KSR Amps

The company is open about a rough patch. In October 2026 it told customers it is behind on orders, messages and support requests after a recent expansion did not work, and that it has contracted to a more reasonable size, with Rhodes taking production, support and product development back over himself². It also reported shipping nearly 30 orders in a single week³.

The story: from a Middletown shop to a smaller company

KSR began in 2009, and by the company's own count this June makes 18 years in business⁵². Everything from full-size heads to pedals, cabinets and IRs is still built by the company's own team in its Ohio shop, a point KSR stresses in its own letters to customers¹. Its pedal pages go further, saying each pedal is manufactured completely in its Cincinnati facility, with CNC machining, powder coating, laser etching and circuit board assembly performed under one roof with no outsourcing⁴. The company describes its gear as "Amps, pedals, cabinets and power amps for players who want serious tone without compromise"².

The recent chapter is a contraction. Rhodes's October 2026 letter puts it plainly⁶³:

Alongside the smaller operation, KSR has added new test stations for pedals, speakers and amps that check every product before it leaves the shop, with the test data kept on file¹.

Known for amp heads and preamp pedals

KSR's pedal line centers on preamp pedals: the Ceres and Vesta three-channel preamp pedals, plus the smaller Ceres ONE mini preamp. The Ceres, in KSR's words, "contains our signature tones from three of our amplifiers, the Ares, the Artemis/Gemini, and the Colossus"⁴. The Vesta adds EQ options that KSR describes as making "a highly versatile Pre-Amp pedal"⁷. The line also includes the Eros boost pedal with EQ⁸, the Hera⁹, and the EX5, a controller that operates KSR's non-MIDI amps, including the Ares, Juno and Orthos, plus all KSR pedals¹⁰.

The Ceres is built for pedalboard use: top mounted jacks allow easy integration into an existing board, and a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) TRS control port allows control of the pedal's channels and future expansion, using an 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch TRS cable or adapter to momentary contact closure relays⁴. It runs on 9V DC, and KSR warns not to exceed 9V, as the pedal will shut down to protect its internal electronics⁴. KSR also sells a compatible 9V, center negative, 500 mA power supply for all its pedals⁸. On the amp side, the Ares head lists between $1,975.00 and $2,225.00 across its variants¹⁵.

Lead times and prices

KSR publishes current lead times by product type²¹⁶:

On prices, KSR raised prices on all amplifier heads on October 10, 2026: full-size heads went up by as much as $500 depending on the model, and the PA50, PA-50R and PA-100R increased as well. Pedal prices, in Rhodes's words, "are staying where they are for now"³. Existing orders and deposits keep their original price³. The company attributed the increases to rising costs of vacuum tubes, transformer iron and copper, aluminum, freight, tariffs on electrical components and operating costs³.

Support, repairs and the customer portal

KSR now runs a customer portal at portal.ksramps.com, which provides build updates, photos and status emails¹. For anyone waiting on gear, Rhodes has given a direct guarantee:

The Foundry

The range (13)

Questions