Hughes & Kettner is a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 brand of guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 and bass

Bass guitar

The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 amplifier

Instrument amplifier

An instrument amplifier is an electronic amplifier that converts the often barely audible or purely electronic signal from musical instruments such as an electric guitar, an electric bass, or an electric keyboard into an electronic signal capable of driving a loudspeaker that can be heard by the...

s, cabinets and effects processors. It was founded in Neunkirchen

Neunkirchen, Saarland

Neunkirchen is a town and a municipality in Saarland, Germany. It is the largest town in, and the seat of the district of Neunkirchen. It is situated on the river Blies, approx. 20 km northeast of Saarbrücken. With about 50,000 inhabitants, Neunkirchen is Saarland's 2nd largest city...

 in 1984 and is based in St.Wendel

Sankt Wendel

St. Wendel is a municipality in northeastern Saarland. It is situated on the river Blies 36 km northeast of Saarbrücken, the capital of Saarland, and is named after Saint Wendelin of Trier.- Geography :...

 since 1987.

Notable users of Hughes & Kettner products include Alex Lifeson

Alex Lifeson

Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...

 and Tommy Thayer

Tommy Thayer

Tommy Cunningham Thayer is an American musician and songwriter best known as the lead guitarist for the American hard rock band Kiss.- Early life :...

, who have signature amplifiers by the company (The TriAmp MKIII Alex Lifeson and the Duotone Tommy Thayer). Other Hughes and Kettner users are Peredur ap Gwynedd

Peredur ap Gwynedd

Peredur Wyn ap Gwynedd is a Welsh guitarist. He was born and raised in South Wales and currently resides in London. His brother, Rheinallt ap Gwynedd, was the bassist for the band Apollo 440 and his sister, Llinor ap Gwynedd, is an actress....

, Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt is a Portuguese guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme whose hits include the acoustic ballads "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted"...

, Tony Macalpine

Tony MacAlpine

Tony Jeff MacAlpine is an American guitarist and keyboardist. Having released ten studio albums over a career spanning more than two decades, he is best known as an instrumental solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in the form of guest appearances and...

, Rocky George

Rocky George

Rocky George is an American heavy metal guitarist who has been a member of several notable musical acts. George's guitar playing career began in 1982 when he joined a local punk rock band called Pap Smear. He became lead guitarist of Suicidal Tendencies in 1984 and stayed with the band until their...

 and Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...

.

The tubes in Hughes & Kettner amps go through extensive tests; tests that push the tubes farther than they are rated.

Hughes & Kettner, up until recently, relied on its flagship Statesman family of amplifiers. Recently, however, Hughes & Kettner has worked to establish itself in the high-gain 50-100 watt amp head market. With the recent release of the Coreblade amplifier head, Hughes & Kettner is spending most of its resources in this market.