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About Us

In 2011 Abbey Sound celebrated 35 years of service to the professional audio industry. During three and a half decades of evolution and change we have gained a broad knowledge base, and combined with extensive experience in manufacturing, repair, design and installation, we have built our reputation on ensuring customer satisfaction. For Ross Nicol and the rest of the Abbey team, our philosophy is service, and going that extra mile is what we strive for on a daily basis.

 

Company History

Driven by a passion for excellence in all things audio, Abbey Sound began in 1975 in New Zealand when Ross, former professional musician - with a background in electrical and electronic engineering - decided to build the best guitar amplifier in the world. No small ambition!

Having initially set up a workshop in a spare bedroom, then later expanding into his garage, Ross honed his technical skills, working virtually day and night (in between gigs) designing and building the first Abbey amplifier, based on the Beatles famous Vox AC-30. Still very much a one man band, Ross was soon selling his amp heads, combos and slave amps to music shops around the country. 1978 saw the inclusion of the hugely popular and now classic Abbey Boogie amplifier.

Encouraged by steady demand for the diversifying product range of Abbey amplifiers and speakers throughout New Zealand, the decision was made to relocate the company to Australia in 1980.

Evolution....

Setting up in a factory in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Seaford, Ross began with a small team dedicated to further research and development. As the company grew, two complexes of rehearsal rooms were established at Seaford and Port Melbourne, with several well-known Australian performers occasionally availing themselves of the facilities.

During this period all manufacturing was carried out at the premises in Port Melbourne, until being relocated to a new larger factory at Seaford in the late 1990's. Our extensive hire inventory was designed and manufactured to be - by neccessity - rugged and reliable. This led to the inclusion of Abbey road cases in the product range, also manufactured in-house. (Click here for more vintage Abbey).

But as the end of the 20th century drew closer, some hard decisions needed to be made. Due to the labour-intensive nature of the individually-crafted and assembled Abbey product, competition from cheap mass-produced electronic imports eventually made the manufacturing of amplifiers and speaker enclosures in Australia unviable. However, the company continues to go from strength to strength in the areas of repair and design, as well as installation and equipment upgrades.

 

Ross, the "Amp Doctor"

From the company's early days, Ross's specialist knowledge of valve amplifiers led to his being known as the Amp Doctor. Time has not dimmed his passion for audio perfection.

Keeping abreast of current technology, Ross is constantly developing innovative solutions to audio problems, including the incorporation of user-friendliness within his designs.