Anthony Hernandez
Marla Amplification – SEED Spring 2025
Published December 10, 2025
As part of our ‘Meet Our Founders’ series today, we introduce Anthony Hernandez, Founder of Marla Amplification based in Asheville, NC. Marla Amplification builds high quality guitar amplifiers at a compelling price point that gigging musicians can afford.
Q: What problem are you trying to solve and what influenced you to start your company?
A: Inflation, declining product quality, limited options, and outsourced labor have plagued our industry for far too long. At Marla Amps, we’re committed to keeping production local, quality high, designs as unique as the players who use them, and pricing well below the mass-produced, big-brand imports.
Our industry runs entirely on musicians’ discretionary income — and let’s be honest, most players aren’t swimming in cash. Asking someone to spend as much on a working instrument as they do on three months’ rent just isn’t reasonable. During my 15 years in music retail, I saw countless players forced to choose between quality gear and quality of life — and it was always disheartening.
Marla Amps exists to be part of the solution. We build cost-effective, proudly American-made amps that musicians can rely on and feel proud to take to their next gig.
Q: What are you most excited about right now? What keeps you up at night?
A: I’m excited to share that we just launched the Charlie Barker amplifier line with Reverb.com — a third-party platform (think our industry’s version of eBay, Etsy, or Craigslist) that connects consumers and dealers. The response has been incredible: demand from last week’s launch is still carrying strong into this week! It’s been a lean, low-cost branding and sales campaign that’s already outperforming expectations.
Of course, growth comes with its challenges. Competing in Google Ads “Buy Box” campaigns can be tough for small companies like mine. In conversations with Google Ads reps, I’ve learned that my largest competitors spend at least $2,000 per day on U.S. campaigns. By comparison, my $50/day budget is a drop in the ocean. Breaking through that noise will take time — about 90 days of click-through data for Google’s Max Performance to really optimize placement — but I’m confident Marla Amps is on the right path forward.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?
A: I think my biggest reason for creating this company is to give players something that fits their needs and budget. While I’m a bit of a tinkerer and an electronics nerd, my real passion is creating joy. Any time a customer reaches out to voice their support or to say thank you for their purchase, it fuels me to become better and to push harder. I also got to see a band thats touring the US and Europe use a pair of Marla Amps on stage last week. Seeing folk artist like Charlie Parr, pop bands like Ryan Beatty, and rock bands like Spanish Love Songs use Marla Amps on stage has been such a heartwarming experience.
Q: What other passions do you have besides your business?
A: Hurricanes hockey – feel free to reach out when you need some one to attend a game with you! Cooking – my views on cooking translate to my views on amp building; simple and fresh ingredients, balanced well together to create the perfect bite! International traveling with the wife – this has been put on pause for the last two years with Marla Amps being brought to life, but I am hoping we can get back to it in 2026. Being outdoors with the dogs – They love their Saturday morning market and coffee shop walks just as much as they love deep woods hiking. Juniper got her first beach trip when Helene hit and we were stuck outside of the city with no idea what shape our house was in. But it all seemed OK because she was having the time of her life finding seashells and sand crabs.
While visiting Asheville, Anthony recommends:
- Addissae, Red Ginger, and Jerusalem Garden are all unique spots for lunch and dinner. 5 Points Diner is a locals’ secret for breakfast.
Support Marla Amplification and Anthony by:
- Spread the word, reach out to say hello, introductions to similar manufacturing / commercial companies, and/or buy a T Shirt.