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They say too much TV rots your brain, but that's certainlynot the case for 32-year old Bruce Zinky, whose "cigaretteamp" raked in $700,000 in sales last year. When too manyGet Smart episodes and James Bond movies propelled thiselectronic tinkerer/guitar player into an intoxicating whirlwind ofshoe phones and martini transmitters, inspiration manifested itselfthrough a mini amplifier housed in an empty cigarette pack, aptlydubbed the Smokey Amplifier.
"I've never smoked," admits Zinky, "but theidea of [an amp] that was the right size and resembled somethingcompletely different was perfect." After crafting a fewprototypes for his guitar buddies back in the `80s, Zinky set asidethe invention for a career with Fender Musical Instruments. In1997, a friend grew nostalgic for the battery-powered amp, soZinky, now equipped with manufacturing and buying know-how, andpartner Annette Yurchak, 26, made Smokey Amplifiers into abusiness.
Luck stepped in when Zinky met Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, whobankrolled the first production run by purchasing 100 amps. Withthe famous long-bearded rocker as their honorary endorsee, Zinkyand Yurchak hit up guitar magazines and dealers. The partners usedpersonal credit to finance additional manufacturing and paid offcreditors with accumulated sales. With the launch of http://www.smokeyamps.com in 1998and transactions with guitar retailers like Guitar Center, SmokeyAmps has sold more than 50,000 amps to date, and has moved from ahome office to a Flagstaff, Arizona, office and warehouse.
Because his product has generated some static from cigarettemanufacturers, Zinky now announces by way of stickers that his ampsare not affiliated with or authorized by any cigarettecompanies.
