EarthQuaker Devices is an Akron, Ohio maker of guitar effects pedals and related electronic music devices, which it builds by hand. Founded in 2004 by musician Jamie Stillman, the company grew from his basement-built pedals into a 15,000-square-foot facility; its in-house research and development designs effects for musicians.
Evil Eye FXFounded by childhood friends and bandmates Sean Feeney and Ben Popp in 2023, Evil Eye FX hand-builds guitar pedals one at a time in Philadelphia. The company grew from their shared habit of modding Boss pedals and channels their love of fantasy, role-playing games and vintage circuits into distinctive effects such as the Warg Fuzz. Every pedal carries a lifetime warranty, including for subsequent owners.
Hipshot Products, IncFounded by Dave Borisoff in 1982 after he invented a lever-operated string bender for his band, Hipshot Products makes innovative hardware for electric guitars and basses. Now based in Interlaken, New York, the company employs a 43-person team of machinists, inventors and musicians, with CNC machining and final production supported by American labor. Hipshot’s factory is powered in part by nine solar-panel banks that generate 200 kilowatts, while its original string-bending idea has grown into hardware used by musicians around the world.INTERLAKEN, NY
Aviate AudioAviate Audio builds customizable digital effects pedals and software for musicians, centered on its Multiverse platform, which lets players assemble downloadable effects into their own pedalboard presets. The company also makes Airpatch, a compact wireless effects-loop controller that can be mounted directly to an instrument and operated with a single button. Multiverse supports effects created by a broader developer community, while Aviate Audio provides the hardware, designer software and developer tools that connect them.
C. F. Martin & Co., IncFounded in 1833, C. F. Martin & Co. is a family-owned and operated musical-instrument maker that has remained under family ownership for six generations. The company builds acoustic guitars and ukuleles, and has also manufactured its own strings since acquiring Darco Strings in 1970. Its instruments are handcrafted in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, while Martin strings are made at the company’s facility in Navojoa, Mexico.NAZARETH, PA