Route 30 Pickups (formerly Sonic Soup Pickups) started as a deeply personal journey. I picked up an acoustic guitar in the early '90s—like a lot of people do—but everything changed when a friend handed me an electric. One of my first electrics was a beat-up Gibson SG, and I was hooked. I quickly realized how much swapping pickups could transform a guitar’s tone and feel. That discovery led me down a rabbit hole I never really left.

As my guitar collection grew, I noticed a pattern: the ones that sounded better got played more. Over time, I came to believe that the inspiration to pick up an amazing sounding guitar is worth chasing. That idea became the core of Route 30 Pickups: building pickups that inspire players to play.

I’ve spent years building prototypes, testing them across different guitars, amps, and genres, and comparing them to well-known industry standard pickups. I took notes obsessively, ran countless A/B tests, and focused relentlessly on what made a pickup not just sound good, but feel right.

Route 30 Pickups is the result of that process. Like a chef refining a favorite recipe, I’ve poured myself into this work—not just to make pickups I love, but to create something that resonates with other players too.

Even though I still work full-time outside the music industry, this has become my true passion project. I’m continuing to fine-tune designs, explore new ideas, and grow the lineup. Thanks for being part of the ride—there’s a lot more to come.