Jack Johnson, Stevie Wonder and Motörhead are fan of a startup from Lucerne

Several music experts have said the following quote: «You can’t reinvent the wheel of the rock and guitar music. » Well, this may be true in some parts, but there is sufficient space resting for innovations. The Lucerne based guitar-fanatic Silvan Küng and his friend Pirmin Giger are proving this with their company «Relish Brothers AG», which is producing electric guitars with passion. The company was founded in November 2013.


At the biggest music fair of the world - NAMM 16 - Relish Guitars's models were a hit: they were all sold.

But, what is new with their guitars? Küng explains us: «Since 60 years all electric guitars are produced basically the same way: You take a solid timber, make some millings, put in the electronics, varnish the whole thing and you have your guitar. The market, however, is begging for innovations.»

Küng and Giger are producing electric guitars, which are generating a unique sound as for her new construction methods and materials. «Our goal is it, to build electric guitars which have an upmarket output with a broad sound spectrum combined with an absolute high-end processing – Swiss Made Guitars. With this vision, we newly inspire musicians from all over the world», is he explaining. The first guitar the two of them brought on the market is called «Jane». The latest, naturally, is called «Mary» – see video below.
 
Küng taught his business partner Giger how to play a guitar: «We already pondered together about a company foundation in the youth. When I showed Pirmin the first guitar chords 15 years ago and he explained me five years ago how to build his own guitar, we would never have thought in those moments that we will redefine the international guitar market.»


Relish Guitars' instruments (here "Jane" and "Mary" are a unique combination of material, construction mode and design, producing a unique and vibrant sound.

In 2014 they have won the Venture Kick Finals and got 130‘000 CHF as seed money. Küng says: «All of the won steps of Venture Kick one to three came at the right moment.» Nevertheless, it has never been easy in front of the jury. The experts were all-time well prepared and challenged the guitar heroes with their questions. «Sometimes it really was a Kick’in’the’Ass, but always in a way that it brought us further and we could finally win the competition, which was just overwhelming», he said. «With the money we could finance our first prototypes and the first production series and present us for the first time on the international floor.» In the latest Venture Kick annual report you can find further interesting anecdotes of Küng and Giger.

In the same year they were elected on place 62 of the TOP100. This distinction has brought recognition from investors as well as from the press. 

Now, the international market is the clearly formulated goal of Relish Brothers. Therefore, a participation at the international venture leaders program would be worth it. Küng says to this: «Yes, we go international with our product. Considering the United States and the venture leaders USA, we however have a too market specified product, with which we can draw more efficiently attention to our ideas at international music fairs. Nevertheless, the venture leaders China program is for sure an option for us.»


Stevie Wonder played the Swiss electric guitar, too.

At the end of January, the two of them could participate at the NAMM ’16 in California, which is the biggest music fair in the world and where producers, distributors, music traders and musicians go in and out. The trip has been successful. «It has already been our second trip to this fair. This time, we could negotiate a deal with a big Japanese guitar retail chain. Additionally, we could win over further retailers in the USA and have sold out all the guitars which we brought with us in the end of the fair», Küng says proudly.



The future looks bright. Thus, well known rock stars as Steve Vai, Thomas Nordegg, Jack Johnson, or Aloe Blacc are already counting to the customers of Relish Guitars. Also, world star Stevie Wonder came by at the booth with an entourage of 100 people and tried out their guitar. Still, there is yet much to do for Küng and Giger to reach their goals. «We have to increase the worldwide sales structure and want to finish a financial round for our growth phase until next summer», says Küng.

That some dreams can become real can be proven with this anecdote: In the end of 2015, unfortunately the rock legend Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead has died. Silvan Küng and Pirmin Giger are related with the rock legends with a little story: «At one of the last concerts of Motörhead we were allowed to get in touch with them backstage and we could present our guitar «Jane». Guitar player Phil Campbell was so inspired that he simply took the guitar and played live with it – and we were surrounded by thousands of spectators and could hear our self-made guitar», Küng comments touched.


Phil Campell, the guitar player of Motörhead: "The guitar is just perfect and very inspiring!"