I put a lot of time into careful building and well-chosen parts. If something fails anyway, you’re covered for 24 months (6 months on tubes). Just send the unit back: I cover the shipping, from abroad too, and repair or replace it. Shipping costs are usually refunded via PayPal or bank transfer.
Support
Repairs & help.
Out of warranty, repairs work much the same way. Email me a short description of the fault, and I’ll give you a rough estimate for shipping and repair before you send the unit in. I always try to keep the cost and hassle as low as possible.
Curious? Just get in touch.
Happy to answer questions – about amps, about tech, or just like that. No sales talk, no pressure.
Get in touch →