Randall Amplifiers

Christy Coobatis is a college music professor whose amazing musical journey includes playing professionally before he was a teenager, beta testing guitars for Leo Fender, and helping to create a guitar synthesizer for Allan Holdsworth! Christy’s latest and longest tenure as a teacher has been at MiraCosta College in Oceanside California, where he started in 2000. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, taking lessons at one music store in town and teaching at another. In elementary school, he played at the local fair and at 12 he was wearing a tuxedo and playing in a wedding band!

Don Randall met Leo Fender before World War II when both men worked in radio repairs. After the war they decided to form a business together that would allow Leo to focus on developing a line of guitars. Don’s history of radio amplifiers and his business education made for a perfect match. The Fender Guitar Company began work on a series of electric guitars and Don named all of the products Leo designed. First he named the Broadcaster, then the Telecaster and by the time rock was rolling into popularity Don named the next line of guitars the Stratocaster –perhaps the most popular

Bob Rissi was the founder of Risson Amplifier Company, which produces Made-in-America products based on Bob’s own designs.  He began designing amplifiers in 1960 when he was hired by Leo Fender himself.  He later worked at Rickenbacker before forming his own company in 1971.  In addition to his creative innovations in amplifier design, Bob became friends with several industry leaders, such as Fredrick Hall and Leo Fender, who he viewed as personal and professional mentors. 

Gary Sunda began building guitar amplifiers under the name Sunda in the 1960s before he was hired by Don Randall to create a new line of amplifiers, Randall Amps. Gary began designing products for the Randall Company in 1970 and stayed until just after Don sold the company in 1990. Gary continues to design and create amplifiers and is still a regular attendee at most NAMM shows.