BUILDER PROFILE > EPIFANI
Epifani Amplification founder Nick Epifani with jazz/fusion bassist
Brian Bromberg at Winter NAMM 2011 last January.
New York City’s bass-amp innovator talks about his
never-ending quest for impeccable tone and how he
broke into the scene by tirelessly schlepping his designs
to jazz clubs and getting local legends to plug in.
BY STEVE COOK
Call it fate or call it destiny, some things were just meant to happen. When
Nick Epifani started his journey from
Torino, Italy, to New York City, he had
no idea that one day his ideas and innovations would shape the way bass gear is
manufactured, designed, and heard. And
this from a drummer-turned-guitarist who
started a company in his garage and played
mad scientist with bass-cabinet designs. As
a chronic tinkerer, Epifani had been modding guitar amps and cabinets from day
one. Never quite satisfied with tones, he set
out to either make a better cabinet or alter
the amp to his liking. The result was a cab
premierguitar.com
that not only shook foundations (literally
and figuratively), but broke new ground for
the bass world. His bass cabinets and amps
have steadily risen in popularity over the
years, and they can now be found onstage
with many of the most capable bassists on
the planet.
But while Epifani may not have fore-
seen how his design would change the
bass universe, his success was no accident.
His first cabs were labors of love produced
one at a time at home. For 10 years, he
worked there by day, and every night
he’d set out to jazz clubs to introduce his
wares to players around the city. After a
fateful meeting with representatives from
Fodera Guitars, his business really caught
afire as players such as Matt Garrison
(Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Herbie
Hancock), Lincoln Goines (Mike Stern,
Carly Simon, Robert Palmer), and Darryl
Jones (Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton,
Madonna) began using his cabinets and
amps onstage and in the studio.
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2011 97
