In the beginning (1966)

An early innovation in portable guitar amplification, the CTI Pixy Mk V pioneered silent practice amps, a forerunner to modern headphone amps.

Cliff Cooper, Founder and CEO of Orange Amplification remembers: “I named it the CTI Pixy Mk V… there weren’t any earlier ones, but I figured Mk V was a good starting point.

“In 1966, I built my first studio on the first floor of a commercial building I’d rented in Amity Road, Stratford, East London. It didn’t take long before the neighbours started complaining about the noise, which gave me an idea: a miniature transistor guitar amp with an earpiece.

“CTI stood for “Cooper Technical Industries”. About a year later, other companies started launching similar products designed for use with headphones.

The Pixy Mk V Takes Shape

“I built the Pixy amplifier on a tag board, which worked surprisingly well. The earpiece was a crystal design made by ACOS, and the amp ran on a 9-Volt battery that slotted into the base. I rolled thin aluminium for the case using a metal forme, then covered it in black vinyl. The circuitry fitted neatly inside. I decided to call it the CTI Pixy Mk V. Even though there hadn’t been a Mk I to IV, I thought Mk V had a nice ring to it.

“I remember taking it to the Melody Maker offices, where I met two journalists, Chris Hayes and Chris Welch. I asked if they’d give the Mk V a write-up in the paper, but they told me they couldn’t help directly and pointed me to the advertising department. The quote for a half-page ad was what I considered a small fortune, so I opted for a little square ad instead.

“To my surprise, within a month I’d sold nearly a hundred units at just under £2 each.”