Walker Labs first began in 1999 when Jim Walker built a battery-powered bass amplifier for his son Mark as a unique, personal Christmas gift. Soon several of Jim’s musician friends requested their own versions, and Jim enjoyed the challenge of designing newer guitar and bass amplifiers with added features suggested by his friends. They were so impressed that they insisted he could sell them professionally. Since he was working as a design engineer in a major electronic research and development facility, he accepted their suggestions as a compliment but did not actively pursue a second business. However, Jim’s friends had planted a seed in his mind, and over the next year he developed the concepts for a family of products based on the core technology of his battery-powered amplifier.

He enlisted the help of his son Mark, a successful mechanical engineer and frequent collaborator on previous projects. Jim and Mark drew upon their combined 50 years experience in sound reinforcement, music performance, product development, and high-volume manufacturing to refine the original design concepts into market-ready products. Today Walker Labs offers an array of unique products, as well as custom engineering services, to meet the diverse needs of the professional audio market.