About Sharkbomb Audio

My name is Evan Demsey. I'm an electrical engineering student at the University of Virginia. My path to choosing electrical engineering is quite unique: audio. In 2020, I learned about the mythical "Klon Centaur" guitar pedal, which drove me to learn the basics of pedal building and audio design. I started making pedals for myself, to mimic the sound of some of my favorite guitarists. I began selling them to friends and taking repair jobs from friends and local used music stores, working under the name Sharkbomb Audio. Since then I've designed and built 20+ guitar pedals and 6 guitar amplifiers for amateur and professional musicians, and repaired more than 50 pieces of gear for three music stores around Washington, DC.

In 2023 I reached out to Paul Smith, the founder and CEO of PRS Guitars. He selected me to design, build and repair equipment for his studio. I still work with Paul closely in my free time, helping translate his audio needs into physical equipment. Since then I designed a 4-layer BGA carrier board as an intern at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, and spent summer 2026 on the production line at EarthQuaker Devices.

At UVA, I enjoy teaching other students about fundamental electrical engineering topics as a teaching assistant for 225 students across 4 periods of signals and systems, applied circuits, and digital logic design. Outside of engineering, my love for music continues! I'm a member of UVA's Cavalier Marching Band and Athletic Band. I also founded the Birding at UVA Club, which now has 350 members and has sparked a partnership with the National Audubon Society, and of course I still love spending time designing and building audio equipment. If any of this piques your interest, please reach out. I'd love to hear from you!