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RickCruzAmps make you say "I didn't know I had that in me."
This page features Rick Cruz playing guitar through tube amplifiers designed and hand built by himself. All of the instruments on the "Virtusoso" (pronounced "virtue so so") disc have been recorded, produced, and played by Rick Cruz. These are quick mixes recorded with a minimum of EQ and effects, meant to showcase the pure tone of Cruz amps. Hopefully, more "dittys" will materialize with the help of the surrounding musical neighbors at the rehearsal complex. The Geronimo Project features Wil Geronimo's solo drum tracks sent via email to Rick, who later adds the other instrumentation and produces it into song form. Performances marked "live" include Jerome Guerrero or George Perry on bass guitar, and Bam Bam on drums. These live performances lack studio quality, yet you can still hear how the Cruz amps light up the room in a bar gig atmosphere.
While working at a recording studio in Chicago, Rick Cruz pursued degrees in electronics and audio engineering and later went to work as an engineer for several world class recording facilities and record labels in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Rick Cruz honed his engineering chops as a Chief Engineer for Jive Records and later on staff at the legendary Streeterville Studios in downtown Chicago.
At one peak in his career, Rick Cruz found himself engineering with the likes of The Fugees, Collective Soul, Albert Collins, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Crucial Conflict, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Hans Zimmer (Walt Disney Soundtracks), R. Kelly, Filter, Will Smith, Jeff Lorber, Buddy Guy, Kanye West, Bob Ezrin (producer with Pink Floyd/Jane's Addiction/Alice Cooper/Kiss ), Cajmere ("It's Time For The Percolator!"), Twista, John P. Kee, Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, Lenny Pickett, Sugar Blue, Cornell Dupree, The Soul Stirrers, Destiny's Child, Vanessa Williams, The Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Tom 49 (producer with Earth, Wind And Fire/The Ohio Players), Carey Bell, A Tribe Called Quest, Michael Jackson , Too Short, Toni Braxton, and Eddie Kramer (producer/engineer with Jimi Hendrix/Led Zeppelin/Kiss/Buddy Guy), just to name a few.
Along with partner Larry McDaniel, Rick Cruz currently operates Stone Free Studios, a two room recording facility in Chicago which mixes old school large room acoustics and tube/analog tape technology with modern day Pro Tools engineering "magic". (Learn more about the studio and Larry's music at myspace.com/stonefree1.)
Recently, Cruz Amplification was born out of Rick Cruz 's fascination of tube amplifiers. Along with Tom Perkins of Boutique Music, the two worked to produce and promote a great line of hand built amplifiers for both the discriminating pro, or any guitarist on "The Quest For The Ultimate Tone". Rick Cruz 's designs are currently on stage with Cheap Trick, Parliament Funkadelic, and The Ides Of March, as well as being in the studio with the likes of John Fogerty and Jim Peterik.
By day, Rick Cruz "fixes things" for one of Chicago's largest worldwide show production facilities. Find out what Rick Cruz @ the day gig is like by clicking on the link. Recent clients include Harley Davidson, SAP Software, Target, Yamaha / SkiDoo RV's, The U.S. Department Of Defense, McDonalds, The LPGA, and Diageo Liquor Distributors.
If none of this fascinates you not even one bit thanks for reading this far anyway.
Regardless of your preference, we hope you enjoy the pictures and the music. Thanks again! Enjoy your stay, and drop us a line anytime!
-BIO written by LT
Check the "upcoming shows" section frequently to see this guitar amp designer play guitar (with The Rick Cruz Band and/or The Amoreys) or drums (with Stone Free).
Rick Cruz :
[noun]: A human transformer
