Mini Crate amplifier

St. Louis Music, one of the largest suppliers of musical instruments in the country, began as a small violin shop founded in 1922 by Austrian immigrant Bernard Kornblum. By the time Bernard’s son Gene Kornblum joined St. Louis Music in the early 1960s, rock ’n’ roll had set off an explosion of interest in electric guitars. St. Louis Music soon introduced its own nationally known brands like Alvarez guitars and Crate amplifiers. Despite a saturated amplifier market in the 1970s, Kornblum envisioned a new style—an amp that would be sturdy, portable, and not too expensive.

Object Title and Accession Number

Mini Crate amplifier. Made by St. Louis Music, ca. 1980. 2010-001-0001.