– Press Release

Budda Amplification, a leading manufacturer of high-end, American-handmade guitar amplifiers and effects pedals, proudly announces it has entered into an exclusive endorsement relationship with the lead/rhythm guitarists with The Scott Stapp Band, Artie Rincon and John Curry.

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Scott Stapp Band guitarists, Artie Rincon and John Curry, pose with their Budda Amplifiers.

Scott Stapp, the former lead vocalist of the multi-Platinum rock band Creed, will release his first solo record on November 22, 2005, entitled “The Great Divide,” on Wind-Up Records. The release of “The Great Divide” will be supported with a national publicity and imaging campaign, in conjunction with variety of NASCAR marketing platforms, that is sure to again set Stapp on top of the Billboard charts, as well as expose the Budda Amplification product line and brand to a new and diverse international audience. The Scott Stapp Band endorsement is a major asset to Budda’s 2006 marketing and advertising program, which includes increased use of professional artists in advertising and promotion,
high-profile product reviews and publicity, and a recently completed web page redesign.

Most recently signed to Roadrunner Records’ hard rock outfit GONEBLIND, Artie Rincon and John Curry are seasoned ‘road dawgs’ who have toured nationally in support of Sevendust, Creed, Kid Rock, and 3 Doors Down. After evaluating several well-known amps in both recording and live performance situations, Rincon and Curry felt the Budda SuperDrive Series II heads and cabinets sounded superior in all of the mixes. The guitarists used a range of Budda SuperDrive Series II amplifiers to record “The Great Divide” and in July 2005 entered into the exclusive endorsement relationship in order to expand their backline Budda rigs for the making of the CD’s first video, anticipated concert tour and television appearances.

According to Budda Amplification CEO, John Millar, “Rincon and Curry became Budda converts during the tracking of ‘The Great Divide,’ and they quickly expressed great interest in endorsing the product line. It made perfect sense to bring Rincon and Curry into the Budda family, as the relationship would be an immeasurable contribution to Budda’s future marketing efforts. Artie and John are aggressive players and we are gratified Budda is the foundation of their sound.”

As a founder and the voice of Creed, Stapp’s success is virtually unparalleled, having won the Grammy® Award for Best Rock Song in 2000, 9 Billboard Awards, 2 American Music Awards, and a People’s Choice Award. He has sold over 30 million units worldwide with just three albums, and had seven consecutive #1 Rock Radio singles. Stapp’s first single, “The Great Divide,” will be featured in a NASCAR Image Campaign that will air during the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. Stapp’s image, music and band, both live and pre-recorded will be featured in a variety of other NASCAR marketing platforms. Additionally, a national concert tour and countless television performances in support of “The Great Divide” will commence beginning late in 2005 continuing through 2006.

According to Budda Amplification company president and co-founder, Scot Sier, “Budda’s founding principal remains to provide the customer with the best engineered, constructed and sounding amplifier ever made which returns the highest possible customer satisfaction. It has always been Budda’s goal to promote the product line in association with the most respected guitarists and recording talent in the world who use and rely on Budda amps to create the new sound of Rock and Roll. Budda’s relationship with the Scott Stapp Band will expose Budda’s profile to a massive audience and the Budda dealer will surely benefit from that through increased product interest and sales.“

Scott Stapp’s video for the CD’s first single, “The Great Divide,” recorded at the Howard Hughes Hangar in Southern California, is a staged live performance that reveals Rincon and Curry’s Budda backline touring systems consisting of SuperDrive Series II heads, combos and cabinets. Rincon’s Budda system consists of two Budda SuperDrive Series II 80-watt Heads powering two 4×12 and two 2×12 Budda cabinets, each loaded with Budda proprietary Phat speakers. Rincon upgrades one of his Budda SuperDrive Series II 80-watt heads, loading it with 6550 tubes, while one head uses the stock 6L6 tubes. Curry’s Budda system consists of two SuperDrive II 45-watt 2×12 combos, loaded with stock KT66 tubes, and two SuperDrive Series II 80-watt heads, loaded with stock 6L6 tubes, powering two 4×12 and two 2×12 Budda cabinets, again, loaded with the Budda proprietary Phat speakers.

Website: http://www.budda.com/