Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Rynearson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jacob. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2006 I started working for Hawkins Amplification under an apprenticeship building and repairing guitar amplifiers. Two years late the business folded and I went to work as a janitor at the Whole Foods commercial bakery in Stafford. While working at the bakery I fixed a few of their bread machines, and was inspired to continue with the business we were doing at Hawkins, under a new name; Steamboat.
During the next few years Steamboat operated at a small recording studio in the Aldine neighborhood before moving to the Northside Village, a small neighborhood located between Downtown Houston and the Heights. In the nearly six years we’ve been at this location we’ve had customers come from far north of the Woodlands, and as far south as Galveston.
A few years ago we began doing commercial sound installations at bars and restaurants. This precipitated a relationship with the MFAH and we did a custom sound system for the 2015 installation “Shadow Monsters.” Steamboat custom speakers are found at local watering holes Double Trouble, Poison Girl, the yet to be open Goodnight Charlie’s and even Sig’s Lagoon record store.
In the past year Steamboat has grown vertically with three new divisions. Atomic Backline is our company that provides studio rental, instrument and music equipment rental to all kinds of touring acts and music venues. Quantum Event Technologies is our commercial pro audio division, and Space City Parts is a small parts manufacture focusing on OEM hardware for other musical instrument companies.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle in Steamboat’s history has been funding and emotional support. I came from an emotionally abusive household and over the years I’ve been constantly advocated by my family to quit pursuing the passions that brought us here. Many, many false starts hardened our resolve and made us smarter. Learning how to turn a negative into a positive, or simply a lesson learned, made challenges rewarding, even when we failed.
Please tell us about Steamboat Amps.
Steamboat Amps is a custom, boutique amplifier maker. We can build a musician an amplifier that suits their playing style, musical genre, and aesthetic. Everything we built is made to last, using the best quality parts, and as many Made In USA parts as possible – including hardware that we create ourselves under the Space City Parts brand.
Steamboat Amps is also known around town as the go-to shop for amp repair. On any given week we have a dozen vintage amplifiers from Fender, Ampeg, Marshall, etc. in for tuning and repair. Having a constant catalog of classic amps to draw influences our product design; you can trace every circuit and design choice to the DNA of these vintage circuits.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory form childhood was attending TH Rogers’s middle school. THR is a vanguard and special needs school with an amazingly dedicated staff and diverse student body. I was immersed in a multi-cultural world at the most important time in my life to learn tolerance and respect of others.
Pricing:
- Amp Repair Bench Fee (Minimum) $60
- Steamboat Classic 18 Amp $1850
- Steamboat Steamroller Bass Amp $2500
Contact Info:
- Address: 1505 GANO ST
Houston, TX
77009 - Website: www.steamboatamps.com
- Phone: 713-229-0629
- Email: info@steamboatampworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steamboatampworks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steamboatampworks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/steamboatamps
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/steamboat-ampworks-houston
- Other: www.AtomicBackline.com
Image Credit:
Brian Boeckman
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