“I built my first amplifier back in 2011 out of boredom,” Hernandez said. That modest start—he traded his first build for a drum set—grew into years of tinkering, researching RCA schematics, and experimenting with harmonics until, in early 2023, Hernandez left his job in the music industry and launched Marla Amps full-time.

Hernandez’s professional background, including 15 years in retail at Guitar Center and a few years in business development at Moog Music, has provided him with a depth of knowledge that informs every facet the business—from product development to pricing. 

Hernandez builds every amp by hand, sourcing parts from trusted North American partners—cabinets from MojoTone in Burgaw, transformers from US and Canadian manufacturers, and chassis that are stamped, cut, and drilled in Statesville. “Over 50% of my sourcing is from the States,” he said. “All key components are made in America.”

The S10V amplifier quickly became a best-seller when it debuted at Heyday Music, Asheville’s independently owned gear shop. “It would sell within two weeks, on average,” Hernandez said. As soon as one sold, he’d have a new customer asking for one. For Hernandez, this indicated a solid market demand and a significant opportunity. “Inside of Asheville, this town of 115,000 people—granted, we have a disproportionate amount of musicians—but even in cities with a quarter million people, if a shop the size of Heyday Music can sell one of these every two weeks or every month, the potential for Marla Amps is boundless at that point,” he said. 

The S10V is being phased out to make way for the S15 Classic while “still staying true to that sub-$1,000 price point,” he said. The product line has also grown to include several other amplifiers, with additional plans underway. 

“The main ethos behind the amplifiers is accessibility to great tone,” said Hernandez. “Instead of building the most perfect thing and then finding the customer who will pay that grand price tag… I want to build something that’s the best sound quality possible to sit within the budget that most gigging musicians are living in.”

Unlike boutique builds that “should live in a museum,” Hernandez said he wants his amps to look like “they’ve been dragged onto every stage across the US. When people say, ‘Oh, your amp is a workhorse,’ that’s the biggest compliment you can give me.”

That affordability and customer-first mindset also shapes the Marla Amps marketing strategy. “I telegraph everything that’s going to come out this year,” he said. “I don’t want you to spend your money on something just to support me if something better comes out a week later.”

With 120 units sold in his first year—about 90% direct to consumer—Hernandez is now building toward a broader dealer network. “Within three years, I want to end up [selling] 80% through a dealer network,” he said. “I want to give independent dealers a chance to have this build quality, this sound quality… and have a better product that’s going to last a lifetime.”

The expansion is made possible, in part, by a recent NC IDEA grant, which will support improved marketing, a website overhaul, and workspace expansion. “My marketing is terrible,” Hernandez admits. “It represents the price of my amplifiers, but not the quality.” The grant will also allow him to triple production space and bring on sales reps to cover every major US metro market.

For now, it’s still a solo operation—but Hernandez isn’t slowing down. “My goal is to pick it up to $40 million [in revenue] within 10 years… and create at least 40 to 50 jobs locally,” Hernandez said. “The whole brand is geared toward accessibility. Sound quality and pricing are probably the two most important things to me as a musician, and I want to make sure that my amps reflect that.”

Learn more at MarlaAmplification.com.