HISTORY
Rhys (centre) in the studio where Muse, Supergrass and Oasis recorded some of their biggest hits (circa 2012).
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"I began playing guitar at the age of nine and formed a band almost immediately. I met some fantastic people in those early days and I was inspired from every angle. In particular I fell in love with the atmosphere inside recording studios- the combination of science and art really appealed to my nature. All the dials and switches were as exciting to me as the music, and I was soon obsessed with electronics and guitars in equal measures."
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Rhys (right) at Miloco studios in London whilst working with world-renowned producer Stephen Street (circa 2013).
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Rhys (right) playing live at the Camden Barfly, London, with a hand-built amplifier (circa 2012).
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"By the time I studied electronics formally at college I was already building guitar and studio equipment. I'd make anything we needed and I had to do it on a real shoestring budget. I was driven by a determination not to compromise on sonic integrity, regardless of what money or technology was available to us at the time. It became an incredibly gratifying and addictve pursuit."
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Rhys (right) recording with an early incarnation of what would later become the multi-award winning King Fuzz pedal (circa 2008).
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Nicknamed 'The Rig', this is the first and only all-tube portable recording studio in the world. It took three years for Rhys to design and build, features eighteen valves, and has been used by EMI (circa 2015).
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"When I finished college I headed to university to study guitar full-time, and I was soon repairing and modifying equipment for customers whilst I worked at a guitar shop. Money was always tight when we were playing in bands so I built my own portable recording rig. We would make temporary studios anywhere from log cabins in Devon to farm houses in France. Eventually, we found the perfect location in South-East England and built a permanent studio; five prolific years ensued and we made some great records there."
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Rhys at the helm of his recording studio nicknamed 'Unit 9E' near Brighton, England. The mixing console was from David Gilmour's (Pink Floyd) home studio (circa 2010).
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Rhys arriving at the Gibson guitar company headquarters in Nashville, Tennesse (circa 2010).
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"Around the time I graduated, Gibson flew me to Nashville to show me their manufacturing processes in detail. I fell in love with the craftsmanship I saw at their archaic Custom division and it really motivated me; after six years of working in guitar shops I decided it was time to leave and focus on my own creations full-time. In the beginning I would get extra work as a free-lancer on some really interesting projects; repairing the mechanism of a 1930's German pedal steel guitar with my brazing torch, zinc-electroplating drum hardware with my home made dipping bath, and everything in-between."
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The Bigfoot Octo Puss pedal went on to be ranked #2 in Guitarist magazine's Best Mini Effects Pedals. Rhys cut, folded, brazed and engraved this first ever one by hand from sheet steel (circa 2009).
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One of Rhys's amplifiers, designed with the less ubiquitous ECC81, ECC82, and E34L valves and a single volume control (circa 2008).
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"For many years I specialised in valve circuits, which lead to me working as an electronic design engineer for Vortexion. Since 1936 this small but well respected British company have produced highly sought after audio equipment. Prototyping valve electronics for them was a very exciting time and it fuelled my creativity enormously. I grew so enamoured with the Vortexion brand, with it's timeless design classics and wonderful heritage, that I was inspired to found a new British company with the same values."
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One of ten limited edition Bigfoot Engineering pedals, hand wired point-to-point inside 35mm film reel cans (circa 2013).
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Bigfoot circuit boards being assembled and wired by hand (circa 2015).
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"Bigfoot grew very organically- the industry saw my passion and really got behind our pedals. We expanded our outreach gradually with the support of our wonderful dealers and distributors, with our network eventually spanning three continents. In 2017 we launched our own online store which really helped put me back in touch directly with our customers. It proved to be a fantastic catalyst thanks to the influx of requests for pedal modifications, including various wiring and finish options. Inspired by Gibson, Bigfoot soon began operating more like a custom shop."
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Bigfoot exhibiting at Musikmesse in Frankfurt, where we were proudly featured in Premier Guitar magazine's best in show (circa 2015).
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Rhys's hand built pedal-platform tube amplifier has been through many evolutions over the years (circa 2017).
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"Unfortunately I suffered a serious hand injury around this time that has left me unable to feel or move my thumb on my fretting hand. After my operation it took almost 2 years of rehabilitation before I was able to play guitar again, and with a much changed technique. It was an incredibly difficult time, but I came through the experience feeling even more grateful for having guitar in my life."
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Rhys's thumb one month after the accident (circa 2018).
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Bigfoot HQ: Rhys's log cabin in rural England (circa 2020).
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"Having toured and made records extensively for many years I finally found the perfect place to set root in beautiful Herefordshire in 2016. Drawing on all my past experiences has been invaluable in reaching Bigfoot's milestone 10th anniversary, but it's our customers who are the driving force behind the company's future. I'd like to personally thank everyone who has supported me and helped grow the brand into something I am truly proud of."
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Inside Bigfoot HQ where Rhys works on all his creations (circa 2020).
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