[AMPS OF DESTRUCTION] Four years ago, Nial McGaughey (pictured) sat down
on his couch and, for no particular reason, decided to build an
amplifier. It wasn't a totally left-field decision: He went to school
for electrical engineering and designed amps for boutique retailers in
L.A. But this personal project would lead McGaughey, who returned to
Portland in 2010 after a few years working in the tech industry, down a
new career path. Today, the bearded musician is the proprietor of
Hovercraft Amps, producing highly regarded, specialized equipment made
from all-recycled material. And now, he even has his own festival: The
first-ever Hoverfest will feature regional skull-crushers like
YOB, Danava, Witch Mountain and more—bands all in debt to the
customized, vintage sound of McGaughey's products. "My ear gravitates
toward that sound," says McGaughey, who's played in everything from
industrial bands to alt-country acts. In four years, Hovercraft has
built over 500 amps using reclaimed bits and pieces. "It can be just raw
parts that go together or something that's been rotting in a warehouse
for 10 years and I buy the whole shipping container," he says. "I treat
it like a chef who goes to the farmers market and goes, 'What's on
special? What's available?' And that kind of drives the design and the
price." Though his amps have been used by everyone from Interpol to
Keith Urban's touring band, those on the heavier end of the spectrum
have taken a particular liking to them—hence the elephantine Hoverfest
lineup. "The bands that play the stuff, I love the sound of their music
anyway," McGaughey says, "and when I get to hear, 'We were using this
amp, then we used yours and all of a sudden the sound became
three-dimensional,' I know there's more than just the sum-of-the-parts
thing happening."
SEE IT: In the alley behind Cravedog Inc., 2119 N Kerby St. Noon Saturday, Aug. 23. $15. All ages.
WWeek 2015