Celebrating Steve Melkisethian's Life

photo by Susan Melkisethian

This past weekend, Tish and I attended a wonderful celebration of my dear friend Steve Melkisethian's life (1950-2024)!

This vegan cafe, which we highly recommend, used to be his shop in Savage Mill, MD!👍 It was at this site were we first met after I read his article "Where the Tubes Are" in The Absolute Sound issue 72 Summer 1991. I acquired my Acro 20/20, Eico HF87, Leak Stereo 20 and Pilot SA232 + many other classic tube equipment from him. 

Steve taking an order while testing tubes. To the right was my work table and Weller WTCPS soldering station, which survives to this day.

A year or so later, I was granted a DMA graduate assistantship in violin at the University of Maryland. After seeing what I did to the Eico HF87, he offered me a job to fix classic tube audio equipment and assist in the shop. By this time Angela Instruments had moved to an industrial park in Annapolis Junction, MD. 

I helped in the preparation of these funky, informative and entertaining newsprint catalogs!  If you ever get your hands on one of these catalogs, they truly reflect Steve's personality. Aside from being an astute and honest businessman, he was also very creative! 

Click here for pictures of classic audio equipment stocked at the shop in the mid 90s!

A much younger me with an Audio Note UK Kit 1 amp I assembled (or repaired?) powering Steve's Pro-Ac Response 2 speakers

In the 90s, Angela Instruments was the US distributor of Audio Note UK preamp, amps, transformers and parts and also represented Croft Acoustics (preamp below the Kit 1 amp). Behind the right speaker was a Versa Dynamics turntable, which was once part of Harry Pearson's reference system in Sea Cliff, NY.

Steve was a staunch supporter of the SE-DHT/DIY amp movement and a contributor to Sound Practices. He introduced me to Joe Roberts when Joe was handing out Issue No. 1 at hamfests in the Baltimore/Washington DC area to spread the word.

I vividly remember packing the Audio Note UK and Bartolucci SE OPTs that were reviewed in Vacuum Tube Valley Issue 3.

Steve's man cave

After retiring the audio side of Angela Instruments, Steve focused on his love for music by learning how to read music. He also pursued his passion for photography and gardening.

It was heartwarming to see the pair of JE Labs classic SE300B monoblocks I built for the shop in the 90s sitting on a shelf in his man cave.

Left to Right: Gene, Angela (Steve's son and daughter), me and Tish

Steve's legacy lives on! Angela Instruments is now managed by his son, Gene Melkisethian, who also co-owns record stores and vintage clothing shops in the Washington DC area.

Pictured between me and Susan Melkisethian is Berklee-trained Jefrey Brown, a wonderful musician who also worked in the shop in the mid 90s. 

Steve was a character.😊 He could be very cranky towards audiophiles who loved splitting hairs about the sound of coupling capacitors.😆 However, he was very kind, patient and supportive of artists and musicians. Steve and Susan attended concerts I played at the University of Maryland. 

Hey Jesse, we missed you! Jesse's a talented artist who studied at RISD and also worked with us. Acme Instruments is his main gig now!

Steve was probably even better known in the vintage guitar and amp biz. The Fretboard Journal has a wonderful tribute!

Many people celebrated Steve's life! Relatives, friends and neighbors poured in bringing food, beer and wine. We learned from those who spoke fondly of him that aside from being a devoted husband, dad, art/music lover, photographer and gardener, he and Susan were/are socially concerned members of DSA! 

We can't afford to lose more people like him in this day and age!😔
 

Steve and I at the Annapolis Junction shop in the summer of 2016

I truly cherish the moments I spent working at your shop! I hope to see you again in a better universe!🍻