About Malin Amplification
Mark Malin - Malin Amplification
As a guitarist for over 40 years, whether gigging or playing for pleasure, I’ve always been obsessed with tone. A professional background in engineering environments has given me a passion for quality and an “anything worth doing is worth doing right” approach. As an Electronics Tech in the 80s working at the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center, I was trained in Space Flight Soldering and developed an eye for quality and accuracy. Some of the instruments I helped build flew on the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope and Galileo Probe. In the 90s I wrote software for life-critical medical equipment, in the 2000s for scientific instrumentation and the 2010s and 2020s for the Automotive Industry. This allowed me to learn methodologies for robustness and reliability.
Starting out restoring 1930s and 40s vacuum tube radios, I gained an understanding of genuine point-to-point tube electronics, as well as insight into Leo Fender’s perspective from his early days as a radio repairman. Building my first amplifier, a Fender-style 5E3, it became clear that this is where all my experiences align. I’m inspired by the genius of men like Alexander Dumble and Ken Fisher as well as the engineers at Marshall who built upon the foundations of the humble Fender platforms to create passionate artistic tone.
Hand built—One at a Time
Malin Amplification builds only handmade, point-to-point tube amplifiers and preamps. You will find no green board, no traces, no cheap sockets and crimp connectors, no off-shore built components, no tiny wave soldered parts and no solid-state transistors. Each Malin Amplification preamp or amplifier is hand built. Every solder joint is carefully inspected, capacitors are tested for correct orientation and if anything doesn't seem right during the build process, the build will stop and it will be corrected before moving on. Every preamp and amplifier is built one at a time, methodically and accurately. No corners are cut.
Passion for Quality and Tone
Quality tone takes quality parts, and care in construction. Parts are chosen specifically for tone and accuracy.