Bastian Kanbach
Zeal Guitars
Luthier
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Recommended by Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks
When failure leads to excellence
- Bastian builds customised electric guitars
- He uses special surface treatments
- He finds playing the first notes on a new instrument to be magical
The guitar has always played an important role in the life of Bastian Kanbach. “I have been playing the guitar since I was 11, so I have always had a close connection to this instrument; it has enriched my life and given me the opportunity to travel the world and meet new people,” he says. However, studying music did not seem to be the right way for him to go. “I have had a weakness for crafts since my childhood, so it became obvious to pursue this passion professionally.” Bastian started training in guitar making in 2003 and later joined the workshop of Siggi Braun in Göppingen, where he created more than 100 customised guitars. Since 2010 he has been working in his own workshop with Oliver Reich, crafting exquisite electric guitars under the name Zeal Guitars.
INTERVIEW
The potential for innovation in the field of instrument making tends to be limited. But nevertheless, I always look for new possibilities, especially in design and surface design. However, construction and technology are usually rather classical and traditional.
The countless failures and the lessons learned from them that inevitably happen on one’s way to artisanal mastery.
There have been many wonderful moments, but one keeps coming back to me. When I play the first notes on an instrument I have built myself, that is and will always be something special to me.
Since that change, the job title guitar maker has been used excessively. Now, there are a lot of self-taught people who are offering their services on the market, but many of them disappear quickly again.
