Epifani Amplification founder Nick Epifani with jazz/fusion bassist
Brian Bromberg at Winter NAMM 2011 last January.
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
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 foreseen
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.
We recently spoke with Epifani about his
innovations—from the first cabinet he built
in Italy for his brother to his latest digital
amps and cabinets—his perseverance, and
his steadfast determination to blaze a path all
his own.
How did you first get involved with music?
I was 13 years old and started as a drummer
in Italy, then formed a band with my
cousin and my brother. There was always a
guitar in the house, so I knew a few things
on guitar, as well. We grew up listening
to Hendrix and Grand Funk Railroad, so
that was the inspiration for the music. LPs
were hard to come by, so when we got our
hands on one it was like a sacred bible to
us. When I was 18, the band booked a
two-month gig in Holland, and our guitar
player backed out at the last minute so I
moved to guitar.
The PS series of heads is based on the now-legendary UL series but offers a warmer sound in a more compact package. Maintaining a solid 500-watt output
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What brought you to New York?
After bouncing around various gigs, I
started a business delivering vegetables in
Italy. The work was from 6 a.m. until 1
p.m., so that freed up my afternoons, where
I worked in a very big music store. One
day, a customer came in and asked about
finding guitar players to work on a cruise
ship. This was in the late ’70s, and the idea
intrigued me. One of the selling points was
that the ship would sail from New York
City to the Bahamas, passing through the
Bermuda Triangle. So the whole situation
sounded like one big adventure. I played
disco up and down the East Coast, and
when my time was up, I made New York
my home. I continued playing in wedding
bands in NYC for a few years while working
a day job.
When did you start building gear?
The first thing I ever built was a 2x12
bass cabinet for my brother when I was
17 or 18. I scrounged up whatever I could
find for materials, but I had no idea what
I was doing.
Do you still have it?
I wish! I was still playing my gig, so I would
change out components—this speaker or
that component—and one day I thought
“Why can’t we make something that sounds
good right off the bat? Why do we have
to customize things?” So I started making
guitar amps and cabs for myself, finding the
best materials I could. Pretty soon, people
started asking about my gear. Fearing the
lack of name-brand status, I would tell them
a friend made them for me. I started building
in my garage. I did all the cutting, gluing,
assembling, etc., and then I would sell
them with no name on them.