The music industry mourns the loss of a larger-than-life character
Aspen Pittman was a true music industry giant in every sense of the word. This 6′ 6″ mountain of a man dedicated his life to game-changing tone enhancements that will be appreciated for generations. From the aptly named Groove Tubes (GT) company he founded in 1979 to his award-winning microphone designs, groundbreaking patented Speaker Emulator, the criminally overlooked Fatfinger, his Center Point Stereo technology, and more — Aspen didn’t just raise the bar, he raised several.
As for his best-selling The Tube Amp Book? For tube amp lovers and tone chasers like me, this critically acclaimed gem was, is, and always will be a bible. And his idea for grading GT tubes on a scale from 1 to 10 based on when they started to break up (in a highly desirable way!) was genius, IMHO. Here’s the rating scale:
- LOW (1–3): Early distortion, wide range, softer attack — good for rock and blues solos.
- MEDIUM (4–7): Normal performance, great dynamic range/attack, and best all-around rating type — for all styles of playing.
- HIGH (8–10): Most dynamic range, most clean power/less breakup — for power players, jazz, and bass amps.
Simple? Yep. Brilliantly “guitarist-friendly”? Absolutely.
I had the incredible good fortune to spend quality time with Aspen over the years, and this gentle giant’s incredible intelligence and passion for tone were matched by his quick wit and infectious laugh. He was not only one of our industry’s brightest beacons, but he was also one of its most beloved characters.
Our paths crossed once again this summer, and the much slimmer behemoth was kind enough to tell me the secret of his visibly successful diet. And happily sharing knowledge — be it about getting the most out of your amp or winning the war on weight loss — was another of Aspen’s many praiseworthy traits. Ditto his disarming smile.
I learned of Aspen’s heart-wrenching passing (the result of a car crash) via mutual friends over the weekend. He was 70 years young. After the shock had somewhat subsided, I pulled out my dog-eared copy of his rightfully lauded book with the personalized inscription Aspen had written in it, way back in October 1993, and it made me smile broadly, despite my sadness.
To Nick, Keep your sockets tight, your pins straight, and never lose your bias!
Amen to that.
The thoughts and condolences of Aspen’s many friends and fans at Sweetwater are with his family, friends, and loved ones.
Rest in peace, Aspen, my friend — and thanks for changing the game.