Thomas Blug Interview | No Compromising Allowed

Some guitar players like traditional, tube-driven amps. And some prefer the versatility and compactness of a digital platform. But if you look right at the intersection of traditional and modern, you’ll find Thomas Blug.

Thomas Blug is an incredible amp designer with one goal in mind: to make amps smaller, lighter, and better. We invited Thomas to the AMS Studios to talk all about the history of his company, BluGuitars, his passion for tone, and to demo some of the crazy amps and cabs he’s released. If you like guitar amps (or music in general), you won’t want to miss this one! Watch the AMS Thomas Blug Interview now!

Building guitar amps isn’t really something you just one day wake up and discover you have a talent. It’s hard to build an amp, and it takes a lot of practice! And Thomas Blug’s journey began at a young age — just 11 to be exact.

When Thomas was 11, his first hobby was electronics. He’d leaf through electronics magazines, learning all he could about circuits and electricity.

By age 13, he picked up his first guitar. Thomas was entranced by the tone and versatility that you could get out of the instrument — and still is. It wasn’t long before he merged his two hobbies and started building amps. His first rig was a custom-built amp and cab made from some “confiscated” pieces of his parents’ furniture.

At the time, Thomas was listening to guitarists like Santana and Ritchie Blackmore — his heroes. But he quickly found out that his homemade rig didn’t quite sound like those guys. So he asked someone, “What is the BEST amp?”

We’ve all wondered that from time to time…

But this was the ‘80s. And the best amp question typically returned the same answer: Mesa Boogie.

Of course, Mesas are expensive. So a teenage Thomas had to work extra hard, and one day he could finally afford the best amp: a Mesa Boogie Mark IIB! And he still wasn’t quite satisfied… He liked the tone, but he couldn’t get the Marshall tone that so many pros were using at the time. So he started to modify it…

Thomas added a third channel to his Mesa in an attempt to get into Marshall territory. Eventually, he just bought a Marhsall — but of course that ended up getting modified, too.

It wasn’t long before Thomas’s love of designing amps and finding perfect tone became a career when he started working for Hughes & Kettner, designing some of their most iconic models over the next 27 years.

A good amp designer needs to know what players want. And nobody knows that better than Thomas Blug because he’s a guitar player, too (and a good one at that!). Around the same time he was modifying Mesas and Marshalls, he was also a session musician in Germany.

It didn’t take long for Thomas to realize that he loved the sound and (most importantly) feel of tube amps but wasn’t a fan of the size or volume that came along with them. There had to be a better way.

You can’t really take chances when you work for someone. There are bottom lines and marketing and budgets and analysis you have to do. So Thomas decided the best thing he could do is to strike out on his own, and BluGuitar was made!

Blug’s first product was a cabinet. He loved the sound of a good 4x12, which is what he was using at the time. And it might be cool to play a 4x12, but it’s definitely not cool to lug one around between gigs and studios. Thomas built a custom 1x12 that could handle a powerful amp and push some serious air without weighing a ton.

This product would eventually evolve into the BluGuitar Fatcab that Thomas still gigs with after 17 years.

According to Thomas Blug, the cabinet is “50% of the tonal equation.” So the next step was to complete the other half and create an amp that was similarly small, versatile, and powerful.

Digital amps and modelers sound great. But according to Thomas Blug, they’re still missing something. And that something is feel. They don’t feel like a traditional tube amp! Thomas wants the sponginess, reactivity, and musicality that comes with playing a valve amp.

Thomas used the analogy of acoustic and electronic drum sets. Mic’d up, an acoustic drum set and a modern electronic drum set sound nearly identical to an audience. But playing an acoustic set feels much more responsive and “real” than an electronic set. That’s what’s missing from digital modelers.

To discover how to merge the sound and feel of a vintage tube amp and the versatility and convenience of a modeler, he started to learn everything he possibly could about the “magic” of tube amps and what makes them so good.

By understanding the “mystical chaos circuitry” in tube amps, Thomas learned all the pieces that go into creating a great tube sound and feel. Now, he just had to figure out how to replicate them in a smaller package. And he absolutely refused to compromise either the tube-driven sound and feel or the compact size and versatility.

The result of that no-compromise ambition is the BluGuitar AMP 1.

First things first: the BluGuitar AMP 1 is a real amp. It sports all-analog circuitry (except the reverb), and it even has a tube! It’s NOT a modeler, even if it might look like one.

However, unlike a tube amp, the AMP 1 offers guitarists a full spectrum of tone at any volume. During the interview, Thomas really cranked the gain on the amp, and Russ and Ryan walked away without needing hearing aids — and they were sitting next to the cabinet!

There are two flavors of the AMP 1, and they both check in at a full speaker-blowing 100 watts. You can absolutely blow the roof off your next gig or lower the volume to a bedroom-friendly level without affecting your tone. Choose between the more blues- and rock-ready AMP 1 Mercury Edition or the heavier AMP 1 Iridium Edition. 

Both BluGuitar amps have four channels with the same names. However, they’re tuned slightly differently. The BluGuitar AMP 1 Mercury Edition’s channels sound more at home in blues and rock fields:

There’s also a lovely two-stage Boost for when you need to tear a solo and a digital reverb that’s reminiscent of classic spring and plate reverbs. Thomas Blug is a self-proclaimed boost nut, so it was very important to get that right!

On the side of the amp, you’ll find a ton of tone-shaping tools to get your channels exactly where you want them. And these aren’t just “make you feel better” buttons; they’re incredibly powerful!

The 100-watt BluGuitar AMP 1 Iridium Edition packs more gain compared to the Mercury Edition to please any players of hard rock, metal, and beyond. It features the same four channels as the Mercury Edition with slightly different voicings:

The BluGuitars AMP 1 Iridium Edition also comes with a super-cool adjustable noise gate. You can have the gate completely off, put it on soft mode for smooth high-gain solos, or flip it to metal mode for some snappy chugging.

The coolest part of the noise gate is that it automatically changes from metal to soft when you hit the reverb toggle. Go from staccato chugging to smooth solos with the tap of your foot!

The boost on the Iridium Edition also has more of a mid hump compared to the Mercury Edition — approximately half of what you’d find in a Tube Screamer.

Look on the side, and you’ll find similar super-powerful tone-shaping options like you’d see on the Mercury.

*Disclaimer: Thomas Blug doesn't like to copy. So when you see tones described as "hot-rodded Marshall," that's just the general tone that inspired him. Plus, it's really hard to describe what something sounds like in writing, so that's the best I've got...

With the incredible sound, size, and versatility of BluGuitar amps, why should anyone even bother with tube amps anymore?

Of course, Thomas Blug might be a bit biased, but it really just comes down to your preferences. There’s just something about the connection between a player and their amp and stacks. There’s hardly anything cooler than playing in front of a wall of 4x12s!

But beyond that, it’s hard to argue in favor of traditional tube amps — especially if you travel for gigs. Thomas has plenty of stories about bands traveling all over the world for festivals and brining only a BluGuitar amp. It’s so easy to transport, and it still sounds great for a wide variety of genres from jazz and blues to rock and metal.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about what’s the most fun for you. If there’s a product out there that achieves the tone you like and gives you that connection, even if it’s not from BluGuitar, Thomas says to use it!

However, it’s important to be open minded. New technology and gear is out there, and it’s REALLY good. You never know when the next big thing might become your new go-to, even if you tend to be more of a traditionalist.

We were absolutely blown away by the versatility and power of BluGuitar amps — especially when demoed by Thomas Blug himself. It's a very simple product with nearly infinite layers to work through for those who want to take the time to dive in. There’s hardly a better option for anyone who loves the feel and sound of tube amps but doesn’t want to hurt their back traveling to gigs.

During the interview, Thomas Blug did hint at a new AMP X model that replicates more classic tones and perhaps a new speaker cabinet… So definitely stay tuned for some new goodies coming from BluGuitars in the near future.

A huge thanks to Thomas Blug for visiting the AMS Studios and giving us a masterclass in tone shaping. It really was eye (or ear)-opening!

If you want to check out either of the BluGuitar AMP 1 models, you know where to go. They’re right here at American Musical Supply! With our industry-leading 45-day return policy, it has never been easier to see if a BluGuitar amp fits your style. Get one today; you won’t regret it!